diff --git a/src/MatrixClientPeg.js b/src/MatrixClientPeg.js
index 0c3d5b3775..7a4f0b99b0 100644
--- a/src/MatrixClientPeg.js
+++ b/src/MatrixClientPeg.js
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ class MatrixClientPeg {
         const opts = utils.deepCopy(this.opts);
         // the react sdk doesn't work without this, so don't allow
         opts.pendingEventOrdering = "detached";
+        opts.disablePresence = true; // we do this manually
 
         try {
             const promise = this.matrixClient.store.startup();
diff --git a/src/Presence.js b/src/Presence.js
index fab518e1cb..2652c64c96 100644
--- a/src/Presence.js
+++ b/src/Presence.js
@@ -56,13 +56,27 @@ class Presence {
         return this.state;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Get the current status message.
+     * @returns {String} the status message, may be null
+     */
+    getStatusMessage() {
+        return this.statusMessage;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Set the presence state.
      * If the state has changed, the Home Server will be notified.
      * @param {string} newState the new presence state (see PRESENCE enum)
+     * @param {String} statusMessage an optional status message for the presence
+     * @param {boolean} maintain true to have this status maintained by this tracker
      */
-    setState(newState) {
-        if (newState === this.state) {
+    setState(newState, statusMessage=null, maintain=false) {
+        if (this.maintain) {
+            // Don't update presence if we're maintaining a particular status
+            return;
+        }
+        if (newState === this.state && statusMessage === this.statusMessage) {
             return;
         }
         if (PRESENCE_STATES.indexOf(newState) === -1) {
@@ -72,21 +86,37 @@ class Presence {
             return;
         }
         const old_state = this.state;
+        const old_message = this.statusMessage;
         this.state = newState;
+        this.statusMessage = statusMessage;
+        this.maintain = maintain;
 
         if (MatrixClientPeg.get().isGuest()) {
             return; // don't try to set presence when a guest; it won't work.
         }
 
+        const updateContent = {
+            presence: this.state,
+            status_msg: this.statusMessage ? this.statusMessage : '',
+        };
+
         const self = this;
-        MatrixClientPeg.get().setPresence(this.state).done(function() {
+        MatrixClientPeg.get().setPresence(updateContent).done(function() {
             console.log("Presence: %s", newState);
+
+            // We have to dispatch because the js-sdk is unreliable at telling us about our own presence
+            dis.dispatch({action: "self_presence_updated", statusInfo: updateContent});
         }, function(err) {
             console.error("Failed to set presence: %s", err);
             self.state = old_state;
+            self.statusMessage = old_message;
         });
     }
 
+    stopMaintainingStatus() {
+        this.maintain = false;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Callback called when the user made no action on the page for UNAVAILABLE_TIME ms.
      * @private
@@ -95,7 +125,8 @@ class Presence {
         this.setState("unavailable");
     }
 
-    _onUserActivity() {
+    _onUserActivity(payload) {
+        if (payload.action === "sync_state" || payload.action === "self_presence_updated") return;
         this._resetTimer();
     }
 
