diff --git a/briar-android/res/layout/activity_conversation.xml b/briar-android/res/layout/activity_conversation.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c9c5079bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/briar-android/res/layout/activity_conversation.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<LinearLayout
+	xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
+	android:id="@+id/layout"
+	android:orientation="vertical"
+	android:layout_width="match_parent"
+	android:layout_height="match_parent">
+
+	<!-- ListView will get inserted here -->
+
+	<ProgressBar
+		android:id="@+id/listLoadingProgressBar"
+		style="?android:attr/progressBarStyleLarge"
+		android:layout_width="wrap_content"
+		android:layout_height="0dp"
+		android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
+		android:layout_weight="1"
+		android:indeterminate="true"/>
+
+	<TextView
+		android:id="@+id/emptyView"
+		android:layout_width="wrap_content"
+		android:layout_height="0dp"
+		android:layout_weight="1"
+		android:layout_gravity="center"
+		android:padding="@dimen/margin_large"
+		android:textSize="@dimen/text_size_large"
+		android:text="@string/no_private_messages"/>
+
+	<View
+		android:layout_width="match_parent"
+		android:layout_height="1px"
+	    android:background="@color/horizontal_border"/>
+
+	<LinearLayout
+		android:orientation="horizontal"
+		android:layout_width="match_parent"
+		android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+		android:background="@color/button_bar_background"
+		android:paddingLeft="@dimen/margin_medium"
+		android:paddingStart="@dimen/margin_medium"
+		android:paddingRight="@dimen/margin_medium"
+		android:paddingEnd="@dimen/margin_medium">
+
+		<EditText
+			android:id="@+id/contentView"
+			android:layout_width="0dp"
+			android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+			android:hint="@string/private_message_hint"
+			android:layout_weight="1"
+			android:inputType="text|textMultiLine|textCapSentences"/>
+
+		<ImageButton
+			android:id="@+id/sendButton"
+			android:layout_width="wrap_content"
+			android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+			android:src="@drawable/social_send_now"
+			android:background="@color/button_bar_background"
+			android:contentDescription="@string/send"
+			android:layout_gravity="center"/>
+	</LinearLayout>
+
+</LinearLayout>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/briar-android/res/values/strings.xml b/briar-android/res/values/strings.xml
index db7361d45..9160ba258 100644
--- a/briar-android/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/briar-android/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@
     <string name="step">Step %1$d/%2$d</string>
     <string name="online">Online</string>
     <string name="offline">Offline</string>
+    <string name="send">Send</string>
 
     <!-- Dialogs -->
     <string name="dialog_title_lost_password">Lost password</string>
diff --git a/briar-android/src/org/briarproject/android/contact/ConversationActivity.java b/briar-android/src/org/briarproject/android/contact/ConversationActivity.java
index c4f0ca8ef..7023da46e 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/org/briarproject/android/contact/ConversationActivity.java
+++ b/briar-android/src/org/briarproject/android/contact/ConversationActivity.java
@@ -1,41 +1,24 @@
 package org.briarproject.android.contact;
 
-import static android.text.InputType.TYPE_CLASS_TEXT;
-import static android.text.InputType.TYPE_TEXT_FLAG_CAP_SENTENCES;
-import static android.view.Gravity.CENTER;
-import static android.view.Gravity.CENTER_VERTICAL;
-import static android.view.View.GONE;
-import static android.view.View.VISIBLE;
-import static android.widget.LinearLayout.HORIZONTAL;
-import static android.widget.LinearLayout.VERTICAL;
-import static java.util.logging.Level.INFO;
-import static java.util.logging.Level.WARNING;
-import static org.briarproject.android.contact.ReadPrivateMessageActivity.RESULT_PREV_NEXT;
-import static org.briarproject.android.util.CommonLayoutParams.MATCH_MATCH;
-import static org.briarproject.android.util.CommonLayoutParams.MATCH_WRAP;
-import static org.briarproject.android.util.CommonLayoutParams.MATCH_WRAP_1;
-import static org.briarproject.android.util.CommonLayoutParams.WRAP_WRAP_1;
-
-import java.io.IOException;
-import java.security.GeneralSecurityException;
-import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Collection;
-import java.util.Collections;
-import java.util.HashMap;
-import java.util.HashSet;
-import java.util.List;
-import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.Set;
-import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
-import java.util.logging.Logger;
-
-import javax.inject.Inject;
+import android.content.Intent;
+import android.content.res.Resources;
+import android.graphics.drawable.ColorDrawable;
+import android.os.Bundle;
+import android.support.v7.app.ActionBar;
+import android.view.View;
+import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
+import android.view.ViewGroup;
+import android.widget.AdapterView;
+import android.widget.AdapterView.OnItemClickListener;
+import android.widget.EditText;
+import android.widget.ImageButton;
+import android.widget.ListView;
+import android.widget.ProgressBar;
+import android.widget.TextView;
 
 import org.briarproject.R;
 import org.briarproject.android.BriarActivity;
-import org.briarproject.android.util.HorizontalBorder;
 import org.briarproject.android.util.LayoutUtils;
-import org.briarproject.android.util.ListLoadingProgressBar;
 import org.briarproject.api.AuthorId;
 import org.briarproject.api.Contact;
 import org.briarproject.api.ContactId;
@@ -66,21 +49,26 @@ import org.briarproject.api.messaging.MessageId;
 import org.briarproject.api.plugins.ConnectionRegistry;
 import org.briarproject.util.StringUtils;
 
