diff --git a/converse.js b/converse.js
index 22485eafa..d73da303a 100644
--- a/converse.js
+++ b/converse.js
@@ -645,8 +645,7 @@
             }
         });
 
-        this.Message = Backbone.Model.extend();
-
+        this.Message = Backbone.Model;
         this.Messages = Backbone.Collection.extend({
             model: converse.Message
         });
@@ -3238,29 +3237,11 @@
             },
 
             initialize: function () {
-                this.model.on("add", function (item) {
-                    this.addRosterItemView(item).addRosterItem(item).updateRoster();
-                    if (item.get('is_last')) {
-                        this.sortRoster().showRoster();
-                    }
-                    if (!item.get('vcard_updated')) {
-                        // This will update the vcard, which triggers a change
-                        // request which will rerender the roster item.
-                        converse.getVCard(item.get('jid'));
-                    }
-                }, this);
-                this.model.on('change', function (item) {
-                    if ((_.size(item.changed) === 1) && _.contains(_.keys(item.changed), 'sorted')) {
-                        return;
-                    }
-                    this.updateChatBox(item).renderRosterItem(item).updateRoster();
-                    if (item.changed.chat_status) { // A changed chat status implies a new sort order
-                        this.sortRoster();
-                    }
-                }, this);
-                this.model.on("remove", function (item) { this.removeRosterItemView(item); }, this);
-                this.model.on("destroy", function (item) { this.removeRosterItemView(item); }, this);
-                this.model.on("reset", function () { this.removeAllRosterItemViews(); }, this);
+                this.model.on("add", this.onAdd, this);
+                this.model.on('change', this.onChange, this); 
+                this.model.on("remove", this.removeRosterItemView, this);
+                this.model.on("destroy", this.removeRosterItemView, this);
+                this.model.on("reset", this.removeAllRosterItemViews, this);
                 this.render();
                 this.model.fetch({add: true}); // Get the cached roster items from localstorage
             },
@@ -3288,6 +3269,28 @@
                 this.$el.hide().html(roster_markup);
             },
 
+            onAdd: function (item) {
+                this.addRosterItemView(item).addRosterItem(item).updateRoster();
+                if (item.get('is_last')) {
+                    this.sortRoster().showRoster();
+                }
+                if (!item.get('vcard_updated')) {
+                    // This will update the vcard, which triggers a change
+                    // request which will rerender the roster item.
+                    converse.getVCard(item.get('jid'));
+                }
+            },
+
+            onChange: function (item) {
+                if ((_.size(item.changed) === 1) && _.contains(_.keys(item.changed), 'sorted')) {
+                    return;
+                }
+                this.updateChatBox(item).renderRosterItem(item).updateRoster();
+                if (item.changed.chat_status) { // A changed chat status implies a new sort order
+                    this.sortRoster();
+                }
+            },
+
             updateChatBox: function (item, changed) {
                 var chatbox = converse.chatboxes.get(item.get('jid')),
                     changes = {};
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index f8ab3251b..c0d3e0975 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@
             allow_otr: true,
             auto_list_rooms: false,
             auto_subscribe: false,
-            bosh_service_url: 'http://192.168.56.2:8890/http-bind', // Please use this connection manager only for testing purposes
+            bosh_service_url: 'http://conversejs.containers:5280/http-bind', // Please use this connection manager only for testing purposes
             debug: true ,
             hide_muc_server: false,
             i18n: locales['en'], // Refer to ./locale/locales.js to see which locales are supported
diff --git a/spec/controlbox.js b/spec/controlbox.js
index 43170f7e2..c2aef4176 100644
--- a/spec/controlbox.js
+++ b/spec/controlbox.js
@@ -440,6 +440,7 @@
         describe("Requesting Contacts", $.proxy(function () {
             beforeEach($.proxy(function () {
                 runs(function () {
+                    utils.clearBrowserStorage();
                     converse.rosterview.model.reset();
                     utils.createContacts('requesting').openControlBox();
                 });
@@ -510,14 +511,19 @@
             }, converse));
 
             it("can have their requests denied by the user", $.proxy(function () {
-                var jid = mock.req_names.sort()[1].replace(/ /g,'.').toLowerCase() + '@localhost';
-                var view = this.rosterview.get(jid);
+                this.rosterview.model.reset();
                 spyOn(converse, 'emit');
                 spyOn(this.connection.roster, 'unauthorize');
                 spyOn(this.rosterview, 'removeRosterItemView').andCallThrough();
                 spyOn(window, 'confirm').andReturn(true);
+                this.rosterview.initialize(); // Must be initialized only after the spy has been called
+                utils.createContacts('requesting').openControlBox();
+
+                var jid = mock.req_names.sort()[1].replace(/ /g,'.').toLowerCase() + '@localhost';
+                var view = this.rosterview.get(jid);
                 spyOn(view, 'declineRequest').andCallThrough();
                 view.delegateEvents(); // We need to rebind all events otherwise our spy won't be called
+
                 var accept_button = view.$el.find('.decline-xmpp-request');
                 accept_button.click();
                 expect(view.declineRequest).toHaveBeenCalled();