diff --git a/public/src/modules/chat.js b/public/src/modules/chat.js
index 3c67a6e170..4391b58cfc 100644
--- a/public/src/modules/chat.js
+++ b/public/src/modules/chat.js
@@ -25,9 +25,9 @@ define(['taskbar'], function(taskbar) {
 		socket.emit('api:user.isOnline', chatModal.touid, function(data) {
 			if(data.online !== chatModal.online) {
 				if(data.online) {
-					module.appendChatMessage(chatModal, chatModal.username + ' has come online.\n', data.timestamp);
+					module.appendChatMessage(chatModal, chatModal.username + ' is currently online.\n', data.timestamp);
 				} else {
-					module.appendChatMessage(chatModal, chatModal.username + ' has gone offline.\n', data.timestamp);
+					module.appendChatMessage(chatModal, chatModal.username + ' is currently offline.\n', data.timestamp);
 				}
 				chatModal.online = data.online;
 			}
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ define(['taskbar'], function(taskbar) {
 	
 	function checkOnlineStatus(chatModal) {
 		if(chatModal.intervalId === 0) {
-			chatModal.intervalId = setInterval(function(){
+			chatModal.intervalId = setInterval(function() {
 				checkStatus(chatModal);
 			}, 1000);
 		}
@@ -77,11 +77,8 @@ define(['taskbar'], function(taskbar) {
 		
 		addSendHandler(chatModal);
 
-		checkStatus(chatModal, function(online) {
-			chatModal.online = online;
-			getChatMessages(chatModal, function() {
-				checkOnlineStatus(chatModal);
-			});
+		getChatMessages(chatModal, function() {
+			checkOnlineStatus(chatModal);
 		});
 
 		taskbar.push('chat', chatModal.attr('UUID'), {title:'chat with ' + username});
diff --git a/src/upgrade.js b/src/upgrade.js
index 5369bc11ff..c25456d3d8 100644
--- a/src/upgrade.js
+++ b/src/upgrade.js
@@ -67,6 +67,37 @@ function upgradeUser(uid, callback) {
 	});
 }
 
+function upgradeUserHash(uid, callback) {
+	user.getUserFields(uid, ['username', 'userslug', 'email'], function(err, userData) {
+		if(err)
+			return callback(err);
+
+		async.parallel([
+			function(next) {
+				if(userData.username)
+					RDB.hset('username:uid', userData.username, uid, next);
+				else
+					next(null);
+			},
+			function(next) {
+				if(userData.userslug)
+					RDB.hset('userslug:uid', userData.userslug, uid, next);
+				else
+					next(null);
+			},
+			function(next) {
+				if(userData.email)
+					RDB.hset('email:uid', userData.email, uid, next);
+				else
+					next(null);
+			}
+
+		], function(err, result) {
+			callback(err);
+		});
+	});
+}
+
 function upgradeAdmins(callback) {
 	Groups.getGidFromName('Administrators', function(err, gid) {
 		if (!err && !gid) {
@@ -80,7 +111,7 @@ function upgradeAdmins(callback) {
 					Groups.create('Administrators', 'Forum Administrators', next);
 				}
 			], function(err, results) {
-				var	gid = results[1].gid;
+				var gid = results[1].gid;
 
 				async.each(results[0], function(uid, next) {
 					Groups.join(gid, uid, next);
@@ -130,6 +161,24 @@ exports.upgrade = function() {
 
 			});
 		},
+
+		function upgradeUserHashes(next) {
+			winston.info('upgrading user hashes');
+			RDB.zrange('users:joindate', 0, -1, function(err, uids) {
+				if(err)
+					return next(err);
+
+				async.each(uids, upgradeUserHash, function(err) {
+					if(!err) {
+						winston.info('upgraded user hashes');
+						next(null, null);
+					} else {
+						next(err, null);
+					}
+				});
+			});
+		},
+
 		upgradeAdmins
 	];
 
diff --git a/src/user.js b/src/user.js
index a0ef905215..1df13a5b47 100644
--- a/src/user.js
+++ b/src/user.js
@@ -76,11 +76,11 @@ var utils = require('./../public/src/utils.js'),
 					'showemail': 0
 				});
 
-				RDB.set('username:' + username + ':uid', uid);
-				RDB.set('userslug:'+ userslug +':uid', uid);
+				RDB.hset('username:uid', username, uid);
+				RDB.hset('userslug:uid', userslug, uid);
 
 				if (email !== undefined) {
-					RDB.set('email:' + email +':uid', uid);
+					RDB.hset('email:uid', email, uid);
 					User.sendConfirmationEmail(email);
 				}
 
@@ -114,9 +114,10 @@ var utils = require('./../public/src/utils.js'),
 				console.log('deleting uid ' + uid);
 
 				User.getUserData(uid, function(err, data) {
-					RDB.del('username:' + data['username'] + ':uid');
-					RDB.del('email:' + data['email'] +':uid');
-					RDB.del('userslug:'+ data['userslug'] +':uid');
+
+					RDB.hdel('username:uid', data['username']);
+					RDB.hdel('email:uid', data['email']);
+					RDB.hdel('userslug:uid', data['userslug']);
 
 					RDB.del('user:' + uid);
 					RDB.del('followers:' + uid);
@@ -250,8 +251,8 @@ var utils = require('./../public/src/utils.js'),
 						if(err)
 							return next(err);
 
-						RDB.del('email:' + userData['email'] + ':uid');
-						RDB.set('email:' + data['email'] + ':uid', uid);
+						RDB.hdel('email:uid', userData['email']);
+						RDB.hset('email:uid', data['email'], uid);
 						User.setUserField(uid, field, data[field]);
 						if(userData.picture !== userData.uploadedpicture) {
 							returnData.picture = gravatarpicture;
@@ -275,7 +276,7 @@ var utils = require('./../public/src/utils.js'),
 	}
 
 	User.isEmailAvailable = function(email, callback) {
-		RDB.exists('email:' + email + ':uid' , function(err, exists) {
+		RDB.hexists('email:uid', email, function(err, exists) {
 			callback(err, !exists);
 		});
 	}
@@ -627,7 +628,7 @@ var utils = require('./../public/src/utils.js'),
 	}
 
 	User.get_uid_by_username = function(username, callback) {
-		RDB.get('username:' + username + ':uid', function(err, data) {
+		RDB.hget('username::uid', username, function(err, data) {
 			if (err) {
 				RDB.handle(err);
 			}
@@ -636,7 +637,7 @@ var utils = require('./../public/src/utils.js'),
 	};
 
 	User.get_uid_by_userslug = function(userslug, callback) {
-		RDB.get('userslug:' + userslug + ':uid', function(err, data) {
+		RDB.hget('userslug:uid', userslug, function(err, data) {
 			if (err) {
 				RDB.handle(err);
 			}
@@ -683,7 +684,7 @@ var utils = require('./../public/src/utils.js'),
 	}
 
 	User.get_uid_by_email = function(email, callback) {
-		RDB.get('email:' + email + ':uid', function(err, data) {
+		RDB.hget('email:uid', email, function(err, data) {
 			if (err) {
 				RDB.handle(err);
 			}