diff --git a/code/boot.js b/code/boot.js
index a771c4e4..50258b5f 100644
--- a/code/boot.js
+++ b/code/boot.js
@@ -540,6 +540,7 @@ function boot() {
   window.setupPlayerStat();
   window.setupTooltips();
   window.chat.setup();
+  window.portalDetail.setup();
   window.setupQRLoadLib();
   window.setupLayerChooserSelectOne();
   window.setupLayerChooserStatusRecorder();
diff --git a/code/map_data_cache.js b/code/data_cache.js
similarity index 100%
rename from code/map_data_cache.js
rename to code/data_cache.js
diff --git a/code/hooks.js b/code/hooks.js
index b6a7ef6c..fb295655 100644
--- a/code/hooks.js
+++ b/code/hooks.js
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@
 //              called after each map data request finished. Argument is
 //              {success: boolean} indicated the request success or fail.
 // iitcLoaded: called after IITC and all plugins loaded
-
+// portalDetailLoaded: called when a request to load full portal detail
+//              completes. guid, success, details parameters
 
 window._hooks = {}
 window.VALID_HOOKS = [
@@ -58,7 +59,8 @@ window.VALID_HOOKS = [
   'portalDetailsUpdated',
   'publicChatDataAvailable', 'factionChatDataAvailable',
   'requestFinished', 'nicknameClicked',
-  'geoSearch', 'iitcLoaded'];
+  'geoSearch', 'iitcLoaded',
+  'portalDetailLoaded'];
 
 window.runHooks = function(event, data) {
   if(VALID_HOOKS.indexOf(event) === -1) throw('Unknown event type: ' + event);
diff --git a/code/portal_detail.js b/code/portal_detail.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f33da496
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/portal_detail.js
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+/// PORTAL DETAIL //////////////////////////////////////
+// code to retrieve the new potal detail data from the servers
+
+
+// anonymous function wrapper for the code - any variables/functions not placed into 'window' will be private
+(function(){
+
+var cache;
+
+
+window.portalDetail = function() {};
+
+window.portalDetail.setup = function() {
+  cache = new DataCache();
+
+  cache.startExpireInterval(20);
+}
+
+window.portalDetail.get = function(guid) {
+  return cache.get(guid);
+}
+
+window.portalDetail.isFresh = function(guid) {
+  return cache.isFresh(guid);
+}
+
+
+var handleResponse = function(guid, data, success) {
+
+  if (success) {
+    cache.store(guid,data);
+
+    //FIXME..? better way of handling sidebar refreshing...
+
+    if (guid == selectedPortal) {
+      renderPortalDetails(guid);
+    }
+  }
+
+  window.runHooks ('portalDetailLoaded', {guid:guid, success:success, details:data});
+}
+
+window.portalDetail.request = function(guid) {
+
+  window.postAjax('getPortalDetails', {guid:guid},
+    function(data,textStatus,jqXHR) { handleResponse(guid, data, true); },
+    function() { handleResponse(guid, undefined, false); }
+  );
+}
+
+
+
+})(); // anonumous wrapper function end
+
+
diff --git a/code/portal_detail_display.js b/code/portal_detail_display.js
index 4a14b343..ce67431e 100644
--- a/code/portal_detail_display.js
+++ b/code/portal_detail_display.js
@@ -3,11 +3,14 @@
 // methods that highlight the portal in the map view.
 
 window.renderPortalDetails = function(guid) {
-  // TODO: start a request for the selected portal detailed data
-  // (do this even if not in window.portals?)
-
   selectPortal(window.portals[guid] ? guid : null);
 
+  if (!portalDetail.isFresh(guid)) {
+    portalDetail.request(guid);
+  }
+
+  // TODO? handle the case where we request data for a particular portal GUID, but it *isn't* in
+  // window.portals....
 
   if(!window.portals[guid]) {
     urlPortal = guid;
@@ -21,11 +24,11 @@ window.renderPortalDetails = function(guid) {
 
   var portal = window.portals[guid];
   var data = portal.options.data;
-  var details = undefined; //TODO: get the details
+  var details = portalDetail.get(guid);
 
 
   var modDetails = details ? '<div class="mods">'+getModDetails(details)+'</div>' : '';
-  var randDetails = details ? getPortalRandDetails(details) : '';
+  var miscDetails = details ? getPortalMiscDetails(guid,details) : '';
   var resoDetails = details ? getResonatorDetails(details) : '';
 
 //TODO? other status details...
@@ -132,7 +135,7 @@ window.renderPortalDetails = function(guid) {
       ),
 
       modDetails,
-      randDetails,
+      miscDetails,
       resoDetails,
       statusDetails,
       '<div class="linkdetails">' + linkDetails.join('') + '</div>'
@@ -144,7 +147,7 @@ window.renderPortalDetails = function(guid) {
 
 
 
-window.getRandPortalDetails = function(d) {
+window.getPortalMiscDetails = function(guid,d) {
 
   var randDetails;
 
@@ -160,7 +163,7 @@ window.getRandPortalDetails = function(d) {
     var linksText = [linkExpl('links'), linkExpl(' ↳ ' + links.incoming+'&nbsp;&nbsp;•&nbsp;&nbsp;'+links.outgoing+' ↴')];
 
     var player = d.captured && d.captured.capturingPlayerId
-      ? '<span class="nickname">' + getPlayerName(d.captured.capturingPlayerId) + '</span>'
+      ? '<span class="nickname">' + d.captured.capturingPlayerId + '</span>'
       : null;
     var playerText = player ? ['owner', player] : null;
 
diff --git a/code/portal_detail_display_tools.js b/code/portal_detail_display_tools.js
index e3c67998..f9f02abf 100644
--- a/code/portal_detail_display_tools.js
+++ b/code/portal_detail_display_tools.js
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ window.getModDetails = function(d) {
 
       modTooltip = modName + '\n';
       if (mod.installingUser) {
-        modTooltip += 'Installed by: '+ getPlayerName(mod.installingUser) + '\n';
+        modTooltip += 'Installed by: '+ mod.installingUser + '\n';
       }
 
       if (mod.stats) {
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ window.getResonatorDetails = function(d) {
 
     var l = parseInt(reso.level);
     var v = parseInt(reso.energyTotal);
-    var nick = window.getPlayerName(reso.ownerGuid);
+    var nick = reso.ownerGuid;
     var dist = reso.distanceToPortal;
     // if array order and slot order drift apart, at least the octant
     // naming will still be correct.