diff --git a/res/css/_components.scss b/res/css/_components.scss
index 7975a71e4f..7271038444 100644
--- a/res/css/_components.scss
+++ b/res/css/_components.scss
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 @import "./views/avatars/_MemberStatusMessageAvatar.scss";
 @import "./views/context_menus/_MessageContextMenu.scss";
 @import "./views/context_menus/_RoomTileContextMenu.scss";
+@import "./views/context_menus/_StatusMessageContextMenu.scss";
 @import "./views/context_menus/_TagTileContextMenu.scss";
 @import "./views/dialogs/_BugReportDialog.scss";
 @import "./views/dialogs/_ChangelogDialog.scss";
diff --git a/res/css/views/avatars/_MemberStatusMessageAvatar.scss b/res/css/views/avatars/_MemberStatusMessageAvatar.scss
index 4027bfa514..c857b9807b 100644
--- a/res/css/views/avatars/_MemberStatusMessageAvatar.scss
+++ b/res/css/views/avatars/_MemberStatusMessageAvatar.scss
@@ -14,38 +14,7 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
-.mx_MemberStatusMessageAvatar_contextMenu_message {
-    display: inline-block;
-    border-radius: 3px 0 0 3px;
-    border: 1px solid $input-border-color;
-    font-size: 13px;
-    padding: 7px 7px 7px 9px;
-    width: 135px;
-    background-color: $primary-bg-color !important;
-}
-
-.mx_MemberStatusMessageAvatar_contextMenu_submit {
-    display: inline-block;
-}
-
-.mx_MemberStatusMessageAvatar_contextMenu_submit img {
-    vertical-align: middle;
-    margin-left: 8px;
-}
-
-.mx_MemberStatusMessageAvatar_contextMenu hr {
-    border: 0.5px solid $menu-border-color;
-}
-
-.mx_MemberStatusMessageAvatar_contextMenu_clearIcon {
-    margin: 5px 15px 5px 5px;
-    vertical-align: middle;
-}
-
-.mx_MemberStatusMessageAvatar_contextMenu_clear {
-    padding: 2px;
-}
-
-.mx_MemberStatusMessageAvatar_contextMenu_hasStatus .mx_MemberStatusMessageAvatar_contextMenu_clear {
-    color: $warning-color;
+.mx_MemberStatusMessageAvatar_hasStatus {
+    border: 2px solid $accent-color;
+    border-radius: 40px;
 }
diff --git a/res/css/views/context_menus/_StatusMessageContextMenu.scss b/res/css/views/context_menus/_StatusMessageContextMenu.scss
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..465f1b53e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/res/css/views/context_menus/_StatusMessageContextMenu.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2018 New Vector Ltd
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+.mx_StatusMessageContextMenu_message {
+    display: inline-block;
+    border-radius: 3px 0 0 3px;
+    border: 1px solid $input-border-color;
+    font-size: 13px;
+    padding: 7px 7px 7px 9px;
+    width: 135px;
+    background-color: $primary-bg-color !important;
+}
+
+.mx_StatusMessageContextMenu_submit {
+    display: inline-block;
+}
+
+.mx_StatusMessageContextMenu_submit img {
+    vertical-align: middle;
+    margin-left: 8px;
+}
+
+.mx_StatusMessageContextMenu hr {
+    border: 0.5px solid $menu-border-color;
+}
+
+.mx_StatusMessageContextMenu_clearIcon {
+    margin: 5px 15px 5px 5px;
+    vertical-align: middle;
+}
+
+.mx_StatusMessageContextMenu_clear {
+    padding: 2px;
+}
+
+.mx_StatusMessageContextMenu_hasStatus .mx_StatusMessageContextMenu_clear {
+    color: $warning-color;
+}
diff --git a/src/components/views/avatars/MemberStatusMessageAvatar.js b/src/components/views/avatars/MemberStatusMessageAvatar.js
index 66122f9eee..00b25b3c73 100644
--- a/src/components/views/avatars/MemberStatusMessageAvatar.js
+++ b/src/components/views/avatars/MemberStatusMessageAvatar.js
@@ -16,22 +16,18 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 import React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
-import { _t } from '../../../languageHandler';
 import MatrixClientPeg from '../../../MatrixClientPeg';
 import AccessibleButton from '../elements/AccessibleButton';
 import MemberAvatar from '../avatars/MemberAvatar';
 import classNames from 'classnames';
 import * as ContextualMenu from "../../structures/ContextualMenu";
-import GenericElementContextMenu from "../context_menus/GenericElementContextMenu";
+import StatusMessageContextMenu from "../context_menus/StatusMessageContextMenu";
 
 export default class MemberStatusMessageAvatar extends React.Component {
     constructor(props, context) {
         super(props, context);
         this._onRoomStateEvents = this._onRoomStateEvents.bind(this);
         this._onClick = this._onClick.bind(this);
-        this._onClearClick = this._onClearClick.bind(this);
-        this._onSubmit = this._onSubmit.bind(this);
-        this._onStatusChange = this._onStatusChange.bind(this);
     }
 
     componentWillMount() {
@@ -75,64 +71,16 @@ export default class MemberStatusMessageAvatar extends React.Component {
         let y = elementRect.top + (elementRect.height / 2) + window.pageYOffset;
         y = y - (chevronOffset + 4); // where 4 is 1/4 the height of the chevron
 
