diff --git a/css/map.css b/css/map.css
index 4a537591f..3c786a6fb 100644
--- a/css/map.css
+++ b/css/map.css
@@ -43,11 +43,6 @@ path.shadow {
     pointer-events: stroke;
 }
 
-.shadow {
-    -webkit-transition: 200ms;
-       -moz-transition: 200ms;
-            transition: 200ms;
-}
 
 /* points */
 
@@ -133,11 +128,11 @@ g.vertex.vertex-hover {
 
 g.vertex.hover:not(.selected) .shadow,
 g.midpoint.hover:not(.selected) .shadow {
-    fill-opacity: 0.3;
+    fill-opacity: 0.5;
 }
 
 g.vertex.selected .shadow {
-    fill-opacity: 0.5;
+    fill-opacity: 0.7;
 }
 
 .mode-draw-area g.midpoint,
@@ -172,7 +167,7 @@ path.shadow {
 }
 
 path.shadow.hover:not(.selected) {
-    stroke-opacity: 0.3;
+    stroke-opacity: 0.4;
 }
 
 path.shadow.selected {
@@ -1566,10 +1561,10 @@ text.gpx {
 }
 
 .fill-wireframe path.shadow.hover:not(.selected) {
-    stroke-opacity: 0.2;
+    stroke-opacity: 0.4;
 }
 .fill-wireframe path.shadow.selected {
-    stroke-opacity: 0.4;
+    stroke-opacity: 0.6;
 }
 
 .fill-wireframe .point,
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 42522a2bf..e51b6ef9b 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@
 
         <script src='js/id/behavior.js'></script>
         <script src='js/id/behavior/add_way.js'></script>
+        <script src='js/id/behavior/breathe.js'></script>
         <script src='js/id/behavior/copy.js'></script>
         <script src='js/id/behavior/drag.js'></script>
         <script src='js/id/behavior/draw.js'></script>
diff --git a/js/id/behavior/breathe.js b/js/id/behavior/breathe.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..379c49adf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/id/behavior/breathe.js
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+iD.behavior.Breathe = function() {
+    var duration = 800,
+        selector = '.selected.shadow, .selected .shadow',
+        selected = d3.select(null),
+        classed = [],
+        params = {},
+        done;
+
+    function reset(selection) {
+        selection
+            .style('stroke-opacity', null)
+            .style('stroke-width', null)
+            .style('fill-opacity', null)
+            .style('r', null);
+    }
+
+    function setAnimationParams(transition, fromTo) {
+        transition
+            .style('stroke-opacity', function(d) { return params[d.id][fromTo].opacity; })
+            .style('stroke-width', function(d) { return params[d.id][fromTo].width; })
+            .style('fill-opacity', function(d) { return params[d.id][fromTo].opacity; })
+            .style('r', function(d) { return params[d.id][fromTo].width; });
+    }
+
+    function calcAnimationParams(selection) {
+        selection
+            .call(reset)
+            .each(function(d) {
+                var s = d3.select(this),
+                    tag = s.node().tagName,
+                    p = {'from': {}, 'to': {}},
+                    opacity, width;
+
+                // determine base opacity and width
+                if (tag === 'circle') {
+                    opacity = parseFloat(s.style('fill-opacity') || 0.5);
+                    width = parseFloat(s.style('r') || 15.5);
+                } else {
+                    opacity = parseFloat(s.style('stroke-opacity') || 0.7);
+                    width = parseFloat(s.style('stroke-width') || 10);
+                }
+
+                // calculate from/to interpolation params..
+                p.tag = tag;
+                p.from.opacity = opacity * 0.6;
+                p.to.opacity = opacity * 1.25;
+                p.from.width = width * 0.9;
+                p.to.width = width * (tag === 'circle' ? 1.5 : 1.25);
+                params[d.id] = p;
+            });
+    }
+
+    function run(surface, fromTo) {
+        var toFrom = (fromTo === 'from' ? 'to': 'from'),
+            currSelected = surface.selectAll(selector),
+            currClassed = Array.prototype.slice.call(surface.node().classList),
+            n = 0;
+
+        if (done || currSelected.empty()) {
+            selected.call(reset);
+            return;
+        }
+
+        if (!_.isEqual(currSelected, selected) || !_.isEqual(currClassed, classed)) {
+            selected.call(reset);
+            classed = _.clone(currClassed);
+            selected = currSelected.call(calcAnimationParams);
+        }
+
+        selected
+            .transition()
+            .call(setAnimationParams, fromTo)
+            .duration(duration)
+            .each(function() { ++n; })
+            .each('end', function() {
+                if (!--n) {  // call once
+                    surface.call(run, toFrom);
+                }
+            });
+    }
+
+    var breathe = function(surface) {
+        done = false;
+        d3.timer(function() {
+            if (done) return true;
+
+            var currSelected = surface.selectAll(selector);
+            if (currSelected.empty()) return false;
+
+            surface.call(run, 'from');
+            return true;
+        }, 200);
+    };
+
+    breathe.off = function(surface) {
+        done = true;
+        d3.timer.flush();
+        selected
+            .transition()
+            .call(reset)
+            .duration(0);
+    };
+
+    return breathe;
+};
diff --git a/js/id/modes/select.js b/js/id/modes/select.js
index db821f137..f016f5b92 100644
--- a/js/id/modes/select.js
+++ b/js/id/modes/select.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ iD.modes.Select = function(context, selectedIDs) {
         behaviors = [
             iD.behavior.Copy(context),
             iD.behavior.Paste(context),
+            iD.behavior.Breathe(context),
             iD.behavior.Hover(context),
             iD.behavior.Select(context),
             iD.behavior.Lasso(context),
diff --git a/test/index.html b/test/index.html
index d551f6667..1fa6301c8 100644
--- a/test/index.html
+++ b/test/index.html
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@
 
     <script src='../js/id/behavior.js'></script>
     <script src='../js/id/behavior/add_way.js'></script>
+    <script src='../js/id/behavior/breathe.js'></script>
     <script src='../js/id/behavior/copy.js'></script>
     <script src='../js/id/behavior/drag.js'></script>
     <script src='../js/id/behavior/draw.js'></script>