diff --git a/goldendict.pro b/goldendict.pro
index 5ca5b282..ec58f41e 100644
--- a/goldendict.pro
+++ b/goldendict.pro
@@ -166,7 +166,8 @@ HEADERS += folding.hh \
     parsecmdline.hh \
     dictspanewidget.hh \
     maintabwidget.hh \
-    dprintf.hh
+    dprintf.hh \
+    mainstatusbar.hh
 FORMS += groups.ui \
     dictgroupwidget.ui \
     mainwindow.ui \
@@ -251,7 +252,8 @@ SOURCES += folding.cc \
     about.cc \
     programs.cc \
     parsecmdline.cc \
-    maintabwidget.cc
+    maintabwidget.cc \
+    mainstatusbar.cc
 win32 { 
     SOURCES += mouseover_win32/ThTypes.c
     HEADERS += mouseover_win32/ThTypes.h
diff --git a/mainstatusbar.cc b/mainstatusbar.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0b1e60df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mainstatusbar.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+/* This file is (c) 2011 Tvangeste <i.4m.l33t@yandex.ru>
+ * Part of GoldenDict. Licensed under GPLv3 or later, see the LICENSE file */
+
+#include "mainstatusbar.hh"
+
+#include <Qt>
+#include <QFrame>
+#include <QVBoxLayout>
+#include <QDebug>
+#include <QEvent>
+
+MainStatusBar::MainStatusBar(QWidget *parent) : QFrame(parent)
+{
+  // style
+  setWindowFlags( Qt::Tool | Qt::X11BypassWindowManagerHint | Qt::FramelessWindowHint );
+  setFrameStyle( QFrame::Box | QFrame::Plain );
+  setLineWidth(0);
+
+  // components
+  label = new QLabel(QString(), this);
+  label->setTextFormat(Qt::PlainText);
+  timer = new QTimer(this);
+
+  // layout
+  QVBoxLayout * layout = new QVBoxLayout;
+  layout->addWidget(label);
+  layout->setSizeConstraint(QLayout::SetFixedSize);
+  layout->setAlignment(Qt::AlignLeft | Qt::AlignVCenter);
+  layout->setMargin(4);
+  setLayout(layout);
+
+  parentWidget()->installEventFilter( this );
+
+  connect( timer, SIGNAL( timeout() ), SLOT( clearMessage() ) );
+}
+
+void MainStatusBar::clearMessage()
+{
+  message = QString();
+  label->setText(message);
+  timer->stop();
+  refresh();
+}
+
+QString MainStatusBar::currentMessage() const
+{
+  return message;
+}
+
+void MainStatusBar::showMessage(const QString & str, int timeout)
+{
+    message = str;
+
+    if ( timeout > 0 )
+    {
+      timer->start( timeout );
+    }
+
+    refresh();
+}
+
+void MainStatusBar::refresh()
+{
+
+  if ( !message.isEmpty() )
+  {
+    QRect pGeom = parentWidget()->geometry();
+
+    int maxLabelLength = pGeom.width() - 2 * layout()->margin();
+    label->setText( label->fontMetrics().elidedText( message, Qt::ElideRight, maxLabelLength ) );
+
+    adjustSize();
+
+    move(pGeom.left(), pGeom.bottom() - size().height() + 1 );
+    show();
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    hide();
+  }
+
+}
+
+void MainStatusBar::mousePressEvent ( QMouseEvent * )
+{
+  clearMessage();
+}
+
+bool MainStatusBar::eventFilter(QObject *, QEvent * event)
+{
+  switch ( event->type() ) {
+    case QEvent::Move:
+    case QEvent::Resize:
+    case QEvent::FocusOut:
+    case QEvent::WindowDeactivate:
+    case QEvent::Hide:
+    case QEvent::WindowActivate:
+      refresh();
+      break;
+    default:
+      break;
+  };
+
+  return false;
+}
diff --git a/mainstatusbar.hh b/mainstatusbar.hh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c06e3c62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mainstatusbar.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/* This file is (c) 2011 Tvangeste <i.4m.l33t@yandex.ru>
+ * Part of GoldenDict. Licensed under GPLv3 or later, see the LICENSE file */
+
+#ifndef MAINSTATUSBAR_HH
+#define MAINSTATUSBAR_HH
+
+#include <QWidget>
+#include <QLabel>
+#include <QString>
+#include <QTimer>
+
+class MainStatusBar : public QFrame
+{
+  Q_OBJECT
+
+public:
+  explicit MainStatusBar(QWidget * parent);
+  QString currentMessage() const;
+
+signals:
+
+public slots:
+  void showMessage(const QString & text, int timeout = 0);
+  void clearMessage();
+
+protected:
+  virtual void mousePressEvent(QMouseEvent * event);
+
+private:
+  QLabel * label;
+  QTimer * timer;
+  QString message;
+  bool eventFilter(QObject *obj, QEvent * event);
+  void refresh();
+};
+
+#endif // MAINSTATUSBAR_HH
diff --git a/mainwindow.cc b/mainwindow.cc
index 58345ae4..eb80f3aa 100644
--- a/mainwindow.cc
+++ b/mainwindow.cc
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include <set>
 #include <map>
 #include "dprintf.hh"
+#include <QDebug>
 
 using std::set;
 using std::wstring;
@@ -55,6 +56,10 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow( Config::Class & cfg_ ):
 
   ui.setupUi( this );
 
