diff --git a/public/language/en_GB/notifications.json b/public/language/en_GB/notifications.json
index 6e35eac76a..54c926a597 100644
--- a/public/language/en_GB/notifications.json
+++ b/public/language/en_GB/notifications.json
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 	"favourited_your_post_in": "<strong>%1</strong> has favourited your post in <strong>%2</strong>.",
 	"user_flagged_post_in": "<strong>%1</strong> flagged a post in <strong>%2</strong>",
 	"user_posted_to" : "<strong>%1</strong> has posted a reply to: <strong>%2</strong>",
+	"user_posted_topic": "<strong>%1</strong> has posted a new topic: <strong>%2</strong>",
 	"user_mentioned_you_in": "<strong>%1</strong> mentioned you in <strong>%2</strong>",
 	"user_started_following_you": "<strong>%1</strong> started following you.",
 
diff --git a/src/database/mongo/sorted.js b/src/database/mongo/sorted.js
index 659994f878..71a30e8275 100644
--- a/src/database/mongo/sorted.js
+++ b/src/database/mongo/sorted.js
@@ -61,18 +61,21 @@ module.exports = function(db, module) {
 	};
 
 	module.sortedSetRemove = function(key, value, callback) {
+		function done(err) {
+			callback(err);
+		}
 		callback = callback || helpers.noop;
 		if (!key) {
 			return callback();
 		}
-		if (!Array.isArray(value)) {
-			value = [value];
-		}
-		value = value.map(helpers.valueToString);
 
-		db.collection('objects').remove({_key: key, value: {$in: value}}, function(err) {
-			callback(err);
-		});
+		if (Array.isArray(value)) {
+			value = value.map(helpers.valueToString);
+			db.collection('objects').remove({_key: key, value: {$in: value}}, done);
+		} else {
+			value = helpers.valueToString(value);
+			db.collection('objects').remove({_key: key, value: value}, done);
+		}
 	};
 
 	module.sortedSetsRemove = function(keys, value, callback) {
diff --git a/src/notifications.js b/src/notifications.js
index 31663bd0e3..3ea7e0dd18 100644
--- a/src/notifications.js
+++ b/src/notifications.js
@@ -128,17 +128,58 @@ var async = require('async'),
 			return callback();
 		}
 
-		var websockets = require('./socket.io');
 		if (!Array.isArray(uids)) {
 			uids = [uids];
 		}
 
+		uids = uids.filter(function(uid) {
+			return parseInt(uid, 10);
+		});
+
+		if (!uids.length) {
+			return callback();
+		}
+
+		var done = false;
+		var start = 0;
+		var batchSize = 50;
+
+		setTimeout(function() {
+			async.whilst(
+				function() {
+					return !done;
+				},
+				function(next) {
+					var currentUids = uids.slice(start, start + batchSize);
+					if (!currentUids.length) {
+						done = true;
+						return next();
+					}
+					pushToUids(currentUids, notification, function(err) {
+						if (err) {
+							return next(err);
+						}
+						start = start + batchSize;
+
+						setTimeout(next, 1000);
+					});
+				},
+				function(err) {
+					if (err) {
+						winston.error(err.stack);
+					}
+				}
+			);
+		}, 1000);
+
+		callback();
+	};
+
+	function pushToUids(uids, notification, callback) {
 		var unreadKeys = [];
 		var readKeys = [];
 
-		uids.filter(function(uid) {
-			return parseInt(uid, 10);
-		}).forEach(function(uid) {
+		uids.forEach(function(uid) {
 			unreadKeys.push('uid:' + uid + ':notifications:unread');
 			readKeys.push('uid:' + uid + ':notifications:read');
 		});
@@ -163,13 +204,15 @@ var async = require('async'),
 			}
 
 			plugins.fireHook('action:notification.pushed', {notification: notification, uids: uids});
-			callback();
 
+			var websockets = require('./socket.io');
 			for(var i=0; i<uids.length; ++i) {
 				websockets.in('uid_' + uids[i]).emit('event:new_notification', notification);
 			}
+
+			callback();
 		});
-	};
+	}
 
 	Notifications.pushGroup = function(notification, groupName, callback) {
 		callback = callback || function() {};
diff --git a/src/topics/create.js b/src/topics/create.js
index cbd210783e..63d6c478fb 100644
--- a/src/topics/create.js
+++ b/src/topics/create.js
@@ -161,6 +161,10 @@ module.exports = function(Topics) {
 
 				plugins.fireHook('action:topic.post', data.topicData);
 
+				if (parseInt(uid, 10)) {
+					user.notifications.sendTopicNotificationToFollowers(uid, data.topicData, data.postData);
+				}
+
 				next(null, {
 					topicData: data.topicData,
 					postData: data.postData
@@ -262,9 +266,7 @@ module.exports = function(Topics) {
 				postData.relativeTime = utils.toISOString(postData.timestamp);
 
 				if (parseInt(uid, 10)) {
-					Topics.notifyFollowers(tid, postData.pid, uid);
-
-					user.notifications.sendPostNotificationToFollowers(uid, tid, postData.pid);
+					Topics.notifyFollowers(postData.topic, postData, uid);
 				}
 
 				next(null, postData);
diff --git a/src/topics/follow.js b/src/topics/follow.js
index 588d629c82..740e410f29 100644
--- a/src/topics/follow.js
+++ b/src/topics/follow.js
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ module.exports = function(Topics) {
 		db.getSetMembers('tid:' + tid + ':followers', callback);
 	};
 
