diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 616c14ce15..cb83742b5b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@
     "nodebb-plugin-spam-be-gone": "0.4.10",
     "nodebb-rewards-essentials": "0.0.9",
     "nodebb-theme-lavender": "3.0.14",
-    "nodebb-theme-persona": "4.1.55",
-    "nodebb-theme-vanilla": "5.1.36",
+    "nodebb-theme-persona": "4.1.56",
+    "nodebb-theme-vanilla": "5.1.37",
     "nodebb-widget-essentials": "2.0.11",
     "nodemailer": "2.0.0",
     "nodemailer-sendmail-transport": "1.0.0",
diff --git a/public/src/app.js b/public/src/app.js
index 7fd5bba563..46f0419709 100644
--- a/public/src/app.js
+++ b/public/src/app.js
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ app.cacheBuster = null;
 			if (chat.modalExists(roomId)) {
 				loadAndCenter(chat.getModal(roomId));
 			} else {
-				socket.emit('modules.chats.loadRoom', {roomId: roomId}, function(err, roomData) {
+				socket.emit('modules.chats.loadRoom', {roomId: roomId, uid: uid || app.user.uid}, function(err, roomData) {
 					if (err) {
 						return app.alertError(err.message);
 					}
diff --git a/public/src/modules/chat.js b/public/src/modules/chat.js
index 80e3b8fe74..6034eacfb0 100644
--- a/public/src/modules/chat.js
+++ b/public/src/modules/chat.js
@@ -154,131 +154,117 @@ define('chat', [
 		return $('#chat-modal-' + roomId).length !== 0;
 	};
 
-	function checkStatus(chatModal) {
-		socket.emit('user.checkStatus', chatModal.attr('touid'), function(err, status) {
-			if (err) {
-				return app.alertError(err.message);
-			}
-
-			app.updateUserStatus(chatModal.find('[component="user/status"]'), status);
-		});
-	}
-
 	module.createModal = function(data, callback) {
-		templates.parse('chat', data, function(chatTpl) {
-			translator.translate(chatTpl, function (chatTpl) {
-
-				var chatModal = $(chatTpl),
-					uuid = utils.generateUUID(),
-					dragged = false;
-
-				chatModal.attr('id', 'chat-modal-' + data.roomId);
-				chatModal.attr('roomId', data.roomId);
-				chatModal.attr('intervalId', 0);
-				chatModal.attr('UUID', uuid);
-				chatModal.css('position', 'fixed');
-				chatModal.css('zIndex', 100);
-				chatModal.appendTo($('body'));
-				module.center(chatModal);
-
-				app.loadJQueryUI(function() {
-					chatModal.find('.modal-content').resizable({
-						handles: 'n, e, s, w, se',
-						minHeight: 250,
-						minWidth: 400
-					});
-
-					chatModal.find('.modal-content').on('resize', function(event, ui) {
-						if (ui.originalSize.height === ui.size.height) {
-							return;
-						}
+		app.parseAndTranslate('chat', data, function(chatModal) {
+
+			var uuid = utils.generateUUID();
+			var dragged = false;
+
+			chatModal.attr('id', 'chat-modal-' + data.roomId);
+			chatModal.attr('roomId', data.roomId);
+			chatModal.attr('intervalId', 0);
+			chatModal.attr('UUID', uuid);
+			chatModal.css('position', 'fixed');
+			chatModal.css('zIndex', 100);
+			chatModal.appendTo($('body'));
+			chatModal.find('.timeago').timeago();
+			module.center(chatModal);
+
+			app.loadJQueryUI(function() {
+				chatModal.find('.modal-content').resizable({
+					handles: 'n, e, s, w, se',
+					minHeight: 250,
+					minWidth: 400
+				});
 
-						chatModal.find('.chat-content').css('height', module.calculateChatListHeight(chatModal));
-					});
+				chatModal.find('.modal-content').on('resize', function(event, ui) {
+					if (ui.originalSize.height === ui.size.height) {
+						return;
+					}
 
-					chatModal.draggable({
-						start:function() {
-							module.bringModalToTop(chatModal);
-						},
-						stop:function() {
-							chatModal.find('#chat-message-input').focus();
-						},
-						distance: 10,
-						handle: '.modal-header'
-					});
+					chatModal.find('.chat-content').css('height', module.calculateChatListHeight(chatModal));
 				});
 
