diff --git a/src/converse-chatview.js b/src/converse-chatview.js
index 7933f9775..de1daf2ae 100644
--- a/src/converse-chatview.js
+++ b/src/converse-chatview.js
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@
             }
             _converse.api.listen.on('windowStateChanged', onWindowStateChanged);
 
-            _converse.EmojiPicker = Backbone.Model.extend({ 
+            _converse.EmojiPicker = Backbone.Model.extend({
                 defaults: {
                     'current_category': 'people',
                     'current_skintone': '',
@@ -385,23 +385,24 @@
                     );
                 },
 
-                insertDayIndicator (date, prepend) {
-                    /* Appends (or prepends if "prepend" is truthy) an indicator
+                insertDayIndicator (date, insert_method) {
+                    /* Inserts an indicator
                      * into the chat area, showing the day as given by the
                      * passed in date.
                      *
                      * Parameters:
                      *  (String) date - An ISO8601 date string.
+                     *  (Function) insert_method - The method to be used to
+                     *      insert the indicator
                      */
                     const day_date = moment(date).startOf('day');
-                    const insert = prepend ? $(this.content).prepend: $(this.content).append;
-                    insert.call($(this.content), tpl_new_day({
+                    insert_method(tpl_new_day({
                         isodate: day_date.format(),
                         datestring: day_date.format("dddd MMM Do YYYY")
                     }));
                 },
 
-                insertMessage (attrs, prepend) {
+                insertMessage (attrs, insert_method) {
                     /* Helper method which appends a message (or prepends if the
                      * 2nd parameter is set to true) to the end of the chat box's
                      * content area.
@@ -409,15 +410,35 @@
                      * Parameters:
                      *  (Object) attrs: An object containing the message attributes.
                      */
-                    const insert = prepend ? $(this.content).prepend : $(this.content).append;
                     _.flow(($el) => {
-                            insert.call($(this.content), $el);
+                            insert_method($el[0]);
                             return $el;
                         },
                         this.scrollDown.bind(this)
                     )(this.renderMessage(attrs));
                 },
 
+                getLastMessageDate (cutoff) {
+                    /* Return the ISO8601 format date of the latest message.
+                     *
+                     * Parameters:
+                     *  (Object) cutoff: Moment Date cutoff date. The last
+                     *      message received cutoff this date will be returned.
+                     */
+                    if (!cutoff) {
+                        const last_msg = this.content.lastElementChild;
+                        return last_msg ? last_msg.getAttribute('data-isodate') : null
+                    }
+                    const msg_dates = _.invokeMap(
+                        this.content.querySelector('.message'),
+                        Element.prototype.getAttribute,
+                        'data-isodate'
+                    )
+                    msg_dates.push(cutoff.format());
+                    msg_dates.sort();
+                    return msg_dates[msg_dates.indexOf(cutoff)-1];
+                },
+
                 showMessage (attrs) {
                     /* Inserts a chat message into the content area of the chat box.
                      * Will also insert a new day indicator if the message is on a
@@ -430,62 +451,52 @@
                      *  (Object) attrs: An object containing the message
                      *      attributes.
                      */
-                    let current_msg_date = moment(attrs.time) || moment;
-                    const first_msg_el = this.content.firstElementChild,
-                          first_msg_date = first_msg_el ? first_msg_el.getAttribute('data-isodate') : null;
+                    const current_msg_date = moment(attrs.time) || moment,
+                          first_msg_el = this.content.firstElementChild,
+                          first_msg_date = first_msg_el ? first_msg_el.getAttribute('data-isodate') : null,
+                          append_element = _.bind(this.content.insertAdjacentElement, this.content, 'beforeend'),
+                          append_html = _.bind(this.content.insertAdjacentHTML, this.content, 'beforeend');
 
                     if (!first_msg_date) {
                         // This is the first received message, so we insert a
                         // date indicator before it.
-                        this.insertDayIndicator(current_msg_date);
-                        this.insertMessage(attrs);
+                        this.insertDayIndicator(current_msg_date, append_html);
+                        this.insertMessage(attrs, append_element);
                         return;
                     }
 
-                    const last_msg_el = this.content.lastElementChild,
-                          last_msg_date = last_msg_el.getAttribute('data-isodate');
+                    const last_msg_date = this.getLastMessageDate();
                     if (current_msg_date.isAfter(last_msg_date) ||
                             current_msg_date.isSame(last_msg_date)) {
                         // The new message is after the last message
                         if (current_msg_date.isAfter(last_msg_date, 'day')) {
                             // Append a new day indicator
-                            this.insertDayIndicator(current_msg_date);
+                            this.insertDayIndicator(current_msg_date, append_html);
                         }
-                        this.insertMessage(attrs);
+                        this.insertMessage(attrs, append_element);
                         return;
                     }
+
                     if (current_msg_date.isBefore(first_msg_date) ||
                             current_msg_date.isSame(first_msg_date)) {
                         // The message is before the first, but on the same day.
                         // We need to prepend the message immediately before the
                         // first message (so that it'll still be after the day
                         // indicator).
-                        this.insertMessage(attrs, 'prepend');
+                        const prepend_element = _.bind(this.content.insertAdjacentElement, this.content, 'afterbegin');
+                        this.insertMessage(attrs, prepend_element);
                         if (current_msg_date.isBefore(first_msg_date, 'day')) {
                             // This message is also on a different day, so
                             // we prepend a day indicator.
-                            this.insertDayIndicator(current_msg_date, 'prepend');
+                            this.insertDayIndicator(current_msg_date, append_html);
                         }
                         return;
                     }
-                    // Find the correct place to position the message
-                    current_msg_date = current_msg_date.format();
-                    const msg_dates = _.invokeMap(
-                        this.content.querySelector('.message'),
-                        Element.prototype.getAttribute,
-                        'data-isodate'
-                    )
-                    msg_dates.push(current_msg_date);
-                    msg_dates.sort();
-
-                    const idx = msg_dates.indexOf(current_msg_date)-1;
-                    const latest_msg_el = this.content.querySelector(`.message[data-isodate="${msg_dates[idx]}"]`);
-                    _.flow(($el) => {
-                            $el.insertAfter(latest_msg_el);
-                            return $el;
-                        },
-                        this.scrollDown.bind(this)
-                    )(this.renderMessage(attrs));
+                    const previous_msg_date = this.getLastMessageDate(current_msg_date);
+                    const previous_msg_el = this.content.querySelector(
+                        `.message[data-isodate="${previous_msg_date}"]`);
+                    this.insertMessage(
+                        attrs, _.bind(previous_msg_el.insertAdjacentElement, previous_msg_el, 'afterend'));
                 },
 
                 getExtraMessageTemplateAttributes () {