diff --git a/converse.css b/converse.css
index 008df313a..f29eeb9d3 100644
--- a/converse.css
+++ b/converse.css
@@ -156,7 +156,6 @@ ul.participant-list li.moderator {
 
 .chat-info {
     color:#666666;
-
 }
 
 .chat-message-me {
@@ -183,6 +182,10 @@ ul.participant-list li.moderator {
     color: #808080;
 }
 
+li.chat-help {
+    padding-left: 10px;
+}
+
 .chat-date {
     display: inline-block;
     padding-top: 10px;
@@ -270,12 +273,6 @@ a.subscribe-to-user {
 
 dl.add-converse-contact {
     margin: 0 0 0 0.5em;
-    z-index: 21;
-    background: url('images/add_icon.png') no-repeat 3px;
-}
-
-dt#xmpp-contact-search {
-    padding-top: 3px;
 }
 
 .fancy-dropdown {
@@ -285,9 +282,8 @@ dt#xmpp-contact-search {
 
 .fancy-dropdown a.choose-xmpp-status,
 .fancy-dropdown a.toggle-xmpp-contact-form {
-    text-shadow: 0 1px 0 rgba(250, 250, 250, 1);
-    padding-left: 1.5em;
-    width: 140px;
+    text-shadow: 0 1px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 1);
+    padding-left: 2em;
     display: block;
     overflow: hidden;
     text-overflow: ellipsis;
@@ -295,17 +291,11 @@ dt#xmpp-contact-search {
     float: left;
 }
 
-#fancy-xmpp-status-select {
-    padding-bottom: 3px;
-}
-
 #fancy-xmpp-status-select a.change-xmpp-status-message {
-    text-shadow: 0 1px 0 rgba(250, 250, 250, 1);
-    background: url('images/pencil_icon.png') no-repeat right top;
+    background: url('images/pencil_icon.png') no-repeat right 3px;
     float: right;
     clear: right;
-    width: 1em;
-    height: 1em;
+    height: 22px;
 }
 
 ul#found-users {
@@ -316,8 +306,7 @@ ul#found-users {
 form.search-xmpp-contact {
     margin: 0;
     padding-left: 5px;
-    padding: 1em 0 0 5px;
-    background: white;
+    padding: 0 0 5px 5px;
 }
 
 form.search-xmpp-contact input {
@@ -649,15 +638,27 @@ form#converse-login .login-submit {
     width: auto;
 }
 
-form.set-xmpp-status,
+form.set-xmpp-status {
+    padding: 0.5em 0 0.5em 0.5em;
+}
+
 form.add-chatroom {
-    padding: 0.5em 0 0.3em 0.5em;
-    background: white;
+    padding: 0.5em;
+}
+
+form.add-chatroom input[type=text] {
+    width: 172px;
+    margin: 3px;
+    padding: 1px;
+}
+
+form.add-chatroom input[type=button],
+form.add-chatroom input[type=submit] {
+    width: 50%;
 }
 
 .set-xmpp-status li {
     list-style: none;
-    padding-left: 5px;
 }
 
 select#select-xmpp-status {
@@ -754,16 +755,13 @@ form#set-custom-xmpp-status {
 }
 
 /* status dropdown styles */
-dl.dropdown {
+.chatbox dl.dropdown {
     margin-right: 0.5em;
     margin-bottom: 0;
+    background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);
 }
-.dropdown dd, .dropdown dt, .dropdown ul { margin:0px; padding:0px; }
-.dropdown dd { position:relative; }
-
-div.xmpp-status {
-    padding: 3px;
-}
+.chatbox .dropdown dd, .dropdown dt, .dropdown ul { margin:0px; padding:0px; }
+.chatbox .dropdown dd { position:relative; }
 
 input.custom-xmpp-status {
     width: 138px;
@@ -778,47 +776,57 @@ form.add-xmpp-contact input {
     width: 125px;
 }
 
-.dropdown dt a span {
-    cursor:pointer; display:block; padding:5px;
+.chatbox .dropdown dt a span {
+    cursor:pointer; 
+    display:block; 
+    padding: 5px;
 }
 
-.dropdown dd ul {
-    padding-top: 5px;
+.chatbox .dropdown dd ul {
+    padding: 5px 0 5px 0;
     list-style:none;
     position:absolute; left:0; top:0;
     border:1px solid #ddd;
     border-top: 0;
     width: 99%;
-    background-color: #FFF;
     z-index: 21;
+    background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);
 }
 