-				chatModal.find('#chat-close-btn').on('click', function() {
-					module.close(chatModal);
+				chatModal.draggable({
+					start:function() {
+						module.bringModalToTop(chatModal);
+					},
+					stop:function() {
+						chatModal.find('#chat-message-input').focus();
+					},
+					distance: 10,
+					handle: '.modal-header'
 				});
+			});
 
-				function gotoChats() {
-					var text = components.get('chat/input').val();
-					$(window).one('action:ajaxify.end', function() {
-						components.get('chat/input').val(text);
-					});
+			chatModal.find('#chat-close-btn').on('click', function() {
+				module.close(chatModal);
+			});
 
-					ajaxify.go('user/' + app.user.userslug + '/chats/' + chatModal.attr('roomId'));
-					module.close(chatModal);
-				}
+			function gotoChats() {
+				var text = components.get('chat/input').val();
+				$(window).one('action:ajaxify.end', function() {
+					components.get('chat/input').val(text);
+				});
 
-				chatModal.find('.modal-header').on('dblclick', gotoChats);
-				chatModal.find('button[data-action="maximize"]').on('click', gotoChats);
+				ajaxify.go('user/' + app.user.userslug + '/chats/' + chatModal.attr('roomId'));
+				module.close(chatModal);
+			}
 
-				chatModal.on('click', function() {
-					module.bringModalToTop(chatModal);
+			chatModal.find('.modal-header').on('dblclick', gotoChats);
+			chatModal.find('button[data-action="maximize"]').on('click', gotoChats);
 
-					if (dragged) {
-						dragged = false;
-					}
-				});
+			chatModal.on('click', function() {
+				module.bringModalToTop(chatModal);
 
-				chatModal.on('mousemove', function(e) {
-					if (e.which === 1) {
-						dragged = true;
-					}
-				});
+				if (dragged) {
+					dragged = false;
+				}
+			});
 
-				chatModal.on('mousemove keypress click', function() {
-					if (newMessage) {
-						socket.emit('modules.chats.markRead', data.roomId);
-						newMessage = false;
-					}
-				});
+			chatModal.on('mousemove', function(e) {
+				if (e.which === 1) {
+					dragged = true;
+				}
+			});
 
-				Chats.addEditDeleteHandler(chatModal.find('[component="chat/messages"]'), data.roomId);
+			chatModal.on('mousemove keypress click', function() {
+				if (newMessage) {
+					socket.emit('modules.chats.markRead', data.roomId);
+					newMessage = false;
+				}
+			});
 
-				chatModal.find('[component="chat/controlsToggle"]').on('click', function() {
-					var messagesEl = chatModal.find('[component="chat/messages"]');
+			Chats.addEditDeleteHandler(chatModal.find('[component="chat/messages"]'), data.roomId);
 
-					chatModal.find('[component="chat/controls"]').toggle();
-					messagesEl.css('height', module.calculateChatListHeight(chatModal));
-				});
+			chatModal.find('[component="chat/controlsToggle"]').on('click', function() {
+				var messagesEl = chatModal.find('[component="chat/messages"]');
 
-				Chats.addRenameHandler(chatModal.attr('roomId'), chatModal.find('[component="chat/room/name"]'));
+				chatModal.find('[component="chat/controls"]').toggle();
+				messagesEl.css('height', module.calculateChatListHeight(chatModal));
+			});
 
-				Chats.addSendHandlers(chatModal.attr('roomId'), chatModal.find('#chat-message-input'), chatModal.find('#chat-message-send-btn'));
+			Chats.addRenameHandler(chatModal.attr('roomId'), chatModal.find('[component="chat/room/name"]'));
 
-				Chats.createTagsInput(chatModal.find('.users-tag-input'), data);
-				Chats.createAutoComplete(chatModal.find('[component="chat/input"]'));
+			Chats.addSendHandlers(chatModal.attr('roomId'), chatModal.find('#chat-message-input'), chatModal.find('#chat-message-send-btn'));
 
-				Chats.addScrollHandler(chatModal.attr('roomId'), data.uid, chatModal.find('.chat-content'));
+			Chats.createTagsInput(chatModal.find('.users-tag-input'), data);
+			Chats.createAutoComplete(chatModal.find('[component="chat/input"]'));
 
-				checkStatus(chatModal);
+			Chats.addScrollHandler(chatModal.attr('roomId'), data.uid, chatModal.find('.chat-content'));
 
-				taskbar.push('chat', chatModal.attr('UUID'), {
-					title: data.users.length ? data.users[0].username : '',
-					roomId: data.roomId,
-					icon: 'fa-comment',
-					state: ''
-				});
+			taskbar.push('chat', chatModal.attr('UUID'), {
+				title: data.users.length ? data.users[0].username : '',
+				roomId: data.roomId,
+				icon: 'fa-comment',
+				state: ''
+			});
 
