diff --git a/PLUGINS.md b/PLUGINS.md
index 20ba789be..a77b0b8b2 100644
--- a/PLUGINS.md
+++ b/PLUGINS.md
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ This will merge with the existing resolvers in core and from previous plugins.
 {
   RootMutation: {
     createPerson: {
-      post: async (obj, args, {plugins: {Slack}}, person) {
+      post: async (obj, args, {plugins: {Slack}}, info, person) {
         if (!person) {
           return person;
         }
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ module.exports = {
   hooks: {
     RootMutation: {
       createPerson: {
-        post: async (obj, args, {plugins: {Slack}}, person) => {
+        post: async (obj, args, {plugins: {Slack}}, info, person) => {
           if (!person) {
             return person;
           }
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 64fe2739c..7e303f70e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ Facebook Login enabled app.
 - `TALK_SMTP_HOST` (*required for email*) - SMTP host url with format `smtp.domain.com`.
 - `TALK_SMTP_PORT` (*required for email*) - SMTP port.
 - `TALK_INSTALL_LOCK` (_optional for dynamic setup_) - Defaults to `FALSE`. When `TRUE`, disables the dynamic setup endpoint.
+- `TALK_RECAPTCHA_SECRET` (*required for reCAPTCHA support*) - server secret used for enabling reCAPTCHA powered logins. If not provided it will instead default to providing only a time based lockout.
+- `TALK_RECAPTCHA_PUBLIC` (*required for reCAPTCHA support*) - client secret used for enabling reCAPTCHA powered logins. If not provided it will instead default to providing only a time based lockout.
 
 Refer to the wiki page on [Configuration Loading](https://github.com/coralproject/talk/wiki/Configuration-Loading) for
 alternative methods of loading configuration during development.
diff --git a/client/coral-admin/src/containers/Stories/Stories.js b/client/coral-admin/src/containers/Stories/Stories.js
index 4d2ad086a..1264663f0 100644
--- a/client/coral-admin/src/containers/Stories/Stories.js
+++ b/client/coral-admin/src/containers/Stories/Stories.js
@@ -2,13 +2,14 @@ import React, {Component} from 'react';
 import styles from './Stories.css';
 import {connect} from 'react-redux';
 import I18n from 'coral-framework/modules/i18n/i18n';
-import {fetchAssets, updateAssetState} from '../../actions/assets';
-import translations from '../../translations.json';
+import {fetchAssets, updateAssetState} from 'coral-admin/src/actions/assets';
+import translations from 'coral-admin/src/translations.json';
 import {Link} from 'react-router';
 
 import {Pager, Icon} from 'coral-ui';
 import {DataTable, TableHeader, RadioGroup, Radio} from 'react-mdl';
 import EmptyCard from 'coral-admin/src/components/EmptyCard';
+import sortBy from 'lodash/sortBy';
 
 const limit = 25;
 
@@ -104,7 +105,11 @@ class Stories extends Component {
     const {search, sort, filter} = this.state;
     const {assets} = this.props;
 
-    const assetsIds = assets.ids.map((id) => assets.byId[id]);
+    const assetsIds = sortBy(assets.ids.map((id) => assets.byId[id]), 'publication_date');
+
+    if (this.state.sort === 'desc') {
+      assetsIds.reverse();
+    }
 
     return (
       <div className={styles.container}>
diff --git a/client/coral-admin/src/reducers/assets.js b/client/coral-admin/src/reducers/assets.js
index c9a82f1c5..03f0be9bb 100644
--- a/client/coral-admin/src/reducers/assets.js
+++ b/client/coral-admin/src/reducers/assets.js
@@ -23,8 +23,13 @@ export default function assets (state = initialState, action) {
 }
 
 const replaceAssets = (action, state) => {
-  const assets = fromJS(action.assets.reduce((prev, curr) => { prev[curr.id] = curr; return prev; }, {}));
-  return state.set('byId', assets)
-  .set('count', action.count)
-  .set('ids', List(assets.keys()));
+  const assets = fromJS(action.assets.reduce((prev, curr) => {
+    prev[curr.id] = curr;
+    return prev;
+  }, {}));
+
+  return state
+    .set('byId', assets)
+    .set('count', action.count)
+    .set('ids', List(assets.keys()));
 };
diff --git a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/Comment.js b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/Comment.js
index 06352ec2f..caffb6894 100644
--- a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/Comment.js
+++ b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/Comment.js
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ class Comment extends React.Component {
 
