diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/components/components/status_list.jsx b/app/assets/javascripts/components/components/status_list.jsx
index 0e64f0ee6a3..69a2354c762 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/components/components/status_list.jsx
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/components/components/status_list.jsx
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ const StatusList = React.createClass({
     onScroll: React.PropTypes.func,
     trackScroll: React.PropTypes.bool,
     isLoading: React.PropTypes.bool,
-    prepend: React.PropTypes.node
+    prepend: React.PropTypes.node,
+    emptyMessage: React.PropTypes.node
   },
 
   getDefaultProps () {
@@ -71,27 +72,36 @@ const StatusList = React.createClass({
   },
 
   render () {
-    const { statusIds, onScrollToBottom, trackScroll, isLoading, prepend } = this.props;
+    const { statusIds, onScrollToBottom, trackScroll, isLoading, prepend, emptyMessage } = this.props;
 
     let loadMore = '';
+    let scrollableArea = '';
 
     if (!isLoading && statusIds.size > 0) {
       loadMore = <LoadMore onClick={this.handleLoadMore} />;
     }
 
-    const scrollableArea = (
-      <div className='scrollable' ref={this.setRef}>
-        <div>
-          {prepend}
+    if (isLoading || statusIds.size > 0 || !emptyMessage) {
+      scrollableArea = (
+        <div className='scrollable' ref={this.setRef}>
+          <div>
+            {prepend}
 
-          {statusIds.map((statusId) => {
-            return <StatusContainer key={statusId} id={statusId} />;
-          })}
+            {statusIds.map((statusId) => {
+              return <StatusContainer key={statusId} id={statusId} />;
+            })}
 
-          {loadMore}
+            {loadMore}
+          </div>
         </div>
-      </div>
-    );
+      );
+    } else {
+      scrollableArea = (
+        <div className='empty-column-indicator' ref={this.setRef}>
+          {emptyMessage}
+        </div>
+      );
+    }
 
     if (trackScroll) {
       return (
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/hashtag_timeline/index.jsx b/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/hashtag_timeline/index.jsx
index 4a0e7684dce..6cb9e54828f 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/hashtag_timeline/index.jsx
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/hashtag_timeline/index.jsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
   deleteFromTimelines
 } from '../../actions/timelines';
 import ColumnBackButtonSlim from '../../components/column_back_button_slim';
+import { FormattedMessage } from 'react-intl';
 import createStream from '../../stream';
 
 const mapStateToProps = state => ({
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ const HashtagTimeline = React.createClass({
     return (
       <Column icon='hashtag' heading={id}>
         <ColumnBackButtonSlim />
-        <StatusListContainer type='tag' id={id} />
+        <StatusListContainer type='tag' id={id} emptyMessage={<FormattedMessage id='empty_column.hashtag' defaultMessage='There is nothing in this hashtag yet.' />} />
       </Column>
     );
   },
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/home_timeline/index.jsx b/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/home_timeline/index.jsx
index 5d2263f1562..23e1987018b 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/home_timeline/index.jsx
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/home_timeline/index.jsx
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 import PureRenderMixin from 'react-addons-pure-render-mixin';
 import StatusListContainer from '../ui/containers/status_list_container';
 import Column from '../ui/components/column';
-import { defineMessages, injectIntl } from 'react-intl';
+import { defineMessages, injectIntl, FormattedMessage } from 'react-intl';
 import ColumnSettingsContainer from './containers/column_settings_container';
+import { Link } from 'react-router';
 
 const messages = defineMessages({
   title: { id: 'column.home', defaultMessage: 'Home' }
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ const HomeTimeline = React.createClass({
     return (
       <Column icon='home' heading={intl.formatMessage(messages.title)}>
         <ColumnSettingsContainer />
-        <StatusListContainer {...this.props} type='home' />
+        <StatusListContainer {...this.props} type='home' emptyMessage={<FormattedMessage id='empty_column.home' defaultMessage="You aren’t following anyone yet. Visit {public} or use search to get started and meet other users." values={{ public: <Link to='/timelines/public'><FormattedMessage id='empty_column.home.public_timeline' defaultMessage='the public timeline' /></Link> }} />} />
       </Column>
     );
   },
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/notifications/index.jsx b/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/notifications/index.jsx
index 6d10768ded9..9532b8af823 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/notifications/index.jsx
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/notifications/index.jsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import Column from '../ui/components/column';
 import { expandNotifications, clearNotifications } from '../../actions/notifications';
 import NotificationContainer from './containers/notification_container';
 import { ScrollContainer } from 'react-router-scroll';
-import { defineMessages, injectIntl } from 'react-intl';
+import { defineMessages, injectIntl, FormattedMessage } from 'react-intl';
 import ColumnSettingsContainer from './containers/column_settings_container';
 import { createSelector } from 'reselect';
 import Immutable from 'immutable';
@@ -76,20 +76,29 @@ const Notifications = React.createClass({
   render () {
     const { intl, notifications, trackScroll, isLoading } = this.props;
 
