diff --git a/gulpfile.js b/gulpfile.js
index 503ca3b..b34c187 100644
--- a/gulpfile.js
+++ b/gulpfile.js
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ var paths = {
         .concat('css/*.css'),
     images: mainNpmFiles().filter((f) => RegExp('.*.+(png|gif|svg)', 'i').test(f)),
     fonts: mainNpmFiles().filter((f) => RegExp('font-awesome/fonts/.*', 'i').test(f)),
+    changelog: 'CHANGELOG.md',
     locales: 'locales/*.json',
     layers: 'layers/**/*.geojson',
     layersDestName: 'layers.js',
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ gulp.task('boundaries', function () {
 });
 
 gulp.task('changelog', function (cb) {
-    var content = 'BR.changelog = `' + marked(fs.readFileSync('./CHANGELOG.md', 'utf-8')) + '`';
+    var content = 'BR.changelog = `' + marked(fs.readFileSync(paths.changelog, 'utf-8')) + '`';
     content = content.replace(/<h1.*<\/h1>/i, '');
     fs.writeFile(paths.dest + '/changelog.js', content, cb);
 });
@@ -207,6 +208,7 @@ gulp.task('watch', function () {
             remember.forget('scripts', event.path);
         }
     });
+    gulp.watch(paths.changelog, gulp.series('changelog', 'reload'));
     gulp.watch(paths.locales, gulp.series('locales', 'reload'));
     gulp.watch(paths.styles, gulp.series('styles', 'reload'));
     gulp.watch(paths.layersConfig, gulp.series('layers_config', 'reload'));
diff --git a/js/WhatsNew.js b/js/WhatsNew.js
index afb2959..0e3b1b8 100644
--- a/js/WhatsNew.js
+++ b/js/WhatsNew.js
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 BR.WhatsNew = {
+    newOnly: undefined,
+
     init: function () {
         var self = this;
         self.dismissableMessage = new BR.Message('whats_new_message', {
@@ -7,13 +9,15 @@ BR.WhatsNew = {
                 if (BR.Util.localStorageAvailable()) {
                     localStorage.setItem('changelogVersion', self.getLatestVersion());
                 }
-                // next time popup is open, by default we will see everything
-                self.prepare(false);
             },
         });
         $('#whatsnew').on('shown.bs.modal', function () {
             self.dismissableMessage.hide();
         });
+        $('#whatsnew').on('hidden.bs.modal', function () {
+            // next time popup is open, by default we will see everything
+            self.prepare(false);
+        });
         if (!self.getCurrentVersion() && BR.Util.localStorageAvailable()) {
             localStorage.setItem('changelogVersion', self.getLatestVersion());
         }
@@ -36,15 +40,21 @@ BR.WhatsNew = {
     },
 
     hasNewVersions: function () {
-        return this.getCurrentVersion() && this.getCurrentVersion() < this.getLatestVersion();
+        return this.getCurrentVersion() && this.getCurrentVersion() !== this.getLatestVersion();
     },
 
     prepare: function (newOnly) {
+        if (newOnly === this.newOnly) {
+            // do not rebuild modal content unnecessarily
+            return;
+        }
+        this.newOnly = newOnly;
         var container = document.querySelector('#whatsnew .modal-body');
         var cl = BR.changelog;
         if (newOnly && this.getCurrentVersion()) {
             var head = '<h2 id="' + this.getCurrentVersion() + '">';
-            cl = cl.substring(0, cl.indexOf(head));
+            var idx = cl.indexOf(head);
+            if (idx >= 0) cl = cl.substring(0, idx);
         }
         container.innerHTML = cl;
     },