-				$(window).trigger('action:chat.loaded', chatModal);
+			$(window).trigger('action:chat.loaded', chatModal);
 
-				if (typeof callback === 'function') {
-					callback(chatModal);
-				}
-			});
+			if (typeof callback === 'function') {
+				callback(chatModal);
+			}
 		});
 	};
 
diff --git a/src/controllers/accounts/chats.js b/src/controllers/accounts/chats.js
index 12ea675e8d..ddde8efb5e 100644
--- a/src/controllers/accounts/chats.js
+++ b/src/controllers/accounts/chats.js
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ chatsController.get = function(req, res, callback) {
 					callerUid: req.uid,
 					uid: uid,
 					roomId: req.params.roomid,
-					since: 'recent',
 					isNew: false
 				}),
 				room: async.apply(messaging.getRoomData, req.params.roomid)
diff --git a/src/messaging.js b/src/messaging.js
index 532b375b41..ae554f7359 100644
--- a/src/messaging.js
+++ b/src/messaging.js
@@ -22,13 +22,6 @@ var userNotifications = require('./user/notifications');
 	require('./messaging/unread')(Messaging);
 	require('./messaging/notifications')(Messaging);
 
-	var terms = {
-		day: 86400000,
-		week: 604800000,
-		month: 2592000000,
-		threemonths: 7776000000
-	};
-
 	Messaging.getMessageField = function(mid, field, callback) {
 		Messaging.getMessageFields(mid, [field], function(err, fields) {
 			callback(err, fields ? fields[field] : null);
@@ -50,18 +43,11 @@ var userNotifications = require('./user/notifications');
 	Messaging.getMessages = function(params, callback) {
 		var uid = params.uid;
 		var roomId = params.roomId;
-		var since = params.since;
 		var isNew = params.isNew || false;
 		var start = params.hasOwnProperty('start') ? params.start : 0;
-		var count = params.count || 250;
+		var stop = parseInt(start, 10) + ((params.count || 50) - 1);
 		var markRead = params.markRead || true;
 
-		var min = params.count ? 0 : Date.now() - (terms[since] || terms.day);
-
-		if (since === 'recent') {
-			count = 50;
-			min = 0;
-		}
 		var indices = {};
 		async.waterfall([
 			function(next) {
@@ -71,7 +57,7 @@ var userNotifications = require('./user/notifications');
 				if (!canGet) {
 					return callback(null, null);
 				}
-				db.getSortedSetRevRangeByScore('uid:' + uid + ':chat:room:' + roomId + ':mids', start, count, '+inf', min, next);
+				db.getSortedSetRevRange('uid:' + uid + ':chat:room:' + roomId + ':mids', start, stop, next);
 			},
 			function(mids, next) {
 				if (!Array.isArray(mids) || !mids.length) {
diff --git a/src/socket.io/modules.js b/src/socket.io/modules.js
index 4f8e0ab130..d2097ff800 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/modules.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/modules.js
@@ -115,11 +115,18 @@ SocketModules.chats.loadRoom = function(socket, data, callback) {
 
 			async.parallel({
 				roomData: async.apply(Messaging.getRoomData, data.roomId),
-				users: async.apply(Messaging.getUsersInRoom, data.roomId, 0, -1)
+				users: async.apply(Messaging.getUsersInRoom, data.roomId, 0, -1),
+				messages: async.apply(Messaging.getMessages, {
+					callerUid: socket.uid,
+					uid: data.uid || socket.uid,
+					roomId: data.roomId,
+					isNew: false
+				}),
 			}, next);
 		},
 		function (results, next) {
 			results.roomData.users = results.users;
+			results.roomData.messages = results.messages;
 			results.roomData.groupChat = results.roomData.hasOwnProperty('groupChat') ? results.roomData.groupChat : results.users.length > 2;
 			results.roomData.isOwner = parseInt(results.roomData.owner, 10) === socket.uid;
 			results.roomData.maximumUsersInChatRoom = parseInt(meta.config.maximumUsersInChatRoom, 10) || 0;
@@ -312,10 +319,6 @@ SocketModules.chats.getMessages = function(socket, data, callback) {
 		markRead: false
 	};
 
-	if (data.hasOwnProperty('since')) {
-		params.since = data.since;
-	}
-
 	if (data.hasOwnProperty('markRead')) {
 		params.markRead = data.markRead;
 	}