diff --git a/frontend/components/Layout/Layout.js b/frontend/components/Layout/Layout.js
index a92b587a..0fdf3d97 100644
--- a/frontend/components/Layout/Layout.js
+++ b/frontend/components/Layout/Layout.js
@@ -13,11 +13,12 @@ import DropdownMenu, { MenuItem } from 'components/DropdownMenu';
 import { LoadingIndicatorBar } from 'components/LoadingIndicator';
 import Scrollable from 'components/Scrollable';
 import Avatar from 'components/Avatar';
+import Modal from 'components/Modal';
+import CollectionNew from 'scenes/CollectionNew';
 
 import SidebarCollection from './components/SidebarCollection';
 import SidebarCollectionList from './components/SidebarCollectionList';
 import SidebarLink from './components/SidebarLink';
-import Modals from './components/Modals';
 
 import UserStore from 'stores/UserStore';
 import AuthStore from 'stores/AuthStore';
@@ -39,6 +40,8 @@ type Props = {
 
 @observer class Layout extends React.Component {
   props: Props;
+  state: { createCollectionModalOpen: boolean };
+  state = { createCollectionModalOpen: false };
 
   static defaultProps = {
     search: true,
@@ -60,8 +63,12 @@ type Props = {
     this.props.auth.logout(() => this.props.history.push('/'));
   };
 
-  createNewCollection = () => {
-    this.props.ui.openModal('NewCollection');
+  handleCreateCollection = () => {
+    this.setState({ createCollectionModalOpen: true });
+  };
+
+  handleCloseModal = () => {
+    this.setState({ createCollectionModalOpen: false });
   };
 
   render() {
@@ -78,12 +85,6 @@ type Props = {
             },
           ]}
         />
-        <Modals
-          name={this.props.ui.modalName}
-          component={this.props.ui.modalComponent}
-          onRequestClose={this.props.ui.closeModal}
-          {...this.props.ui.modalProps}
-        />
 
         {this.props.ui.progressBarVisible && <LoadingIndicatorBar />}
 
@@ -122,7 +123,7 @@ type Props = {
                     <SidebarLink to="/dashboard">Home</SidebarLink>
                     <SidebarLink to="/starred">Starred</SidebarLink>
                   </LinkSection>
-                  <a onClick={this.createNewCollection}>
+                  <a onClick={this.handleCreateCollection}>
                     Create new collection
                   </a>
                   <LinkSection>
@@ -142,6 +143,12 @@ type Props = {
             {this.props.children}
           </Content>
         </Flex>
+        <Modal
+          isOpen={this.state.createCollectionModalOpen}
+          onRequestClose={this.handleCloseModal}
+        >
+          <CollectionNew />
+        </Modal>
       </Container>
     );
   }
diff --git a/frontend/components/Layout/components/Modals.js b/frontend/components/Layout/components/Modals.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 891aa5ca..00000000
--- a/frontend/components/Layout/components/Modals.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-// @flow
-import React, { Component } from 'react';
-import Modal from 'react-modal';
-
-class Modals extends Component {
-  render() {
-    const { name, component, onRequestClose, ...rest } = this.props;
-    const isOpen = !!component;
-    const ModalComponent = component;
-
-    return (
-      <Modal
-        isOpen={isOpen}
-        contentLabel={name}
-        onRequestClose={onRequestClose}
-      >
-        <button onClick={onRequestClose}>Close</button>
-        {isOpen && <ModalComponent {...rest} />}
-      </Modal>
-    );
-  }
-}
-
-export default Modals;
diff --git a/frontend/components/Modal/Modal.js b/frontend/components/Modal/Modal.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3735386d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/components/Modal/Modal.js
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+// @flow
+import React, { Component } from 'react';
+import styled from 'styled-components';
+import ReactModal from 'react-modal';
+
+class Modal extends Component {
+  render() {
+    const {
+      children,
+      title = 'Untitled Modal',
+      onRequestClose,
+      ...rest
+    } = this.props;
+
+    return (
+      <ReactModal
+        contentLabel={title}
+        onRequestClose={onRequestClose}
+        {...rest}
+      >
+        <Header>
+          <button onClick={onRequestClose}>Close</button>
+          {title}
+        </Header>
+        {children}
+      </ReactModal>
+    );
+  }
+}
+
+const Header = styled.div`
+  text-align: center;
+  font-weight: semibold;
+`;
+
+export default Modal;
diff --git a/frontend/components/Modal/index.js b/frontend/components/Modal/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..90759335
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/components/Modal/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+// @flow
+import Modal from './Modal';
+export default Modal;
diff --git a/frontend/components/modals.js b/frontend/components/modals.js
deleted file mode 100644
index c409daae..00000000
--- a/frontend/components/modals.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-// @flow
-// All components wishing to be used as modals must be defined below
-import NewCollection from './NewCollection';
-
-export default { NewCollection };
diff --git a/frontend/models/Collection.js b/frontend/models/Collection.js
index adc663c4..bc1755cd 100644
--- a/frontend/models/Collection.js
+++ b/frontend/models/Collection.js
@@ -3,12 +3,16 @@ import { extendObservable, action, computed, runInAction } from 'mobx';
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 import _ from 'lodash';
 
