diff --git a/static/js/annotationPanel.js b/static/js/annotationPanel.js
index 428afcc..ffae227 100644
--- a/static/js/annotationPanel.js
+++ b/static/js/annotationPanel.js
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@ oml.ui.annotationPanel = function() {
         title: 'add',
         tooltip: Ox._('Add Quote'),
         type: 'image'
+    }).bindEvent({
+        click: function() {
+            oml.$ui.viewer.postMessage('addAnnotation', {})
+        }
     }).appendTo($bar);
 
     var $menuButton = Ox.MenuButton({
@@ -50,6 +54,12 @@ oml.ui.annotationPanel = function() {
         orientation: 'vertical'
     });
 
+    that.updateSelection = function(selection) {
+        $button.options({
+            disabled: !selection
+        })
+    }
+
     return that;
 
 };
diff --git a/static/js/viewer.js b/static/js/viewer.js
index d0a4e70..36ad0d8 100644
--- a/static/js/viewer.js
+++ b/static/js/viewer.js
@@ -110,6 +110,8 @@ oml.ui.viewer = function() {
                         } else if (event == 'deselectAnnotation') {
                             var $annotation = oml.$ui.annotationFolder.find('#a-' + data.id)[0]
                             $annotation && $annotation.deselect()
+                        } else if (event == 'selection') {
+                            oml.$ui.annotationPanel.updateSelection(data)
                         } else {
                             console.log('got', event, data)
                             that.triggerEvent(event, data);
diff --git a/static/reader/epub.js b/static/reader/epub.js
index 12f2483..14a309d 100644
--- a/static/reader/epub.js
+++ b/static/reader/epub.js
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ Ox.load({
             if (annotation) {
                 reader.rendition.display(annotation.cfiRange)
             }
+        } else if (event == 'addAnnotation') {
+            createAnnotation()
         } else if (event == 'addAnnotations') {
             data.annotations.forEach(function(annotation) {
                 annotations.push(annotation)
@@ -29,6 +31,29 @@ Ox.load({
     })
 })
 
+
+function createAnnotation() {
+    console.log('createAnnotation', currentSelection)
+    if (currentSelection) {
+        /*
+        var range = currentSelection.contents.window.getSelection().getRangeAt(0)
+        console.log(
+            currentSelection.cfiRange,
+            reader.rendition.book.section().cfiFromRange(range).toString()
+        )
+        //currentSelection.cfiRange = reader.rendition.book.section().cfiFromRange(range).toString()
+        */
+        renderAnnotation(currentSelection)
+        currentSelection.contents.window.getSelection().removeAllRanges();
+        delete currentSelection.contents
+        addAnnotation(currentSelection)
+        document.querySelectorAll('.epubjs-hl.selected').forEach(function(other) {
+            other.classList.remove('selected')
+        })
+        currentSelection = null
+    }
+}
+
 function addAnnotation(annotation) {
     annotations.push(annotation)
     Ox.$parent.postMessage('addAnnotation', annotation)
@@ -125,22 +150,7 @@ document.onreadystatechange = function () {
                     if (selected) {
                         deselectAllAnnotations()
                     }
-                    /*
-                    var range = currentSelection.contents.window.getSelection().getRangeAt(0)
-                    console.log(
-                        currentSelection.cfiRange,
-                        reader.rendition.book.section().cfiFromRange(range).toString()
-                    )
-                    //currentSelection.cfiRange = reader.rendition.book.section().cfiFromRange(range).toString()
-                    */
-                    renderAnnotation(currentSelection)
-                    currentSelection.contents.window.getSelection().removeAllRanges();
-                    delete currentSelection.contents
-                    addAnnotation(currentSelection)
-                    document.querySelectorAll('.epubjs-hl.selected').forEach(function(other) {
-                        other.classList.remove('selected')
-                    })
-                    currentSelection = null
+                    createAnnotation()
                 } else if (selected) {
                     console.log('editNote?', selected.dataset.id)
 
@@ -162,7 +172,16 @@ document.onreadystatechange = function () {
                 localStorage.epubFontSize = fontSize
                 event.preventDefault()
             }
-            console.log(fontSize)
+        }).on('mouseup', function(event) {
+            if (currentSelection) {
+                var selection = window.getSelection()
+                if (selection.isCollapsed) {
+                    currentSelection = null
+                }
+                if (!currentSelection) {
+                    Ox.$parent.postMessage('selection', false)
+                }
+            }
         })
         rendition.on("mark", function(cfiRange, contents) {
             console.log('!! mark', cfiRange)
@@ -175,6 +194,7 @@ document.onreadystatechange = function () {
                     text: text,
                     contents: contents
                 }
+                Ox.$parent.postMessage('selection', text ? true : false)
             })
         });
     }
diff --git a/static/reader/pdf.js b/static/reader/pdf.js
index d0cd52f..164fba9 100644
--- a/static/reader/pdf.js
+++ b/static/reader/pdf.js
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ Ox.load({
                 }
             }, delay)
             selectAnnotation(data.id)
+        } else if (event == 'addAnnotation') {
+            createAnnotation()
         } else if (event == 'addAnnotations') {
             data.annotations.forEach(function(annotation) {
                 annotations.push(annotation)
@@ -47,13 +49,7 @@ window.addEventListener('keydown', function(event) {
     } else if (event.key == 'n' || event.keyCode == 13) {
         var selected = document.querySelector('.oml-annotation.selected')
         if (!window.getSelection().isCollapsed) {
-            if (selected) {
-                deselectAllAnnotations()
-            }
-            var annot = getHighlight()
-            renderAnnotation(annot)
-            addAnnotation(annot)
-            window.getSelection().removeAllRanges();
+            createAnnotation()
         } else if (selected) {
             console.log('editNote?', selected.dataset.id)
         }
@@ -61,6 +57,14 @@ window.addEventListener('keydown', function(event) {
         event.preventDefault()
     }
 })
+window.addEventListener('mouseup', function(event) {
+    var selection = window.getSelection()
+    if (selection.isCollapsed) {
+        Ox.$parent.postMessage('selection', false)
+    } else {
+        Ox.$parent.postMessage('selection', true)
+    }
+})
 
 function bindEvents() {
     if (!window.PDFViewerApplication || !window.PDFViewerApplication.eventBus) {
@@ -95,6 +99,18 @@ function getHighlight() {
     };
 }
 
+function createAnnotation() {
+    var selected = document.querySelector('.oml-annotation.selected')
+    if (selected) {
+        deselectAllAnnotations()
+    }
+    var annot = getHighlight()
+    renderAnnotation(annot)
+    addAnnotation(annot)
+    window.getSelection().removeAllRanges();
+}
+
+
 function renderAnnotation(annotation) {
     var pageIndex = annotation.page - 1;
     var page = PDFViewerApplication.pdfViewer.getPageView(pageIndex);