diff --git a/src/converse-headline.js b/src/converse-headline.js
index 5755055a4..efc0751e5 100644
--- a/src/converse-headline.js
+++ b/src/converse-headline.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 }(this, function (converse, tpl_chatbox) {
     "use strict";
     const { _, utils } = converse.env;
+    const HEADLINES_TYPE = 'headline';
 
     converse.plugins.add('converse-headline', {
 
@@ -25,6 +26,17 @@
             //
             // New functions which don't exist yet can also be added.
 
+            ChatBoxes: {
+                model (attrs, options) {
+                    const { _converse } = this.__super__;
+                    if (attrs.type == HEADLINES_TYPE) {
+                        return new _converse.HeadlinesBox(attrs, options);
+                    } else {
+                        return this.__super__.model.apply(this, arguments);
+                    }
+                },
+            },
+
             ChatBoxViews: {
                 onChatBoxAdded (item) {
                     const { _converse } = this.__super__;
@@ -40,6 +52,7 @@
             }
         },
 
+
         initialize () {
             /* The initialize function gets called as soon as the plugin is
              * loaded by converse.js's plugin machinery.
@@ -47,6 +60,18 @@
             const { _converse } = this,
                 { __ } = _converse;
 
+            _converse.HeadlinesBox = _converse.ChatBox.extend({
+                defaults: {
+                    'type': 'headline',
+                    'show_avatar': false,
+                    'bookmarked': false,
+                    'chat_state': undefined,
+                    'num_unread': 0,
+                    'url': ''
+                },
+            });
+
+
             _converse.HeadlinesBoxView = _converse.ChatBoxView.extend({
                 className: 'chatbox headlines',
 
@@ -74,7 +99,6 @@
                         _.extend(this.model.toJSON(), {
                                 info_close: '',
                                 label_personal_message: '',
-                                show_avatar: false,
                                 show_send_button: false,
                                 show_textarea: false,
                                 show_toolbar: false,
@@ -82,6 +106,7 @@
                             }
                         ));
                     this.$content = this.$el.find('.chat-content');
+                    this.content = this.$content[0];
                     utils.refreshWebkit();
                     return this;
                 }
@@ -98,7 +123,7 @@
                         'id': from_jid,
                         'jid': from_jid,
                         'fullname':  from_jid,
-                        'type': 'headline'
+                        'type': 'headline',
                     });
                     chatbox.createMessage(message, undefined, message);
                     _converse.emit('message', {'chatbox': chatbox, 'stanza': message});
diff --git a/src/templates/chatbox_head.html b/src/templates/chatbox_head.html
index 5f35668a1..8db254a65 100644
--- a/src/templates/chatbox_head.html
+++ b/src/templates/chatbox_head.html
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 <div class="chat-head chat-head-chatbox">
     <a class="chatbox-btn close-chatbox-button icon-close" title="{{{o.info_close}}}"></a>
-    <img alt="User Avatar"
-         class="avatar"
-         height="{{{o.avatar_height}}}px" width="{{{o.avatar_width}}}px"
-         src="data:{{{o.image_type}}};base64,{{{o.image}}}"/>
+    {[ if (o.show_avatar) { ]}
+        <img alt="User Avatar"
+            class="avatar"
+            height="{{{o.avatar_height}}}px" width="{{{o.avatar_width}}}px"
+            src="data:{{{o.image_type}}};base64,{{{o.image}}}"/>
+    {[ } ]}
     <div class="chat-title">
         {[ if (o.url) { ]}
             <a href="{{{o.url}}}" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="user">