diff --git a/background.html b/background.html
index f16cdd9e66..91a5ad5755 100644
--- a/background.html
+++ b/background.html
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@
   </script>
   <script type='text/x-tmpl-mustache' id='message'>
       {{> avatar }}
-      <div class='bubble'>
+      <div class='bubble' style='background-color: {{ avatar.color }};'>
           <div class='sender'>{{ sender }}</div>
           <div class='attachments'></div>
           <p class='content'>{{ message }}</p>
diff --git a/images/check-black.png b/images/check-black.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8e05ce551c
Binary files /dev/null and b/images/check-black.png differ
diff --git a/images/double-check-black.png b/images/double-check-black.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7ac2ba93fb
Binary files /dev/null and b/images/double-check-black.png differ
diff --git a/js/views/message_view.js b/js/views/message_view.js
index abc43fc641..b1b75a2bc8 100644
--- a/js/views/message_view.js
+++ b/js/views/message_view.js
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@
             }
         },
         render: function() {
-            var contact = this.model.getContact();
+            var contact = this.model.isIncoming() ? this.model.getContact() : null;
             this.$el.html(
                 Mustache.render(_.result(this, 'template', ''), {
                     message: this.model.get('body'),
diff --git a/stylesheets/_conversation.scss b/stylesheets/_conversation.scss
index fb5ce29c59..cec4da5066 100644
--- a/stylesheets/_conversation.scss
+++ b/stylesheets/_conversation.scss
@@ -321,11 +321,11 @@
   }
   .sent .status {
     display: inline-block;
-    background: url('/images/check-white.png');
+    background: url('/images/check-black.png');
   }
   .delivered .status {
     display: inline-block;
-    background: url('/images/double-check-white.png');
+    background: url('/images/double-check-black.png');
   }
   .pending .status {
     display: inline-block;
@@ -347,29 +347,6 @@
       float: left;
     }
     .bubble {
-      color: $grey_d;
-      background-color: $grey_l;
-
-      &::before {
-        left: -10px;
-        border-right: 10px solid white;
-      }
-
-      &::after {
-        left: -8px;
-        border-right: 8px solid $grey_l;
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-  .outgoing {
-
-    .avatar, .bubble {
-      float: right;
-    }
-
-    .bubble {
-      clear: left;
       color: white;
       background-color: $blue;
 
@@ -377,21 +354,6 @@
         color: white;
       }
 
-      &::before {
-        right: -10px;
-        border-left: 10px solid white;
-      }
-
-      &::after {
-        right: -8px;
-        border-left: 8px solid $blue;
-      }
-
-      .attachments, .content {
-        a {
-          color: $grey_l;
-        }
-      }
       .content {
         &::selection, a::selection {
           color: $grey_d;
@@ -403,6 +365,24 @@
           background: white;
         }
       }
+
+      .attachments, .content {
+        a {
+          color: $grey_l;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  .outgoing {
+
+    .avatar, .bubble {
+      float: right;
+    }
+
+    .bubble {
+      background-color: $grey_l;
+      clear: left;
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/stylesheets/_index.scss b/stylesheets/_index.scss
index 13928abffd..7b474a3c8c 100644
--- a/stylesheets/_index.scss
+++ b/stylesheets/_index.scss
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
   color: white;
   background-color: #999999;
   transition: background-color 0.5s;
+  border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.2);
 
   .avatar {
     margin-bottom: -30px;
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@
 .inactive .conversation-header {
   background-color: $grey_l !important;
   color: $grey_d;
+  border-color: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.05);
 }
 
 input.search {
diff --git a/stylesheets/manifest.css b/stylesheets/manifest.css
index c8b7cec89e..95480c30bf 100644
--- a/stylesheets/manifest.css
+++ b/stylesheets/manifest.css
@@ -474,7 +474,8 @@ input[type=text]:active, input[type=text]:focus, input[type=search]:active, inpu
   text-align: center;
   color: white;
   background-color: #999999;
-  transition: background-color 0.5s; }
+  transition: background-color 0.5s;
+  border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); }
   .conversation-header .avatar {
     margin-bottom: -30px;
     border: solid 2px white;
@@ -486,7 +487,8 @@ input[type=text]:active, input[type=text]:focus, input[type=search]:active, inpu
 