-        const contextMenu = this._renderContextMenu();
-
-        ContextualMenu.createMenu(GenericElementContextMenu, {
+        ContextualMenu.createMenu(StatusMessageContextMenu, {
             chevronOffset: chevronOffset,
             chevronFace: 'bottom',
             left: x,
             top: y,
             menuWidth: 190,
-            element: contextMenu,
+            user: this.props.member.user,
         });
     }
 
-    async _onClearClick(e) {
-        await MatrixClientPeg.get().setStatusMessage("");
-        this.setState({message: ""});
-    }
-
-    _onSubmit(e) {
-        e.preventDefault();
-        MatrixClientPeg.get().setStatusMessage(this.state.message);
-    }
-
-    _onStatusChange(e) {
-        this.setState({message: e.target.value});
-    }
-
-    _renderContextMenu() {
-        const form = <form className="mx_MemberStatusMessageAvatar_contextMenu_form" onSubmit={this._onSubmit}>
-            <input type="text" key="message" placeholder={_t("Set a new status...")}
-                   className="mx_MemberStatusMessageAvatar_contextMenu_message"
-                   defaultValue={this.state.message} onChange={this._onStatusChange} maxLength="60"
-            />
-            <AccessibleButton onClick={this._onSubmit} element="div" className="mx_MemberStatusMessageAvatar_contextMenu_submit">
-                <img src="img/icons-checkmark.svg" width="22" height="22" />
-            </AccessibleButton>
-        </form>;
-
-        const clearIcon = this.state.message ? "img/cancel-red.svg" : "img/cancel.svg";
-        const clearButton = <AccessibleButton onClick={this._onClearClick} disabled={!this.state.message}
-                                              className="mx_MemberStatusMessageAvatar_contextMenu_clear">
-            <img src={clearIcon} alt={_t('Clear status')} width="12" height="12"
-                 className="mx_filterFlipColor mx_MemberStatusMessageAvatar_contextMenu_clearIcon"
-            />
-            <span>{_t("Clear status")}</span>
-        </AccessibleButton>;
-
-        const menuClasses = classNames({
-            "mx_MemberStatusMessageAvatar_contextMenu": true,
-            "mx_MemberStatusMessageAvatar_contextMenu_hasStatus": this.state.message,
-        });
-
-        return <div className={menuClasses}>
-            { form }
-            <hr />
-            { clearButton }
-        </div>;
-    }
-
     render() {
         const hasStatus = this.props.member.user ? !!this.props.member.user.statusMessage : false;
 
@@ -145,8 +93,7 @@ export default class MemberStatusMessageAvatar extends React.Component {
             <MemberAvatar member={this.props.member}
                           width={this.props.width}
                           height={this.props.height}
-                          resizeMethod={this.props.resizeMethod}
-            />
+                          resizeMethod={this.props.resizeMethod} />
         </AccessibleButton>;
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/components/views/context_menus/StatusMessageContextMenu.js b/src/components/views/context_menus/StatusMessageContextMenu.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f77669329f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/views/context_menus/StatusMessageContextMenu.js
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2018 New Vector Ltd
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+import React from 'react';
+import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
+import { _t } from '../../../languageHandler';
+import MatrixClientPeg from '../../../MatrixClientPeg';
+import AccessibleButton from '../elements/AccessibleButton';
+import classNames from 'classnames';
+
+export default class StatusMessageContextMenu extends React.Component {
+    constructor(props, context) {
+        super(props, context);
+        this._onClearClick = this._onClearClick.bind(this);
+        this._onSubmit = this._onSubmit.bind(this);
+        this._onStatusChange = this._onStatusChange.bind(this);
+
+        this.state = {
+            message: props.user ? props.user.statusMessage : "",
+        };
+    }
+
+    async _onClearClick(e) {
+        await MatrixClientPeg.get().setStatusMessage("");
+        this.setState({message: ""});
+    }
+
+    _onSubmit(e) {
+        e.preventDefault();
+        MatrixClientPeg.get().setStatusMessage(this.state.message);
+    }
+
+    _onStatusChange(e) {
+        this.setState({message: e.target.value});
+    }
+
+    render() {
+        const form = <form className="mx_StatusMessageContextMenu_form" onSubmit={this._onSubmit}>
+            <input type="text" key="message" placeholder={_t("Set a new status...")} autoFocus={true}
+                   className="mx_StatusMessageContextMenu_message"
+                   value={this.state.message} onChange={this._onStatusChange} maxLength="60" />
+            <AccessibleButton onClick={this._onSubmit} element="div" className="mx_StatusMessageContextMenu_submit">
+                <img src="img/icons-checkmark.svg" width="22" height="22" />
+            </AccessibleButton>
+        </form>;
+
+        const clearIcon = this.state.message ? "img/cancel-red.svg" : "img/cancel.svg";
+        const clearButton = <AccessibleButton onClick={this._onClearClick} disabled={!this.state.message}
+                                              className="mx_StatusMessageContextMenu_clear">
+            <img src={clearIcon} alt={_t('Clear status')} width="12" height="12"
+                 className="mx_filterFlipColor mx_StatusMessageContextMenu_clearIcon" />
+            <span>{_t("Clear status")}</span>
+        </AccessibleButton>;
+
+        const menuClasses = classNames({
+            "mx_StatusMessageContextMenu": true,
+            "mx_StatusMessageContextMenu_hasStatus": this.state.message,
+        });
+
+        return <div className={menuClasses}>
+            { form }
+            <hr />
+            { clearButton }
+        </div>;
+    }
+}
+
+StatusMessageContextMenu.propTypes = {
+    // js-sdk User object. Not required because it might not exist.
+    user: PropTypes.object,
+};