+  // use our own, cutsom statusbar
+  setStatusBar(0);
+  mainStatusBar = new MainStatusBar( this );
+
   wordListDefaultFont = ui.wordList->font();
   translateLineDefaultFont = ui.translateLine->font();
 
@@ -465,6 +470,8 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow( Config::Class & cfg_ ):
 
   // makeDictionaries() didn't do deferred init - we do it here, at the end.
   doDeferredInit( dictionaries );
+
+  updateStatusLine();
 }
 
 void MainWindow::mousePressEvent( QMouseEvent *event)
@@ -684,9 +691,9 @@ void MainWindow::updateStatusLine()
     wordCount += dictionaries[ x ]->getWordCount();
   }
 
-  statusBar()->showMessage( tr( "%1 dictionaries, %2 articles, %3 words" ).
+  mainStatusBar->showMessage( tr( "%1 dictionaries, %2 articles, %3 words" ).
                               arg( dictionaries.size() ).arg( articleCount ).
-                              arg( wordCount ) );
+                              arg( wordCount ), 10000 );
 }
 
 void MainWindow::updateGroupList()
@@ -1244,8 +1251,10 @@ void MainWindow::translateInputChanged( QString const & newValue )
 {
   // If there's some status bar message present, clear it since it may be
   // about the previous search that has failed.
-  if ( !statusBar()->currentMessage().isEmpty() )
-    statusBar()->clearMessage();
+  if ( !mainStatusBar->currentMessage().isEmpty() )
+  {
+    mainStatusBar->clearMessage();
+  }
 
   // If some word is selected in the word list, unselect it. This prevents
   // triggering a set of spurious activation signals when the list changes.
@@ -1401,7 +1410,7 @@ void MainWindow::updateMatchResults( bool finished )
     }
 
     if ( !wordFinder.getErrorString().isEmpty() )
-      statusBar()->showMessage( tr( "WARNING: %1" ).arg( wordFinder.getErrorString() ) );
+      mainStatusBar->showMessage( tr( "WARNING: %1" ).arg( wordFinder.getErrorString() ), 20000 );
   }
 }
 
@@ -2024,14 +2033,17 @@ void MainWindow::toggleMenuBarTriggered(bool announce)
 {
   cfg.preferences.hideMenubar = menuBar()->isVisible();
 
-  if ( announce && cfg.preferences.hideMenubar )
+  if ( announce )
   {
-    statusBar()->showMessage(
-          tr( "You have chosen to hide a menubar. Use %1 to show it back." ).arg( tr( "Ctl+M" ) ), 10000 );
-  }
-  else
-  {
-    statusBar()->clearMessage();
+    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 );
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      mainStatusBar->clearMessage();
+    }
   }
 
   // Obtain from the menubar all the actions with shortcuts
diff --git a/mainwindow.hh b/mainwindow.hh
index 55e813b6..d41eebd4 100644
--- a/mainwindow.hh
+++ b/mainwindow.hh
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "dictionarybar.hh"
 #include "history.hh"
 #include "hotkeywrapper.hh"
+#include "mainstatusbar.hh"
 
 #ifdef Q_WS_X11
 #include <fixx11h.h>
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ private:
           switchToNextTabAction, switchToPrevTabAction,
           showDictBarNamesAction, useSmallIconsInToolbarsAction, toggleMenuBarAction;
   QToolBar * navToolbar;
+  MainStatusBar * mainStatusBar;
   QAction * navBack, * navForward, * navPronounce, * enableScanPopup, * scanPopupSeparator;
   QAction * zoomIn, * zoomOut, * zoomBase;
   QAction * wordsZoomIn, * wordsZoomOut, * wordsZoomBase;
diff --git a/mainwindow.ui b/mainwindow.ui
index e5a5ee09..f5104587 100644
--- a/mainwindow.ui
+++ b/mainwindow.ui
@@ -18,11 +18,14 @@
     <property name="leftMargin">
      <number>1</number>
     </property>
+    <property name="topMargin">
+     <number>2</number>
+    </property>
     <property name="rightMargin">
      <number>1</number>
     </property>
     <property name="bottomMargin">
-     <number>1</number>
+     <number>0</number>
     </property>
     <item>
      <widget class="MainTabWidget" name="tabWidget">
@@ -118,7 +121,6 @@
    <addaction name="menuHistory"/>
    <addaction name="menu_Help"/>
   </widget>
-  <widget class="QStatusBar" name="statusbar"/>
   <widget class="QDockWidget" name="searchPane">
    <property name="windowTitle">
     <string>Search Pane</string>