diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationItemViewHolder.java b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationItemViewHolder.java
index 2c7e62b80..6a54584b4 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationItemViewHolder.java
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationItemViewHolder.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import static org.briarproject.briar.android.util.UiUtils.formatDate;
 abstract class ConversationItemViewHolder extends ViewHolder {
 
 	protected final ConversationListener listener;
+	private final View root;
 	protected final ConstraintLayout layout;
 	@Nullable
 	private final OutItemViewHolder outViewHolder;
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ abstract class ConversationItemViewHolder extends ViewHolder {
 		super(v);
 		this.listener = listener;
 		this.outViewHolder = isIncoming ? null : new OutItemViewHolder(v);
+		root = v;
 		layout = v.findViewById(R.id.layout);
 		text = v.findViewById(R.id.text);
 		time = v.findViewById(R.id.time);
@@ -41,6 +43,7 @@ abstract class ConversationItemViewHolder extends ViewHolder {
 	@CallSuper
 	void bind(ConversationItem item, boolean selected) {
 		itemKey = item.getKey();
+		root.setActivated(selected);
 
 		if (item.getText() != null) {
 			text.setText(trim(item.getText()));
diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationMessageViewHolder.java b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationMessageViewHolder.java
index 626979ceb..4d6fd43e4 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationMessageViewHolder.java
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationMessageViewHolder.java
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ class ConversationMessageViewHolder extends ConversationItemViewHolder {
 		timeColorBubble = getColor(v.getContext(), R.color.briar_white);
 
 		// clone constraint sets from layout files
-		textConstraints
-				.clone(v.getContext(), R.layout.list_item_conversation_msg_in);
+		textConstraints.clone(v.getContext(),
+				R.layout.list_item_conversation_msg_in_content);
 		imageConstraints.clone(v.getContext(),
 				R.layout.list_item_conversation_msg_image);
 		imageTextConstraints.clone(v.getContext(),
diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/res/drawable/list_item_background_selectable.xml b/briar-android/src/main/res/drawable/list_item_background_selectable.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7d4aa9942
--- /dev/null
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/res/drawable/list_item_background_selectable.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
+	<item android:drawable="@color/msg_selected_background" android:state_activated="true" />
+</selector>
diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_msg_in.xml b/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_msg_in.xml
index a92cf249c..d946046e4 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_msg_in.xml
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_msg_in.xml
@@ -1,73 +1,14 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
-<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
-	xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
-	xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
-	android:id="@+id/layout"
-	android:layout_width="wrap_content"
+<FrameLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
+	android:layout_width="match_parent"
 	android:layout_height="wrap_content"
-	android:layout_marginStart="@dimen/message_bubble_margin_tail"
-	android:layout_marginLeft="@dimen/message_bubble_margin_tail"
-	android:layout_marginTop="@dimen/message_bubble_margin"
-	android:layout_marginEnd="@dimen/message_bubble_margin_non_tail"
-	android:layout_marginRight="@dimen/message_bubble_margin_non_tail"
-	android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/message_bubble_margin"
-	android:background="@drawable/msg_in"
-	android:elevation="@dimen/message_bubble_elevation">
+	android:background="@drawable/list_item_background_selectable">
 
-	<androidx.recyclerview.widget.RecyclerView
-		android:id="@+id/imageList"
-		android:layout_width="@dimen/message_bubble_image_default"
-		android:layout_height="@dimen/message_bubble_image_default"
-		android:orientation="vertical"
-		android:visibility="gone"
-		app:layoutManager="androidx.recyclerview.widget.StaggeredGridLayoutManager"
-		app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@+id/text"
-		app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
-		app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
-		app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
-		app:spanCount="2"
-		tools:ignore="ContentDescription"
-		tools:listitem="@layout/list_item_image" />
+	<!--
+	We need to wrap the actual layout, because
+	* we want to clone the ConstraintLayout's constraints in the ViewHolder
+	* we want to have a selectable frame around the message bubble
+	-->
+	<include layout="@layout/list_item_conversation_msg_in_content" />
 
