diff --git a/app/views/templates/_templates.haml b/app/views/templates/_templates.haml
index 506642d37..848b28618 100644
--- a/app/views/templates/_templates.haml
+++ b/app/views/templates/_templates.haml
@@ -29,3 +29,6 @@
 %script{:id => "activity-streams-photo-template", :type => 'text/template'}
   != File.read("#{Rails.root}/app/views/templates/activity-streams-photo.ujs")
 
+%script{:id => "likes-info-template", :type => 'text/template'}
+  != File.read("#{Rails.root}/app/views/templates/likes_info.ujs")
+
diff --git a/app/views/templates/feedback.ujs b/app/views/templates/feedback.ujs
index f3ddd4f0b..fca230265 100644
--- a/app/views/templates/feedback.ujs
+++ b/app/views/templates/feedback.ujs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <div class="info">
   <a href="#" class="like_action" rel='nofollow'>
-    <%= like ? "Unlike" : "Like" %>
+    <%= user_like ? "Unlike" : "Like" %>
   </a>
   ·
 
diff --git a/app/views/templates/likes_info.ujs b/app/views/templates/likes_info.ujs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..88c55cba9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/views/templates/likes_info.ujs
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+<% if(likes_count > 0) { %>
+  <img alt="Heart" src="/images/icons/heart.png" />
+  <a href="#" class="expand_likes">
+    <%= likes_count %> Like
+  </a>
+<% } %>
diff --git a/app/views/templates/stream_element.ujs b/app/views/templates/stream_element.ujs
index 894c04a94..13ef5ec15 100644
--- a/app/views/templates/stream_element.ujs
+++ b/app/views/templates/stream_element.ujs
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
       <% } %>
 
       <div class="feedback"> </div>
+      <div class="likes"> </div>
       <div class="comments"> </div>
 
     </div>
diff --git a/public/javascripts/app/views/feedback_view.js b/public/javascripts/app/views/feedback_view.js
index b1dbc5eb7..6aecaa03a 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/app/views/feedback_view.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/app/views/feedback_view.js
@@ -6,30 +6,23 @@ app.views.Feedback = app.views.StreamObject.extend({
     "click .reshare_action": "resharePost"
   },
 
-  initialize : function() {
-    var user_like = this.model.get("user_like")
-    this.like = user_like && this.model.likes.get(user_like.id);
-
-    _.each(["change", "remove", "add"], function(listener) {
-      this.model.likes.bind(listener, this.render, this);
-    }, this)
-  },
-
-  presenter : function(){
-    return _.extend(this.defaultPresenter(), {like : this.like});
-  },
-
   toggleLike: function(evt) {
     if(evt) { evt.preventDefault(); }
 
-    if(this.like){
-      this.like.destroy({
-        success : function() {
-          this.like = null;
-        }.apply(this)
+    var userLike = this.model.get("user_like");
+
+    if(userLike) {
+      this.model.likes.get(userLike.id).destroy({
+        success : $.proxy(function() {
+          this.model.set({user_like : null, likes_count : this.model.get("likes_count") - 1});
+        }, this)
       });
     } else {
-      this.like = this.model.likes.create();
+      this.model.likes.create({}, {
+        success : $.proxy(function(like) {
+          this.model.set({user_like : like, likes_count : this.model.get("likes_count") + 1}); // this should be in a callback...
+        }, this)
+      });
     }
   },
 
diff --git a/public/javascripts/app/views/likes_info_view.js b/public/javascripts/app/views/likes_info_view.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..32302e841
--- /dev/null
+++ b/public/javascripts/app/views/likes_info_view.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+app.views.LikesInfo = app.views.StreamObject.extend({
+
+  template_name : "#likes-info-template",
+
+  className : "likes_container",
+
+  events: { }
+});
diff --git a/public/javascripts/app/views/post_view.js b/public/javascripts/app/views/post_view.js
index b5f7be150..7b6077f39 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/app/views/post_view.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/app/views/post_view.js
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@ app.views.Post = app.views.StreamObject.extend({
     "click .focus_comment_textarea": "focusCommentTextarea",
     "click .shield a": "removeNsfwShield",
     "click .remove_post": "destroyModel",
-    "click .expand_likes": "expandLikes",
     "click .block_user": "blockUser"
   },
 
   subviews : {
     ".feedback" : "feedbackView",
+    ".likes" : "likesInfoView",
     ".comments" : "commentStreamView"
   },
 
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ app.views.Post = app.views.StreamObject.extend({
   initialize : function() {
     // commentStream view
     this.commentStreamView = new app.views.CommentStream({ model : this.model});
+    this.likesInfoView = new app.views.LikesInfo({ model : this.model});
 
     // feedback view
     if(window.app.user().current_user) {
@@ -70,51 +71,6 @@ app.views.Post = app.views.StreamObject.extend({
     return this;
   },
 
