diff --git a/mainstatusbar.cc b/mainstatusbar.cc
index b38c88ed..4d5716ff 100644
--- a/mainstatusbar.cc
+++ b/mainstatusbar.cc
@@ -8,126 +8,89 @@
 #include <QVBoxLayout>
 #include <QDebug>
 #include <QEvent>
+#include <QApplication>
 
-MainStatusBar::MainStatusBar(QWidget *parent) : QFrame(parent)
+MainStatusBar::MainStatusBar(QWidget *parent) : QWidget(parent)
 {
-  // style
-  setWindowFlags( Qt::Tool | Qt::X11BypassWindowManagerHint | Qt::FramelessWindowHint );
-  setFrameStyle( QFrame::Box | QFrame::Plain );
-  setLineWidth(0);
+  textWidget = new QLabel(QString(), this);
+  textWidget->setObjectName("text");
+  textWidget->setFont(QApplication::font("QStatusBar"));
+  textWidget->setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy::Fixed, QSizePolicy::Fixed);
+
+  picWidget = new QLabel(QString(), this);
+  picWidget->setObjectName("icon");
+  picWidget->setPixmap(QPixmap());
+  picWidget->setScaledContents(true);
+  picWidget->setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy::Fixed, QSizePolicy::Fixed);
 
-  // components
-  label = new QLabel(QString(), this);
-  label->setTextFormat(Qt::PlainText);
   timer = new QTimer(this);
 
   // layout
-  QVBoxLayout * layout = new QVBoxLayout;
-  layout->addWidget(label);
+  QHBoxLayout * layout = new QHBoxLayout;
+  layout->setSpacing(0);
   layout->setSizeConstraint(QLayout::SetFixedSize);
   layout->setAlignment(Qt::AlignLeft | Qt::AlignVCenter);
-  layout->setMargin(4);
+  layout->setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0);
+  layout->addWidget(picWidget);
+  layout->addWidget(textWidget);
   setLayout(layout);
 
-  parentWidget()->installEventFilter( this );
-
   connect( timer, SIGNAL( timeout() ), SLOT( clearMessage() ) );
 }
 
 void MainStatusBar::clearMessage()
 {
-  message = QString();
-  label->setText(message);
+  textWidget->setText(QString());
+  picWidget->setPixmap(QPixmap());
   timer->stop();
   refresh();
 }
 
 QString MainStatusBar::currentMessage() const
 {
-  return message;
+  return textWidget->text();
 }
 
-void MainStatusBar::showMessage(const QString & str, int timeout)
+void MainStatusBar::showMessage(const QString & str, int timeout, const QPixmap & pixmap)
 {
-    message = str;
+  textWidget->setText( str );
+  picWidget->setPixmap( pixmap );
 
-    if ( timeout > 0 )
-    {
-      timer->start( timeout );
-    }
-
-    refresh();
-}
-
-void MainStatusBar::refresh(bool forceHide)
-{
-
-  if ( forceHide )
+  if ( timeout > 0 )
   {
-    hide();
-    return;
+    timer->start( timeout );
   }
 
-  if ( !message.isEmpty() )
-  {
+  refresh();
+}
 
-    int maxLabelLength = parentWidget()->width() - 2 * layout()->margin();
-    label->setText( label->fontMetrics().elidedText( message, Qt::ElideRight, maxLabelLength ) );
+void MainStatusBar::refresh()
+{
+  if ( !currentMessage().isEmpty() )
+  {
+    if ( !picWidget->pixmap()->isNull() )
+    {
+      picWidget->setFixedSize( textWidget->height(), textWidget->height() );
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      picWidget->setFixedSize( 0, 0);
+    }
 
     adjustSize();
 
-    // move(pGeom.left(), pGeom.bottom() - size().height() + 1 );
-
-    move(parentWidget()->mapToGlobal(QPoint(0, parentWidget()->height() - height() + 1)));
-
-    if ( parentWidget()->isHidden() )
-    {
-      hide();
-      return;
-    }
-
-    if ( parentWidget()->isMinimized() )
-    {
-      hide();
-      return;
-    }
+    move( QPoint( 0, parentWidget()->height() - height() ) );
 
     show();
+    raise();
   }
   else
   {
     hide();
   }
-
 }
 
 void MainStatusBar::mousePressEvent ( QMouseEvent * )
 {
   clearMessage();
 }
-
-bool MainStatusBar::eventFilter(QObject *, QEvent * e)
-{
-  switch ( e->type() ) {
-    case QEvent::Hide:
-    case QEvent::WindowDeactivate:
-#ifdef Q_WS_X11
-      // workaround for X11 idiosyncrasies
-      // qDebug() << e->type();
-      refresh(true);
-      break;
-#endif
-    case QEvent::Resize:
-    case QEvent::FocusOut:
-    case QEvent::Move:
-    case QEvent::WindowStateChange:
-    case QEvent::WindowActivate:
-      // qDebug() << e->type();
-      refresh();
-      break;
-    default:
-      break;
-  };
-
-  return false;
-}
diff --git a/mainstatusbar.hh b/mainstatusbar.hh
index 9a8d4a1b..febff5bf 100644
--- a/mainstatusbar.hh
+++ b/mainstatusbar.hh
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 #include <QString>
 #include <QTimer>
 
-class MainStatusBar : public QFrame
+class MainStatusBar : public QWidget
 {
   Q_OBJECT
 
@@ -20,18 +20,21 @@ public:
 signals:
 
 public slots:
-  void showMessage(const QString & text, int timeout = 0);
+  void showMessage(const QString & text, int timeout = 0, const QPixmap & pixmap = QPixmap());
   void clearMessage();
 
 protected:
   virtual void mousePressEvent(QMouseEvent * event);
 
 private:
-  QLabel * label;
+  // component to display a small picture
+  QLabel * picWidget;
+
+  // component to display text
+  QLabel * textWidget;
+
   QTimer * timer;
-  QString message;
-  bool eventFilter(QObject *obj, QEvent * event);
-  void refresh(bool forceHide = false);
+  void refresh();
 };
 
 #endif // MAINSTATUSBAR_HH
diff --git a/mainwindow.cc b/mainwindow.cc
index 243f7731..9a6d5baf 100644
--- a/mainwindow.cc
+++ b/mainwindow.cc
@@ -2110,7 +2110,10 @@ void MainWindow::toggleMenuBarTriggered(bool announce)
     if ( cfg.preferences.hideMenubar )
     {
       mainStatusBar->showMessage(
-            tr( "You have chosen to hide a menubar. Use %1 to show it back." ).arg( tr( "Ctrl+M" ) ), 10000 );
+            tr( "You have chosen to hide a menubar. Use %1 to show it back." )
+            .arg( QString( "<b>%1</b>" ) ).arg( tr( "Ctrl+M" ) ),
+            10000,
+            QPixmap( ":/icons/warning.png" ) );
     }
     else
     {
diff --git a/qt-style.css b/qt-style.css
index bcd7468a..e0fd4911 100644
--- a/qt-style.css
+++ b/qt-style.css
@@ -19,4 +19,20 @@ ArticleView #searchText[noResults="true"]
   border: 1px solid grey;
 }
 
+MainStatusBar #text
+{
+  border-top-right-radius: 3px;
+  border-top: 1px solid palette(dark);
+  border-right: 1px solid palette(dark);
+  background: palette(window);
+  padding: 2px;
+}
 
+MainStatusBar #icon
+{
+  border-top: 1px solid palette(dark);
+  background: palette(window);
+  padding: 2px;
+  padding-left: 4px;
+  padding-right: 0px;
+}