diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/host/impl/GossipHostStore.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/host/impl/GossipHostStore.java
index 5353a91..3b233f7 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/host/impl/GossipHostStore.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/host/impl/GossipHostStore.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 import static java.util.concurrent.Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor;
 import static org.onlab.onos.cluster.ControllerNodeToNodeId.toNodeId;
+import static org.onlab.onos.net.DefaultAnnotations.merge;
 import static org.onlab.onos.net.host.HostEvent.Type.HOST_ADDED;
 import static org.onlab.onos.net.host.HostEvent.Type.HOST_MOVED;
 import static org.onlab.onos.net.host.HostEvent.Type.HOST_REMOVED;
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@
 import org.onlab.onos.cluster.NodeId;
 import org.onlab.onos.net.Annotations;
 import org.onlab.onos.net.ConnectPoint;
+import org.onlab.onos.net.DefaultAnnotations;
 import org.onlab.onos.net.DefaultHost;
 import org.onlab.onos.net.DeviceId;
 import org.onlab.onos.net.Host;
@@ -237,15 +239,19 @@
             return new HostEvent(HOST_MOVED, host);
         }
 
-        if (host.ipAddresses().containsAll(descr.ipAddress())) {
+        if (host.ipAddresses().containsAll(descr.ipAddress()) &&
+                descr.annotations().keys().isEmpty()) {
             return null;
         }
 
         Set<IpAddress> addresses = new HashSet<>(host.ipAddresses());
         addresses.addAll(descr.ipAddress());
+        Annotations annotations = merge((DefaultAnnotations) host.annotations(),
+                                        descr.annotations());
         StoredHost updated = new StoredHost(providerId, host.id(),
                                             host.mac(), host.vlan(),
-                                            host.location, addresses);
+                                            host.location, addresses,
+                                            annotations);
         event = new HostEvent(HOST_UPDATED, updated);
         synchronized (this) {
             hosts.put(host.id(), updated);
diff --git a/web/gui/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/gui/TopologyViewMessages.java b/web/gui/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/gui/TopologyViewMessages.java
index ca0862c..3a64f28 100644
--- a/web/gui/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/gui/TopologyViewMessages.java
+++ b/web/gui/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/gui/TopologyViewMessages.java
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@
                 .put("id", compactLinkString(link))
                 .put("type", link.type().toString().toLowerCase())
                 .put("online", link.state() == Link.State.ACTIVE)
-                .put("linkWidth", 2)
+                .put("linkWidth", 1.2)
                 .put("src", link.src().deviceId().toString())
                 .put("srcPort", link.src().port().toString())
                 .put("dst", link.dst().deviceId().toString())
diff --git a/web/gui/src/main/webapp/topo2.css b/web/gui/src/main/webapp/topo2.css
index 20ed2fd..94af382 100644
--- a/web/gui/src/main/webapp/topo2.css
+++ b/web/gui/src/main/webapp/topo2.css
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
 #topo #map {
     stroke-width: 2px;
-    stroke: #aaaaaa;
+    stroke: #eee;
     fill: transparent;
 }
 
@@ -135,15 +135,15 @@
 
 #topo svg .link.primary {
     stroke: #f11;
-    stroke-width: 6px;
+    stroke-width: 4px;
 }
 #topo svg .link.secondary {
     stroke: rgba(255,100,100,0.5);
-    stroke-width: 4px;
+    stroke-width: 3px;
 }
 #topo svg .link.animated {
     stroke: #f11;
-    stroke-width: 10px;
+    stroke-width: 8px;
     stroke-dasharray: 8 8
 }
 
diff --git a/web/gui/src/main/webapp/topo2.js b/web/gui/src/main/webapp/topo2.js
index 25782f9..81609e8 100644
--- a/web/gui/src/main/webapp/topo2.js
+++ b/web/gui/src/main/webapp/topo2.js
@@ -854,7 +854,7 @@
             var el = d3.select(this),
                 img;
 
-            $('<img src="img/host.png">').appendTo(el);
+            $('<img src="img/node.png">').appendTo(el);
             img = el.select('img')
                 .attr({
                     width: 30