diff --git a/src/components/structures/LeftPanel.js b/src/components/structures/LeftPanel.js
index 0e13f39e4..5c27abc58 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/LeftPanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/LeftPanel.js
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ var LeftPanel = React.createClass({
         var BottomLeftMenu = sdk.getComponent('structures.BottomLeftMenu');
 
         var collapseButton;
-        var classes = "mx_LeftPanel";
+        var classes = "mx_LeftPanel mx_fadable";
         if (this.props.collapsed) {
             classes += " collapsed";
         }
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ var LeftPanel = React.createClass({
         }
 
         return (
-            <aside className={classes}>
+            <aside className={classes} style={{ opacity: this.props.opacity }}>
                 { collapseButton }
                 { callPreview }
                 <RoomList
diff --git a/src/components/structures/RightPanel.js b/src/components/structures/RightPanel.js
index 6c8c09f1b..eab75fe3e 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RightPanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/RightPanel.js
@@ -158,13 +158,13 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
         }
 
-        var classes = "mx_RightPanel";
+        var classes = "mx_RightPanel mx_fadable";
         if (this.props.collapsed) {
             classes += " collapsed";
         }
 
         return (
-            <aside className={classes}>
+            <aside className={classes} style={{ opacity: this.props.opacity }}>
                 <div className="mx_RightPanel_header">
                     { buttonGroup }
                 </div>
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/css/common.css b/src/skins/vector/css/common.css
index c18d05e04..f179a20f6 100644
--- a/src/skins/vector/css/common.css
+++ b/src/skins/vector/css/common.css
@@ -58,6 +58,15 @@ input[type=text]:focus, textarea:focus {
     box-shadow: none;
 }
 
+/* applied to side-panels and messagepanel when in RoomSettings */
+.mx_fadable {
+    opacity: 1;
+    -webkit-transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;
+    -moz-transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;
+    -ms-transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;
+    -o-transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;
+}
+
 /* XXX: critical hack to GeminiScrollbar to allow them to work in FF 42 and Chrome 48.
    Stop the scrollbar view from pushing out the container's overall sizing, which causes
    flexbox to adapt to the new size and cause the view to keep growing.
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/css/matrix-react-sdk/structures/RoomView.css b/src/skins/vector/css/matrix-react-sdk/structures/RoomView.css
index caaeb43a6..4c014461d 100644
--- a/src/skins/vector/css/matrix-react-sdk/structures/RoomView.css
+++ b/src/skins/vector/css/matrix-react-sdk/structures/RoomView.css
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ limitations under the License.
     margin: auto;
 
     overflow: auto;
-    border-bottom: 1px solid #eee;
+    border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc;
 
     -webkit-flex: 0 0 auto;
     flex: 0 0 auto;