diff --git a/app/coffeescripts/AssignmentMuter.coffee b/app/coffeescripts/AssignmentMuter.coffee
index f863b4b200b..e282f8e981b 100644
--- a/app/coffeescripts/AssignmentMuter.coffee
+++ b/app/coffeescripts/AssignmentMuter.coffee
@@ -9,12 +9,15 @@ define [
 ], (I18n, $, mute_dialog_template) ->
 
   class AssignmentMuter
-    constructor: (@$link, @assignment, @url, @setter) ->
-      @$link = $(@$link)
-      @updateLink()
-      @$link.click (event) =>
-        event.preventDefault()
+    constructor: (@$link, @assignment, @url, @setter, @options) ->
+      if @options?.openDialogInstantly
         if @assignment.muted then @confirmUnmute() else @showDialog()
+      else
+        @$link = $(@$link)
+        @updateLink()
+        @$link.click (event) =>
+          event.preventDefault()
+          if @assignment.muted then @confirmUnmute() else @showDialog()
 
     updateLink: =>
       @$link.text(if @assignment.muted then I18n.t('unmute_assignment', 'Unmute Assignment') else I18n.t('mute_assignment', 'Mute Assignment'))
@@ -37,7 +40,7 @@ define [
         @setter @assignment, 'muted', serverResponse.assignment.muted
       else
         @assignment.muted = serverResponse.assignment.muted
-      @updateLink()
+      @updateLink() unless @options?.openDialogInstantly
       @$dialog.dialog('close')
       $.publish('assignment_muting_toggled', [@assignment])
 
diff --git a/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/actions/assignmentGroupsActions.jsx b/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/actions/assignmentGroupsActions.jsx
index f0eaaa8d50e..7b2cb73f2ba 100644
--- a/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/actions/assignmentGroupsActions.jsx
+++ b/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/actions/assignmentGroupsActions.jsx
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ define([
 ], function (Reflux, $) {
   var AssignmentGroupsActions = Reflux.createActions({
     load: { asyncResult: true },
-    replaceAssignmentGroups: { asyncResult: false }
+    replaceAssignmentGroups: { asyncResult: false },
+    replaceAssignment: {asyncResult: false}
   });
 
   AssignmentGroupsActions.load.listen(function() {
diff --git a/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/components/column_types/headerRenderer.jsx b/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/components/column_types/headerRenderer.jsx
index dc390a4d70a..18a9ad3fc95 100644
--- a/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/components/column_types/headerRenderer.jsx
+++ b/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/components/column_types/headerRenderer.jsx
@@ -70,10 +70,14 @@ define([
       label = this.props.label;
 
       if (assignment) {
-        var paddingAdjustment = GradebookConstants.DEFAULT_LAYOUTS.headers.paddingAdjustment;
+        var paddingAdjustment = GradebookConstants.DEFAULT_LAYOUTS.headers.paddingAdjustment,
+            className = "assignment-name" + ((assignment.muted) ? ' muted' : '');
+
         return (
           <div className='gradebook-label' style={{width: this.props.width - paddingAdjustment}}>
-            <a title={label} href={assignment.html_url}>
+            <a className={className}
+               title={label}
+               href={assignment.html_url}>
               { this.shouldDisplayAssignmentWarning() && <i ref="icon" title={this.getTitle()} className="icon-warning"></i> }
               {label}
             </a>
diff --git a/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/components/dropdown_components/assignmentHeaderDropdownOptions.jsx b/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/components/dropdown_components/assignmentHeaderDropdownOptions.jsx
index 07441626bb1..bd41d86d718 100644
--- a/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/components/dropdown_components/assignmentHeaderDropdownOptions.jsx
+++ b/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/components/dropdown_components/assignmentHeaderDropdownOptions.jsx
@@ -5,8 +5,9 @@ define([
   'i18n!gradebook',
   'jsx/gradebook/grid/components/dropdown_components/headerDropdownOption',
   'jsx/gradebook/grid/constants',
-  'jsx/gradebook/grid/components/dropdown_components/setDefaultGradeOption'
-], function (React, _, I18n, HeaderDropdownOption, GradebookConstants, SetDefaultGradeOption) {
+  'jsx/gradebook/grid/components/dropdown_components/setDefaultGradeOption',
+  'jsx/gradebook/grid/components/dropdown_components/muteAssignmentOption'
+], function (React, _, I18n, HeaderDropdownOption, GradebookConstants, SetDefaultGradeOption, MuteAssignmentOption) {
 
   var AssignmentHeaderDropdownOptions = React.createClass({
 
@@ -46,9 +47,6 @@ define([
         dropdownOptions.splice(1, 0, speedGraderOption);
       }
 
