diff --git a/rd_ui/app/scripts/app.js b/rd_ui/app/scripts/app.js
index 6586698e6..3d2bed39b 100644
--- a/rd_ui/app/scripts/app.js
+++ b/rd_ui/app/scripts/app.js
@@ -102,9 +102,10 @@ angular.module('redash', [
       });
 
       $routeProvider.when('/', {
-        templateUrl: '/views/index.html',
-        controller: 'IndexCtrl'
+        templateUrl: '/views/personal.html',
+        controller: 'PersonalIndexCtrl'
       });
+
       $routeProvider.when('/personal', {
         templateUrl: '/views/personal.html',
         controller: 'PersonalIndexCtrl'
diff --git a/rd_ui/app/views/personal.html b/rd_ui/app/views/personal.html
index 834f2cd7a..1a7c0e96a 100644
--- a/rd_ui/app/views/personal.html
+++ b/rd_ui/app/views/personal.html
@@ -1,9 +1,16 @@
 <div class="container">
+    <div class="row">
+        <p>
+            <a href="/queries/new" class="btn btn-default">New Query</a>
+            <button ng-show="currentUser.hasPermission('create_dashboard')" type="button" class="btn btn-default" data-toggle="modal" href="#new_dashboard_dialog">New Dashboard</button>
+            <a href="/alerts/new" class="btn btn-default">New Alert</a>
+        </p>
+    </div>
+
     <div class="row">
         <div class="list-group col-md-6">
             <div class="list-group-item active">
                 Recent Dashboards
-                <button ng-show="currentUser.hasPermission('create_dashboard')" type="button" class="btn btn-sm btn-link" data-toggle="modal" href="#new_dashboard_dialog" tooltip="New Dashboard"><span class="glyphicon glyphicon-plus-sign"></span></button>
             </div>
             <div class="list-group-item" ng-repeat="dashboard in recentDashboards" >
                 <button type="button" class="close delete-button" aria-hidden="true" ng-show="dashboard.canEdit()" ng-click="archiveDashboard(dashboard)" tooltip="Delete Dashboard">&times;</button>
diff --git a/redash/controllers.py b/redash/controllers.py
index 2070d5b05..1bd56bf62 100644
--- a/redash/controllers.py
+++ b/redash/controllers.py
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ from flask_login import current_user, login_user, logout_user, login_required
 from funcy import project
 import sqlparse
 
+from itertools import chain
+from funcy import distinct
+
 from redash import statsd_client, models, settings, utils
 from redash.wsgi import app, api
 from redash.tasks import QueryTask, record_event
@@ -249,9 +252,15 @@ class DataSourceSchemaAPI(BaseResource):
 
 api.add_resource(DataSourceSchemaAPI, '/api/data_sources/<data_source_id>/schema')
 
+
 class DashboardRecentAPI(BaseResource):
     def get(self):
-        return [d.to_dict() for d in models.Dashboard.recent(current_user.id).limit(20)]
+        recent = [d.to_dict() for d in models.Dashboard.recent(current_user.id)]
+
+        if len(recent) < 10:
+            global_recent = [d.to_dict() for d in models.Dashboard.recent()]
+
+        return distinct(chain(recent, global_recent), key=lambda d: d['id'])
 
 
 class DashboardListAPI(BaseResource):
@@ -355,7 +364,12 @@ class QuerySearchAPI(BaseResource):
 class QueryRecentAPI(BaseResource):
     @require_permission('view_query')
     def get(self):
-        return [q.to_dict() for q in models.Query.recent(current_user.id).limit(20)]
+        recent = [d.to_dict() for d in models.Query.recent(current_user.id)]
+
+        if len(recent) < 10:
+            global_recent = [d.to_dict() for d in models.Query.recent()]
+
+        return distinct(chain(recent, global_recent), key=lambda d: d['id'])
 
 
 class QueryListAPI(BaseResource):
diff --git a/redash/models.py b/redash/models.py
index f11d732ff..acdd08ee7 100644
--- a/redash/models.py
+++ b/redash/models.py
@@ -511,18 +511,24 @@ class Query(ModelTimestampsMixin, BaseModel):
         return cls.select().where(where).order_by(cls.created_at.desc())
 
     @classmethod
-    def recent(cls, user_id):
+    def recent(cls, user_id=None, limit=20):
         # TODO: instead of t2 here, we should define table_alias for Query table
-        return cls.select().where(Event.created_at > peewee.SQL("current_date - 7")).\
+        query = cls.select().where(Event.created_at > peewee.SQL("current_date - 7")).\
             join(Event, on=(Query.id == peewee.SQL("t2.object_id::integer"))).\
             where(Event.action << ('edit', 'execute', 'edit_name', 'edit_description', 'view_source')).\
-            where(Event.user == user_id).\
             where(~(Event.object_id >> None)).\
             where(Event.object_type == 'query'). \
             where(cls.is_archived == False).\
             group_by(Event.object_id, Query.id).\
             order_by(peewee.SQL("count(0) desc"))
 
+        if user_id:
+            query = query.where(Event.user == user_id)
+
+        query = query.limit(limit)
+
+        return query
+
     @classmethod
     def update_instance(cls, query_id, **kwargs):
         if 'query' in kwargs:
@@ -703,16 +709,22 @@ class Dashboard(ModelTimestampsMixin, BaseModel):
         return cls.get(cls.slug == slug)
 
     @classmethod
-    def recent(cls, user_id):
-        return cls.select().where(Event.created_at > peewee.SQL("current_date - 7")). \
+    def recent(cls, user_id=None, limit=20):
+        query = cls.select().where(Event.created_at > peewee.SQL("current_date - 7")). \
             join(Event, on=(Dashboard.id == peewee.SQL("t2.object_id::integer"))). \
             where(Event.action << ('edit', 'view')).\
-            where(Event.user == user_id). \
             where(~(Event.object_id >> None)). \
             where(Event.object_type == 'dashboard'). \
             group_by(Event.object_id, Dashboard.id). \
             order_by(peewee.SQL("count(0) desc"))
 
+        if user_id:
+            query = query.where(Event.user == user_id)
+
+        query = query.limit(limit)
+
+        return query
+
     def save(self, *args, **kwargs):
         if not self.slug:
             self.slug = utils.slugify(self.name)