diff --git a/src/components/views/avatars/MemberPresenceAvatar.js b/src/components/views/avatars/MemberPresenceAvatar.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e90f2e3e62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/views/avatars/MemberPresenceAvatar.js
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+/*
+ Copyright 2017 Travis Ralston
+
+ 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.
+ */
+
+'use strict';
+
+import React from "react";
+import * as sdk from "../../../index";
+import MatrixClientPeg from "../../../MatrixClientPeg";
+import AccessibleButton from '../elements/AccessibleButton';
+import Presence from "../../../Presence";
+import dispatcher from "../../../dispatcher";
+
+module.exports = React.createClass({
+    displayName: 'MemberPresenceAvatar',
+
+    propTypes: {
+        member: React.PropTypes.object.isRequired,
+        width: React.PropTypes.number,
+        height: React.PropTypes.number,
+        resizeMethod: React.PropTypes.string,
+    },
+
+    getDefaultProps: function() {
+        return {
+            width: 40,
+            height: 40,
+            resizeMethod: 'crop',
+        };
+    },
+
+    getInitialState: function() {
+        const presenceState = this.props.member.user.presence;
+        return {
+            status: presenceState,
+        };
+    },
+
+    componentWillMount: function() {
+        MatrixClientPeg.get().on("User.presence", this.onUserPresence);
+        this.dispatcherRef = dispatcher.register(this.onAction);
+    },
+
+    componentWillUnmount: function() {
+        if (MatrixClientPeg.get()) {
+            MatrixClientPeg.get().removeListener("User.presence", this.onUserPresence);
+        }
+        dispatcher.unregister(this.dispatcherRef);
+    },
+
+    onAction: function(payload) {
+        if (payload.action !== "self_presence_updated") return;
+        if (this.props.member.userId !== MatrixClientPeg.get().getUserId()) return;
+        this.setState({
+            status: payload.statusInfo.presence,
+            message: payload.statusInfo.status_msg,
+        });
+    },
+
+    onUserPresence: function(event, user) {
+        if (user.userId !== MatrixClientPeg.get().getUserId()) return;
+        this.setState({
+            status: user.presence,
+            message: user.presenceStatusMsg,
+        });
+    },
+
+    onClick: function() {
+        if (Presence.getState() === "online") {
+            Presence.setState("unavailable", "This is a message", true);
+        } else {
+            Presence.stopMaintainingStatus();
+        }
+        console.log("CLICK");
+
+        const presenceState = this.props.member.user.presence;
+        const presenceLastActiveAgo = this.props.member.user.lastActiveAgo;
+        const presenceLastTs = this.props.member.user.lastPresenceTs;
+        const presenceCurrentlyActive = this.props.member.user.currentlyActive;
+        const presenceMessage = this.props.member.user.presenceStatusMsg;
+
+        console.log({
+            presenceState,
+            presenceLastActiveAgo,
+            presenceLastTs,
+            presenceCurrentlyActive,
+            presenceMessage,
+        });
+    },
+
+    render: function() {
+        const MemberAvatar = sdk.getComponent("avatars.MemberAvatar");
+
+        let onClickFn = null;
+        if (this.props.member.userId === MatrixClientPeg.get().getUserId()) {
+            onClickFn = this.onClick;
+        }
+
+        const avatarNode = (
+            <MemberAvatar member={this.props.member} width={this.props.width} height={this.props.height}
+                          resizeMethod={this.props.resizeMethod}/>
+        );
+        const statusNode = (
+            <span className={"mx_MemberPresenceAvatar_status mx_MemberPresenceAvatar_status_" + this.state.status}/>
+        );
+
+        let avatar = (
+            <div className="mx_MemberPresenceAvatar">
+                {avatarNode}
+                {statusNode}
+            </div>
+        );
+        if (onClickFn) {
+            avatar = (
+                <AccessibleButton onClick={onClickFn} className="mx_MemberPresenceAvatar" element="div">
+                    {avatarNode}
+                    {statusNode}
+                </AccessibleButton>
+            );
+        }
+        return avatar;
+    },
+});
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/MessageComposer.js b/src/components/views/rooms/MessageComposer.js
index 8e27520d89..d06cd76bdb 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/MessageComposer.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/MessageComposer.js
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ export default class MessageComposer extends React.Component {
     render() {
         const me = this.props.room.getMember(MatrixClientPeg.get().credentials.userId);
         const uploadInputStyle = {display: 'none'};
-        const MemberAvatar = sdk.getComponent('avatars.MemberAvatar');
+        const MemberPresenceAvatar = sdk.getComponent('avatars.MemberPresenceAvatar');
         const TintableSvg = sdk.getComponent("elements.TintableSvg");
         const MessageComposerInput = sdk.getComponent("rooms.MessageComposerInput");
 
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ export default class MessageComposer extends React.Component {
 
         controls.push(
             <div key="controls_avatar" className="mx_MessageComposer_avatar">
-                <MemberAvatar member={me} width={24} height={24} />
+                <MemberPresenceAvatar member={me} width={24} height={24} />
             </div>,
         );