diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/fe-common-core.c b/src/fe-common/core/fe-common-core.c
index 69ee9e18..f3828b2a 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/fe-common-core.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/fe-common-core.c
@@ -93,9 +93,9 @@ void fe_common_core_init(void)
         theme_register(fecommon_core_formats);
 
 	autorun_init();
-	hilight_text_init();
 	command_history_init();
 	completion_init();
+	hilight_text_init();
 	keyboard_init();
 	printtext_init();
         fe_channels_init();
diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/fe-messages.c b/src/fe-common/core/fe-messages.c
index 5a85b6f3..68219195 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/fe-messages.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/fe-messages.c
@@ -63,9 +63,8 @@ static void sig_message_public(SERVER_REC *server, const char *msg,
 	    window_item_window((WI_ITEM_REC *) chanrec)->items->next != NULL)
 		print_channel = TRUE;
 
-	level = MSGLEVEL_PUBLIC |
-		(color != NULL ? MSGLEVEL_HILIGHT :
-		 (for_me ? MSGLEVEL_HILIGHT : MSGLEVEL_NOHILIGHT));
+	level = MSGLEVEL_PUBLIC | (for_me || color != NULL ?
+				   MSGLEVEL_HILIGHT : MSGLEVEL_NOHILIGHT);
 
 	nickmode = get_nickmode(chanrec, nick);
 	if (!print_channel) {
@@ -103,7 +102,7 @@ static void sig_message_private(SERVER_REC *server, const char *msg,
 {
 	QUERY_REC *query;
 
-	query = privmsg_get_query(server, nick, FALSE, MSGLEVEL_MSGS);
+	query = query_find(server, nick);
 	printformat(server, nick, MSGLEVEL_MSGS,
 		    query == NULL ? IRCTXT_MSG_PRIVATE :
 		    IRCTXT_MSG_PRIVATE_QUERY, nick, address, msg);
@@ -209,8 +208,8 @@ void fe_messages_init(void)
 	settings_add_bool("lookandfeel", "show_nickmode", TRUE);
 	settings_add_bool("lookandfeel", "print_active_channel", FALSE);
 
-	signal_add("message public", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_public);
-	signal_add("message private", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_private);
+	signal_add_last("message public", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_public);
+	signal_add_last("message private", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_private);
 	command_bind_last("msg", NULL, (SIGNAL_FUNC) cmd_msg);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/fe-queries.c b/src/fe-common/core/fe-queries.c
index 230f7dbb..f9f0840e 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/fe-queries.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/fe-queries.c
@@ -262,6 +262,13 @@ static int sig_query_autoclose(void)
         return 1;
 }
 
+static void sig_message_private(SERVER_REC *server, const char *msg,
+				const char *nick, const char *address)
+{
+	/* create query window if needed */
+	privmsg_get_query(server, nick, FALSE, MSGLEVEL_MSGS);
+}
+
 static void read_settings(void)
 {
 	querycreate_level = level2bits(settings_get_str("autocreate_query_level"));
@@ -288,6 +295,7 @@ void fe_queries_init(void)
 	signal_add("window item remove", (SIGNAL_FUNC) signal_window_item_removed);
 	signal_add("server connected", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_server_connected);
 	signal_add("window changed", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_window_changed);
+	signal_add_first("message private", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_private);
 	signal_add("setup changed", (SIGNAL_FUNC) read_settings);
 
 	command_bind("query", NULL, (SIGNAL_FUNC) cmd_query);
@@ -306,6 +314,7 @@ void fe_queries_deinit(void)
 	signal_remove("window item remove", (SIGNAL_FUNC) signal_window_item_removed);
 	signal_remove("server connected", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_server_connected);
 	signal_remove("window changed", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_window_changed);
+	signal_remove("message private", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_private);
 	signal_remove("setup changed", (SIGNAL_FUNC) read_settings);
 
 	command_unbind("query", (SIGNAL_FUNC) cmd_query);
diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/window-activity.c b/src/fe-common/core/window-activity.c
index ecafb390..1902dcdb 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/window-activity.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/window-activity.c
@@ -32,7 +32,9 @@
 
 static const char *noact_channels;
 
-static void sig_hilight_text(WINDOW_REC *window, SERVER_REC *server, const char *channel, gpointer levelptr, const char *msg)
+static void sig_hilight_text(WINDOW_REC *window, SERVER_REC *server,
+			     const char *channel, void *levelptr,
+			     const char *msg)
 {
 	int level, oldlevel, new_data;
 
@@ -40,10 +42,13 @@ static void sig_hilight_text(WINDOW_REC *window, SERVER_REC *server, const char
 	if (window == active_win || (level & (MSGLEVEL_NEVER|MSGLEVEL_NO_ACT)))
 		return;
 
+	/* hilights and private messages get HILIGHT status,
+	   public messages get MSGS status and rest get TEXT */
 	new_data = (level & (MSGLEVEL_HILIGHT|MSGLEVEL_MSGS)) ?
 		NEWDATA_HILIGHT :
 		((level & MSGLEVEL_PUBLIC) ? NEWDATA_MSG : NEWDATA_TEXT);
 
+        /* check that channel isn't in "don't show activity" list */
 	if (new_data < NEWDATA_HILIGHT &&
 	    channel != NULL && find_substr(noact_channels, channel))
 		return;
@@ -51,7 +56,7 @@ static void sig_hilight_text(WINDOW_REC *window, SERVER_REC *server, const char
 	oldlevel = window->new_data;
 	if (window->new_data < new_data) {
 		window->new_data = new_data;
-		window->last_color = 0;
+		window->last_color = hilight_last_nick_color();;
 		signal_emit("window hilight", 1, window);
 	}
 
@@ -188,8 +193,8 @@ void window_activity_init(void)
 	signal_add("window changed", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_dehilight_window);
 	signal_add("window dehilight", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_dehilight_window);
 	signal_add("window item hilight", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_hilight_window_item);
-	signal_add_last("message public", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_public);
-	signal_add_last("message private", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_private);
+	signal_add("message public", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_public);
+	signal_add("message private", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_private);
 	signal_add("setup changed", (SIGNAL_FUNC) read_settings);
 }