diff --git a/autoload/syntastic/util.vim b/autoload/syntastic/util.vim
index 2969a525..84378991 100644
--- a/autoload/syntastic/util.vim
+++ b/autoload/syntastic/util.vim
@@ -67,6 +67,30 @@ function syntastic#util#versionIsAtLeast(installed, required)
     return 1
 endfunction
 
+"print as much of a:msg as possible without "Press Enter" prompt appearing
+function! syntastic#util#wideMsg(msg)
+    let old_ruler = &ruler
+    let old_showcmd = &showcmd
+
+    "convert tabs to spaces so that the tabs count towards the window width
+    "as the proper amount of characters
+    let msg = substitute(a:msg, "\t", repeat(" ", &tabstop), "g")
+    let msg = strpart(msg, 0, winwidth(0)-1)
+
+    "This is here because it is possible for some error messages to begin with
+    "\n which will cause a "press enter" prompt. I have noticed this in the
+    "javascript:jshint checker and have been unable to figure out why it
+    "happens
+    let msg = substitute(msg, "\n", "", "g")
+
+    set noruler noshowcmd
+    redraw
+
+    echo msg
+
+    let &ruler=old_ruler
+    let &showcmd=old_showcmd
+endfunction
 
 let &cpo = s:save_cpo
 unlet s:save_cpo
diff --git a/plugin/syntastic.vim b/plugin/syntastic.vim
index 74d109b0..418edadf 100644
--- a/plugin/syntastic.vim
+++ b/plugin/syntastic.vim
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ endif
 
 let s:registry = g:SyntasticRegistry.Instance()
 let s:notifiers = g:SyntasticNotifiers.New()
+let s:cursor_notifier = g:SyntasticNotifierCursor.New()
 let s:modemap = g:SyntasticModeMap.Instance()
-let s:old_line = -1
 
 function! s:CompleteCheckerName(argLead, cmdLine, cursorPos)
     let checker_names = []
@@ -77,14 +77,14 @@ highlight link SyntasticWarning SpellCap
 
 augroup syntastic
     if g:syntastic_echo_current_error
-        autocmd CursorMoved * call s:EchoCurrentError()
+        autocmd CursorMoved * call s:cursor_notifier.refresh(s:LocList())
     endif
 
     autocmd BufReadPost * if g:syntastic_check_on_open | call s:UpdateErrors(1) | endif
     autocmd BufWritePost * call s:UpdateErrors(1)
 
-    autocmd BufWinEnter * if empty(&bt) | call s:AutoToggleLocList() | endif
-    autocmd BufEnter * if &bt=='quickfix' && !empty(getloclist(0)) && !bufloaded(getloclist(0)[0].bufnr) | call s:HideLocList() | endif
+    autocmd BufWinEnter * if empty(&bt) | call g:SyntasticNotifierAutoloclist.AutoToggle(s:LocList()) | endif
+    autocmd BufEnter * if &bt=='quickfix' && !empty(getloclist(0)) && !bufloaded(getloclist(0)[0].bufnr) | call g:SyntasticLoclist.Hide() | endif
 augroup END
 
 
@@ -113,26 +113,6 @@ function! s:UpdateErrors(auto_invoked, ...)
         call setloclist(0, loclist.filteredRaw())
         silent! ll
     endif
-
-    call s:AutoToggleLocList()
-endfunction
-
-"automatically open/close the location list window depending on the users
-"config and buffer error state
-function! s:AutoToggleLocList()
-    let loclist = s:LocList()
-    if loclist.hasErrorsOrWarningsToDisplay()
-        if g:syntastic_auto_loc_list == 1
-            call s:ShowLocList()
-        endif
-    else
-        if g:syntastic_auto_loc_list > 0
-
-            "TODO: this will close the loc list window if one was opened by
-            "something other than syntastic
-            lclose
-        endif
-    endif
 endfunction
 
 "lazy init the loc list for the current buffer
@@ -146,7 +126,7 @@ endfunction
 "clear the loc list for the buffer
 function! s:ClearCache()
     unlet! b:syntastic_loclist
-    let s:old_line = -1
+    call s:cursor_notifier.resetOldLine()
 endfunction
 
 function! s:CurrentFiletypes()
@@ -199,64 +179,7 @@ endfunction
 "display the cached errors for this buf in the location list
 function! s:ShowLocList()
     let loclist = s:LocList()
-    if loclist.hasErrorsOrWarningsToDisplay()
-        call setloclist(0, loclist.filteredRaw())
-        let num = winnr()
-        exec "lopen " . g:syntastic_loc_list_height
-        if num != winnr()
-            wincmd p
-        endif
-    endif
-endfunction
-
-function! s:HideLocList()
-    if len(filter( range(1,bufnr('$')), 'buflisted(v:val) && bufloaded(v:val)' )) == 1
-        quit
-    else
-        lclose
-    endif
-endfunction
-
-"print as much of a:msg as possible without "Press Enter" prompt appearing
-function! s:WideMsg(msg)
-    let old_ruler = &ruler
-    let old_showcmd = &showcmd
-
-    "convert tabs to spaces so that the tabs count towards the window width
-    "as the proper amount of characters
-    let msg = substitute(a:msg, "\t", repeat(" ", &tabstop), "g")
-    let msg = strpart(msg, 0, winwidth(0)-1)
-
-    "This is here because it is possible for some error messages to begin with
-    "\n which will cause a "press enter" prompt. I have noticed this in the
-    "javascript:jshint checker and have been unable to figure out why it
-    "happens
-    let msg = substitute(msg, "\n", "", "g")
-
-    set noruler noshowcmd
-    redraw
-
-    echo msg
-
-    let &ruler=old_ruler
-    let &showcmd=old_showcmd
-endfunction
-
-"echo out the first error we find for the current line in the cmd window
-function! s:EchoCurrentError()
-    let l = line('.')
-    if l == s:old_line
-        return
-    endif
-    let s:old_line = l
-
-    let loclist = s:LocList()
-    let messages = loclist.messages()
-    if has_key(messages, l)
-        return s:WideMsg(messages[l])
-    else
-        echo
-    endif
+    call loclist.show()
 endfunction
 
