diff --git a/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb b/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb
index 22ac5fa5f..07853afed 100644
--- a/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ class NotificationsController < VannaController
   def update(opts=params)
     note = Notification.where(:recipient_id => current_user.id, :id => opts[:id]).first
     if note
-      note.update_attributes(:unread => opts[:is_unread] || false )
+      note.update_attributes(:unread => opts[:unread] || false )
       {}
     else
       Response.new :status => 404
diff --git a/spec/controllers/notifications_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/notifications_controller_spec.rb
index baf59f870..389cdca26 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/notifications_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/notifications_controller_spec.rb
@@ -21,12 +21,16 @@ describe NotificationsController do
     end
     it 'marks a notification as read if it is told to' do
       note = Factory(:notification, :recipient => @user)
-      @controller.update :id => note.id, :is_unread => false
+      @controller.update :id => note.id, :unread => false
+      Notification.first.unread.should == false
+      @controller.update :id => note.id, :unread => "false"
       Notification.first.unread.should == false
     end
     it 'marks a notification as unread if it is told to' do
       note = Factory(:notification, :recipient => @user)
-      @controller.update :id => note.id, :is_unread => true
+      @controller.update :id => note.id, :unread => "true"
+      Notification.first.unread.should == true
+      @controller.update :id => note.id, :unread => true
       Notification.first.unread.should == true
     end