diff --git a/css/map.css b/css/map.css
index 4a537591f..8087008e1 100644
--- a/css/map.css
+++ b/css/map.css
@@ -43,12 +43,6 @@ path.shadow {
     pointer-events: stroke;
 }
 
-.shadow {
-    -webkit-transition: 200ms;
-       -moz-transition: 200ms;
-            transition: 200ms;
-}
-
 /* points */
 
 g.point .stroke {
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..954b8bfa9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/id/behavior/breathe.js
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+iD.behavior.Breathe = function() {
+    var duration = 1000,
+        selector = '.selected.shadow, .selected .shadow',
+        params = {},
+        done, selection;
+
+    function reset(selection) {
+        return selection
+            .style('fill-opacity', null)
+            .style('r', null)
+            .style('stroke-opacity', null)
+            .style('stroke-width', null);
+    }
+
+    function reselect(surface) {
+        return function() {
+            if (done) return true;
+            var currSelection = surface.selectAll(selector);
+            if (_.isEqual(currSelection, selection)) return false;  // no change
+
+            selection = currSelection;
+            if (selection.empty()) return false;
+
+            // reset styles, calculate animation params
+            selection
+                .call(reset)
+                .each(function calcAnimationParams(d) {
+                    if (params.hasOwnProperty(d.id)) return;
+
+                    // determine default opacity and width
+                    var s = d3.select(this),
+                        tag = s.node().tagName,
+                        p = {},
+                        opacity, 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 min/max interpolation params based on defaults..
+                    p.tag = tag;
+                    p.opacity0 = Math.max(opacity - 0.4, 0.1);
+                    p.opacity1 = Math.min(opacity + 0.2, 1.0);
+                    p.width0 = Math.max(width - (tag === 'circle' ? 1 : 2), 4);
+                    p.width1 = width + 2;
+                    params[d.id] = p;
+                });
+
+            inhale();
+        };
+    }
+
+    function inhale() {
+        if (done || selection.empty()) {
+            selection.call(reset);
+            return;
+        }
+        selection
+            .transition()
+            .style('stroke-opacity', function(d) { return params[d.id].opacity1; })
+            .style('stroke-width', function(d) { return params[d.id].width1; })
+            .style('fill-opacity', function(d) { return params[d.id].opacity1; })
+            .style('r', function(d) { return params[d.id].width1; })
+            .duration(duration)
+            .each('end', exhale);
+    }
+
+    function exhale() {
+        if (done || selection.empty()) {
+            selection.call(reset);
+            return;
+        }
+        selection
+            .transition()
+            .style('stroke-opacity', function(d) { return params[d.id].opacity0; })
+            .style('stroke-width', function(d) { return params[d.id].width0; })
+            .style('fill-opacity', function(d) { return params[d.id].opacity0; })
+            .style('r', function(d) { return params[d.id].width0; })
+            .duration(duration)
+            .each('end', inhale);
+    }
+
+    var breathe = function(surface) {
+        done = false;
+        d3.timer(reselect(surface), 200);
+    };
+
+    breathe.off = function() {
+        done = true;
+        if (selection) {
+            selection.call(reset);
+        }
+    };
+
+    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>