diff --git a/code/boot.js b/code/boot.js
index 9635b788..16184bb2 100644
--- a/code/boot.js
+++ b/code/boot.js
@@ -54,18 +54,33 @@ window.setupMap = function() {
   var views = [cmMid, cmMin, osm, new L.Google('INGRESS'), new L.Google('ROADMAP'),
                new L.Google('SATELLITE'), new L.Google('HYBRID')];
 
-  portalsLayer = L.layerGroup([]);
-  linksLayer = L.layerGroup([]);
-  fieldsLayer = L.layerGroup([]);
+
   window.map = new L.Map('map', $.extend(getPosition(),
     {zoomControl: !(localStorage['iitc.zoom.buttons'] === 'false')}
   ));
+
   try {
     map.addLayer(views[readCookie('ingress.intelmap.type')]);
   } catch(e) { map.addLayer(views[0]); }
-  map.addLayer(portalsLayer);
+
+  var addLayers = {};
+
+  portalsLayers = [];
+  for(var i = 0; i <= 8; i++) {
+    portalsLayers[i] = L.layerGroup([]);
+    map.addLayer(portalsLayers[i]);
+    var t = (i === 0 ? 'Unclaimed' : 'Level ' + i) + ' Portals';
+    addLayers[t] = portalsLayers[i];
+  }
+
+  fieldsLayer = L.layerGroup([]);
   map.addLayer(fieldsLayer, true);
+  addLayers['Fields'] = fieldsLayer;
+
+  linksLayer = L.layerGroup([]);
   map.addLayer(linksLayer, true);
+  addLayers['Links'] = linksLayer;
+
   map.addControl(new L.Control.Layers({
     'OSM Cloudmade Midnight': views[0],
     'OSM Cloudmade Minimal': views[1],
@@ -74,11 +89,7 @@ window.setupMap = function() {
     'Google Roads':  views[4],
     'Google Satellite':  views[5],
     'Google Hybrid':  views[6]
-    }, {
-    'Portals': portalsLayer,
-    'Links': linksLayer,
-    'Fields': fieldsLayer
-    }));
+    }, addLayers));
   map.attributionControl.setPrefix('');
   // listen for changes and store them in cookies
   map.on('moveend', window.storeMapPosition);
@@ -179,7 +190,7 @@ function asyncLoadScript(a){return function(b,c){var d=document.createElement("s
 var LLGMAPS = 'http://breunigs.github.com/ingress-intel-total-conversion/leaflet_google.js';
 var JQUERY = 'https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.9.0/jquery.min.js';
 var LEAFLET = 'http://cdn.leafletjs.com/leaflet-0.5/leaflet.js';
-var AUTOLINK = 'https://raw.github.com/bryanwoods/autolink-js/master/autolink.js';
+var AUTOLINK = 'http://raw.github.com/bryanwoods/autolink-js/master/autolink.js';
 
 // after all scripts have loaded, boot the actual app
 load(JQUERY, LEAFLET, AUTOLINK).then(LLGMAPS).thenRun(boot);
diff --git a/code/debugging.js b/code/debugging.js
index 4a4931bc..0a3ce734 100644
--- a/code/debugging.js
+++ b/code/debugging.js
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ window.debug.printStackTrace = function() {
 }
 
 window.debug.clearPortals = function() {
-  portalsLayer.clearLayers();
+  for(var i = 0; i < portalsLayers.length; i++)
+    portalsLayers[i].clearLayers();
 }
 
 window.debug.clearLinks = function() {
diff --git a/code/map_data.js b/code/map_data.js
index 748ee4d4..03739be4 100644
--- a/code/map_data.js
+++ b/code/map_data.js
@@ -119,14 +119,17 @@ window.cleanUp = function() {
   var cnt = [0,0,0];
   var b = getPaddedBounds();
   var minlvl = getMinPortalLevel();
-  portalsLayer.eachLayer(function(portal) {
-    // portal must be in bounds and have a high enough level. Also don’t
-    // remove if it is selected.
-    if(portal.options.guid == window.selectedPortal ||
-      (b.contains(portal.getLatLng()) && portal.options.level >= minlvl)) return;
-    cnt[0]++;
-    portalsLayer.removeLayer(portal);
-  });
+  for(var i = 0; i < portalsLayers.length; i++) {
+    // i is also the portal level
+    portalsLayers[i].eachLayer(function(portal) {
+      // portal must be in bounds and have a high enough level. Also don’t
+      // remove if it is selected.
+      if(portal.options.guid == window.selectedPortal ||
+        (b.contains(portal.getLatLng()) && i >= minlvl)) return;
+      cnt[0]++;
+      portalsLayers[i].removeLayer(portal);
+    });
+  }
   linksLayer.eachLayer(function(link) {
     if(b.intersects(link.getBounds())) return;
     cnt[1]++;
@@ -153,7 +156,9 @@ window.removeByGuid = function(guid) {
     case '11':
     case '12':
       if(!window.portals[guid]) return;
-      portalsLayer.removeLayer(window.portals[guid]);
+      var p = window.portals[guid];
+      for(var i = 0; i < portalsLayers.length; i++)
+        portalsLayers[i].removeLayer(p);
       break;
     case '9':
       if(!window.links[guid]) return;
@@ -212,13 +217,24 @@ window.renderPortal = function(ent) {
     guid: ent[0]});
 