     // id of currently opened ReplyBox. tracked in Stream.js
     activeReplyBox: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+    disableReply: PropTypes.bool,
     setActiveReplyBox: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
     showSignInDialog: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
     postFlag: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
@@ -109,6 +110,7 @@ class Comment extends React.Component {
       deleteAction,
       addCommentTag,
       removeCommentTag,
+      disableReply,
     } = this.props;
 
     const like = getActionSummary('LikeActionSummary', comment);
@@ -155,6 +157,7 @@ class Comment extends React.Component {
           ? <TagLabel><BestIndicator /></TagLabel>
           : null }
         <PubDate created_at={comment.created_at} />
+
         <Content body={comment.body} />
           <div className="commentActionsLeft comment__action-container">
             <ActionButton>
@@ -166,13 +169,16 @@ class Comment extends React.Component {
                 showSignInDialog={showSignInDialog}
                 currentUser={currentUser} />
             </ActionButton>
-            <ActionButton>
-              <ReplyButton
-                onClick={() => setActiveReplyBox(comment.id)}
-                parentCommentId={parentId || comment.id}
-                currentUserId={currentUser && currentUser.id}
-                banned={false} />
-            </ActionButton>
+            {
+              !disableReply &&
+              <ActionButton>
+                <ReplyButton
+                  onClick={() => setActiveReplyBox(comment.id)}
+                  parentCommentId={parentId || comment.id}
+                  currentUserId={currentUser && currentUser.id}
+                  banned={false} />
+              </ActionButton>
+            }
             <ActionButton>
               <IfUserCanModifyBest user={currentUser}>
                 <BestButton
@@ -217,6 +223,7 @@ class Comment extends React.Component {
           comment.replies.map(reply => {
             return <Comment
               setActiveReplyBox={setActiveReplyBox}
+              disableReply={disableReply}
               activeReplyBox={activeReplyBox}
               addNotification={addNotification}
               parentId={comment.id}
@@ -232,7 +239,7 @@ class Comment extends React.Component {
               removeCommentTag={removeCommentTag}
               showSignInDialog={showSignInDialog}
               reactKey={reply.id}
-              key={`${reply.id}:${depth}`}
+              key={reply.id}
               comment={reply} />;
           })
         }
diff --git a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/Embed.js b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/Embed.js
index ce6dc638a..4722a44b1 100644
--- a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/Embed.js
+++ b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/Embed.js
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ class Embed extends Component {
               />
             <div className="embed__stream">
               <Stream
+                open={openStream}
                 addNotification={this.props.addNotification}
                 postItem={this.props.postItem}
                 setActiveReplyBox={this.setActiveReplyBox}
@@ -224,7 +225,7 @@ class Embed extends Component {
             topLevel={true}
             assetId={asset.id}
             comments={asset.comments}
-            moreComments={asset.commentCount > asset.comments.length}
+            moreComments={countCache[asset.id] > asset.comments.length}
             loadMore={this.props.loadMore}/>
         </TabContent>
          <TabContent show={activeTab === 1}>
diff --git a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/LoadMore.js b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/LoadMore.js
index bf89793d0..942a53b27 100644
--- a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/LoadMore.js
+++ b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/LoadMore.js
@@ -7,18 +7,17 @@ const lang = new I18n(translations);
 
 const loadMoreComments = (assetId, comments, loadMore, parentId) => {
 
-  if (!comments.length) {
-    return;
+  let cursor = null;
+  if (comments.length) {
+    cursor = parentId
+      ? comments[0].created_at
+      : comments[comments.length - 1].created_at;
   }
 
-  const cursor = parentId
-    ? comments[0].created_at
-    : comments[comments.length - 1].created_at;
-
   loadMore({
     limit: ADDTL_COMMENTS_ON_LOAD_MORE,
     cursor,
-    assetId,
+    asset_id: assetId,
     parent_id: parentId,
     sort: parentId ? 'CHRONOLOGICAL' : 'REVERSE_CHRONOLOGICAL'
   });
diff --git a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/Stream.js b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/Stream.js
index 7743f3f1c..defca1a61 100644
--- a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/Stream.js
+++ b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/Stream.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ class Stream extends React.Component {
     addNotification: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
     postItem: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
     asset: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
+    open: PropTypes.bool.isRequired,
     comments: PropTypes.array.isRequired,
     currentUser: PropTypes.shape({
       username: PropTypes.string,
@@ -15,10 +16,10 @@ class Stream extends React.Component {
     }),
 