 "the script changes &shellpipe and &shell to stop the screen flicking when
diff --git a/plugin/syntastic/autoloclist.vim b/plugin/syntastic/autoloclist.vim
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d23ce566
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugin/syntastic/autoloclist.vim
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+if exists("g:loaded_syntastic_notifier_autoloclist")
+    finish
+endif
+let g:loaded_syntastic_notifier_autoloclist=1
+
+"TODO: this var is a hack required for the Notifiers class. This is complicated
+"because this notification type doesnt use the same option naming convention
+"that Notifiers assumes
+"
+"i.e. it uses g:syntastic_auto_loc_list which has 3 possible values rather
+"than just on or off
+let g:syntastic_enable_autoloclist=1
+
+let g:SyntasticNotifierAutoloclist = {}
+
+" Public methods {{{1
+"
+function! g:SyntasticNotifierAutoloclist.New()
+    let newObj = copy(self)
+    return newObj
+endfunction
+
+function! g:SyntasticNotifierAutoloclist.refresh(loclist)
+    call g:SyntasticNotifierAutoloclist.AutoToggle(a:loclist)
+endfunction
+
+function! g:SyntasticNotifierAutoloclist.AutoToggle(loclist)
+    if a:loclist.hasErrorsOrWarningsToDisplay()
+        if g:syntastic_auto_loc_list == 1
+            call a:loclist.show()
+        endif
+    else
+        if g:syntastic_auto_loc_list > 0
+
+            "TODO: this will close the loc list window if one was opened by
+            "something other than syntastic
+            lclose
+        endif
+    endif
+endfunction
diff --git a/plugin/syntastic/cursor.vim b/plugin/syntastic/cursor.vim
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a4ae9afa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugin/syntastic/cursor.vim
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+if exists("g:loaded_syntastic_notifier_cursor")
+    finish
+endif
+let g:loaded_syntastic_notifier_cursor=1
+
+let g:SyntasticNotifierCursor = {}
+
+" Public methods {{{1
+
+function! g:SyntasticNotifierCursor.New()
+    let newObj = copy(self)
+    let newObj.oldLine = -1
+    return newObj
+endfunction
+
+function! g:SyntasticNotifierCursor.refresh(loclist)
+    let l = line('.')
+    if l == self.oldLine
+        return
+    endif
+    let self.oldLine = l
+
+    let messages = a:loclist.messages()
+    if has_key(messages, l)
+        return syntastic#util#wideMsg(messages[l])
+    else
+        echo
+    endif
+endfunction
+
+function! g:SyntasticNotifierCursor.resetOldLine()
+    let self.oldLine = -1
+endfunction
diff --git a/plugin/syntastic/loclist.vim b/plugin/syntastic/loclist.vim
index db581028..fb0243e6 100644
--- a/plugin/syntastic/loclist.vim
+++ b/plugin/syntastic/loclist.vim
@@ -120,4 +120,24 @@ function! g:SyntasticLoclist.filter(filters)
     return rv
 endfunction
 
+"display the cached errors for this buf in the location list
+function! g:SyntasticLoclist.show()
+    if self.hasErrorsOrWarningsToDisplay()
+        call setloclist(0, self.filteredRaw())
+        let num = winnr()
+        exec "lopen " . g:syntastic_loc_list_height
+        if num != winnr()
+            wincmd p
+        endif
+    endif
+endfunction
+
+function! g:SyntasticLoclist.Hide()
+    if len(filter( range(1,bufnr('$')), 'buflisted(v:val) && bufloaded(v:val)' )) == 1
+        quit
+    else
+        lclose
+    endif
+endfunction
+
 " vim: set sw=4 sts=4 et fdm=marker:
diff --git a/plugin/syntastic/notifiers.vim b/plugin/syntastic/notifiers.vim
index c865d3f4..554e4b04 100644
--- a/plugin/syntastic/notifiers.vim
+++ b/plugin/syntastic/notifiers.vim
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ let g:loaded_syntastic_notifiers=1
 
 let g:SyntasticNotifiers = {}
 
-let s:notifier_types = ['signs', 'balloons', 'highlighting']
+let s:notifier_types = ['signs', 'balloons', 'highlighting', 'autoloclist']
 
 " Public methods {{{1