diff --git a/client/less/lib/bootstrap/dropdowns.less b/client/less/lib/bootstrap/dropdowns.less
index 84a48c1413..19fa1fee15 100755
--- a/client/less/lib/bootstrap/dropdowns.less
+++ b/client/less/lib/bootstrap/dropdowns.less
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@
   z-index: @zindex-dropdown;
   display: none; // none by default, but block on "open" of the menu
   float: left;
-  min-width: 160px;
+  min-width: 0;
+  width: 100%;
   padding: 5px 0;
   margin: 2px 0 0; // override default ul
   list-style: none;
diff --git a/client/less/lib/bootstrap/variables.less b/client/less/lib/bootstrap/variables.less
index 0e411ce3c7..cddcc5a1de 100755
--- a/client/less/lib/bootstrap/variables.less
+++ b/client/less/lib/bootstrap/variables.less
@@ -235,9 +235,9 @@
 @dropdown-divider-bg:            #e5e5e5;
 
 //** Dropdown link text color.
-@dropdown-link-color:            @gray-dark;
+@dropdown-link-color:            darkgreen;
 //** Hover color for dropdown links.
-@dropdown-link-hover-color:      darken(@gray-dark, 5%);
+@dropdown-link-hover-color:      darkgreen;
 //** Hover background for dropdown links.
 @dropdown-link-hover-bg:         #f5f5f5;
 
@@ -365,8 +365,8 @@
 @navbar-default-link-color:                @gray-lighter;
 @navbar-default-link-hover-color:          darkgreen;
 @navbar-default-link-hover-bg:             @gray-lighter;
-@navbar-default-link-active-color:         @gray-lighter;
-@navbar-default-link-active-bg:            darken(@navbar-default-bg, 6.5%);
+@navbar-default-link-active-color:         darkgreen;
+@navbar-default-link-active-bg:            @gray-lighter;
 @navbar-default-link-disabled-color:       #ccc;
 @navbar-default-link-disabled-bg:          transparent;
 
diff --git a/common/app/components/Nav/Nav.jsx b/common/app/components/Nav/Nav.jsx
index 9447d72681..9a953c00a6 100644
--- a/common/app/components/Nav/Nav.jsx
+++ b/common/app/components/Nav/Nav.jsx
@@ -3,10 +3,12 @@ import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
 import { LinkContainer } from 'react-router-bootstrap';
 import {
   Col,
+  MenuItem,
   Nav,
-  NavbarBrand,
+  NavDropdown,
+  NavItem,
   Navbar,
-  NavItem
+  NavbarBrand
 } from 'react-bootstrap';
 
 import navLinks from './links.json';
@@ -76,36 +78,45 @@ export default class FCCNav extends React.Component {
     this.props.loadCurrentChallenge();
   }
 
-  renderLinks() {
-    return navLinks.map(({ content, link, react, target }, index) => {
-      if (react) {
-        return (
-          <LinkContainer
-            eventKey={ index + 2 }
-            key={ content }
-            onClick={ this[`handle${content}Click`] }
-            to={ link }
-            >
-            <NavItem
-              target={ target || null }
-              >
-              { content }
-            </NavItem>
-          </LinkContainer>
-        );
-      }
+  renderLink(isNavItem, { isReact, isDropdown, content, link, links, target }) {
+    const Component = isNavItem ? NavItem : MenuItem;
+    if (isDropdown) {
       return (
-        <NavItem
-          eventKey={ index + 1 }
-          href={ link }
+        <NavDropdown
+          id={ `nav-${content}-dropdown` }
+          key={ content }
+          noCaret={ true }
+          title={ content }
+          >
+          { links.map(this.renderLink.bind(this, false)) }
+        </NavDropdown>
+      );
+    }
+    if (isReact) {
+      return (
+        <LinkContainer
           key={ content }
           onClick={ this[`handle${content}Click`] }
-          target={ target || null }
+          to={ link }
           >
-          { content }
-        </NavItem>
+          <Component
+            target={ target || null }
+            >
+            { content }
+          </Component>
+        </LinkContainer>
       );
-    });
+    }
+    return (
+      <Component
+        href={ link }
+        key={ content }
+        onClick={ this[`handle${content}Click`] }
+        target={ target || null }
+        >
+        { content }
+      </Component>
+    );
   }
 