-import ApiClient, { client } from 'utils/ApiClient';
+import { client } from 'utils/ApiClient';
 import stores from 'stores';
 import ErrorsStore from 'stores/ErrorsStore';
 import type { NavigationNode } from 'types';
 
 class Collection {
+  isSaving: boolean = false;
+  hasPendingChanges: boolean = false;
+  errors: ErrorsStore;
+
   createdAt: string;
   description: ?string;
   id: string;
@@ -18,9 +22,6 @@ class Collection {
   updatedAt: string;
   url: string;
 
-  client: ApiClient;
-  errors: ErrorsStore;
-
   /* Computed */
 
   @computed get entryUrl(): string {
@@ -29,26 +30,59 @@ class Collection {
 
   /* Actions */
 
-  @action update = async () => {
+  @action fetch = async () => {
     try {
-      const res = await this.client.post('/collections.info', { id: this.id });
+      const res = await client.post('/collections.info', { id: this.id });
       invariant(res && res.data, 'API response should be available');
       const { data } = res;
-      runInAction('Collection#update', () => {
+      runInAction('Collection#fetch', () => {
         this.updateData(data);
       });
     } catch (e) {
       this.errors.add('Collection failed loading');
     }
+
+    return this;
   };
 
-  updateData(data: Collection) {
+  @action save = async () => {
+    if (this.isSaving) return this;
+    this.isSaving = true;
+
+    try {
+      let res;
+      if (this.id) {
+        res = await client.post('/collections.update', {
+          id: this.id,
+          name: this.name,
+          description: this.description,
+        });
+      } else {
+        res = await client.post('/collections.create', {
+          name: this.name,
+          description: this.description,
+        });
+      }
+      invariant(res && res.data, 'Data should be available');
+      this.updateData({
+        ...res.data,
+        hasPendingChanges: false,
+      });
+    } catch (e) {
+      this.errors.add('Collection failed saving');
+    } finally {
+      this.isSaving = false;
+    }
+
+    return this;
+  };
+
+  updateData(data: Object = {}) {
     extendObservable(this, data);
   }
 
-  constructor(collection: Collection) {
+  constructor(collection: Object = {}) {
     this.updateData(collection);
-    this.client = client;
     this.errors = stores.errors;
   }
 }
diff --git a/frontend/models/Document.js b/frontend/models/Document.js
index db35d742..37cca990 100644
--- a/frontend/models/Document.js
+++ b/frontend/models/Document.js
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ class Document {
   starred: boolean = false;
   text: string = '';
   title: string = 'Untitled document';
+  parentDocument: ?Document;
   updatedAt: string;
   updatedBy: User;
   url: string;
@@ -151,13 +152,14 @@ class Document {
     return this;
   };
 
-  updateData(data: Object | Document) {
+  updateData(data: Object = {}) {
     if (data.text) data.title = parseHeader(data.text);
+    data.hasPendingChanges = true;
     extendObservable(this, data);
   }
 