-	<com.vanniktech.emoji.EmojiTextView
-		android:id="@+id/text"
-		style="@style/TextMessage"
-		android:layout_width="wrap_content"
-		android:layout_height="wrap_content"
-		android:layout_marginLeft="@dimen/message_bubble_padding_sides_inner"
-		android:layout_marginTop="@dimen/message_bubble_padding_top_inner"
-		android:layout_marginRight="@dimen/message_bubble_padding_sides_inner"
-		android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/message_bubble_padding_bottom_inner"
-		android:textColor="?android:attr/textColorPrimary"
-		app:layout_constrainedWidth="true"
-		app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@+id/statusLayout"
-		app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
-		app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.0"
-		app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
-		app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/imageList"
-		tools:text="The text of a message which can sometimes be a bit longer as well" />
-
-	<LinearLayout
-		android:id="@+id/statusLayout"
-		android:layout_width="wrap_content"
-		android:layout_height="wrap_content"
-		android:layout_marginLeft="@dimen/message_bubble_padding_sides_inner"
-		android:layout_marginRight="@dimen/message_bubble_padding_sides_inner"
-		android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/message_bubble_padding_bottom_inner"
-		android:orientation="horizontal"
-		app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
-		app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
-		app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="1.0"
-		app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
-		app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/text">
-
-		<TextView
-			android:id="@+id/time"
-			style="@style/TextMessage.Timestamp"
-			android:layout_width="wrap_content"
-			android:layout_height="wrap_content"
-			tools:text="Dec 24, 13:37" />
-
-	</LinearLayout>
-
-</androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>
+</FrameLayout>
diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_msg_in_content.xml b/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_msg_in_content.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a92cf249c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_msg_in_content.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
+	xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
+	xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
+	android:id="@+id/layout"
+	android:layout_width="wrap_content"
+	android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+	android:layout_marginStart="@dimen/message_bubble_margin_tail"
+	android:layout_marginLeft="@dimen/message_bubble_margin_tail"
+	android:layout_marginTop="@dimen/message_bubble_margin"
+	android:layout_marginEnd="@dimen/message_bubble_margin_non_tail"
+	android:layout_marginRight="@dimen/message_bubble_margin_non_tail"
+	android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/message_bubble_margin"
+	android:background="@drawable/msg_in"
+	android:elevation="@dimen/message_bubble_elevation">
+
+	<androidx.recyclerview.widget.RecyclerView
+		android:id="@+id/imageList"
+		android:layout_width="@dimen/message_bubble_image_default"
+		android:layout_height="@dimen/message_bubble_image_default"
+		android:orientation="vertical"
+		android:visibility="gone"
+		app:layoutManager="androidx.recyclerview.widget.StaggeredGridLayoutManager"
+		app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@+id/text"
+		app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
+		app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
+		app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
+		app:spanCount="2"
+		tools:ignore="ContentDescription"
+		tools:listitem="@layout/list_item_image" />
+
+	<com.vanniktech.emoji.EmojiTextView
+		android:id="@+id/text"
+		style="@style/TextMessage"
+		android:layout_width="wrap_content"
+		android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+		android:layout_marginLeft="@dimen/message_bubble_padding_sides_inner"
+		android:layout_marginTop="@dimen/message_bubble_padding_top_inner"
+		android:layout_marginRight="@dimen/message_bubble_padding_sides_inner"
+		android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/message_bubble_padding_bottom_inner"
+		android:textColor="?android:attr/textColorPrimary"
+		app:layout_constrainedWidth="true"
+		app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@+id/statusLayout"
+		app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
+		app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.0"
+		app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
+		app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/imageList"
+		tools:text="The text of a message which can sometimes be a bit longer as well" />
+
+	<LinearLayout
+		android:id="@+id/statusLayout"
+		android:layout_width="wrap_content"
+		android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+		android:layout_marginLeft="@dimen/message_bubble_padding_sides_inner"
+		android:layout_marginRight="@dimen/message_bubble_padding_sides_inner"
+		android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/message_bubble_padding_bottom_inner"
+		android:orientation="horizontal"
+		app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
+		app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
+		app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="1.0"
+		app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
+		app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/text">
+
+		<TextView
+			android:id="@+id/time"
+			style="@style/TextMessage.Timestamp"
+			android:layout_width="wrap_content"
+			android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+			tools:text="Dec 24, 13:37" />
+
+	</LinearLayout>
+
+</androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>
diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_msg_out.xml b/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_msg_out.xml
index f77f9609b..6ac5ef61a 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_msg_out.xml
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_msg_out.xml
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><!-- This is needed to right-align message bubble in RecyclerView -->
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <FrameLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
 	xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
 	xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
 	android:layout_width="match_parent"
-	android:layout_height="wrap_content">
+	android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+	android:background="@drawable/list_item_background_selectable">
 