   renderSignIn(username, points, picture, showLoading) {
@@ -123,7 +134,6 @@ export default class FCCNav extends React.Component {
     } else {
       return (
         <NavItem
-          eventKey={ 2 }
           href='/signup'
           key='signup'
           >
@@ -140,6 +150,17 @@ export default class FCCNav extends React.Component {
       picture,
       showLoading
     } = this.props;
+    let navLinksCache;
+
+    if (this._navLinksCache) {
+      navLinksCache = this._navLinksCache;
+    } else {
+      // we cache the rendered static links on the instance
+      // these do not change for the lifetime of the app
+      navLinksCache = this._navLinksCache = navLinks.map(
+        this.renderLink.bind(this, true)
+      );
+    }
 
     return (
       <Navbar
@@ -167,7 +188,7 @@ export default class FCCNav extends React.Component {
             navbar={ true }
             pullRight={ true }
             >
-            { this.renderLinks() }
+            { navLinksCache }
             { this.renderSignIn(username, points, picture, showLoading) }
           </Nav>
         </Navbar.Collapse>
diff --git a/common/app/components/Nav/links.json b/common/app/components/Nav/links.json
index cf60ed8acf..b73f645a8c 100644
--- a/common/app/components/Nav/links.json
+++ b/common/app/components/Nav/links.json
@@ -1,18 +1,22 @@
 [{
+  "content": "Community",
+  "isDropdown": true,
+  "links": [{
+    "content": "About",
+    "link": "/about"
+  }, {
+    "content": "Forum",
+    "link": "https://forum.freecodecamp.com/",
+    "target": "_blank"
+  }, {
+    "content": "Chat",
+    "link": "https://gitter.im/freecodecamp/home",
+    "target": "_blank"
+  }]
+},{
   "content": "Map",
   "link": "/map",
-  "react": true
-},{
-  "content": "Chat",
-  "link": "https://gitter.im/freecodecamp/home",
-  "target": "_blank"
-},{
-  "content": "Forum",
-  "link": "https://forum.freecodecamp.com/",
-  "target": "_blank"
-},{
-  "content": "About",
-  "link": "/about"
+  "isReact": true
 },{
   "content": "Shop",
   "link": "/shop"
diff --git a/server/views/partials/navbar.jade b/server/views/partials/navbar.jade
index 2f4a796f11..bf2db91a82 100644
--- a/server/views/partials/navbar.jade
+++ b/server/views/partials/navbar.jade
@@ -7,14 +7,17 @@ nav.navbar.navbar-default.navbar-fixed-top.nav-height
             img.img-responsive.nav-logo(src='https://s3.amazonaws.com/freecodecamp/freecodecamp_logo.svg', alt='learn to code javascript at Free Code Camp logo')
     .collapse.navbar-collapse
         ul.nav.navbar-nav.navbar-right.hamburger-dropdown
+            li.dropdown
+                a.dropdown-toggle(data-toggle='dropdown' role='button' href='#' aria-haspopup='true') Community
+                ul.dropdown-menu
+                    li
+                        a(href='/about') About
+                    li
+                        a(href='https://gitter.im/freecodecamp/home' target='_blank') Chat
+                    li
+                        a(href='https://forum.freecodecamp.com', target='_blank') Forum
             li
                 a(href='/map') Map
-            li
-                a(href='https://gitter.im/freecodecamp/home' target='_blank') Chat
-            li
-                a(href='https://forum.freecodecamp.com', target='_blank') Forum
-            li
-                a(href='/about') About
             li
                 a(href='/shop') Shop
             if !user