-      muteAssignmentOption = { title: I18n.t('Mute Assignment'), action: 'toggleMuting' };
-      if (assignment.muted) muteAssignmentOption.title = I18n.t('Unmute Assignment');
-      dropdownOptions.push(muteAssignmentOption);
       return dropdownOptions;
     },
 
@@ -83,6 +81,10 @@ define([
               }
             })
           }
+
+          <MuteAssignmentOption
+            key={'muteAssignment-' + assignment.id}
+            assignment={assignment}/>
         </ul>
       );
     }
diff --git a/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/components/dropdown_components/muteAssignmentOption.jsx b/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/components/dropdown_components/muteAssignmentOption.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0df63950303
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/components/dropdown_components/muteAssignmentOption.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+
+/** @jsx React.DOM */
+define([
+  'react',
+  'jquery',
+  'bower/reflux/dist/reflux',
+  'underscore',
+  'i18n!gradebook',
+  'jsx/gradebook/grid/components/dropdown_components/headerDropdownOption',
+  'compiled/AssignmentMuter',
+  'jsx/gradebook/grid/constants',
+  'jsx/gradebook/grid/actions/assignmentGroupsActions'
+], function (
+  React,
+  $,
+  Reflux,
+  _,
+  I18n,
+  HeaderDropdownOption,
+  AssignmentMuter,
+  GradebookConstants,
+  AssignmentGroupsActions
+) {
+
+  const MUTE = I18n.t('Mute Assignment'),
+        UNMUTE = I18n.t('Unmute Assignment'),
+        MUTING_EVENT = 'assignment_muting_toggled';
+
+  var MuteAssignmentOption = React.createClass({
+
+    propTypes: {
+      assignment: React.PropTypes.object.isRequired
+    },
+
+    openDialog() {
+      var assignment = this.props.assignment,
+          contextUrl = GradebookConstants.context_url,
+          options = {openDialogInstantly: true},
+          id = assignment.id,
+          url = contextUrl + "/assignments/" + id + "/mute";
+
+      new AssignmentMuter(null, assignment, url, null, options);
+
+      $.subscribe(MUTING_EVENT, (assignment) => {
+        AssignmentGroupsActions.replaceAssignment(assignment);
+        $.unsubscribe(MUTING_EVENT);
+      });
+    },
+
+    render() {
+      var title = (this.props.assignment.muted) ? UNMUTE : MUTE;
+      return(
+        <HeaderDropdownOption
+          handleClick={this.openDialog}
+          key={'muteAssignment' + this.props.assignment.id}
+          title={title}/>
+      );
+    }
+  });
+
+  return MuteAssignmentOption;
+});
diff --git a/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/components/gradebook.jsx b/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/components/gradebook.jsx
index d00bfd23deb..e9ae02e4ace 100644
--- a/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/components/gradebook.jsx
+++ b/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/components/gradebook.jsx
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ define([
   '../actions/submissionsActions',
   '../stores/keyboardNavigationStore',
   '../actions/keyboardNavigationActions',
-  '../helpers/columnArranger'
+  '../helpers/columnArranger',
+  'vendor/spin'
 ], function (
   React,
   FixedDataTable,
@@ -44,12 +45,14 @@ define([
   SubmissionsActions,
   KeyboardNavigationStore,
   KeyboardNavigationActions,
-  ColumnArranger
+  ColumnArranger,
+  Spinner
 ){
 
   var Table = FixedDataTable.Table,
       Column = FixedDataTable.Column,
-      isColumnResizing = false;
+      isColumnResizing = false,
+      spinner;
 
   var Gradebook = React.createClass({
     mixins: [
@@ -215,6 +218,15 @@ define([
              || this.state.submissions.error;
     },
 