 .inactive .conversation-header {
   background-color: #f3f3f3 !important;
-  color: #454545; }
+  color: #454545;
+  border-color: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05); }
 
 input.search {
   border: none;
@@ -875,11 +877,11 @@ input.search {
   .message-container .sent .status,
   .message-list .sent .status {
     display: inline-block;
-    background: url("/images/check-white.png"); }
+    background: url("/images/check-black.png"); }
   .message-container .delivered .status,
   .message-list .delivered .status {
     display: inline-block;
-    background: url("/images/double-check-white.png"); }
+    background: url("/images/double-check-black.png"); }
   .message-container .pending .status,
   .message-list .pending .status {
     display: inline-block;
@@ -902,50 +904,33 @@ input.search {
     float: left; }
   .message-container .incoming .bubble,
   .message-list .incoming .bubble {
-    color: #454545;
-    background-color: #f3f3f3; }
-    .message-container .incoming .bubble::before,
-    .message-list .incoming .bubble::before {
-      left: -10px;
-      border-right: 10px solid white; }
-    .message-container .incoming .bubble::after,
-    .message-list .incoming .bubble::after {
-      left: -8px;
-      border-right: 8px solid #f3f3f3; }
+    color: white;
+    background-color: #2090ea; }
+    .message-container .incoming .bubble .meta,
+    .message-list .incoming .bubble .meta {
+      color: white; }
+    .message-container .incoming .bubble .content::selection, .message-container .incoming .bubble .content a::selection,
+    .message-list .incoming .bubble .content::selection,
+    .message-list .incoming .bubble .content a::selection {
+      color: #454545;
+      background: white; }
+    .message-container .incoming .bubble .content::-moz-selection, .message-container .incoming .bubble .content a::-moz-selection,
+    .message-list .incoming .bubble .content::-moz-selection,
+    .message-list .incoming .bubble .content a::-moz-selection {
+      color: #454545;
+      background: white; }
+    .message-container .incoming .bubble .attachments a, .message-container .incoming .bubble .content a,
+    .message-list .incoming .bubble .attachments a,
+    .message-list .incoming .bubble .content a {
+      color: #f3f3f3; }
   .message-container .outgoing .avatar, .message-container .outgoing .bubble,
   .message-list .outgoing .avatar,
   .message-list .outgoing .bubble {
     float: right; }
   .message-container .outgoing .bubble,
   .message-list .outgoing .bubble {
-    clear: left;
-    color: white;
-    background-color: #2090ea; }
-    .message-container .outgoing .bubble .meta,
-    .message-list .outgoing .bubble .meta {
-      color: white; }
-    .message-container .outgoing .bubble::before,
-    .message-list .outgoing .bubble::before {
-      right: -10px;
-      border-left: 10px solid white; }
-    .message-container .outgoing .bubble::after,
-    .message-list .outgoing .bubble::after {
-      right: -8px;
-      border-left: 8px solid #2090ea; }
-    .message-container .outgoing .bubble .attachments a, .message-container .outgoing .bubble .content a,
-    .message-list .outgoing .bubble .attachments a,
-    .message-list .outgoing .bubble .content a {
-      color: #f3f3f3; }
-    .message-container .outgoing .bubble .content::selection, .message-container .outgoing .bubble .content a::selection,
-    .message-list .outgoing .bubble .content::selection,
-    .message-list .outgoing .bubble .content a::selection {
-      color: #454545;
-      background: white; }
-    .message-container .outgoing .bubble .content::-moz-selection, .message-container .outgoing .bubble .content a::-moz-selection,
-    .message-list .outgoing .bubble .content::-moz-selection,
-    .message-list .outgoing .bubble .content a::-moz-selection {
-      color: #454545;
-      background: white; }
+    background-color: #f3f3f3;
+    clear: left; }
   .message-container .control .bubble .content,
   .message-list .control .bubble .content {
     font-style: italic; }