diff --git a/IPython/html/notebook/handlers.py b/IPython/html/notebook/handlers.py
index 18dc59a..45f1e17 100644
--- a/IPython/html/notebook/handlers.py
+++ b/IPython/html/notebook/handlers.py
@@ -35,7 +35,13 @@ class NotebookHandler(IPythonHandler):
 
     @web.authenticated
     def post(self):
-        notebook_name = self.notebook_manager.new_notebook()
+        nbm = self.notebook_manager
+        data=self.request.body
+        if data == "":
+            notebook_name = nbm.new_notebook()
+        else:
+            data = jsonapi.loads(data)
+            notebook_name = nbm.copy_notebook(data['name'])
         self.finish(jsonapi.dumps({"name": notebook_name}))
 
 
@@ -65,7 +71,13 @@ class NamedNotebookHandler(IPythonHandler):
 
     @web.authenticated
     def post(self, notebook_path):
-        notebook_name = self.notebook_manager.new_notebook(notebook_path)
+        nbm = self.notebook_manager
+        data = self.request.body
+        if data == "":
+            notebook_name = nbm.new_notebook(notebook_path)
+        else:
+            data = jsonapi.loads(data)
+            notebook_name = nbm.copy_notebook(data['name'], notebook_path)
         self.finish(jsonapi.dumps({"name": notebook_name}))
 
 
diff --git a/IPython/html/services/notebooks/filenbmanager.py b/IPython/html/services/notebooks/filenbmanager.py
index f9140c7..5743b88 100644
--- a/IPython/html/services/notebooks/filenbmanager.py
+++ b/IPython/html/services/notebooks/filenbmanager.py
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ class FileNotebookManager(NotebookManager):
                 raise web.HTTPError(400, msg, reason=msg)
         return last_modified, nb
     
-    def read_notebook_object(self, notebook_name, notebook_path):
+    def read_notebook_object(self, notebook_name, notebook_path=None):
         """Get the Notebook representation of a notebook by notebook_name."""
         path = self.get_path(notebook_name, notebook_path)
         if not os.path.isfile(path):
diff --git a/IPython/html/services/notebooks/nbmanager.py b/IPython/html/services/notebooks/nbmanager.py
index b8adfcd..8b83048 100644
--- a/IPython/html/services/notebooks/nbmanager.py
+++ b/IPython/html/services/notebooks/nbmanager.py
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ class NotebookManager(LoggingConfigurable):
         name = nb.metadata.get('name', 'notebook')
         return last_mod, representation, name
 
-    def read_notebook_object(self, notebook_name, notebook_path):
+    def read_notebook_object(self, notebook_name, notebook_path=None):
         """Get the object representation of a notebook by notebook_id."""
         raise NotImplementedError('must be implemented in a subclass')
 
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ class NotebookManager(LoggingConfigurable):
         notebook_name = self.write_notebook_object(nb, notebook_path=notebook_path)
         return notebook_name
 
-    def copy_notebook(self, name, path):
+    def copy_notebook(self, name, path=None):
         """Copy an existing notebook and return its notebook_id."""
         last_mod, nb = self.read_notebook_object(name, path)
         name = nb.metadata.name + '-Copy'
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/menubar.js b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/menubar.js
index 6125495..6dd906e 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/menubar.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/menubar.js
@@ -84,9 +84,7 @@ var IPython = (function (IPython) {
             window.open(that.baseProjectUrl() + 'tree/' + that.notebookPath());
         });
         this.element.find('#copy_notebook').click(function () {
-            var notebook_name = IPython.notebook.get_notebook_name();
-            var url = that.baseProjectUrl() + 'notebooks/' + that.notebookPath() + notebook_name + '/copy';
-            window.open(url,'_blank');
+            IPython.notebook.copy_notebook();
             return false;
         });
         this.element.find('#download_ipynb').click(function () {
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/notebook.js b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/notebook.js
index 52e881f..fa65407 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/notebook.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/notebook.js
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ var IPython = (function (IPython) {
 
     Notebook.prototype.notebookName = function() {
         var name = $('body').data('notebookName');
+        name = decodeURIComponent(name);
         return name;  
     };
     
@@ -1759,6 +1760,23 @@ var IPython = (function (IPython) {
         $.ajax(url,settings);
     };
 
+    Notebook.prototype.copy_notebook = function(){
+        var path = this.notebookPath();
+        var name = {'name': this.notebook_name}
+        var settings = {
+            processData : false,
+            cache : false,
+            type : "POST",
+            data: JSON.stringify(name),
+            dataType : "json",
+            success:$.proxy(function (data, status, xhr){
+                notebook_name = data.name;
+                window.open(this._baseProjectUrl +'notebooks/' + this.notebookPath()+ notebook_name);
+            }, this)
+        };
+        var url = this._baseProjectUrl + 'notebooks/' + path;
+        $.ajax(url,settings);
+    };
 
     Notebook.prototype.notebook_rename = function (nbname) {
         var that = this;
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/tree/js/notebooklist.js b/IPython/html/static/tree/js/notebooklist.js
index 73d4c2c..ff498cc 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/tree/js/notebooklist.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/tree/js/notebooklist.js
@@ -338,7 +338,21 @@ var IPython = (function (IPython) {
     };
 
 
-
+    NotebookList.prototype.new_notebook = function(){
+        var path = this.notebookPath();
+        var settings = {
+            processData : false,
+            cache : false,
+            type : "POST",
+            dataType : "json",
+            success:$.proxy(function (data, status, xhr){
+                notebook_name = data.name;
+                window.open(this.baseProjectUrl() +'notebooks/' + this.notebookPath()+ notebook_name);
+            }, this)
+        };
+        var url = this.baseProjectUrl() + 'notebooks/' + path;
+        $.ajax(url,settings);
+    };
 
     IPython.NotebookList = NotebookList;