diff --git a/pkg/api/annotations.go b/pkg/api/annotations.go
index af72b9d3876..88e8c955497 100644
--- a/pkg/api/annotations.go
+++ b/pkg/api/annotations.go
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ func GetAnnotations(c *middleware.Context) Response {
 			Text:      item.Text,
 			Metric:    item.Metric,
 			Title:     item.Title,
+			PanelId:   item.PanelId,
 		})
 	}
 
@@ -55,6 +56,8 @@ func PostAnnotation(c *middleware.Context, cmd dtos.PostAnnotationsCmd) Response
 		Epoch:       cmd.Time / 1000,
 		Title:       cmd.Title,
 		Text:        cmd.Text,
+		CategoryId:  cmd.CategoryId,
+		Type:        annotations.EventType,
 	}
 
 	err := repo.Save(&item)
diff --git a/pkg/api/api.go b/pkg/api/api.go
index 0b9a8acf851..6dcc900c16f 100644
--- a/pkg/api/api.go
+++ b/pkg/api/api.go
@@ -277,8 +277,10 @@ func (hs *HttpServer) registerRoutes() {
 		}, reqEditorRole)
 
 		r.Get("/annotations", wrap(GetAnnotations))
-		r.Post("/annotations", bind(dtos.PostAnnotationsCmd{}), wrap(PostAnnotation))
-		r.Post("/annotations/mass-delete", reqOrgAdmin, bind(dtos.DeleteAnnotationsCmd{}), wrap(DeleteAnnotations))
+
+		r.Group("/annotations", func() {
+			r.Post("/", bind(dtos.PostAnnotationsCmd{}), wrap(PostAnnotation))
+		}, reqEditorRole)
 
 		// error test
 		r.Get("/metrics/error", wrap(GenerateError))
diff --git a/pkg/api/dtos/annotations.go b/pkg/api/dtos/annotations.go
index cd8c0c1d523..28e048db3ec 100644
--- a/pkg/api/dtos/annotations.go
+++ b/pkg/api/dtos/annotations.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ type Annotation struct {
 type PostAnnotationsCmd struct {
 	DashboardId int64  `json:"dashboardId"`
 	PanelId     int64  `json:"panelId"`
+	CategoryId  int64  `json:"categoryId"`
 	Time        int64  `json:"time"`
 	Title       string `json:"title"`
 	Text        string `json:"text"`
diff --git a/pkg/services/annotations/annotations.go b/pkg/services/annotations/annotations.go
index a308f546c8a..a3b4eacc0c3 100644
--- a/pkg/services/annotations/annotations.go
+++ b/pkg/services/annotations/annotations.go
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ type ItemType string
 
 const (
 	AlertType ItemType = "alert"
+	EventType ItemType = "event"
 )
 
 type Item struct {
diff --git a/public/app/features/annotations/annotations_srv.ts b/public/app/features/annotations/annotations_srv.ts
index d3b83982f51..691153b197b 100644
--- a/public/app/features/annotations/annotations_srv.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/annotations/annotations_srv.ts
@@ -35,6 +35,13 @@ export class AnnotationsSrv {
 
       // combine the annotations and flatten results
       var annotations = _.flattenDeep([results[0], results[1]]);
+      // filter out annotations that do not belong to requesting panel
+      annotations = _.filter(annotations, item => {
+        if (item.panelId && options.panel.id !== item.panelId) {
+          return false;
+        }
+        return true;
+      });
 
       // look for alert state for this panel
       var alertState = _.find(results[2], {panelId: options.panel.id});
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/addAnnotationModalCtrl.ts b/public/app/features/dashboard/addAnnotationModalCtrl.ts
index 7c3962074cf..789d24bdbee 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/addAnnotationModalCtrl.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/addAnnotationModalCtrl.ts
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ export class AddAnnotationModalCtrl {
   }
 
   close() {
-    this.graphCtrl.inAddAnnotationMode = false;
     this.$scope.dismiss();
   }
 }
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/grafana/partials/annotations.editor.html b/public/app/plugins/datasource/grafana/partials/annotations.editor.html
index a1528a6d708..24a06a2abd6 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/grafana/partials/annotations.editor.html
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/grafana/partials/annotations.editor.html
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 		<div class="gf-form">
 			<span class="gf-form-label width-7">Type</span>
 			<div class="gf-form-select-wrapper">
-				<select class="gf-form-input" ng-model="ctrl.annotation.type" ng-options="f.value as f.text for f in [{text: 'Alert', value: 'alert'}]">
+				<select class="gf-form-input" ng-model="ctrl.annotation.type" ng-options="f.value as f.text for f in [{text: 'Event', value: 'event'}, {text: 'Alert', value: 'alert'}]">
 				</select>
 			</div>
 		</div>
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/panel/graph/graph.ts b/public/app/plugins/panel/graph/graph.ts
index 7ae1b19ca21..4d68e10bbc0 100755
--- a/public/app/plugins/panel/graph/graph.ts
+++ b/public/app/plugins/panel/graph/graph.ts
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ coreModule.directive('grafanaGraph', function($rootScope, timeSrv) {
         let thisPanelEvent = event.panel.id === ctrl.panel.id;
 
         // Select time for new annotation
-        let createAnnotation = ctrl.inAddAnnotationMode || event.pos.ctrlKey || event.pos.metaKey;
+        let createAnnotation = event.pos.ctrlKey || event.pos.metaKey;
         if (createAnnotation && thisPanelEvent) {
           let timeRange = {
             from: event.pos.x,
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@ coreModule.directive('grafanaGraph', function($rootScope, timeSrv) {
           };
 
           ctrl.showAddAnnotationModal(timeRange);
-          ctrl.inAddAnnotationMode = false;
         }
       }, scope);
 
@@ -656,12 +655,11 @@ coreModule.directive('grafanaGraph', function($rootScope, timeSrv) {
       }
 
       elem.bind("plotselected", function (event, ranges) {
-        if (ctrl.inAddAnnotationMode || ranges.ctrlKey || ranges.metaKey) {
+        if (ranges.ctrlKey || ranges.metaKey) {
           // Create new annotation from time range
           let timeRange = ranges.xaxis;
           ctrl.showAddAnnotationModal(timeRange);
           plot.clearSelection();
-          ctrl.inAddAnnotationMode = false;
         } else {
           scope.$apply(function() {
             timeSrv.setTime({
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/panel/graph/module.ts b/public/app/plugins/panel/graph/module.ts
index 5a24f39cf80..5686ef2bfe8 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/panel/graph/module.ts
+++ b/public/app/plugins/panel/graph/module.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ class GraphCtrl extends MetricsPanelCtrl {
   dataList: any = [];
   annotations: any = [];
   alertState: any;
-  inAddAnnotationMode = false;
 
   annotationsPromise: any;
   dataWarning: any;
@@ -303,8 +302,8 @@ class GraphCtrl extends MetricsPanelCtrl {
   }
 
   enableAddAnnotationMode() {
-    // TODO: notify user about time selection mode
-    this.inAddAnnotationMode = true;
+    // placehoder for some other way to teach users
+    alert('selection region while holding down CTRL or CMD');
   }
 
   // Get annotation info from dialog and push it to backend