diff --git a/public/js/controllers/groupsCtrl.js b/public/js/controllers/groupsCtrl.js
index 9f433fdf37..a9f744839c 100644
--- a/public/js/controllers/groupsCtrl.js
+++ b/public/js/controllers/groupsCtrl.js
@@ -129,13 +129,14 @@ habitrpg.controller("GroupsCtrl", ['$scope', '$rootScope', 'Shared', 'Groups', '
       $scope.gift = {
         type: 'gems',
         gems: {amount:0, fromBalance:true},
-        subscription: {months:1},
+        subscription: {months:0},
         message:''
       };
       $scope.sendGift = function(uuid, gift){
         $http.post('/api/v2/members/'+uuid+'/gift', gift).success(function(){
           Notification.text('Gift sent!')
           $rootScope.User.sync();
+          $scope.$close();
         })
       }
     }
diff --git a/public/js/controllers/rootCtrl.js b/public/js/controllers/rootCtrl.js
index 004660dd6a..cbce9d31fb 100644
--- a/public/js/controllers/rootCtrl.js
+++ b/public/js/controllers/rootCtrl.js
@@ -140,11 +140,6 @@ habitrpg.controller("RootCtrl", ['$scope', '$rootScope', '$location', 'User', '$
       $rootScope.flash[type].splice($index, 1);
     }
 
-    $rootScope.encodeGift = function(uuid, gift){
-      gift.uuid = uuid;
-      return JSON.stringify(gift);
-    }
-
     $scope.contribText = function(contrib, backer){
       if (!contrib && !backer) return;
       if (backer && backer.npc) return backer.npc;
diff --git a/public/js/services/paymentServices.js b/public/js/services/paymentServices.js
index 7b7f5baf9e..929d0e432c 100644
--- a/public/js/services/paymentServices.js
+++ b/public/js/services/paymentServices.js
@@ -69,5 +69,10 @@ function($rootScope, User, $http, Content) {
     window.location.href = '/' + plan.paymentMethod.toLowerCase() + '/subscribe/cancel?_id=' + user._id + '&apiToken=' + user.apiToken;
   }
 
+  Payments.encodeGift = function(uuid, gift){
+    gift.uuid = uuid;
+    return JSON.stringify(gift);
+  }
+
   return Payments;
 }]);
diff --git a/src/controllers/payments/index.js b/src/controllers/payments/index.js
index be5fdff248..176098b4c5 100644
--- a/src/controllers/payments/index.js
+++ b/src/controllers/payments/index.js
@@ -29,12 +29,12 @@ exports.createSubscription = function(data, cb) {
   var recipient = data.gift ? data.gift.member : data.user;
   //if (!recipient.purchased.plan) recipient.purchased.plan = {}; // FIXME double-check, this should never be the case
   var p = recipient.purchased.plan;
-  var months = data.gift ? data.gift.subscription.months : data.sub.months;
+  var months = +(data.gift ? data.gift.subscription.months : data.sub.months);
   var block = shared.content.subscriptionBlocks[months];
 
   if (data.gift) {
     if (p.customerId && !p.dateTerminated) { // User has active plan
-      p.extraMonths += +months;
+      p.extraMonths += months;
     } else {
       p.dateTerminated = moment(p.dateTerminated).add({months: months}).toDate();
     }
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ exports.createSubscription = function(data, cb) {
   }
   revealMysteryItems(recipient);
   if(isProduction) {
-    data.gift && utils.txnEmail(data.user, 'subscription-begins');
+    if (!data.gift) utils.txnEmail(data.user, 'subscription-begins');
     utils.ga.event('subscribe', data.paymentMethod).send();
     utils.ga.transaction(data.user._id, block.price).item(block.price, 1, data.paymentMethod.toLowerCase() + '-subscription', data.paymentMethod).send();
   }
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ exports.buyGems = function(data, cb) {
   (data.gift ? data.gift.member : data.user).balance += amt;
   data.user.purchased.txnCount++;
   if(isProduction) {
-    utils.txnEmail(data.user, 'donation');
+    if (!data.gift) utils.txnEmail(data.user, 'donation');
     utils.ga.event('checkout', data.paymentMethod).send();
     //TODO ga.transaction to reflect whether this is gift or self-purchase
     utils.ga.transaction(data.user._id, amt).item(amt, 1, data.paymentMethod.toLowerCase() + "-checkout", "Gems > " + data.paymentMethod).send();
diff --git a/src/controllers/payments/paypal.js b/src/controllers/payments/paypal.js
index 25195b5695..9c7a1d4f3a 100644
--- a/src/controllers/payments/paypal.js
+++ b/src/controllers/payments/paypal.js
@@ -24,12 +24,14 @@ paypal.configure({
 });
 
