diff --git a/resources/celerity/map.php b/resources/celerity/map.php
--- a/resources/celerity/map.php
+++ b/resources/celerity/map.php
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
     'rsrc/css/application/conpherence/durable-column.css' => 'f0c208ac',
     'rsrc/css/application/conpherence/menu.css' => 'f389e048',
     'rsrc/css/application/conpherence/message-pane.css' => 'e44b667b',
-    'rsrc/css/application/conpherence/notification.css' => '04a6e10a',
+    'rsrc/css/application/conpherence/notification.css' => '72178795',
     'rsrc/css/application/conpherence/update.css' => '1099a660',
     'rsrc/css/application/conpherence/widget-pane.css' => 'a9082fd0',
     'rsrc/css/application/contentsource/content-source-view.css' => '4b8b05d4',
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@
     'conpherence-durable-column-view' => 'f0c208ac',
     'conpherence-menu-css' => 'f389e048',
     'conpherence-message-pane-css' => 'e44b667b',
-    'conpherence-notification-css' => '04a6e10a',
+    'conpherence-notification-css' => '72178795',
     'conpherence-thread-manager' => '0a5192c4',
     'conpherence-update-css' => '1099a660',
     'conpherence-widget-pane-css' => 'a9082fd0',
diff --git a/src/applications/conpherence/controller/ConpherenceColumnViewController.php b/src/applications/conpherence/controller/ConpherenceColumnViewController.php
--- a/src/applications/conpherence/controller/ConpherenceColumnViewController.php
+++ b/src/applications/conpherence/controller/ConpherenceColumnViewController.php
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
       $latest_conpherences = id(new ConpherenceThreadQuery())
         ->setViewer($user)
         ->withPHIDs($conpherence_phids)
+        ->needTransactions(true)
         ->needParticipantCache(true)
         ->execute();
       $latest_conpherences = mpull($latest_conpherences, null, 'getPHID');
diff --git a/src/applications/conpherence/controller/ConpherenceListController.php b/src/applications/conpherence/controller/ConpherenceListController.php
--- a/src/applications/conpherence/controller/ConpherenceListController.php
+++ b/src/applications/conpherence/controller/ConpherenceListController.php
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@
         } else {
           $thread = ConpherenceThread::initializeNewThread($user);
           $thread->attachHandles(array());
+          $thread->attachTransactions(array());
           $thread->makeEphemeral();
           $layout->setHeader(
             $this->buildHeaderPaneContent($thread, array()));
@@ -137,6 +138,7 @@
       $conpherences = id(new ConpherenceThreadQuery())
         ->setViewer($user)
         ->withPHIDs($conpherence_phids)
+        ->needTransactions(true)
         ->needParticipantCache(true)
         ->execute();
 
diff --git a/src/applications/conpherence/controller/ConpherenceNotificationPanelController.php b/src/applications/conpherence/controller/ConpherenceNotificationPanelController.php
--- a/src/applications/conpherence/controller/ConpherenceNotificationPanelController.php
+++ b/src/applications/conpherence/controller/ConpherenceNotificationPanelController.php
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
       $conpherences = id(new ConpherenceThreadQuery())
         ->setViewer($user)
         ->withPHIDs(array_keys($participant_data))
+        ->needTransactions(true)
         ->needParticipantCache(true)
         ->execute();
     }
diff --git a/src/applications/conpherence/controller/ConpherenceUpdateController.php b/src/applications/conpherence/controller/ConpherenceUpdateController.php
--- a/src/applications/conpherence/controller/ConpherenceUpdateController.php
+++ b/src/applications/conpherence/controller/ConpherenceUpdateController.php
@@ -380,16 +380,14 @@
     $need_widget_data = false;
     $need_transactions = false;
     $need_participant_cache = true;
+    $need_transactions = true;
     switch ($action) {
       case ConpherenceUpdateActions::METADATA:
-        $need_transactions = true;
         break;
       case ConpherenceUpdateActions::LOAD:
-        $need_transactions = true;
         break;
       case ConpherenceUpdateActions::MESSAGE:
       case ConpherenceUpdateActions::ADD_PERSON:
-        $need_transactions = true;
         $need_widget_data = true;
         break;
       case ConpherenceUpdateActions::REMOVE_PERSON:
diff --git a/src/applications/conpherence/query/ConpherenceThreadSearchEngine.php b/src/applications/conpherence/query/ConpherenceThreadSearchEngine.php
--- a/src/applications/conpherence/query/ConpherenceThreadSearchEngine.php
+++ b/src/applications/conpherence/query/ConpherenceThreadSearchEngine.php
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
   public function buildQueryFromSavedQuery(PhabricatorSavedQuery $saved) {
     $query = id(new ConpherenceThreadQuery())
+      ->needTransactions(true)
       ->needParticipantCache(true);
 