-	Topics.notifyFollowers = function(tid, pid, exceptUid) {
-		Topics.getFollowers(tid, function(err, followers) {
+	Topics.notifyFollowers = function(topicData, postData, exceptUid) {
+		Topics.getFollowers(topicData.tid, function(err, followers) {
 			if (err || !Array.isArray(followers) || !followers.length) {
 				return;
 			}
@@ -36,34 +36,17 @@ module.exports = function(Topics) {
 				return;
 			}
 
-			async.parallel({
-				title: async.apply(Topics.getTopicField, tid, 'title'),
-				username: async.apply(user.getUserField, exceptUid, 'username'),
-				postContent: function(next) {
-					async.waterfall([
-						async.apply(posts.getPostField, pid, 'content'),
-						function(content, next) {
-							postTools.parse(content, next);
-						}
-					], next);
+			notifications.create({
+				bodyShort: '[[notifications:user_posted_to, ' + postData.user.username + ', ' + topicData.title + ']]',
+				bodyLong: postData.content,
+				pid: postData.pid,
+				nid: 'tid:' + topicData.tid + ':pid:' + postData.pid + ':uid:' + exceptUid,
+				tid: topicData.tid,
+				from: exceptUid
+			}, function(err, notification) {
+				if (!err && notification) {
+					notifications.push(notification, followers);
 				}
-			}, function(err, results) {
-				if (err) {
-					return;
-				}
-
-				notifications.create({
-					bodyShort: '[[notifications:user_posted_to, ' + results.username + ', ' + results.title + ']]',
-					bodyLong: results.postContent,
-					pid: pid,
-					nid: 'tid:' + tid + ':pid:' + pid + ':uid:' + exceptUid,
-					tid: tid,
-					from: exceptUid
-				}, function(err, notification) {
-					if (!err && notification) {
-						notifications.push(notification, followers);
-					}
-				});
 			});
 		});
 	};
diff --git a/src/user/follow.js b/src/user/follow.js
index e9b597e6e5..d8c7cba7de 100644
--- a/src/user/follow.js
+++ b/src/user/follow.js
@@ -15,6 +15,14 @@ module.exports = function(User) {
 	};
 
 	function toggleFollow(type, uid, theiruid, callback) {
+		if (!parseInt(uid, 10) || !parseInt(theiruid, 10)) {
+			return callback(new Error('[[error:invalid-uid]]'));
+		}
+
+		if (parseInt(uid, 10) === parseInt(theiruid, 10)) {
+			return callback(new Error('[[error:you-cant-follow-yourself]]'));
+		}
+
 		var command = type === 'follow' ? 'setAdd' : 'setRemove';
 		db[command]('following:' + uid, theiruid, function(err) {
 			if(err) {
diff --git a/src/user/notifications.js b/src/user/notifications.js
index 0981c65f1f..2e3c2edd3d 100644
--- a/src/user/notifications.js
+++ b/src/user/notifications.js
@@ -247,56 +247,28 @@ var async = require('async'),
 	};
 
 
-	UserNotifications.sendPostNotificationToFollowers = function(uid, tid, pid) {
+	UserNotifications.sendTopicNotificationToFollowers = function(uid, topicData, postData) {
 		db.getSetMembers('followers:' + uid, function(err, followers) {
 			if (err || !Array.isArray(followers) || !followers.length) {
 				return;
 			}
 
-			async.parallel({
-				username: async.apply(user.getUserField, uid, 'username'),
-				topic: async.apply(topics.getTopicFields, tid, ['cid', 'title']),
-				postContent: function(next) {
-					async.waterfall([
-						async.apply(posts.getPostField, pid, 'content'),
-						function(content, next) {
-							postTools.parse(content, next);
-						}
-					], next);
-				},
-				topicFollowers: function(next) {
-					db.isSetMembers('tid:' + tid + ':followers', followers, next);
-				}
-			}, function(err, results) {
-				if (err) {
-					return;
-				}
-
-				followers = followers.filter(function(value, index) {
-					return !results.topicFollowers[index];
-				});
-
-				if (!followers.length) {
+			privileges.categories.filterUids('read', topicData.cid, followers, function(err, followers) {
+				if (err || !followers.length) {
 					return;
 				}
 
-				privileges.categories.filterUids('read', results.topic.cid, followers, function(err, followers) {
-					if (err || !followers.length) {
-						return;
+				notifications.create({
+					bodyShort: '[[notifications:user_posted_topic, ' + postData.user.username + ', ' + topicData.title + ']]',
+					bodyLong: postData.content,
+					pid: postData.pid,
+					nid: 'tid:' + postData.tid + ':pid:' + postData.pid + ':uid:' + uid,
+					tid: postData.tid,
+					from: uid
+				}, function(err, notification) {
+					if (!err && notification) {
+						notifications.push(notification, followers);
 					}
-
-					notifications.create({
-						bodyShort: '[[notifications:user_posted_to, ' + results.username + ', ' + results.topic.title + ']]',
-						bodyLong: results.postContent,
-						pid: pid,
-						nid: 'tid:' + tid + ':pid:' + pid + ':uid:' + uid,
-						tid: tid,
-						from: uid
-					}, function(err, notification) {
-						if (!err && notification) {
-							notifications.push(notification, followers);
-						}
-					});
 				});
 			});
 		});