diff --git a/background.html b/background.html
index 09cd9e1e..bf2dbb30 100644
--- a/background.html
+++ b/background.html
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@
         </div>
     </div>
     <div class='conversation-stack'>
+      <div class='conversation placeholder'>
+        <h3>Welcome to Signal</h3>
+        <p> Select a contact or group to start chatting.</p>
+      </div>
     </div>
   </script>
   <script type='text/x-tmpl-mustache' id='hint'>
diff --git a/js/views/inbox_view.js b/js/views/inbox_view.js
index 702f7f79..c9fafe2f 100644
--- a/js/views/inbox_view.js
+++ b/js/views/inbox_view.js
@@ -102,13 +102,7 @@
                     this.inboxListView.$el.hide();
                 });
 
-                this.hintView = new Whisper.HintView({
-                    className: 'conversation placeholder',
-                    content: "Select a contact or group to start chatting."
-                });
                 if (inboxCollection.length === 0) {
-                    this.hintView.render();
-                    this.hintView.$el.prependTo(this.$('.conversation-stack'));
                     this.searchView.showAllContacts = true;
                     this.searchView.reset();
                     this.listenToOnce(inboxCollection, 'add', function() {
@@ -141,7 +135,6 @@
                 }
             },
             hideHints: function() {
-                this.hintView.remove();
                 this.searchView.hideHints();
             },
             openConversation: function(e, conversation) {
diff --git a/stylesheets/_index.scss b/stylesheets/_index.scss
index 9f698154..e93bc401 100644
--- a/stylesheets/_index.scss
+++ b/stylesheets/_index.scss
@@ -218,14 +218,10 @@ input.search {
   }
 }
 
-.placeholder p {
-    color: $grey;
-}
 .conversation.placeholder {
-  p {
-    text-align: center;
-    margin-top: 120px;
-  }
+  text-align: center;
+  padding-top: 100px;
+  color: #aaa;
 }
 .contact.placeholder {
   position: absolute;
diff --git a/stylesheets/manifest.css b/stylesheets/manifest.css
index 70a9cd66..9b108bdb 100644
--- a/stylesheets/manifest.css
+++ b/stylesheets/manifest.css
@@ -536,12 +536,10 @@ input.search {
       border-color: transparent #2eace0 transparent transparent;
       left: -30px; }
 
-.placeholder p {
-  color: #616161; }
-
-.conversation.placeholder p {
+.conversation.placeholder {
   text-align: center;
-  margin-top: 120px; }
+  padding-top: 100px;
+  color: #aaa; }
 
 .contact.placeholder {
   position: absolute;