     $participant_phids = $saved->getParameter('participantPHIDs', array());
diff --git a/src/applications/conpherence/storage/ConpherenceThread.php b/src/applications/conpherence/storage/ConpherenceThread.php
--- a/src/applications/conpherence/storage/ConpherenceThread.php
+++ b/src/applications/conpherence/storage/ConpherenceThread.php
@@ -124,9 +124,12 @@
     $this->transactions = $transactions;
     return $this;
   }
-  public function getTransactions() {
+  public function getTransactions($assert_attached = true) {
     return $this->assertAttached($this->transactions);
   }
+  public function hasAttachedTransactions() {
+    return $this->transactions !== self::ATTACHABLE;
+  }
 
   public function getTransactionsFrom($begin = 0, $amount = null) {
     $length = count($this->transactions);
@@ -154,13 +157,32 @@
   }
 
   public function getDisplayData(PhabricatorUser $user) {
+    if ($this->hasAttachedTransactions()) {
+      $transactions = $this->getTransactions();
+    } else {
+      $transactions = array();
+    }
+    $set_title = $this->getTitle();
+
+    if ($set_title) {
+      $title_mode = 'title';
+    } else {
+      $title_mode = 'recent';
+    }
+
+    if ($transactions) {
+      $subtitle_mode = 'message';
+    } else {
+      $subtitle_mode = 'recent';
+    }
+
     $recent_phids = $this->getRecentParticipantPHIDs();
     $handles = $this->getHandles();
-
-    // luck has little to do with it really; most recent participant who isn't
-    // the user....
+    // Luck has little to do with it really; most recent participant who
+    // isn't the user....
     $lucky_phid = null;
     $lucky_index = null;
+    $recent_title = null;
     foreach ($recent_phids as $index => $phid) {
       if ($phid == $user->getPHID()) {
         continue;
@@ -172,39 +194,82 @@
 
     if ($lucky_phid) {
       $lucky_handle = $handles[$lucky_phid];
-    // this will be just the user talking to themselves. weirdos.
     } else {
+      // This will be just the user talking to themselves. Weirdo.
       $lucky_handle = reset($handles);
     }
 
-    $title = $js_title = $this->getTitle();
     $img_src = null;
     if ($lucky_handle) {
       $img_src = $lucky_handle->getImageURI();
     }
 
-    $count = 0;
-    $final = false;
-    $subtitle = null;
-    foreach ($recent_phids as $phid) {
-      if ($phid == $user->getPHID()) {
-        continue;
+    if ($title_mode == 'recent' || $subtitle_mode == 'recent') {
+      $count = 0;
+      $final = false;
+      foreach ($recent_phids as $phid) {
+        if ($phid == $user->getPHID()) {
+          continue;
+        }
+        $handle = $handles[$phid];
+        if ($recent_title) {
+          if ($final) {
+            $recent_title .= '...';
+            break;
+          } else {
+            $recent_title .= ', ';
+          }
+        }
+        $recent_title .= $handle->getName();
+        $count++;
+        $final = $count == 3;
       }
-      $handle = $handles[$phid];
-      if ($subtitle) {
-        if ($final) {
-          $subtitle .= '...';
-          break;
-        } else {
-          $subtitle .= ', ';
+    }
+
+    switch ($title_mode) {
+      case 'recent':
+        $title = $recent_title;
+        $js_title = $recent_title;
+        break;
+      case 'title':
+        $title = $js_title = $this->getTitle();
+        break;
+    }
+
+    $message_title = null;
+    if ($subtitle_mode == 'message') {
+      $message_transaction = null;
+      foreach ($transactions as $transaction) {
+        switch ($transaction->getTransactionType()) {
+          case PhabricatorTransactions::TYPE_COMMENT:
+            $message_transaction = $transaction;
+            break 2;
+          default:
+            break;
         }
       }
-      $subtitle .= $handle->getName();
-      $count++;
-      $final = $count == 3;
+      if ($message_transaction) {
+        $message_handle = $handles[$message_transaction->getAuthorPHID()];
+        $message_title = sprintf(
+          '%s: %s',
+          $message_handle->getName(),
+          id(new PhutilUTF8StringTruncator())
+            ->setMaximumGlyphs(60)
+            ->truncateString(
+              $message_transaction->getComment()->getContent()));
+      }
     }
-    if (!$title) {
-      $title = $js_title = $subtitle;
+    switch ($subtitle_mode) {
+      case 'recent':
+        $subtitle = $recent_title;
+        break;
+      case 'message':
+        if ($message_title) {
+          $subtitle = $message_title;
+        } else {
+          $subtitle = $recent_title;
+        }
+        break;
     }
 
     $user_participation = $this->getParticipantIfExists($user->getPHID());
diff --git a/webroot/rsrc/css/application/conpherence/notification.css b/webroot/rsrc/css/application/conpherence/notification.css
--- a/webroot/rsrc/css/application/conpherence/notification.css
+++ b/webroot/rsrc/css/application/conpherence/notification.css
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
   font-weight: bold;
   font-size: 13px;
   color: {$darkgreytext};
-  width: 280px;
+  width: 314px;
   text-overflow: ellipsis;
   white-space: nowrap;
   overflow: hidden;
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@
   font-size: 11px;
   margin-top: 2px;
   margin-left: 46px;
+  width: 314px;
+  text-overflow: ellipsis;
+  white-space: nowrap;
+  overflow: hidden;
 }
 
 .phabricator-notification .conpherence-menu-item-view