diff --git a/android/Omnivore/app/src/main/java/app/omnivore/omnivore/ui/reader/PDFReader.kt b/android/Omnivore/app/src/main/java/app/omnivore/omnivore/ui/reader/PDFReader.kt
index 1a94846be..504481ace 100644
--- a/android/Omnivore/app/src/main/java/app/omnivore/omnivore/ui/reader/PDFReader.kt
+++ b/android/Omnivore/app/src/main/java/app/omnivore/omnivore/ui/reader/PDFReader.kt
@@ -377,8 +377,10 @@ class PDFReaderActivity: AppCompatActivity(), DocumentListener, TextSelectionMan
       return when (item.itemId) {
         R.id.annotate -> {
           Log.d("pdf", "annotate button tapped")
-          viewModel.annotationUnderNoteEdit = clickedHighlight
-          showAnnotationView("") // TODO: grab initial text
+          clickedHighlight?.let {
+            viewModel.annotationUnderNoteEdit = it
+            showAnnotationView(viewModel.pluckExistingNote(it) ?: "")
+          }
           true
         }
         R.id.delete -> {
@@ -432,6 +434,7 @@ class PDFReaderActivity: AppCompatActivity(), DocumentListener, TextSelectionMan
     actionMode = null
     clickedHighlight = null
     clickedHighlightPosition = null
+    viewModel.annotationUnderNoteEdit = null
   }
 
   override fun startActionMode(callback: ActionMode.Callback?, type: Int): ActionMode? {
@@ -448,8 +451,11 @@ class PDFReaderActivity: AppCompatActivity(), DocumentListener, TextSelectionMan
 
     confirmButton.setOnClickListener {
       val newNoteText = textField.text
-      // TODO: persist new note
-      Log.d("pdf", "new annotation text: $newNoteText")
+
+      clickedHighlight?.let { highlight ->
+        viewModel.updateHighlightNote(highlight, newNoteText.toString())
+      }
+
       resetHighlightTap()
       annotationDialog.dismiss()
     }
diff --git a/android/Omnivore/app/src/main/java/app/omnivore/omnivore/ui/reader/PDFReaderViewModel.kt b/android/Omnivore/app/src/main/java/app/omnivore/omnivore/ui/reader/PDFReaderViewModel.kt
index 20affa1f0..04eb40d1a 100644
--- a/android/Omnivore/app/src/main/java/app/omnivore/omnivore/ui/reader/PDFReaderViewModel.kt
+++ b/android/Omnivore/app/src/main/java/app/omnivore/omnivore/ui/reader/PDFReaderViewModel.kt
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ class PDFReaderViewModel @Inject constructor(
 
     if (overlapIds.isNotEmpty()) {
       val input = MergeHighlightInput(
-        annotation = Optional.presentIfNotNull(newAnnotation.contents),
+        annotation = Optional.Absent, // TODO: make sure we preserve note locally
         articleId = itemID,
         id = highlightID,
         overlapHighlightIdList = overlapIds,
@@ -143,6 +143,19 @@ class PDFReaderViewModel @Inject constructor(
     }
   }
 
+  fun updateHighlightNote(annotation: Annotation, note: String) {
+    // Save the updated note locally
+    val omnivoreHighlight = annotation.customData?.get("omnivoreHighlight") as? JSONObject
+    omnivoreHighlight?.put("editedNote", note)
+    omnivoreHighlight?.let {
+      Log.d("pdf", "setting custom data: $omnivoreHighlight")
+      annotation.customData = JSONObject().put("omnivoreHighlight", it)
+    }
+
+    // TODO: Sync update with data service
+
+  }
+
   fun deleteHighlight(annotation: Annotation) {
     val highlightID = pluckHighlightID(annotation) ?: return
     viewModelScope.launch {
@@ -168,6 +181,22 @@ class PDFReaderViewModel @Inject constructor(
     return omnivoreHighlight?.get("id") as? String
   }
 
+  fun pluckExistingNote(annotation: Annotation): String? {
+    val omnivoreHighlight = annotation.customData?.opt("omnivoreHighlight") as? JSONObject ?: return null
+
+    val editedNote = omnivoreHighlight.opt("editedNote") as? String
+    if (editedNote != null) { return editedNote }
+
+    val shortID = omnivoreHighlight.get("shortId") as? String ?: return null
+
+    pdfReaderParamsLiveData.value?.articleContent?.highlights?.let {
+      val matchingHighlight = it.firstOrNull { highlight -> highlight.shortId == shortID }
+      return matchingHighlight?.annotation
+    }
+
+    return null
+  }
+
   private fun hasOverlaps(leftAnnotation: Annotation, rightAnnotation: Annotation): Boolean {
     for (leftRect in (leftAnnotation as? HighlightAnnotation)?.rects ?: listOf()) {
       for (rightRect in (rightAnnotation as? HighlightAnnotation)?.rects ?: listOf()) {
diff --git a/android/Omnivore/app/src/main/res/menu/pdf_highlight_selection_menu.xml b/android/Omnivore/app/src/main/res/menu/pdf_highlight_selection_menu.xml
index b3952a828..ee3533c0a 100644
--- a/android/Omnivore/app/src/main/res/menu/pdf_highlight_selection_menu.xml
+++ b/android/Omnivore/app/src/main/res/menu/pdf_highlight_selection_menu.xml
@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@
         app:showAsAction="always">
     </item>
 
-<!--    <item-->
-<!--        android:id="@+id/annotate"-->
-<!--        android:title="@string/pdf_highlight_menu_note"-->
-<!--        app:showAsAction="always">-->
-<!--    </item>-->
+    <item
+        android:id="@+id/annotate"
+        android:title="@string/pdf_highlight_menu_note"
+        app:showAsAction="always">
+    </item>
 
     <item
         android:id="@+id/delete"