diff --git a/src/components/structures/LoggedInView.js b/src/components/structures/LoggedInView.js
index 4c012b42a8..6ac7fcb3c4 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/LoggedInView.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/LoggedInView.js
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ export default React.createClass({
                         ConferenceHandler={this.props.ConferenceHandler}
                         scrollStateMap={this._scrollStateMap}
                     />;
-                if (!this.props.collapse_rhs) right_panel = <RightPanel roomId={this.props.currentRoomId} opacity={this.props.sideOpacity} />;
+                if (!this.props.collapse_rhs) right_panel = <RightPanel roomId={this.props.currentRoomId} opacity={this.props.rightOpacity} />;
                 break;
 
             case PageTypes.UserSettings:
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ export default React.createClass({
                     referralBaseUrl={this.props.config.referralBaseUrl}
                     teamToken={this.props.teamToken}
                 />;
-                if (!this.props.collapse_rhs) right_panel = <RightPanel opacity={this.props.sideOpacity}/>;
+                if (!this.props.collapse_rhs) right_panel = <RightPanel opacity={this.props.rightOpacity}/>;
                 break;
 
             case PageTypes.CreateRoom:
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ export default React.createClass({
                     onRoomCreated={this.props.onRoomCreated}
                     collapsedRhs={this.props.collapse_rhs}
                 />;
-                if (!this.props.collapse_rhs) right_panel = <RightPanel opacity={this.props.sideOpacity}/>;
+                if (!this.props.collapse_rhs) right_panel = <RightPanel opacity={this.props.rightOpacity}/>;
                 break;
 
             case PageTypes.RoomDirectory:
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ export default React.createClass({
                     collapsedRhs={this.props.collapse_rhs}
                     config={this.props.config.roomDirectory}
                 />;
-                if (!this.props.collapse_rhs) right_panel = <RightPanel opacity={this.props.sideOpacity}/>;
+                if (!this.props.collapse_rhs) right_panel = <RightPanel opacity={this.props.rightOpacity}/>;
                 break;
 
             case PageTypes.HomePage:
@@ -232,12 +232,12 @@ export default React.createClass({
                     teamServerUrl={this.props.config.teamServerConfig.teamServerURL}
                     teamToken={this.props.teamToken}
                 />
-                if (!this.props.collapse_rhs) right_panel = <RightPanel opacity={this.props.sideOpacity}/>
+                if (!this.props.collapse_rhs) right_panel = <RightPanel opacity={this.props.rightOpacity}/>
                 break;
 
             case PageTypes.UserView:
                 page_element = null; // deliberately null for now
-                right_panel = <RightPanel userId={this.props.viewUserId} opacity={this.props.sideOpacity} />;
+                right_panel = <RightPanel userId={this.props.viewUserId} opacity={this.props.rightOpacity} />;
                 break;
         }
 
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ export default React.createClass({
                     <LeftPanel
                         selectedRoom={this.props.currentRoomId}
                         collapsed={this.props.collapse_lhs || false}
-                        opacity={this.props.sideOpacity}
+                        opacity={this.props.leftOpacity}
                         teamToken={this.props.teamToken}
                     />
                     <main className='mx_MatrixChat_middlePanel'>
diff --git a/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js b/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
index 25ec644787..c78a395185 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
@@ -119,8 +119,9 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             collapse_rhs: false,
             ready: false,
             width: 10000,
-            sideOpacity: 1.0,
+            leftOpacity: 1.0,
             middleOpacity: 1.0,
+            rightOpacity: 1.0,
 
             version: null,
             newVersion: null,
@@ -547,29 +548,23 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 });
                 break;
             case 'hide_right_panel':
-                this.was_rhs_collapsed = this.state.collapse_rhs;
                 this.setState({
                     collapse_rhs: true,
                 });
                 break;
             case 'show_right_panel':
-                this.was_rhs_collapsed = this.state.collapse_rhs;
                 this.setState({
                     collapse_rhs: false,
                 });
                 break;
-            // sets the panel to its state before last show/hide event
-            case 'restore_right_panel':
+            case 'ui_opacity': {
+                const sideDefault = payload.sideOpacity >= 0.0 ? payload.sideOpacity : 1.0;
                 this.setState({
-                    collapse_rhs: this.was_rhs_collapsed,
+                    leftOpacity: payload.leftOpacity >= 0.0 ? payload.leftOpacity : sideDefault,
+                    middleOpacity: payload.middleOpacity || 1.0,
+                    rightOpacity: payload.rightOpacity >= 0.0 ? payload.rightOpacity : sideDefault,
                 });
-                break;
-            case 'ui_opacity':
-                this.setState({
-                    sideOpacity: payload.sideOpacity,
-                    middleOpacity: payload.middleOpacity,
-                });
-                break;
+                break; }
             case 'set_theme':
                 this._onSetTheme(payload.value);
                 break;
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/ForwardMessage.js b/src/components/views/rooms/ForwardMessage.js
index e5be89b2e0..cd57bb1ba1 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/ForwardMessage.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/ForwardMessage.js
@@ -34,11 +34,11 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     componentWillMount: function() {
         this._unmounted = false;
 
-        dis.dispatch({action: 'hide_right_panel'});
         dis.dispatch({
             action: 'ui_opacity',
-            sideOpacity: 1.0,
-            middleOpacity: 0.3,
+            leftOpacity: 1.0,
+            rightOpacity: 0.3,
+            middleOpacity: 0.5,
         });
     },
 
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     componentWillUnmount: function() {
         this._unmounted = true;
 
-        dis.dispatch({action: 'restore_right_panel'});
         dis.dispatch({
             action: 'ui_opacity',
             sideOpacity: 1.0,