diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/MessagesDialog.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/MessagesDialog.cpp
index 7f6220b4e..40c828449 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/MessagesDialog.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/MessagesDialog.cpp
@@ -121,9 +121,6 @@ MessagesDialog::MessagesDialog(QWidget *parent)
     ui.actionIconOnly->setData(Qt::ToolButtonIconOnly);
     ui.actionTextUnderIcon->setData(Qt::ToolButtonTextUnderIcon);
 
-    connect(ui.filterLineEdit, SIGNAL(textChanged(QString)), this, SLOT(filterChanged(QString)));
-    connect(ui.filterLineEdit, SIGNAL(filterChanged(int)), this, SLOT(filterColumnChanged(int)));
-
     msgWidget = new MessageWidget(true, this);
 	ui.msgLayout->addWidget(msgWidget);
 
@@ -145,15 +142,11 @@ MessagesDialog::MessagesDialog(QWidget *parent)
 	mMessageProxyModel->setFilterRole(RsMessageModel::FilterRole);
 
     ui.messageTreeWidget->setItemDelegateForColumn(RsMessageModel::COLUMN_THREAD_AUTHOR,new GxsIdTreeItemDelegate()) ;
-    ui.messageTreeWidget->setColumnHidden(RsMessageModel::COLUMN_THREAD_CONTENT,true);
-    ui.messageTreeWidget->setColumnHidden(RsMessageModel::COLUMN_THREAD_MSGID,true);
 
     RSElidedItemDelegate *itemDelegate = new RSElidedItemDelegate(this);
     itemDelegate->setSpacing(QSize(0, 2));
     ui.messageTreeWidget->setItemDelegate(itemDelegate);
 
-    //ui.messageTreeWidget->sortByColumn(COLUMN_DATA, Qt::DescendingOrder);
-
     // workaround for Qt bug, should be solved in next Qt release 4.7.0
     // http://bugreports.qt.nokia.com/browse/QTBUG-8270
     QShortcut *Shortcut = new QShortcut(QKeySequence (Qt::Key_Delete), ui.messageTreeWidget, 0, 0, Qt::WidgetShortcut);
@@ -208,6 +201,9 @@ MessagesDialog::MessagesDialog(QWidget *parent)
     // Post "load settings" actions (which makes sure they are not affected by settings) //
     ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
+    ui.messageTreeWidget->setColumnHidden(RsMessageModel::COLUMN_THREAD_CONTENT,true);
+    ui.messageTreeWidget->setColumnHidden(RsMessageModel::COLUMN_THREAD_MSGID,true);
+
     msgwheader->resizeSection (RsMessageModel::COLUMN_THREAD_STAR,       fm.width('0')*1.5);
     msgwheader->resizeSection (RsMessageModel::COLUMN_THREAD_ATTACHMENT, fm.width('0')*1.5);
     msgwheader->resizeSection (RsMessageModel::COLUMN_THREAD_READ,       fm.width('0')*1.5);
@@ -259,6 +255,9 @@ MessagesDialog::MessagesDialog(QWidget *parent)
     connect(NotifyQt::getInstance(), SIGNAL(messagesChanged()), mMessageModel, SLOT(updateMessages()));
     connect(NotifyQt::getInstance(), SIGNAL(messagesTagsChanged()), this, SLOT(messagesTagsChanged()));
 
+    connect(ui.filterLineEdit, SIGNAL(textChanged(QString)), this, SLOT(filterChanged(QString)));
+    connect(ui.filterLineEdit, SIGNAL(filterChanged(int)), this, SLOT(filterColumnChanged(int)));
+
     connect(mMessageModel,SIGNAL(messagesAboutToLoad()),this,SLOT(preModelUpdate()));
     connect(mMessageModel,SIGNAL(messagesLoaded()),this,SLOT(postModelUpdate()));
 
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/gxs/GxsIdTreeWidgetItem.h b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/gxs/GxsIdTreeWidgetItem.h
index 8a8452a34..02eff1d32 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/gxs/GxsIdTreeWidgetItem.h
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/gxs/GxsIdTreeWidgetItem.h
@@ -138,33 +138,23 @@ public:
 
         RsGxsId id(index.data(Qt::UserRole).toString().toStdString());
         QString str;
-        QList<QIcon> icons;
         QString comment;
 