-import android.content.Intent;
-import android.content.res.Resources;
-import android.graphics.drawable.ColorDrawable;
-import android.os.Bundle;
-import android.support.v7.app.ActionBar;
-import android.text.InputType;
-import android.view.View;
-import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
-import android.widget.AdapterView;
-import android.widget.AdapterView.OnItemClickListener;
-import android.widget.EditText;
-import android.widget.ImageButton;
-import android.widget.LinearLayout;
-import android.widget.ListView;
-import android.widget.TextView;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.security.GeneralSecurityException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.HashSet;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
+import java.util.logging.Logger;
+
+import javax.inject.Inject;
+
+import static android.view.View.GONE;
+import static java.util.logging.Level.INFO;
+import static java.util.logging.Level.WARNING;
+import static org.briarproject.android.contact.ReadPrivateMessageActivity.RESULT_PREV_NEXT;
+import static org.briarproject.android.util.CommonLayoutParams.MATCH_WRAP_1;
 
 public class ConversationActivity extends BriarActivity
 implements EventListener, OnClickListener, OnItemClickListener {
@@ -96,7 +84,7 @@ implements EventListener, OnClickListener, OnItemClickListener {
 	private TextView empty = null;
 	private ConversationAdapter adapter = null;
 	private ListView list = null;
-	private ListLoadingProgressBar loading = null;
+	private ProgressBar loading = null;
 	private EditText content = null;
 	private ImageButton sendButton = null;
 
@@ -124,17 +112,9 @@ implements EventListener, OnClickListener, OnItemClickListener {
 		data.putExtra("briar.CONTACT_ID", id);
 		setResult(RESULT_OK, data);
 
-		LinearLayout layout = new LinearLayout(this);
-		layout.setLayoutParams(MATCH_MATCH);
-		layout.setOrientation(VERTICAL);
-
-		empty = new TextView(this);
-		empty.setLayoutParams(MATCH_WRAP_1);
-		empty.setGravity(CENTER);
-		empty.setTextSize(18);
-		empty.setText(R.string.no_private_messages);
-		empty.setVisibility(GONE);
-		layout.addView(empty);
+		setContentView(R.layout.activity_conversation);
+		ViewGroup layout = (ViewGroup) findViewById(R.id.layout);
+		empty = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.emptyView);
 
 		adapter = new ConversationAdapter(this);
 		list = new ListView(this) {
@@ -151,46 +131,21 @@ implements EventListener, OnClickListener, OnItemClickListener {
 		list.setClipToPadding(false);
 		// Make the dividers the same colour as the background
 		Resources res = getResources();
-		int background = res.getColor(R.color.window_background);
+		int background = res.getColor(android.R.color.transparent);
 		list.setDivider(new ColorDrawable(background));
 		list.setDividerHeight(pad);
 		list.setAdapter(adapter);
 		list.setOnItemClickListener(this);
-		list.setVisibility(GONE);
-		layout.addView(list);
+		list.setEmptyView(empty);
+		layout.addView(list, 0);
 
 		// Show a progress bar while the list is loading
-		loading = new ListLoadingProgressBar(this);
-		layout.addView(loading);
+		loading = (ProgressBar) findViewById(R.id.listLoadingProgressBar);
 
-		layout.addView(new HorizontalBorder(this));
-
-		LinearLayout footer = new LinearLayout(this);
-		footer.setLayoutParams(MATCH_WRAP);
-		footer.setOrientation(HORIZONTAL);
-		footer.setGravity(CENTER_VERTICAL);
-		footer.setPadding(pad, 0, 0, 0);
-		footer.setBackgroundColor(res.getColor(R.color.button_bar_background));
-
-		content = new EditText(this);
-		content.setId(1);
-		content.setLayoutParams(WRAP_WRAP_1);
-		int inputType = TYPE_CLASS_TEXT | InputType.TYPE_TEXT_FLAG_MULTI_LINE
-				| TYPE_TEXT_FLAG_CAP_SENTENCES;
-		content.setInputType(inputType);
-		content.setHint(R.string.private_message_hint);
-		footer.addView(content);
-
-		sendButton = new ImageButton(this);
-		sendButton.setId(2);
-		sendButton.setBackgroundResource(0);
-		sendButton.setImageResource(R.drawable.social_send_now);
+		content = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.contentView);
+		sendButton = (ImageButton) findViewById(R.id.sendButton);
 		sendButton.setEnabled(false); // Enabled after loading the group
 		sendButton.setOnClickListener(this);
-		footer.addView(sendButton);
-		layout.addView(footer);
-
-		setContentView(layout);
 	}
 
 	@Override
@@ -274,12 +229,7 @@ implements EventListener, OnClickListener, OnItemClickListener {
 				displayContactDetails();
 				sendButton.setEnabled(true);
 				adapter.clear();
-				if (headers.isEmpty()) {
-					empty.setVisibility(VISIBLE);
-					list.setVisibility(GONE);
-				} else {
-					empty.setVisibility(GONE);
-					list.setVisibility(VISIBLE);
+				if (!headers.isEmpty()) {
 					for (MessageHeader h : headers) {
 						ConversationItem item = new ConversationItem(h);
 						byte[] body = bodyCache.get(h.getId());