-  expandLikes: function(evt){
-    if(evt) { evt.preventDefault(); }
-
-    var self = this;
-
-    this.model.likes.fetch({
-      success: function(){
-        // this should be broken out
-
-        self.$(".expand_likes").remove();
-        var likesView = Backbone.View.extend({
-
-          tagName: 'span',
-
-          initialize: function(options){
-            this.collection = options.collection;
-            _.bindAll(this, "render", "appendLike");
-          },
-
-          render: function(){
-            _.each(this.collection.models, this.appendLike)
-            return this;
-          },
-
-          appendLike: function(model){
-            $(this.el).append("<a>", {
-              href : "/person/" + model.get("author")["id"]
-            }).html($("<img>", {
-              src : model.get("author")["avatar"]["small"],
-              "class" : "avatar"
-            }));
-          }
-        });
-
-        var view = new likesView({collection : self.model.likes});
-
-        self.$('.likes_container').removeClass("hidden")
-                             .append(view.render().el);
-
-      }
-    });
-
-    return this;
-  },
-
   blockUser: function(evt){
     if(evt) { evt.preventDefault(); }
 
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/app/views/feedback_view_spec.js b/spec/javascripts/app/views/feedback_view_spec.js
index 55b7798f7..524e6a52a 100644
--- a/spec/javascripts/app/views/feedback_view_spec.js
+++ b/spec/javascripts/app/views/feedback_view_spec.js
@@ -8,25 +8,6 @@ describe("app.views.Feedback", function(){
     this.view = new app.views.Feedback({model: this.post});
   });
 
-  it("has a like from the post", function(){
-    var like = this.post.likes.models[0];
-
-    expect(like).toBeDefined();
-    expect(this.view.like).toBe(like);
-  })
-
-  it("rerends when the post is liked", function(){
-    spyOn(this.view, "render")
-    this.post.likes.trigger("add");
-    expect(this.view.render);
-  })
-
-  it("rerends when the post is unliked", function(){
-    spyOn(this.view, "render")
-    this.view.like.trigger("destroy");
-    expect(this.view.render);
-  })
-
   describe(".render", function(){
     beforeEach(function(){
       this.link = function(){ return this.view.$(".like_action"); }
@@ -42,21 +23,18 @@ describe("app.views.Feedback", function(){
       })
 
       it("removes like when Unlike is clicked", function() {
-        this.link().click();
-        expect(this.view.like).toBeNull();
-      })
+        var likeModel = new app.models.Like(this.view.model.get("user_like"));
+        spyOn(this.view.model.likes, "get").andReturn(likeModel);
+        spyOn(likeModel, "destroy");
 
-      // strange that this is failing... maybe we need to spy on Backbone.sync here?
-      // it("destroys ths like when Unlike is clicked", function(){
-        // spyOn(this.view.like, "destroy").andReturn($.noop());
-        // this.link().click();
-        // expect(this.view.like.destroy).toHaveBeenCalled()
-      // });
+        this.link().click();
+        expect(likeModel.destroy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      })
     })
 
     context("when the user doesn't yet like the post", function(){
       beforeEach(function(){
-        this.view.like = null;
+        this.view.model.set({user_like : null});
         this.view.render();
       })
 
@@ -68,13 +46,6 @@ describe("app.views.Feedback", function(){
         expect(this.link().text()).toContain('Like');
       })
 
-      it("likes the post when the link is clicked", function(){
-        var like = { party : "time"}
-        spyOn(this.post.likes, "create").andReturn(like);
-        this.link().click()
-        expect(this.view.like).toBe(like);
-      })
-
       it("allows for unliking a just-liked post", function(){
         var like = new app.models.Like({id : 2});
 
@@ -83,11 +54,16 @@ describe("app.views.Feedback", function(){
         expect(this.link().text()).toContain('Like');
         this.link().click();
 
-        spyOn(this.view.like, "destroy").andReturn($.noop());
-
         this.view.render();
         expect(this.link().text()).toContain('Unlike');
 
+        // spying + stubbing for destroy
+        var likeModel = new app.models.Like(this.view.model.get("user_like"));
+        spyOn(this.view.model.likes, "get").andReturn(likeModel);
+        spyOn(likeModel, "destroy").andReturn(function(){
+          this.view.model.set({user_like : null})
+        });
+
         this.link().click();
 
         this.view.render();
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/app/views/likes_info_spec.js b/spec/javascripts/app/views/likes_info_spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d58183b1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/javascripts/app/views/likes_info_spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+describe("app.views.LikesInfo", function(){
+  beforeEach(function(){
+    window.current_user = app.user({id : -1, name: "alice", avatar : {small : "http://avatar.com/photo.jpg"}});
+
+    var posts = $.parseJSON(spec.readFixture("multi_stream_json"))["posts"];
+    this.post = new app.models.Post(posts[2]); // post with a like
+    this.view = new app.views.LikesInfo({model: this.post});
+  });
+
+  describe(".render", function(){
+    it("displays a the like count if it is above zero", function() {
+      this.view.render();
+
+      expect($(this.view.el).text()).toContain(this.view.model.get("likes_count"))
+    })
+
+    it("does not display the like count if it is zero", function() {
+      this.post.save({likes_count : 0});
+      this.view.render();
+
+      expect($(this.view.el).html().trim()).toBe("");
+    })
+  })
+})
+