diff --git a/www/common/notifications.js b/www/common/notifications.js
index a77f1d155..fe32c1896 100644
--- a/www/common/notifications.js
+++ b/www/common/notifications.js
@@ -25,19 +25,19 @@ define([
             });
     };
 
-    handlers['ACCEPT_FRIEND_REQUEST'] = function (common, data, el) {
+    handlers['FRIEND_REQUEST_ACCEPTED'] = function (common, data, el) {
         var content = data.content;
         var msg = content.msg;
         $(el).find('.cp-notification-content p')
-            .html(Messages._getKey('friendRequest_accepted', [msg.content.displayName]));
+            .html(Messages._getKey('friendRequest_accepted', [msg.content.name]));
         $(el).find('.cp-notification-dismiss').css('display', 'flex');
     };
 
-    handlers['DECLINE_FRIEND_REQUEST'] = function (common, data, el) {
+    handlers['FRIEND_REQUEST_DECLINED'] = function (common, data, el) {
         var content = data.content;
         var msg = content.msg;
         $(el).find('.cp-notification-content p')
-            .html(Messages._getKey('friendRequest_declined', [msg.content.displayName]));
+            .html(Messages._getKey('friendRequest_declined', [msg.content.name]));
         $(el).find('.cp-notification-dismiss').css('display', 'flex');
     };
 
diff --git a/www/common/outer/mailbox-handlers.js b/www/common/outer/mailbox-handlers.js
index e174c15bf..15eca8321 100644
--- a/www/common/outer/mailbox-handlers.js
+++ b/www/common/outer/mailbox-handlers.js
@@ -2,11 +2,19 @@ define([
     '/common/common-messaging.js',
 ], function (Messaging) {
 
+    var getRandomTimeout = function (ctx) {
+        var lag = ctx.store.realtime.getLag().lag || 0;
+        return (Math.max(0, lag) + 300) * 20 * (0.5 +  Math.random());
+    };
+
     var handlers = {};
 
     handlers['FRIEND_REQUEST'] = function (ctx, data, cb) {
-        if (data.msg.author === data.msg.content.curvePublic &&
-            Messaging.getFriend(ctx.store.proxy, data.msg.author)) {
+        // Check if the request is valid (send by the correct user)
+        if (data.msg.author !== data.msg.content.curvePublic) { return void cb(true); }
+
+        // If the user is already in our friend list, automatically accept the request
+        if (Messaging.getFriend(ctx.store.proxy, data.msg.author)) {
             Messaging.acceptFriendRequest(ctx.store, data.msg.content, function (obj) {
                 if (obj && obj.error) { return void cb(); }
                 cb(true);
@@ -16,30 +24,51 @@ define([
         cb();
     };
     handlers['DECLINE_FRIEND_REQUEST'] = function (ctx, box, data, cb) {
-        // Our friend request was declined.
-        if (!ctx.store.proxy.friends_pending[data.msg.author]) { return void cb(); }
-        delete ctx.store.proxy.friends_pending[data.msg.author];
-        ctx.updateMetadata();
-        cb();
+        setTimeout(function () {
+            // Our friend request was declined.
+            if (!ctx.store.proxy.friends_pending[data.msg.author]) { return; }
+
+            // Remove the pending message and display the "declined" state in the UI
+            delete ctx.store.proxy.friends_pending[data.msg.author];
+            ctx.updateMetadata();
+            box.sendMessage({
+                type: 'FRIEND_REQUEST_DECLINED',
+                content: {
+                    user: data.msg.author,
+                    name: data.msg.content.displayName
+                }
+            });
+        }, getRandomTimeout(ctx));
+        cb(true);
     };
     handlers['ACCEPT_FRIEND_REQUEST'] = function (ctx, box, data, cb) {
         // Our friend request was accepted.
-        // Make sure we really sent it
-        if (!ctx.store.proxy.friends_pending[data.msg.author]) { return void cb(); }
-        // And add the friend
-        Messaging.addToFriendList({
-            proxy: ctx.store.proxy,
-            realtime: ctx.store.realtime,
-            pinPads: ctx.pinPads
-        }, data.msg.content, function (err) {
-            if (err) { console.error(err); }
-            delete ctx.store.proxy.friends_pending[data.msg.author];
-            if (ctx.store.messenger) {
-                ctx.store.messenger.onFriendAdded(data.msg.content);
-            }
-            ctx.updateMetadata();
-        });
-        cb();
+        setTimeout(function () {
+            // Make sure we really sent it
+            if (!ctx.store.proxy.friends_pending[data.msg.author]) { return; }
+            // And add the friend
+            Messaging.addToFriendList({
+                proxy: ctx.store.proxy,
+                realtime: ctx.store.realtime,
+                pinPads: ctx.pinPads
+            }, data.msg.content, function (err) {
+                if (err) { console.error(err); }
+                delete ctx.store.proxy.friends_pending[data.msg.author];
+                if (ctx.store.messenger) {
+                    ctx.store.messenger.onFriendAdded(data.msg.content);
+                }
+                ctx.updateMetadata();
+                // Display the "accepted" state in the UI
+                box.sendMessage({
+                    type: 'FRIEND_REQUEST_ACCEPTED',
+                    content: {
+                        curvePublic: data.msg.author,
+                        displayName: data.msg.content.displayName
+                    }
+                });
+            });
+        }, getRandomTimeout(ctx));
+        cb(true);
     };
 
     return function (ctx, box, data, cb) {
@@ -49,6 +78,7 @@ define([
             try {
                 handlers[type](ctx, box, data, cb);
             } catch (e) {
+                console.error(e);
                 cb();
             }
         } else {
diff --git a/www/common/outer/mailbox.js b/www/common/outer/mailbox.js
index 3d45bee0f..c16f57a24 100644
--- a/www/common/outer/mailbox.js
+++ b/www/common/outer/mailbox.js
@@ -201,16 +201,19 @@ proxy.mailboxes = {
         cfg.onConnect = function (wc, sendMessage) {
             // Send a message to our box?
             // NOTE: we use our own curvePublic so that we can decrypt our own message :)
-            box.sendMessage = function (msg) {
+            box.sendMessage = function (_msg) {
                 try {
-                    msg = JSON.stringify(msg);
+                    msg = JSON.stringify(_msg);
                 } catch (e) {
                     console.error(e);
                 }
                 sendMessage(msg, function (err, hash) {
-                    if (m.viewed.indexOf(hash) === -1) {
-                        m.viewed.push(hash);
-                    }
+                    box.content[hash] = _msg;
+                    var message = {
+                        msg: _msg,
+                        hash: hash
+                    };
+                    showMessage(ctx, type, message);
                 }, keys.curvePublic);
             };
             box.queue.forEach(function (msg) {
@@ -357,7 +360,6 @@ proxy.mailboxes = {
             }
         });
 
-        // XXX test function used to populate a mailbox, should be removed in prod
         mailbox.post = function (box, type, content) {
             var b = ctx.boxes[box];
             if (!b) { return; }