-    let loadMore = '';
+    let loadMore       = '';
+    let scrollableArea = '';
 
     if (!isLoading && notifications.size > 0) {
       loadMore = <LoadMore onClick={this.handleLoadMore} />;
     }
 
-    const scrollableArea = (
-      <div className='scrollable' onScroll={this.handleScroll} ref={this.setRef}>
-        <div>
-          {notifications.map(item => <NotificationContainer key={item.get('id')} notification={item} accountId={item.get('account')} />)}
-          {loadMore}
+    if (isLoading || notifications.size > 0) {
+      scrollableArea = (
+        <div className='scrollable' onScroll={this.handleScroll} ref={this.setRef}>
+          <div>
+            {notifications.map(item => <NotificationContainer key={item.get('id')} notification={item} accountId={item.get('account')} />)}
+            {loadMore}
+          </div>
         </div>
-      </div>
-    );
+      );
+    } else {
+      scrollableArea = (
+        <div className='empty-column-indicator' ref={this.setRef}>
+          <FormattedMessage id='empty_column.notifications' defaultMessage="You don't have any notifications yet. Interact with others to start the conversation." />
+        </div>
+      );
+    }
 
     if (trackScroll) {
       return (
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/status/index.jsx b/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/status/index.jsx
index 40c0460a594..e17c078d275 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/status/index.jsx
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/status/index.jsx
@@ -1,29 +1,34 @@
-import { connect }           from 'react-redux';
-import PureRenderMixin       from 'react-addons-pure-render-mixin';
-import ImmutablePropTypes    from 'react-immutable-proptypes';
-import { fetchStatus }       from '../../actions/statuses';
-import Immutable             from 'immutable';
-import EmbeddedStatus        from '../../components/status';
-import LoadingIndicator      from '../../components/loading_indicator';
-import DetailedStatus        from './components/detailed_status';
-import ActionBar             from './components/action_bar';
-import Column                from '../ui/components/column';
-import { favourite, reblog } from '../../actions/interactions';
+import { connect } from 'react-redux';
+import PureRenderMixin from 'react-addons-pure-render-mixin';
+import ImmutablePropTypes from 'react-immutable-proptypes';
+import { fetchStatus } from '../../actions/statuses';
+import Immutable from 'immutable';
+import EmbeddedStatus from '../../components/status';
+import LoadingIndicator from '../../components/loading_indicator';
+import DetailedStatus from './components/detailed_status';
+import ActionBar from './components/action_bar';
+import Column from '../ui/components/column';
+import {
+  favourite,
+  unfavourite,
+  reblog,
+  unreblog
+} from '../../actions/interactions';
 import {
   replyCompose,
   mentionCompose
-}                            from '../../actions/compose';
-import { deleteStatus }      from '../../actions/statuses';
+} from '../../actions/compose';
+import { deleteStatus } from '../../actions/statuses';
 import { initReport } from '../../actions/reports';
 import {
   makeGetStatus,
   getStatusAncestors,
   getStatusDescendants
-}                            from '../../selectors';
-import { ScrollContainer }   from 'react-router-scroll';
-import ColumnBackButton      from '../../components/column_back_button';
-import StatusContainer       from '../../containers/status_container';
-import { openMedia }         from '../../actions/modal';
+} from '../../selectors';
+import { ScrollContainer } from 'react-router-scroll';
+import ColumnBackButton from '../../components/column_back_button';
+import StatusContainer from '../../containers/status_container';
+import { openMedia } from '../../actions/modal';
 import { isMobile } from '../../is_mobile'
 
 const makeMapStateToProps = () => {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/components/reducers/compose.jsx b/app/assets/javascripts/components/reducers/compose.jsx
index 77ec2705f08..8d281048e1b 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/components/reducers/compose.jsx
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/components/reducers/compose.jsx
@@ -126,8 +126,8 @@ export default function compose(state = initialState, action) {
     return state.withMutations(map => {
       map.set('in_reply_to', action.status.get('id'));
       map.set('text', statusToTextMentions(state, action.status));
-      map.set('unlisted', action.status.get('visibility') === 'unlisted');
-      map.set('private', action.status.get('visibility') === 'private');
+      map.set('unlisted', action.status.get('visibility') === 'unlisted' || state.get('default_privacy') === 'unlisted');
+      map.set('private', action.status.get('visibility') === 'private' || state.get('default_privacy') === 'private');
     });
   case COMPOSE_REPLY_CANCEL:
     return state.withMutations(map => {
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/components.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/components.scss
index 912405a9f63..bc56891f39f 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/components.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/components.scss
@@ -1182,3 +1182,22 @@ button.active i.fa-retweet {
     background: rgba($color8, 0.1);
   }
 }
+
+.empty-column-indicator {
+  color: lighten($color1, 20%);
+  text-align: center;
+  padding: 20px;
+  padding-top: 100px;
+  font-size: 15px;
+  font-weight: 400;
+  cursor: default;
+
+  a {
+    color: $color4;
+    text-decoration: none;
+
+    &:hover {
+      text-decoration: underline;
+    }
+  }
+}