 	<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout
 		android:id="@+id/layout"
diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_notice_in.xml b/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_notice_in.xml
index 689c9208c..1725f4315 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_notice_in.xml
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_notice_in.xml
@@ -4,8 +4,9 @@
 	xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
 	android:layout_width="match_parent"
 	android:layout_height="wrap_content"
-	android:layout_marginTop="@dimen/message_bubble_margin"
-	android:orientation="vertical">
+	android:background="@drawable/list_item_background_selectable"
+	android:orientation="vertical"
+	android:paddingTop="@dimen/message_bubble_margin">
 
 	<com.vanniktech.emoji.EmojiTextView
 		android:id="@+id/msgText"
diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_notice_out.xml b/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_notice_out.xml
index 4ae737834..d99ae0ce6 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_notice_out.xml
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_notice_out.xml
@@ -4,8 +4,9 @@
 	xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
 	android:layout_width="match_parent"
 	android:layout_height="wrap_content"
-	android:layout_marginTop="@dimen/message_bubble_margin"
-	android:orientation="vertical">
+	android:background="@drawable/list_item_background_selectable"
+	android:orientation="vertical"
+	android:paddingTop="@dimen/message_bubble_margin">
 
 	<com.vanniktech.emoji.EmojiTextView
 		android:id="@+id/msgText"
diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_request.xml b/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_request.xml
index a1fbf33dd..902d10fc3 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_request.xml
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/res/layout/list_item_conversation_request.xml
@@ -4,8 +4,9 @@
 	xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
 	android:layout_width="match_parent"
 	android:layout_height="wrap_content"
-	android:layout_marginTop="@dimen/message_bubble_margin"
-	android:orientation="vertical">
+	android:background="@drawable/list_item_background_selectable"
+	android:orientation="vertical"
+	android:paddingTop="@dimen/message_bubble_margin">
 
 	<com.vanniktech.emoji.EmojiTextView
 		android:id="@+id/msgText"
@@ -19,7 +20,8 @@
 		android:background="@drawable/msg_in_top"
 		android:elevation="@dimen/message_bubble_elevation"
 		android:textColor="?android:attr/textColorPrimary"
-		tools:text="Short message" />
+		tools:text="Short message"
+		tools:visibility="visible" />
 
 	<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout
 		android:id="@+id/layout"
diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/res/values/color.xml b/briar-android/src/main/res/values/color.xml
index 8f4226d8f..2d84d131d 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/main/res/values/color.xml
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/res/values/color.xml
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 	<color name="msg_stroke_dark">#333333</color>
 	<color name="msg_stroke">@color/msg_stroke_light</color>
 	<color name="msg_status_bubble_background">#66000000</color>
+	<color name="msg_selected_background">@color/briar_green</color>
 
 	<!-- text colors -->
 	<color name="briar_text_link">@color/briar_blue_light</color>