diff --git a/converse.css b/converse.css
index 21bdf7866..a8b063aeb 100644
--- a/converse.css
+++ b/converse.css
@@ -596,14 +596,20 @@ form.sendXMPPMessage {
     height: 54px;
 }
 
-#set-custom-xmpp-status {
+form#set-custom-xmpp-status {
     float: left;
+    padding: 0;
+    background: none;
 }
 
 #set-custom-xmpp-status button {
     padding: 1px 2px 1px 1px;
 }
 
+input.custom-xmpp-status {
+    width: 138px;
+}
+
 /* status dropdown styles */
 dl.dropdown {
     margin-right: 0.5em;
@@ -616,10 +622,6 @@ div.xmpp-status {
     padding: 3px;
 }
 
-input.custom-xmpp-status {
-    height: 18px;
-}
-
 .fancy-dropdown {
     border:1px solid #ddd;
     height: 22px;
diff --git a/spec/MainSpec.js b/spec/MainSpec.js
index c34582ba1..b3681bdb6 100644
--- a/spec/MainSpec.js
+++ b/spec/MainSpec.js
@@ -412,17 +412,17 @@
             it("can be saved to, and retrieved from, localStorage", $.proxy(function () {
                 // We instantiate a new ChatBoxes collection, which by default
                 // will be empty.
-                this.newchatboxes = new this.ChatBoxes();
-                expect(this.newchatboxes.length).toEqual(0);
+                var newchatboxes = new this.ChatBoxes();
+                expect(newchatboxes.length).toEqual(0);
                 // The chatboxes will then be fetched from localStorage inside the
                 // onConnected method
-                this.newchatboxes.onConnected();
-                expect(this.newchatboxes.length).toEqual(6);
+                newchatboxes.onConnected();
+                expect(newchatboxes.length).toEqual(6);
                 // Check that the roster items retrieved from localStorage
                 // have the same attributes values as the original ones.
                 attrs = ['id', 'box_id', 'visible'];
                 for (i=0; i<attrs.length; i++) {
-                    new_attrs = _.pluck(_.pluck(this.newchatboxes.models, 'attributes'), attrs[i]);
+                    new_attrs = _.pluck(_.pluck(newchatboxes.models, 'attributes'), attrs[i]);
                     old_attrs = _.pluck(_.pluck(this.chatboxes.models, 'attributes'), attrs[i]);
                     expect(_.isEqual(new_attrs, old_attrs)).toEqual(true);
                 }
@@ -443,13 +443,13 @@
             }, xmppchat));
 
             it("will be removed from localStorage when closed", $.proxy(function () {
-                this.newchatboxes = new this.ChatBoxes();
-                expect(this.newchatboxes.length).toEqual(0);
+                var newchatboxes = new this.ChatBoxes();
+                expect(newchatboxes.length).toEqual(0);
                 // onConnected will fetch chatboxes in localStorage, but
                 // because there aren't any open chatboxes, there won't be any
                 // in localStorage either.
-                this.chatboxes.onConnected();
-                expect(this.chatboxes.length).toEqual(0);
+                newchatboxes.onConnected();
+                expect(newchatboxes.length).toEqual(0);
             }, xmppchat));
 
             describe("A Chat Message", $.proxy(function () {