diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/fragment/NotificationsFragment.java b/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/fragment/NotificationsFragment.java
index d82a86a72..64805a6a9 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/fragment/NotificationsFragment.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/fragment/NotificationsFragment.java
@@ -167,6 +167,7 @@ public class NotificationsFragment extends SFragment implements
     private boolean alwaysShowSensitiveMedia;
     private boolean alwaysOpenSpoiler;
     private boolean showNotificationsFilter;
+    private boolean showingError;
 
     // Each element is either a Notification for loading data or a Placeholder
     private final PairedList<Either<Placeholder, Notification>, NotificationViewData> notifications
@@ -280,7 +281,7 @@ public class NotificationsFragment extends SFragment implements
     private void updateFilterVisibility() {
         CoordinatorLayout.LayoutParams params =
                 (CoordinatorLayout.LayoutParams) swipeRefreshLayout.getLayoutParams();
-        if (showNotificationsFilter) {
+        if (showNotificationsFilter && !showingError && !notifications.isEmpty()) {
             appBarOptions.setExpanded(true, false);
             appBarOptions.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
             //Set content behaviour to hide filter on scroll
@@ -392,6 +393,7 @@ public class NotificationsFragment extends SFragment implements
     @Override
     public void onRefresh() {
         this.statusView.setVisibility(View.GONE);
+        this.showingError = false;
         Either<Placeholder, Notification> first = CollectionsKt.firstOrNull(this.notifications);
         String topId;
         if (first != null && first.isRight()) {
@@ -669,6 +671,7 @@ public class NotificationsFragment extends SFragment implements
         //Show friend elephant
         this.statusView.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
         this.statusView.setup(R.drawable.elephant_friend_empty, R.string.message_empty, null);
+        updateFilterVisibility();
 
         //Update adapter
         updateAdapter();
@@ -994,6 +997,7 @@ public class NotificationsFragment extends SFragment implements
         } else {
             swipeRefreshLayout.setEnabled(true);
         }
+        updateFilterVisibility();
         swipeRefreshLayout.setRefreshing(false);
         progressBar.setVisibility(View.GONE);
     }
@@ -1009,6 +1013,7 @@ public class NotificationsFragment extends SFragment implements
         } else if (this.notifications.isEmpty()) {
             this.statusView.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
             swipeRefreshLayout.setEnabled(false);
+            this.showingError = true;
             if (exception instanceof IOException) {
                 this.statusView.setup(R.drawable.elephant_offline, R.string.error_network, __ -> {
                     this.progressBar.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
@@ -1022,6 +1027,7 @@ public class NotificationsFragment extends SFragment implements
                     return Unit.INSTANCE;
                 });
             }
+            updateFilterVisibility();
         }
         Log.e(TAG, "Fetch failure: " + exception.getMessage());
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/view/BackgroundMessageView.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/view/BackgroundMessageView.kt
index e39566f4b..4789ac3c1 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/view/BackgroundMessageView.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/view/BackgroundMessageView.kt
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class BackgroundMessageView @JvmOverloads constructor(
     fun setup(@DrawableRes imageRes: Int, @StringRes messageRes: Int,
               clickListener: ((v: View) -> Unit)? = null) {
         messageTextView.setText(messageRes)
-        messageTextView.setCompoundDrawablesWithIntrinsicBounds(0, imageRes, 0, 0)
+        imageView.setImageResource(imageRes)
         button.setOnClickListener(clickListener)
         button.visible(clickListener != null)
     }
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_lists.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_lists.xml
index 45b010662..663d90d25 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_lists.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_lists.xml
@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@
             app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
             app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
             app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"
-            app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />
+            app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@id/appbar"
+            tools:visibility="visible"
+            app:layout_constrainedHeight="true" />
 
     </androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_timeline.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_timeline.xml
index 0b5c57b8d..79f7fdb37 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_timeline.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_timeline.xml
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@
         app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
         app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"
         app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
-        tools:visibility="visible" />
+        tools:visibility="visible"
+        app:layout_constrainedHeight="true" />
 
     <androidx.core.widget.ContentLoadingProgressBar
         android:id="@+id/topProgressBar"
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_timeline_notifications.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_timeline_notifications.xml
index 0fd674e99..a36b10c2d 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_timeline_notifications.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_timeline_notifications.xml
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
     <androidx.swiperefreshlayout.widget.SwipeRefreshLayout
         android:id="@+id/swipeRefreshLayout"
         android:layout_width="match_parent"
-        android:layout_height="match_parent"
+        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
         app:layout_behavior="@string/appbar_scrolling_view_behavior">
 
         <androidx.recyclerview.widget.RecyclerView
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/view_background_message.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/view_background_message.xml
index 41e4c85ae..2d07ff8db 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/view_background_message.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/view_background_message.xml
@@ -1,6 +1,19 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <merge xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
-    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools">
+    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
+    tools:gravity="center_horizontal"
+    tools:orientation="vertical"
+    tools:parentTag="android.widget.LinearLayout">
+
+    <ImageView
+        android:id="@+id/imageView"
+        android:layout_width="match_parent"
+        android:layout_height="0dp"
+        android:layout_marginTop="4dp"
+        android:layout_weight="1"
+        android:contentDescription="@null"
+        android:scaleType="centerInside"
+        tools:src="@drawable/elephant_offline" />
 
     <TextView
         android:id="@+id/messageTextView"
@@ -13,7 +26,6 @@
         android:paddingRight="16dp"
         android:textAlignment="center"
         android:textSize="?attr/status_text_medium"
-        tools:drawableTop="@drawable/elephant_offline"
         tools:text="@string/error_network" />
 
     <Button
@@ -22,5 +34,6 @@
         android:layout_width="wrap_content"
         android:layout_height="wrap_content"
         android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
+        android:layout_marginBottom="4dp"
         android:text="@string/action_retry" />
 </merge>