         QFontMetricsF fm(painter->font());
         float f = fm.height();
 
 		QIcon icon ;
-
-        if(rsPeers->isFriend(RsPeerId(id)))		// horrible trick because some widgets still use locations as IDs (e.g. messages)
-        {
-			str = QString::fromUtf8(rsPeers->getPeerName(RsPeerId(id)).c_str()) ;
-        }
-        else if(!GxsIdDetails::MakeIdDesc(id, true, str, icons, comment,GxsIdDetails::ICON_TYPE_AVATAR))
-        {
+        if(! computeNameIconAndComment(id,str,icon,comment))
 			if(mReloadPeriod > 3)
-            {
+			{
 				str = tr("[Unknown]");
-                icon = QIcon();
-            }
-            else
-            {
+				icon = QIcon();
+			}
+			else
+			{
 				icon = GxsIdDetails::getLoadingIcon(id);
 				launchAsyncLoading();
-            }
-        }
-		else
-			icon = *icons.begin();
+			}
 
 		QPixmap pix = icon.pixmap(r.size());
 		const QPoint p = QPoint(r.height()/2.0, (r.height() - pix.height())/2);
@@ -185,6 +175,33 @@ public:
         QTimer::singleShot(1000,this,SLOT(reload()));
     }
 
+    static bool computeName(const RsGxsId& id,QString& name)
+    {
+        QList<QIcon> icons;
+        QString comment;
+
+        if(rsPeers->isFriend(RsPeerId(id)))		// horrible trick because some widgets still use locations as IDs (e.g. messages)
+			name = QString::fromUtf8(rsPeers->getPeerName(RsPeerId(id)).c_str()) ;
+        else if(!GxsIdDetails::MakeIdDesc(id, false, name, icons, comment,GxsIdDetails::ICON_TYPE_NONE))
+            return false;
+
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    static bool computeNameIconAndComment(const RsGxsId& id,QString& name,QIcon& icon,QString& comment)
+    {
+        QList<QIcon> icons;
+
+        if(rsPeers->isFriend(RsPeerId(id)))		// horrible trick because some widgets still use locations as IDs (e.g. messages)
+			name = QString::fromUtf8(rsPeers->getPeerName(RsPeerId(id)).c_str()) ;
+        else if(!GxsIdDetails::MakeIdDesc(id, true, name, icons, comment,GxsIdDetails::ICON_TYPE_AVATAR))
+            return false;
+		else
+			icon = *icons.begin();
+
+        return true;
+    }
+
 private slots:
     void reload() { mLoading=false; emit commitData(NULL) ;  }
 
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/msgs/MessageModel.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/msgs/MessageModel.cpp
index 839b5689d..2ee805ea8 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/msgs/MessageModel.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/msgs/MessageModel.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "util/HandleRichText.h"
 #include "util/DateTime.h"
 #include "gui/gxs/GxsIdDetails.h"
+#include "gui/gxs/GxsIdTreeWidgetItem.h"
 #include "MessageModel.h"
 #include "retroshare/rsexpr.h"
 #include "retroshare/rsmsgs.h"
@@ -300,7 +301,8 @@ bool RsMessageModel::passesFilter(const Rs::Msgs::MsgInfoSummary& fmpe,int colum
 		case FILTER_TYPE_SUBJECT: 	s = displayRole(fmpe,COLUMN_THREAD_SUBJECT).toString();
 			break;
 
-		case FILTER_TYPE_FROM:
+		case FILTER_TYPE_FROM:      s = sortRole(fmpe.COLUMN_THREAD_AUTHOR).toString();
+            break;
 		case FILTER_TYPE_DATE:   	s = displayRole(fmpe,COLUMN_THREAD_DATE).toString();
 			break;
 		case FILTER_TYPE_CONTENT:   {
@@ -419,6 +421,12 @@ QVariant RsMessageModel::sortRole(const Rs::Msgs::MsgInfoSummary& fmpe,int colum
 
 	case COLUMN_THREAD_STAR:  return QVariant((fmpe.msgflags & RS_MSG_STAR)? 1:0);
 
+    case COLUMN_THREAD_AUTHOR:{
+        						QString name;
+
+        						if(GxsIdTreeItemDelegate::computeName(RsGxsId(fmpe.srcId.toStdString()),name))
+                                    return name;
+    }
     default:
         return displayRole(fmpe,column);
     }