diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/js/chat_window.js b/addons/mail/static/src/js/chat_window.js
index e9fcaa9fe09..e7b841cc972 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/js/chat_window.js
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/js/chat_window.js
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ return Widget.extend({
 
         this.thread = new ChatThread(this, {
             channel_id: this.channel_id,
-            display_avatar: false,
             display_needactions: false,
             display_stars: this.options.display_stars,
         });
@@ -64,7 +63,7 @@ return Widget.extend({
     fold: function () {
         this.update_header();
         this.$el.animate({
-            height: this.folded ? "28px" : "333px"
+            height: this.folded ? "28px" : "400px"
         });
     },
     toggle_fold: function (fold) {
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/js/client_action.js b/addons/mail/static/src/js/client_action.js
index c26ee8fb60c..d4d2cb69d4f 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/js/client_action.js
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/js/client_action.js
@@ -164,7 +164,8 @@ var ChatAction = Widget.extend(ControlPanelMixin, {
 
         this.composer = new ChatComposer(this);
         this.thread = new ChatThread(this, {
-            display_help: true
+            display_help: true,
+            shorten_messages: false,
         });
 
         this.$buttons = $(QWeb.render("mail.chat.ControlButtons", {}));
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/js/thread.js b/addons/mail/static/src/js/thread.js
index 86b34255cf7..5381c9f89c3 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/js/thread.js
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/js/thread.js
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ var Thread = Widget.extend({
             display_stars: true,
             display_document_link: true,
             display_avatar: true,
+            shorten_messages: true,
             squash_close_messages: true,
         });
     },
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/js/window_manager.js b/addons/mail/static/src/js/window_manager.js
index 5a62c15ed8b..fe60dff4bd5 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/js/window_manager.js
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/js/window_manager.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ var web_client = require('web.web_client');
 // chat window management
 //----------------------------------------------------------------
 var chat_sessions = [];
-var CHAT_WINDOW_WIDTH = 260;
+var CHAT_WINDOW_WIDTH = 300;
 
 function open_chat (session) {
     if (!_.findWhere(chat_sessions, {id: session.id})) {
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/less/chat_window.less b/addons/mail/static/src/less/chat_window.less
index b911ef467ed..ee6ea89b539 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/less/chat_window.less
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/less/chat_window.less
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
-@o-chat-window-bg: lighten(lightgray, 13%);
+@o-chat-window-bg: white;
 
 .o_chat_window {
     .o-flex-display();
     .o-flex-flow(column, nowrap);
     position: fixed;
-    width: 260px;
-    height: 333px;
+    width: 300px;
+    height: 400px;
+    font-size: 12px;
     background-color: @o-chat-window-bg;
     border: 1px solid gray;
     border-radius: 3px;
@@ -44,6 +45,11 @@
                 background-color: @o-chat-window-bg;
             }
         }
+        .o_thread_message {
+            .o_thread_message_sidebar {
+                margin-right: 5px;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     .o_chat_input > input {
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/less/thread.less b/addons/mail/static/src/less/thread.less
index e28b949bd5d..f2971dcf17e 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/less/thread.less
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/less/thread.less
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 @mail-thread-avatar-size: 36px;
 @mail-thread-icon-opacity: 0.6;
 @mail-thread-side-date-opacity: 0.6;
+@mail-thread-note: @gray-lighter;
 
 .o_mail_thread {
     .o_thread_show_more {
@@ -97,6 +98,10 @@
         .o_thread_message_core {
             .o-flex(1, 1, auto);
 
+            &.o_mail_note {
+                background-color: @gray-lighter;
+            }
+
             .o_mail_subject {
                 font-style: italic;
             }
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/xml/thread.xml b/addons/mail/static/src/xml/thread.xml
index f1a364999b5..0e7777dda1a 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/xml/thread.xml
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/xml/thread.xml
@@ -21,12 +21,12 @@
     <!-- When a channel is empty-->
     <div t-name="mail.EmptyChannel">
         <t t-if="options.channel_id==='channel_inbox'">
-            <div class="o_thread_title">Congratulation, your inbox is empty</div>
-            <div>New messages will appear here.</div>
+            <div class="o_thread_title">Congratulations, your inbox is empty</div>
+            <div>New messages appear here.</div>
         </t>
         <t t-if="options.channel_id==='channel_starred'">
-            <div class="o_thread_title">No message starred</div>
-            <div> You can mark any message as 'starred', and it will show up in this channel.</div>
+            <div class="o_thread_title">No starred message</div>
+            <div> You can mark any message as 'starred', and it shows up in this channel.</div>
         </t>
     </div>
 
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
                     t-att-class="'fa o_thread_message_star ' + (message.is_starred ? 'fa-star' : 'fa-star-o')"
                     t-att-data-message-id="message.id" t-att-title="_t('Mark as Todo')"/>
             </div>
-            <div class="o_thread_message_core">
+            <div t-att-class="'o_thread_message_core' + (message.is_note ? ' o_mail_note' : '')">
                 <p t-if="message.display_author" class="o_mail_info">
                     <t t-if="message.is_note">
                         Note by
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@
                             t-att-data-message-id="message.id" t-att-title="_t('Mark as Todo')"/>
                         <i t-if="message.is_needaction &amp;&amp; options.display_needactions"
                            class="fa fa-check o_thread_message_needaction"
-                           t-att-data-message-id="message.id" t-att-title="_t('Mark as Done')"/>
+                           t-att-data-message-id="message.id" t-att-title="_t('Mark as Read')"/>
                     </span>
                 </p>
                 <t t-if="message.tracking_value_ids &amp;&amp; message.tracking_value_ids.length &gt; 0">
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@
                 </t>
                 <p t-if="options.display_subject &amp;&amp; message.display_subject" class="o_mail_subject">Subject: <t t-esc="message.subject"/></p>
                 <t t-if="!(message.tracking_value_ids &amp;&amp; message.tracking_value_ids.length &gt; 0)">
-                    <t t-if="message.body_short">
+                    <t t-if="options.shorten_messages &amp;&amp; message.body_short">
                         <div class="o_mail_body_short">
                             <t t-raw="message.body_short"/>
                         </div>
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@
                             <t t-raw="message.body"/>
                         </div>
                     </t>
-                    <t t-if="! message.body_short">
+                    <t t-if="!options.shorten_messages || !message.body_short">
                         <t t-raw="message.body"/>
                     </t>
                 </t>