-.dropdown dd ul li a:hover {
-    background-color: #bed6e5;
+.set-xmpp-status .dropdown dd ul {
+    z-index: 22;
 }
 
-.dropdown span.value {
+.chatbox .dropdown span.value {
     display:none;
 }
 
-.dropdown dd ul li a {
-    padding:0 5px 5px 30px;
-    display:block;
+.chatbox .dropdown a {
+    padding: 3px 0 0 25px;
+    display: block;
+    height: 22px;
 }
 
-.dropdown a.online {
-    background: url(images/user_online_panel.png) no-repeat left 3px;
+.chatbox .dropdown a.toggle-xmpp-contact-form {
+    background: url('images/add_icon.png') no-repeat 4px 2px;
 }
 
-.dropdown a.offline {
-    background: url(images/user_offline_panel.png) no-repeat left 3px;
+.chatbox .dropdown a.online {
+    background: url(images/user_online_panel.png) no-repeat 3px 4px;
 }
 
-.dropdown a.dnd {
-    background: url(images/user_busy_panel.png) no-repeat left 3px;
+.chatbox .dropdown a.offline {
+    background: url(images/user_offline_panel.png) no-repeat 3px 4px;
 }
 
-.dropdown a.away {
-    background: url(images/user_away_panel.png) no-repeat left 3px;
+.chatbox .dropdown a.dnd {
+    background: url(images/user_busy_panel.png) no-repeat 3px 4px;
 }
 
+.chatbox .dropdown a.away {
+    background: url(images/user_away_panel.png) no-repeat 3px 4px;
+}
+
+.chatbox .dropdown dd ul a:hover {
+    background-color: #bed6e5;
+}
diff --git a/converse.js b/converse.js
index 3900f8766..4c4fc0fb6 100644
--- a/converse.js
+++ b/converse.js
@@ -585,17 +585,22 @@
         ),
 
         add_contact_template: _.template(
+            '<li>'+
                 '<form class="add-xmpp-contact">' +
                     '<input type="text" name="identifier" class="username" placeholder="Contact name"/>' +
                     '<button type="submit">Add</button>' +
-                '</form>'),
+                '</form>'+
+            '<li>'
+        ),
 
         search_contact_template: _.template(
+            '<li>'+
                 '<form class="search-xmpp-contact">' +
                     '<input type="text" name="identifier" class="username" placeholder="Contact name"/>' +
                     '<button type="submit">Search</button>' +
-                    '<ul id="found-users"></ul>' +
-                '</form>'),
+                '</form>'+
+            '<li>'
+        ),
 
         render: function () {
             var markup;
@@ -622,14 +627,16 @@
         searchContacts: function (ev) {
             ev.preventDefault();
             $.getJSON(portal_url + "/search-users?q=" + $(ev.target).find('input.username').val(), function (data) {
-                var $results_el = $('#found-users');
+                var $ul= $('.search-xmpp ul');
+                $ul.find('li.found-user').remove();
+                $ul.find('li.chat-help').remove();
+                if (!data.length) {
+                    $ul.append('<li class="chat-help">No users found</li>');
+                }
+
                 $(data).each(function (idx, obj) {
-                    if ($results_el.children().length) {
-                        $results_el.empty();
-                    }
-                    $results_el.append(
-                        $('<li></li>')
-                        .attr('id', 'found-users-'+obj.id)
+                    $ul.append(
+                        $('<li class="found-user"></li>')
                         .append(
                             $('<a class="subscribe-to-user" href="#" title="Click to add as a chat contact"></a>')
                             .attr('data-recipient', Strophe.escapeNode(obj.id)+'@'+converse.domain)
@@ -744,8 +751,10 @@
 
         template: _.template(
             '<form class="add-chatroom" action="" method="post">'+
+                '<legend>'+
                 '<input type="text" name="chatroom" class="new-chatroom-name" placeholder="Room name"/>'+
                 '<input type="text" name="server" class="new-chatroom-server" placeholder="Server"/>'+
+                '</legend>'+
                 '<input type="submit" name="join" value="Join"/>'+
                 '<input type="button" name="show" id="show-rooms" value="Show rooms"/>'+
             '</form>'+