diff --git a/cmake/macros/SetPackagingParameters.cmake b/cmake/macros/SetPackagingParameters.cmake
index dce419a0e4..297382b4e5 100644
--- a/cmake/macros/SetPackagingParameters.cmake
+++ b/cmake/macros/SetPackagingParameters.cmake
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ macro(SET_PACKAGING_PARAMETERS)
     set(BUILD_VERSION ${RELEASE_NUMBER})
     set(BUILD_ORGANIZATION "High Fidelity")
     set(HIGH_FIDELITY_PROTOCOL "hifi")
+    set(HIGH_FIDELITY_APP_PROTOCOL "hifiapp")
     set(INTERFACE_BUNDLE_NAME "Interface")
     set(INTERFACE_ICON_PREFIX "interface")
 
diff --git a/cmake/modules/MacOSXBundleInfo.plist.in b/cmake/modules/MacOSXBundleInfo.plist.in
index a06fac092f..b9558cf361 100644
--- a/cmake/modules/MacOSXBundleInfo.plist.in
+++ b/cmake/modules/MacOSXBundleInfo.plist.in
@@ -42,6 +42,14 @@
 				<string>hifi</string>
 			</array>
 		</dict>
+		<dict>
+			<key>CFBundleURLName</key>
+			<string>${MACOSX_BUNDLE_BUNDLE_NAME} APP URL</string>
+			<key>CFBundleURLSchemes</key>
+			<array>
+				<string>hifiapp</string>
+			</array>
+		</dict>
 	</array>
 	<key>NSHighResolutionCapable</key>
 	<true/>
diff --git a/cmake/templates/CPackProperties.cmake.in b/cmake/templates/CPackProperties.cmake.in
index a38c3d5361..cb6474b010 100644
--- a/cmake/templates/CPackProperties.cmake.in
+++ b/cmake/templates/CPackProperties.cmake.in
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ set(DS_EXEC_NAME "@DS_EXEC_NAME@")
 set(AC_DISPLAY_NAME "Assignment Client")
 set(AC_EXEC_NAME "@AC_EXEC_NAME@")
 set(HIGH_FIDELITY_PROTOCOL "@HIGH_FIDELITY_PROTOCOL@")
+set(HIGH_FIDELITY_APP_PROTOCOL "@HIGH_FIDELITY_APP_PROTOCOL@")
 set(PRODUCTION_BUILD "@PRODUCTION_BUILD@")
 set(PR_BUILD "@PR_BUILD@")
 set(BUILD_ORGANIZATION "@BUILD_ORGANIZATION@")
diff --git a/server-console/src/main.js b/server-console/src/main.js
index d1b3dd2dd3..04e77315bc 100644
--- a/server-console/src/main.js
+++ b/server-console/src/main.js
@@ -108,7 +108,16 @@ const ipcMain = electron.ipcMain;
 
 
 function isInterfaceInstalled() {
-    return interfacePath;
+    if (osType == "Darwin") {
+        // In OSX Sierra, the app translocation process moves
+        // the executable to a random location before starting it
+        // which makes finding the interface near impossible using
+        // relative paths.  For now, as there are no server-only
+        // installs, we just assume the interface is installed here 
+        return true;
+    } else {
+        return interfacePath;
+    }
 }
 
 function isServerInstalled() {
@@ -377,7 +386,7 @@ LogWindow.prototype = {
 };
 
 function visitSandboxClicked() {
-    if (interfacePath) {
+    if (isInterfaceInstalled()) {
         StartInterface('hifi://localhost');
     } else {
         // show an error to say that we can't go home without an interface instance
@@ -906,6 +915,9 @@ app.on('ready', function() {
         tray.popUpContextMenu(tray.menu);
     });
 
+    if (isInterfaceInstalled()) {
+        trayNotifications.startPolling();
+    }
     updateTrayMenu(ProcessGroupStates.STOPPED);
 
     maybeInstallDefaultContentSet(onContentLoaded);
diff --git a/server-console/src/modules/hf-app.js b/server-console/src/modules/hf-app.js
index 3db48bd9c4..af6c38cdb3 100644
--- a/server-console/src/modules/hf-app.js
+++ b/server-console/src/modules/hf-app.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ const path = require('path');
 const argv = require('yargs').argv;
 const hfprocess = require('./hf-process');
 const osHomeDir = require('os-homedir');
+const childProcess = require('child_process');
 const Process = hfprocess.Process;
 
 const binaryType = argv.binaryType;
@@ -53,17 +54,35 @@ const buildInfo = exports.getBuildInfo();
 const interfacePath = pathFinder.discoveredPath("interface", binaryType, buildInfo.releaseType);
 
 exports.startInterface = function(url) {
-    var argArray = [];
 
-    // check if we have a url parameter to include
-    if (url) {
-        argArray = ["--url", url];
+    if (osType === 'Darwin') {
+        if (!url) {
+            log.debug("No URL given for startInterface");
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // do this as a workaround for app translocation on osx, which makes
+        // it nearly impossible to find the interface executable
+        var bundle_id = 'com.highfidelity.interface-dev';
+        if (buildInfo.releaseType == 'PR') {
+            bundle_id = 'com.highfidelity.interface-pr';
+        } else if (buildInfo.releaseType == 'PRODUCTION') {
+            bundle_id = 'com.highfidelity.interface';
+        }
+        childProcess.exec('open -b ' + bundle_id + ' --args --url ' + url);
+    } else {
+        var argArray = [];
+
+        // check if we have a url parameter to include
+        if (url) {
+            argArray = ["--url", url];
+        }
+        console.log("Starting with " + url);
+        // create a new Interface instance - Interface makes sure only one is running at a time
+        var pInterface = new Process('Interface', interfacePath, argArray);
+        pInterface.detached = true;
+        pInterface.start();
     }
-    console.log("Starting with " + url);
-    // create a new Interface instance - Interface makes sure only one is running at a time
-    var pInterface = new Process('Interface', interfacePath, argArray);
-    pInterface.detached = true;
-    pInterface.start();
 }
 
 exports.isInterfaceRunning = function(done) {
diff --git a/server-console/src/modules/hf-notifications.js b/server-console/src/modules/hf-notifications.js
index c69c81aff2..13c5a6d8fa 100644
--- a/server-console/src/modules/hf-notifications.js
+++ b/server-console/src/modules/hf-notifications.js
@@ -143,7 +143,6 @@ function HifiNotifications(config, menuNotificationCallback) {
     this.walletSince = new Date(this.config.get("walletNotifySince", "1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z"));
     this.marketplaceSince = new Date(this.config.get("marketplaceNotifySince", "1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z"));  
 
-    this.enable(this.enabled());
     this.pendingNotifications = [];
 
 
@@ -193,6 +192,9 @@ HifiNotifications.prototype = {
     enabled: function () {
         return !this.config.get("disableTrayNotifications", false);
     },
+    startPolling: function () {
+        this.enable(this.enabled());
+    },
     stopPolling: function () {
         this.config.set("storiesNotifySince", this.storiesSince.toISOString());
         this.config.set("peopleNotifySince", this.peopleSince.toISOString());