+    renderSpinner() {
+      spinner = new Spinner();
+      $(spinner.spin().el).css({
+        opacity: 0.5,
+        top: '55px',
+        left: '50%'
+      }).addClass('use-css-transitions-for-show-hide').appendTo('#main');
+    },
+
     renderNotesColumn() {
       if (!this.state.toolbarOptions.hideNotesColumn) {
         return this.renderColumn(I18n.t('Notes'), GradebookConstants.NOTES_COLUMN_ID);
@@ -242,6 +254,9 @@ define([
       }
       else if (this.state.submissions.data && this.state.assignmentGroups.data
                && this.state.studentEnrollments.data) {
+
+        $(spinner.el).remove();
+
         return (
           <div id="react-gradebook-canvas"
                onKeyDown={this.handleKeyDown}
@@ -260,7 +275,11 @@ define([
           </div>
         );
       } else {
-        return (<h2>{I18n.t('Gradebook loading...replace this with a spinner?')}</h2>);
+        if (!spinner) {
+          this.renderSpinner();
+        }
+
+        return <div/>;
       }
     }
   });
diff --git a/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/stores/assignmentGroupsStore.jsx b/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/stores/assignmentGroupsStore.jsx
index c9ec5ddb6c8..cf91fa9ea48 100644
--- a/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/stores/assignmentGroupsStore.jsx
+++ b/app/jsx/gradebook/grid/stores/assignmentGroupsStore.jsx
@@ -44,6 +44,16 @@ define([
       });
     },
 
+    onReplaceAssignment(updatedAssignment) {
+      var assignmentGroups = this.assignmentGroups.data,
+          assignments = _.flatten(_.pluck(assignmentGroups, 'assignments')),
+          assignment = _.find(assignments, assignment => updatedAssignment.id === assignment.id);
+
+      assignment.muted = updatedAssignment.muted;
+      this.assignmentGroups.data = assignmentGroups;
+      this.trigger(this.assignmentGroups);
+    },
+
     formatAssignmentGroups(groups) {
       return _.map(groups, (group) => {
         group.assignments = _.map(
diff --git a/spec/coffeescripts/jsx/gradebook/grid/components/dropdown_components/muteAssignmentOptionSpec.coffee b/spec/coffeescripts/jsx/gradebook/grid/components/dropdown_components/muteAssignmentOptionSpec.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7912e811f3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/coffeescripts/jsx/gradebook/grid/components/dropdown_components/muteAssignmentOptionSpec.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+define [
+  'jsx/gradebook/grid/components/dropdown_components/muteAssignmentOption',
+  'compiled/gradebook2/SetDefaultGradeDialog'
+  'jquery'
+], (SetDefaultGradeOption, SetDefaultGradeDialog, $) ->
+
+  wrapper = document.getElementById('fixtures')
+
+  defaultProps = ->
+    assignment: { id: '1', muted: false }
+
+  renderComponent = (props) ->
+    props = props || defaultProps()
+    componentFactory = React.createFactory(SetDefaultGradeOption)
+    React.render(componentFactory(props), wrapper)
+
+  module 'MuteAssignmentOption',
+    setup: ->
+      $('.ui-dialog').remove()
+      @component = renderComponent()
+    teardown: ->
+      $('.ui-dialog').remove()
+      React.unmountComponentAtNode wrapper
+
+  test 'mounts properly', ->
+    ok renderComponent().isMounted()
+
+  test 'displays "Mute Assignment" when assignment is unmuted', ->
+    component = renderComponent()
+    text = component.getDOMNode().children[0].innerHTML
+    deepEqual(text, 'Mute Assignment')
+
+  test 'displays "Unmute Assignment" when assignment is muted', ->
+    props = {assignment: {id: '1', muted: true}}
+    component = renderComponent(props)
+    text = component.getDOMNode().children[0].innerHTML
+    deepEqual(text, 'Unmute Assignment')
+
+   test 'displays dialog on click', ->
+     component = renderComponent()
+     equal($('.ui-dialog').size(), 0)
+     component.openDialog()
+     equal($('.ui-dialog').size(), 1)
+
+   test 'mute dialog displays when assignment is unmuted', ->
+     component = renderComponent()
+     component.openDialog()
+     title = $('.ui-dialog-title')[0].innerHTML
+     equal(title, 'Mute Assignment')
+
+   test 'unmute dialog displays when assignment is muted', ->
+     props = {assignment: {id: '1', muted: true}}
+     component = renderComponent(props)
+     component.openDialog()
+     title = $('.ui-dialog-title')[0].innerHTML
+     equal(title, 'Unmute Assignment')
+
+   test '$subscribe to assignment_muting_toggled event after dialog is opened', ->
+     subscribeStub = @stub($, 'subscribe')
+     component = renderComponent()
+     component.openDialog()
+     ok subscribeStub.calledWith('assignment_muting_toggled')