     // dispatch action to add a tag to a comment
-    addCommentTag: React.PropTypes.func,
+    addCommentTag: PropTypes.func,
 
     // dispatch action to remove a tag from a comment
-    removeCommentTag: React.PropTypes.func,
+    removeCommentTag: PropTypes.func,
   }
 
   constructor(props) {
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ class Stream extends React.Component {
       addNotification,
       postFlag,
       postLike,
+      open,
       postDontAgree,
       loadMore,
       deleteAction,
@@ -68,6 +70,7 @@ class Stream extends React.Component {
         {
           comments.map(comment =>
             <Comment
+              disableReply={!open}
               setActiveReplyBox={this.props.setActiveReplyBox}
               activeReplyBox={this.props.activeReplyBox}
               addNotification={addNotification}
diff --git a/client/coral-framework/graphql/queries/index.js b/client/coral-framework/graphql/queries/index.js
index 86e0646bc..cdf2356d8 100644
--- a/client/coral-framework/graphql/queries/index.js
+++ b/client/coral-framework/graphql/queries/index.js
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import STREAM_QUERY from './streamQuery.graphql';
 import LOAD_MORE from './loadMore.graphql';
 import GET_COUNTS from './getCounts.graphql';
 import MY_COMMENT_HISTORY from './myCommentHistory.graphql';
+import uniqBy from 'lodash/uniqBy';
+import sortBy from 'lodash/sortBy';
 
 function getQueryVariable(variable) {
   let query = window.location.search.substring(1);
@@ -60,10 +62,18 @@ export const loadMore = (data) => ({limit, cursor, parent_id = null, asset_id, s
           ...oldData,
           asset: {
             ...oldData.asset,
-            comments: oldData.asset.comments.map((comment) =>
-              comment.id === parent_id
-              ? {...comment, replies: [...comment.replies, ...new_top_level_comments]}
-              : comment)
+            comments: oldData.asset.comments.map(comment => {
+
+              // since the dipslayed replies and the returned replies can overlap,
+              // pull out the unique ones.
+              const uniqueReplies = uniqBy([...new_top_level_comments, ...comment.replies], 'id');
+
+              // since we just gave the returned replies precedence, they're now out of order.
+              // resort according to date.
+              return comment.id === parent_id
+                ? {...comment, replies: sortBy(uniqueReplies, 'created_at')}
+                : comment;
+            })
           }
         };
       } else {
diff --git a/services/passport.js b/services/passport.js
index 4ec80bb60..f1994392f 100644
--- a/services/passport.js
+++ b/services/passport.js
@@ -116,14 +116,15 @@ const CheckIfNeedsRecaptcha = (user, email) => {
  * This stores the Recaptcha secret.
  */
 const RECAPTCHA_SECRET = process.env.TALK_RECAPTCHA_SECRET;
+const RECAPTCHA_PUBLIC = process.env.TALK_RECAPTCHA_PUBLIC;
 
 /**
  * This is true when the recaptcha secret is provided and the Recaptcha feature
  * is to be enabled.
  */
-const RECAPTCHA_ENABLED = RECAPTCHA_SECRET && RECAPTCHA_SECRET.length > 0;
+const RECAPTCHA_ENABLED = RECAPTCHA_SECRET && RECAPTCHA_SECRET.length > 0 && RECAPTCHA_PUBLIC && RECAPTCHA_PUBLIC.length > 0;
 if (!RECAPTCHA_ENABLED) {
-  console.log('Recaptcha is not enabled for login/signup abuse prevention, set TALK_RECAPTCHA_SECRET to enable Recaptcha.');
+  console.log('Recaptcha is not enabled for login/signup abuse prevention, set TALK_RECAPTCHA_SECRET and TALK_RECAPTCHA_PUBLIC to enable Recaptcha.');
 }
 
 /**