diff --git a/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp b/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp
index e00d8eb44d..9131c99c6d 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp
@@ -141,11 +141,6 @@ int AudioMixer::addStreamToMixForListeningNodeWithStream(AudioMixerClientData* l
         return 0;
     }
     
-    // if the stream should be muted, bail
-    if (shouldMute(streamToAdd->getQuietestFrameLoudness())) {
-        return 0;
-    }
-    
     float bearingRelativeAngleToSource = 0.0f;
     float attenuationCoefficient = 1.0f;
     int numSamplesDelay = 0;
@@ -722,6 +717,29 @@ void AudioMixer::run() {
                 // That's how the popped audio data will be read for mixing (but only if the pop was successful)
                 nodeData->checkBuffersBeforeFrameSend();
             
+                // if the stream should be muted, send mute packet
+                if (shouldMute(nodeData->getAvatarAudioStream()->getQuietestFrameLoudness())) {
+                    static const int TIME_BETWEEN_MUTES = 5; // in secs
+                    if (usecTimestampNow() - nodeData->getAvatarAudioStream()->getLastMuted() >
+                        TIME_BETWEEN_MUTES * USECS_PER_SECOND) {
+                        int headerSize = numBytesForPacketHeaderGivenPacketType(PacketTypeMuteEnvironment);
+                        int packetSize = headerSize + sizeof(glm::vec3) + sizeof(float);
+                        
+                        // Fake data to force mute
+                        glm::vec3 position = nodeData->getAvatarAudioStream()->getPosition();
+                        float radius = 1.0f;
+                        
+                        char* packet = (char*)malloc(packetSize);
+                        populatePacketHeader(packet, PacketTypeMuteEnvironment);
+                        memcpy(packet + headerSize, &position, sizeof(glm::vec3));
+                        memcpy(packet + headerSize + sizeof(glm::vec3), &radius, sizeof(float));
+                        
+                        nodeList->writeDatagram(packet, packetSize, node);
+                        nodeData->getAvatarAudioStream()->setLastMutedNow();
+                        free(packet);
+                    }
+                }
+                
                 if (node->getType() == NodeType::Agent && node->getActiveSocket()
                     && nodeData->getAvatarAudioStream()) {
 
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/audio/AvatarAudioStream.cpp b/assignment-client/src/audio/AvatarAudioStream.cpp
index 90dcefa09d..cd67722a2e 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/audio/AvatarAudioStream.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/audio/AvatarAudioStream.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@
 #include "AvatarAudioStream.h"
 
 AvatarAudioStream::AvatarAudioStream(bool isStereo, const InboundAudioStream::Settings& settings) :
-    PositionalAudioStream(PositionalAudioStream::Microphone, isStereo, settings)
+    PositionalAudioStream(PositionalAudioStream::Microphone, isStereo, settings),
+    _lastMuted(usecTimestampNow())
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/audio/AvatarAudioStream.h b/assignment-client/src/audio/AvatarAudioStream.h
index cc2ff1aca7..e1fb6dd486 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/audio/AvatarAudioStream.h
+++ b/assignment-client/src/audio/AvatarAudioStream.h
@@ -19,13 +19,18 @@
 class AvatarAudioStream : public PositionalAudioStream {
 public:
     AvatarAudioStream(bool isStereo, const InboundAudioStream::Settings& settings);
-
+    
+    qint64 getLastMuted() const { return _lastMuted; }
+    void setLastMutedNow() { _lastMuted = usecTimestampNow(); }
+    
 private:
     // disallow copying of AvatarAudioStream objects
     AvatarAudioStream(const AvatarAudioStream&);
     AvatarAudioStream& operator= (const AvatarAudioStream&);
 
     int parseStreamProperties(PacketType type, const QByteArray& packetAfterSeqNum, int& numAudioSamples);
+    
+    qint64 _lastMuted;
 };
 
 #endif // hifi_AvatarAudioStream_h
diff --git a/interface/src/Audio.cpp b/interface/src/Audio.cpp
index 4a488bb296..726d1e609a 100644
--- a/interface/src/Audio.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Audio.cpp
@@ -97,6 +97,9 @@ Audio::Audio(QObject* parent) :
     _muted(false),
     _reverb(false),
     _reverbOptions(&_scriptReverbOptions),
+    _gverb(NULL),
+    _iconColor(1.0f),
+    _iconPulseTimeReference(usecTimestampNow()),
     _processSpatialAudio(false),
     _spatialAudioStart(0),
     _spatialAudioFinish(0),
@@ -1390,23 +1393,37 @@ void Audio::renderToolBox(int x, int y, bool boxed) {
     _iconBounds = QRect(x, y, MUTE_ICON_SIZE, MUTE_ICON_SIZE);
     if (!_muted) {
         glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, _micTextureId);
+        _iconColor = 1.0f;
     } else {
         glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, _muteTextureId);
+        
+        // Make muted icon pulsate
+        static const float PULSE_MIN = 0.4f;
+        static const float PULSE_MAX = 1.0f;
+        static const float PULSE_FREQUENCY = 1.0f; // in Hz
+        qint64 now = usecTimestampNow();
+        if (now - _iconPulseTimeReference > USECS_PER_SECOND) {
+            // Prevents t from getting too big, which would diminish glm::cos precision
+            _iconPulseTimeReference = now - ((now - _iconPulseTimeReference) % USECS_PER_SECOND);
+        }
+        float t = (float)(now - _iconPulseTimeReference) / (float)USECS_PER_SECOND;
+        float pulseFactor = (glm::cos(t * PULSE_FREQUENCY * 2.0f * PI) + 1.0f) / 2.0f;
+        _iconColor = PULSE_MIN + (PULSE_MAX - PULSE_MIN) * pulseFactor;
     }
 
-    glColor3f(1,1,1);
+    glColor3f(_iconColor, _iconColor, _iconColor);
     glBegin(GL_QUADS);
 
-    glTexCoord2f(1, 1);
+    glTexCoord2f(1.0f, 1.0f);
     glVertex2f(_iconBounds.left(), _iconBounds.top());
 
-    glTexCoord2f(0, 1);
+    glTexCoord2f(0.0f, 1.0f);
     glVertex2f(_iconBounds.right(), _iconBounds.top());
 
-    glTexCoord2f(0, 0);
+    glTexCoord2f(0.0f, 0.0f);
     glVertex2f(_iconBounds.right(), _iconBounds.bottom());
 
-    glTexCoord2f(1, 0);
+    glTexCoord2f(1.0f, 0.0f);
     glVertex2f(_iconBounds.left(), _iconBounds.bottom());
 
     glEnd();
diff --git a/interface/src/Audio.h b/interface/src/Audio.h
index 6de7cf8d91..ecbef026c4 100644
--- a/interface/src/Audio.h
+++ b/interface/src/Audio.h
@@ -248,11 +248,13 @@ private:
     AudioEffectOptions _scriptReverbOptions;
     AudioEffectOptions _zoneReverbOptions;
     AudioEffectOptions* _reverbOptions;
-    ty_gverb *_gverb;
+    ty_gverb* _gverb;
     GLuint _micTextureId;
     GLuint _muteTextureId;
     GLuint _boxTextureId;
     QRect _iconBounds;
+    float _iconColor;
+    qint64 _iconPulseTimeReference;
     
     /// Audio callback in class context.
     inline void performIO(int16_t* inputLeft, int16_t* outputLeft, int16_t* outputRight);