diff --git a/src/components/MapNarratives.jsx b/src/components/MapNarratives.jsx
index 8b92bb8..6b901f1 100644
--- a/src/components/MapNarratives.jsx
+++ b/src/components/MapNarratives.jsx
@@ -18,21 +18,6 @@ class MapNarratives extends React.Component {
     return this.props.narrativeProps[styleName]
   }
 
-  getStrokeWidth(narrative, step) {
-    if (!step) return 0
-    return this.getNarrativeStyle(narrative.id).strokeWidth
-  }
-
-  getStrokeDashArray(narrative, step) {
-    if (!step) return 'none'
-    return (this.getNarrativeStyle(narrative.id).style === 'dotted') ? "2px 5px" : 'none'
-  }
-
-  getStroke(narrative, step) {
-    if (!step || this.props.narrative === null) return 'none'
-    return this.getNarrativeStyle(narrative.id).stroke
-  }
-
   getStrokeOpacity(narrative, step) {
     if (this.props.narrative === null) return 0
     if (!step || narrative.id !== this.props.narrative.id) return 0.1
@@ -43,16 +28,39 @@ class MapNarratives extends React.Component {
     return (step.latitude === '' || step.longitude === '')
   }
 
-  renderNarrativeStep(allSteps, step, idx, n) {
-    const { x, y } = this.projectPoint([step.latitude, step.longitude])
-    const step2 = allSteps[idx + 1]
+  renderNarrativeStep(idx, n, stepStyle = null) {
+    const step = n.steps[idx]
+    const step2 = n.steps[idx + 1]
 
     // don't draw if one of the steps has no location
     if (this.hasNoLocation(step) || this.hasNoLocation(step2))
       return null
 
+    const { narrative } = this.props
+    const { x, y } = this.projectPoint([step.latitude, step.longitude])
     const p2 = this.projectPoint([step2.latitude, step2.longitude])
 
+    // 0 if not in narrative mode, 1 if active narrative, 0.1 if inactive
+    const strokeOpacity = (n === null) ? 0
+      : (step && (n.id === narrative.id)) ? 1 : 0.1
+    let strokeWidth = 0
+    let strokeDasharray = 'none'
+    let stroke = 'none'
+
+    // style narartive step if appropriate
+    if (step) {
+      // stepStyle only provided to functionl if NARRATIVE_STEP_STYLES enabled
+      if (!!stepStyle) {
+        console.log('TODO: step by step styling')
+      // otherwise steps are styled per narrative
+      } else {
+        const narStyle = this.getNarrativeStyle(n.id)
+        stroke = narStyle.stroke
+        strokeWidth = narStyle.strokeWidth
+        strokeDasharray = narStyle.strokeDasharray
+      }
+    }
+
     return (
       <line
         className="narrative-step"
@@ -63,10 +71,10 @@ class MapNarratives extends React.Component {
         markerStart="none"
         onClick={() => this.props.onSelectNarrative(n)}
         style={{
-          strokeWidth: this.getStrokeWidth(n, step),
-          strokeDasharray: this.getStrokeDashArray(n, step),
-          strokeOpacity: this.getStrokeOpacity(n, step),
-          stroke: this.getStroke(n, step)
+          strokeWidth,
+          strokeDasharray,
+          strokeOpacity,
+          stroke,
         }}
       >
       </line>
@@ -78,7 +86,16 @@ class MapNarratives extends React.Component {
 
     return (
       <g id={`narrative-${n.id.replace(/ /g,"_")}`} className="narrative">
-        {steps.map((s, idx) => this.renderNarrativeStep(n.steps, s, idx, n))}
+        {steps.map((s, idx) => {
+          if (process.env.features.NARRATIVE_STEP_STYLES) {
+            const _idx = s.narratives.indexOf(n.id)
+            const stepStyle = s.narrative___stepStyles[_idx]
+            if (stepStyle !== 'None')
+              return this.renderNarrativeStep(idx, n, stepStyle)
+          } else {
+            return this.renderNarrativeStep(idx, n)
+          }
+        })}
       </g>
     )
   }
diff --git a/src/reducers/schema/eventSchema.js b/src/reducers/schema/eventSchema.js
index edf80a2..7e9b38a 100644
--- a/src/reducers/schema/eventSchema.js
+++ b/src/reducers/schema/eventSchema.js
@@ -12,11 +12,13 @@ const eventSchema = Joi.object().keys({
     type:             Joi.string().allow(''),
     category:         Joi.string().required(),
     narratives:       Joi.array(),
-    narrative___movements: Joi.array(),
     sources:          Joi.array(),
     tags:             Joi.string().allow(''),
     comments:         Joi.string().allow(''),
     timestamp:        Joi.string().required(),
+
+    // nested
+    narrative___stepStyles: Joi.array(),
 });
 
 export default eventSchema;
diff --git a/webpack.config.js b/webpack.config.js
index 768e021..5475885 100644
--- a/webpack.config.js
+++ b/webpack.config.js
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 const webpack = require('webpack');
 const MiniCssExtractPlugin = require('mini-css-extract-plugin');
 const HtmlWebpackPlugin = require('html-webpack-plugin');
-const userConfig = require('./config');
-const userConfigJSON = {};
 
 const devMode = process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production';
 const path = require('path');
@@ -10,8 +8,16 @@ const path = require('path');
 const APP_DIR = path.resolve(__dirname, './src');
 const BUILD_DIR = path.resolve(__dirname, './build');
 
-for (const k in userConfig) {
-  userConfigJSON[k] = JSON.stringify(userConfig[k]);
+/** env variables from config.js */
+const envConfig = require('./config');
+const userConfig = {}
+const userFeatures = {}
+for (const k in envConfig) {
+  userConfig[k] = JSON.stringify(envConfig[k]);
+}
+
+for (const k in envConfig['features']) {
+  userFeatures[k] = JSON.stringify(envConfig['features'][k])
 }
 
 const config = {
@@ -59,14 +65,9 @@ const config = {
   plugins: [
     new webpack.DefinePlugin({
       'process.env': {
-        ...userConfigJSON,
+        ...userConfig,
         'NODE_ENV': JSON.stringify('production'),
-        'features': {
-          'USE_TAGS': JSON.stringify(userConfig.features.USE_TAGS),
-          'USE_SEARCH': JSON.stringify(userConfig.features.USE_SEARCH),
-          'USE_SITES': JSON.stringify(userConfig.features.USE_SITES),
-          'USE_SOURCES': JSON.stringify(userConfig.features.USE_SOURCES)
-        }
+        'features': userFeatures
       }
     }),
     new MiniCssExtractPlugin({