-  constructor(document?: Object = {}) {
-    this.updateData(document);
+  constructor(data?: Object = {}) {
+    this.updateData(data);
     this.errors = stores.errors;
   }
 }
diff --git a/frontend/scenes/CollectionNew/CollectionNew.js b/frontend/scenes/CollectionNew/CollectionNew.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e49ff931
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/scenes/CollectionNew/CollectionNew.js
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+// @flow
+import React, { Component } from 'react';
+import { observer } from 'mobx-react';
+import Button from 'components/Button';
+import Input from 'components/Input';
+import Collection from 'models/Collection';
+
+@observer class CollectionNew extends Component {
+  static defaultProps = {
+    collection: new Collection(),
+  };
+
+  handleSubmit = async (ev: SyntheticEvent) => {
+    ev.preventDefault();
+    await this.props.collection.save();
+  };
+
+  handleNameChange = (ev: SyntheticInputEvent) => {
+    this.props.collection.updateData({ name: ev.target.value });
+  };
+
+  handleDescriptionChange = (ev: SyntheticInputEvent) => {
+    this.props.collection.updateData({ description: ev.target.value });
+  };
+
+  render() {
+    const { collection } = this.props;
+
+    return (
+      <form onSubmit={this.handleSubmit}>
+        {collection.errors.errors.map(error => <span>{error}</span>)}
+        <Input
+          type="text"
+          placeholder="Name"
+          onChange={this.handleNameChange}
+          value={collection.name}
+          autoFocus
+        />
+        <Input
+          type="textarea"
+          placeholder="Description (optional)"
+          onChange={this.handleDescriptionChange}
+          value={collection.description}
+        />
+        <Button type="submit" disabled={collection.isSaving}>
+          {collection.isSaving ? 'Creating…' : 'Create'}
+        </Button>
+      </form>
+    );
+  }
+}
+
+export default CollectionNew;
diff --git a/frontend/scenes/CollectionNew/index.js b/frontend/scenes/CollectionNew/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..651d8d5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/scenes/CollectionNew/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+// @flow
+import CollectionNew from './CollectionNew';
+export default CollectionNew;
diff --git a/frontend/scenes/Document/Document.js b/frontend/scenes/Document/Document.js
index d04c08c5..bc104f2e 100644
--- a/frontend/scenes/Document/Document.js
+++ b/frontend/scenes/Document/Document.js
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ type Props = {
 
   onChange = text => {
     if (!this.document) return;
-    this.document.updateData({ text, hasPendingChanges: true });
+    this.document.updateData({ text });
   };
 
   onCancel = () => {
diff --git a/frontend/stores/ErrorsStore.js b/frontend/stores/ErrorsStore.js
index abdc8eb6..02dc9739 100644
--- a/frontend/stores/ErrorsStore.js
+++ b/frontend/stores/ErrorsStore.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // @flow
 import { observable, action } from 'mobx';
 
-class UiStore {
+class ErrorsStore {
   @observable errors = observable.array([]);
 
   /* Actions */
@@ -15,4 +15,4 @@ class UiStore {
   };
 }
 
-export default UiStore;
+export default ErrorsStore;
diff --git a/frontend/stores/UiStore.js b/frontend/stores/UiStore.js
index 59ce9fdf..6345af8b 100644
--- a/frontend/stores/UiStore.js
+++ b/frontend/stores/UiStore.js
@@ -2,14 +2,11 @@
 import { observable, action, computed } from 'mobx';
 import Document from 'models/Document';
 import Collection from 'models/Collection';
-import modals from 'components/modals';
 
 class UiStore {
   @observable activeDocument: ?Document;
   @observable progressBarVisible: boolean = false;
   @observable editMode: boolean = false;
-  @observable modalName: ?string;
-  @observable modalProps: ?Object;
 
   /* Computed */
 
@@ -17,10 +14,6 @@ class UiStore {
     return this.activeDocument ? this.activeDocument.collection : undefined;
   }
 
-  @computed get modalComponent(): ?ReactClass<any> {
-    if (this.modalName) return modals[this.modalName];
-  }
-
   /* Actions */
 
   @action setActiveDocument = (document: Document): void => {
@@ -31,16 +24,6 @@ class UiStore {
     this.activeDocument = undefined;
   };
 
-  @action openModal = (name: string, props?: Object) => {
-    this.modalName = name;
-    this.modalProps = props;
-  };
-
-  @action closeModal = () => {
-    this.modalName = undefined;
-    this.modalProps = undefined;
-  };
-
   @action enableEditMode() {
     this.editMode = true;
   }