   p.on('remove',   function() { delete window.portals[this.options.guid]; });
-  p.on('add',      function() { window.portals[this.options.guid] = this; });
+  p.on('add',      function() {
+    window.portals[this.options.guid] = this;
+    // handles the case where a selected portal gets removed from the
+    // map by hiding all portals with said level
+    if(window.selectedPortal != this.options.guid)
+      window.portalResetColor(this);
+  });
   p.on('click',    function() { window.renderPortalDetails(ent[0]); });
   p.on('dblclick', function() {
     window.renderPortalDetails(ent[0]);
     window.map.setView(latlng, 17);
   });
-  p.addTo(portalsLayer);
+  // portalLevel contains a float, need to round down
+  p.addTo(portalsLayers[parseInt(portalLevel)]);
+}
+
+window.portalResetColor = function(portal) {
+  portal.setStyle({color: portal.options.fillColor});
 }
 
 // renders a link on the map from the given entity
diff --git a/code/portal_detail_display.js b/code/portal_detail_display.js
index e78d662f..2187b34b 100644
--- a/code/portal_detail_display.js
+++ b/code/portal_detail_display.js
@@ -104,8 +104,7 @@ window.setPortalIndicators = function(d) {
 window.selectPortal = function(guid) {
   var update = selectedPortal === guid;
   var oldPortal = portals[selectedPortal];
-  if(!update && oldPortal)
-    oldPortal.setStyle({color: oldPortal.options.fillColor});
+  if(!update && oldPortal) portalResetColor(oldPortal);
 
   selectedPortal = guid;
 
diff --git a/code/request_handling.js b/code/request_handling.js
index 26b228f1..60aa00f6 100644
--- a/code/request_handling.js
+++ b/code/request_handling.js
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ window.requests.abort = function() {
 }
 
 // gives user feedback about pending operations. Draws current status
-// to website.
+// to website. Updates info in layer chooser.
 window.renderUpdateStatus = function() {
   var t = '<b>map status:</b> ';
   if(mapRunsUserAction)
@@ -50,15 +50,20 @@ window.renderUpdateStatus = function() {
     t += ' <span style="color:red" class="help" title="Can only render so much before it gets unbearably slow. Not all entities are shown. Zoom in or increase the limit (search for MAX_DRAWN_*).">RENDER LIMIT</span> '
 
   if(window.failedRequestCount > 0)
-    t += ' ' + window.failedRequestCount + ' requests failed.'
+    t += ' <span style="color:red">' + window.failedRequestCount + ' requests failed</span>.'
 
   t += '<br/>(';
   var minlvl = getMinPortalLevel();
   if(minlvl === 0)
-    t += 'showing all portals';
+    t += 'loading all portals';
   else
-    t+= 'only showing portals with level '+minlvl+' and up';
-  t += ')</span>';
+    t+= 'only loading portals with level '+minlvl+' and up';
+  t += ')';
+
+  var portalSelection = $('.leaflet-control-layers-overlays label');
+  portalSelection.slice(0, minlvl+1).addClass('disabled').attr('title', 'Zoom in to show those.');
+  portalSelection.slice(minlvl, 8).removeClass('disabled').attr('title', '');
+
 
   $('#updatestatus').html(t);
 }
diff --git a/main.js b/main.js
index 041d7725..48613420 100644
--- a/main.js
+++ b/main.js
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ window.selectedPortal = null;
 window.portalRangeIndicator = null;
 window.portalAccessIndicator = null;
 window.mapRunsUserAction = false;
-var portalsLayer, linksLayer, fieldsLayer;
+var portalsLayers, linksLayer, fieldsLayer;
 
 // contain references to all entities shown on the map. These are
 // automatically kept in sync with the items on *sLayer, so never ever
diff --git a/style.css b/style.css
index 5e004843..17ea20f4 100644
--- a/style.css
+++ b/style.css
@@ -70,6 +70,11 @@ a:hover {
   z-index: 1000;
 }
 
+.leaflet-control-layers-overlays label.disabled {
+  text-decoration: line-through;
+  cursor: help;
+}
+
 .help {
   cursor: help;
 }