diff --git a/lang/en_utf8/glossary.php b/lang/en_utf8/glossary.php
index aab631a0ec8..fe05a4b2e2d 100644
--- a/lang/en_utf8/glossary.php
+++ b/lang/en_utf8/glossary.php
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ $string['allowcomments'] = 'Allow comments on entries';
 $string['allowduplicatedentries'] = 'Duplicated entries allowed';
 $string['allowprintview'] = 'Allow print view';
 $string['allowratings'] = 'Allow entries to be rated?';
+$string['andmorenewentries'] = 'and {$a} more new entries.';
 $string['answer'] = 'Answer';
 $string['approve'] = 'Approve';
 $string['areyousuredelete'] = 'Are you sure you want to delete this entry?';
diff --git a/mod/glossary/lib.php b/mod/glossary/lib.php
index 9de8f0bda92..4a6095a0f84 100644
--- a/mod/glossary/lib.php
+++ b/mod/glossary/lib.php
@@ -242,11 +242,14 @@ function glossary_print_recent_activity($course, $viewfullnames, $timestart) {
 /// Return true if there was output, or false is there was none.
 
     global $CFG, $USER;
-
     //TODO: use timestamp in approved field instead of changing timemodified when approving in 2.0
+    if (!defined('GLOSSARY_RECENT_ACTIVITY_LIMIT')) {
+        define('GLOSSARY_RECENT_ACTIVITY_LIMIT', 50);
+    }
 
     $modinfo = get_fast_modinfo($course);
     $ids = array();
+
     foreach ($modinfo->cms as $cm) {
         if ($cm->modname != 'glossary') {
             continue;
@@ -254,58 +257,67 @@ function glossary_print_recent_activity($course, $viewfullnames, $timestart) {
         if (!$cm->uservisible) {
             continue;
         }
-        $ids[$cm->instance] = $cm->instance;
+        $ids[$cm->instance] = $cm->id;
     }
 
     if (!$ids) {
         return false;
     }
 
-    $glist = implode(',', $ids); // there should not be hundreds of glossaries in one course, right?
-
-    if (!$entries = get_records_sql("SELECT ge.id, ge.concept, ge.approved, ge.timemodified, ge.glossaryid,
-                                            ge.userid, u.firstname, u.lastname, u.email, u.picture
-                                       FROM {$CFG->prefix}glossary_entries ge
-                                            JOIN {$CFG->prefix}user u ON u.id = ge.userid
-                                      WHERE ge.glossaryid IN ($glist) AND ge.timemodified > $timestart
-                                   ORDER BY ge.timemodified ASC")) {
-        return false;
-    }
-
-    $editor  = array();
-
-    foreach ($entries as $entryid=>$entry) {
-        if ($entry->approved) {
-            continue;
-        }
-
-        if (!isset($editor[$entry->glossaryid])) {
-            $editor[$entry->glossaryid] = has_capability('mod/glossary:approve', get_context_instance(CONTEXT_MODULE, $modinfo->instances['glossary'][$entry->glossaryid]->id));
-        }
-
-        if (!$editor[$entry->glossaryid]) {
-            unset($entries[$entryid]);
+    // generate list of approval capabilities for all glossaries in the course.
+    $approvals = array();
+    foreach ($ids as $glinstanceid => $glcmid) {
+        $context = get_context_instance(CONTEXT_MODULE, $glcmid);
+        // get records glossary entries that are approved if user has no capability to approve entries.
+        if (has_capability('mod/glossary:approve', $context)) {
+            $approvals[] = ' ge.glossaryid = '.$glinstanceid.' ';
+        } else {
+            $approvals[] = ' (ge.approved = 1 AND ge.glossaryid = '.$glinstanceid.') ';
         }
     }
 
-    if (!$entries) {
+    $selectsql = "SELECT ge.id, ge.concept, ge.approved, ge.timemodified, ge.glossaryid,
+                                                 ge.userid, u.firstname, u.lastname, u.email, u.picture ";
+    $countsql = "SELECT COUNT(*)";
+
+    $joins = array(" FROM {$CFG->prefix}glossary_entries ge ");
+    $joins[] = "JOIN {$CFG->prefix}user u ON u.id = ge.userid ";
+    $fromsql = implode($joins, "\n");
+
+    $clausesql = ' WHERE ge.timemodified > '.$timestart.' AND (';
+    $approvalsql = implode($approvals, ' OR ');
+
+    $ordersql = ') ORDER BY ge.timemodified ASC';
+    $entries = get_records_sql($selectsql.$fromsql.$clausesql.$approvalsql.$ordersql, 0, (GLOSSARY_RECENT_ACTIVITY_LIMIT+1));
+    $fromsql = implode($joins, "\n");
+    if (empty($entries)) {
         return false;
     }
     print_headline(get_string('newentries', 'glossary').':');
 
     $strftimerecent = get_string('strftimerecent');
+    $entrycount = 0;
     foreach ($entries as $entry) {
-        $link = $CFG->wwwroot.'/mod/glossary/view.php?g='.$entry->glossaryid.'&mode=entry&hook='.$entry->id;
-        if ($entry->approved) {
-            $dimmed = '';
+        if ($entrycount < GLOSSARY_RECENT_ACTIVITY_LIMIT) {
+            if ($entry->approved) {
+                $dimmed = '';
+                $urlparams = array('g' => $entry->glossaryid, 'mode' => 'entry', 'hook' => $entry->id);
+            } else {
+                $dimmed = ' dimmed_text';
+                $urlparams = array('id' => $ids[$entry->glossaryid], 'mode' => 'approval', 'hook' => format_text($entry->concept, true));
+            }
+            $link = new moodle_url($CFG->wwwroot.'/mod/glossary/view.php' , $urlparams);
+            echo '<div class="head'.$dimmed.'">';
+            echo '<div class="date">'.userdate($entry->timemodified, $strftimerecent).'</div>';
+            echo '<div class="name">'.fullname($entry, $viewfullnames).'</div>';
+            echo '</div>';
+            echo '<div class="info"><a href="'.$link.'">'.format_text($entry->concept, true).'</a></div>';
+            $entrycount += 1;
         } else {
-            $dimmed = ' dimmed_text';
+            $numnewentries = count_records_sql($countsql.$joins[0].$clausesql.$approvalsql.')');
+            echo '<div class="head"><div class="activityhead">'.get_string('andmorenewentries', 'glossary', $numnewentries - GLOSSARY_RECENT_ACTIVITY_LIMIT).'</div></div>';
+            break;
         }
-        echo '<div class="head'.$dimmed.'">';
-        echo '<div class="date">'.userdate($entry->timemodified, $strftimerecent).'</div>';
-        echo '<div class="name">'.fullname($entry, $viewfullnames).'</div>';
-        echo '</div>';
-        echo '<div class="info"><a href="'.$link.'">'.format_text($entry->concept, true).'</a></div>';
     }
 
     return true;