 var parseErr = function(res, err){
-  var error = err.response ? err.response.message || err.response.details[0].issue : err;
+  //var error = err.response ? err.response.message || err.response.details[0].issue : err;
+  var error = JSON.stringify(err);
   return res.json(400,{err:error});
 }
 
 exports.createBillingAgreement = function(req,res,next){
-  var block = req.session.paypalBlock = shared.content.subscriptionBlocks[req.query.sub];
+  req.session.paypalBlock = req.query.sub;
+  var block = shared.content.subscriptionBlocks[req.query.sub];
   var billingPlanTitle = "HabitRPG Subscription" + ' ($'+block.price+' every '+block.months+' months, recurring)';
   var billingAgreementAttributes = {
     "name": billingPlanTitle,
@@ -51,29 +53,33 @@ exports.createBillingAgreement = function(req,res,next){
 }
 
 exports.executeBillingAgreement = function(req,res,next){
-  async.waterfall([
-    function(cb){
+  var block = shared.content.subscriptionBlocks[req.session.paypalBlock];
+  delete req.session.paypalBlock;
+  async.auto({
+    exec: function (cb) {
       paypal.billingAgreement.execute(req.query.token, {}, cb);
     },
-    function(billingAgreement, cb){
-      User.findById(req.session.userId, function(err, user){
-        if (err) return cb(err);
-        cb(null, {billingAgreement:billingAgreement, user:user});
-      });
+    get_user: function (cb) {
+      User.findById(req.session.userId, cb);
     },
-    function(data, cb){
-      payments.createSubscription({user:data.user, customerId: data.billingAgreement.id, paymentMethod: 'Paypal', sub:req.session.paypalBlock});
-      data.user.save(cb);
-    }
-  ],function(err){
+    create_sub: ['exec', 'get_user', function (cb, results) {
+      payments.createSubscription({
+        user: results.get_user,
+        customerId: results.exec.id,
+        paymentMethod: 'Paypal',
+        sub: block
+      }, cb);
+    }]
+  },function(err){
     if (err) return parseErr(res, err);
     res.redirect('/');
   })
 }
 
-exports.createPayment = function(req, res, next) {
+exports.createPayment = function(req, res) {
   // if we're gifting to a user, put it in session for the `execute()`
-  var gift = req.session.gift = req.query.gift ? JSON.parse(req.query.gift) : undefined;
+  req.session.gift = req.query.gift || undefined;
+  var gift = req.query.gift ? JSON.parse(req.query.gift) : undefined;
   var price = !gift ? 5.00
     : gift.type=='gems' ? Number(gift.gems.amount/4).toFixed(2)
     : Number(shared.content.subscriptionBlocks[gift.subscription.months].price).toFixed(2);
@@ -113,10 +119,11 @@ exports.createPayment = function(req, res, next) {
   });
 }
 
-exports.executePayment = function(req, res, next) {
+exports.executePayment = function(req, res) {
   var paymentId = req.query.paymentId,
     PayerID = req.query.PayerID,
-    gift = req.session.gift;
+    gift = req.session.gift ? JSON.parse(req.session.gift) : undefined;
+  delete req.session.gift;
   async.waterfall([
     function(cb){
       paypal.payment.execute(paymentId, {payer_id: PayerID}, cb);
diff --git a/views/shared/modals/members.jade b/views/shared/modals/members.jade
index b495489078..595929c819 100644
--- a/views/shared/modals/members.jade
+++ b/views/shared/modals/members.jade
@@ -87,5 +87,5 @@ script(type='text/ng-template', id='modals/send-gift.html')
     - var fromBal = "gift.type=='gems' && gift.gems.fromBalance"
     button.btn.btn-primary(ng-show=fromBal, ng-click='sendGift(profile._id, gift)')=env.t("send")
     a.btn.btn-primary(ng-hide=fromBal, ng-click='Payments.showStripe({gift:gift, uuid:profile._id})')=env.t('card')
-    a.btn.btn-warning(ng-hide=fromBal, href='/paypal/checkout?_id={{::user._id}}&apiToken={{::user.apiToken}}&gift={{encodeGift(profile._id, gift)}}') PayPal
+    a.btn.btn-warning(ng-hide=fromBal, href='/paypal/checkout?_id={{::user._id}}&apiToken={{::user.apiToken}}&gift={{Payments.encodeGift(profile._id, gift)}}') PayPal
     button.btn.btn-default(ng-click='$close()')=env.t('cancel')
\ No newline at end of file