diff --git a/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js b/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
index ff864379fa..a081ce6fe7 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
@@ -139,6 +139,10 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             register_hs_url: null,
             register_is_url: null,
             register_id_sid: null,
+
+            // Whether a DM should be created with welcomeUserId (prop) on registration
+            // see _onLoggedIn
+            shouldCreateWelcomeDm: true,
         };
         return s;
     },
@@ -378,6 +382,11 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 });
                 this.notifyNewScreen('forgot_password');
                 break;
+            case 'start_chat':
+                createRoom({
+                    dmUserId: payload.user_id,
+                });
+                break;
             case 'leave_room':
                 this._leaveRoom(payload.room_id);
                 break;
@@ -474,6 +483,9 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             case 'view_set_mxid':
                 this._setMxId();
                 break;
+            case 'view_start_chat_or_reuse':
+                this._chatCreateOrReuse(payload.user_id);
+                break;
             case 'view_create_chat':
                 this._createChat();
                 break;
@@ -707,6 +719,50 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         });
     },
 
+    _chatCreateOrReuse: function(userId) {
+        const ChatCreateOrReuseDialog = sdk.getComponent(
+            'views.dialogs.ChatCreateOrReuseDialog',
+        );
+        if (MatrixClientPeg.get().isGuest()) {
+            dis.dispatch({
+                action: 'do_after_sync_prepared',
+                deferred_action: {
+                    action: 'view_start_chat_or_reuse',
+                    user_id: userId,
+                },
+            });
+            dis.dispatch({
+                action: 'view_set_mxid',
+            });
+            return;
+        }
+
+        const close = Modal.createDialog(ChatCreateOrReuseDialog, {
+            userId: userId,
+            onFinished: (success) => {
+                if (!success) {
+                    // Dialog cancelled, default to home
+                    dis.dispatch({ action: 'view_home_page' });
+                }
+            },
+            onNewDMClick: () => {
+                dis.dispatch({
+                    action: 'start_chat',
+                    user_id: userId,
+                });
+                // Close the dialog, indicate success (calls onFinished(true))
+                close(true);
+            },
+            onExistingRoomSelected: (roomId) => {
+                dis.dispatch({
+                    action: 'view_room',
+                    room_id: roomId,
+                });
+                close(true);
+            },
+        }).close;
+    },
+
     _invite: function(roomId) {
         const ChatInviteDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ChatInviteDialog");
         Modal.createDialog(ChatInviteDialog, {
@@ -838,7 +894,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 MatrixClientPeg.get().getUserIdLocalpart()
             );
 
-            if (this.props.config.welcomeUserId) {
+            if (this.props.config.welcomeUserId && this.state.shouldCreateWelcomeDm) {
                 createRoom({
                     dmUserId: this.props.config.welcomeUserId,
                     andView: false,
@@ -1043,6 +1099,12 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             }
         } else if (screen.indexOf('user/') == 0) {
             const userId = screen.substring(5);
+
+            if (params.action === 'chat') {
+                this._chatCreateOrReuse(userId);
+                return;
+            }
+
             this.setState({ viewUserId: userId });
             this._setPage(PageTypes.UserView);
             this.notifyNewScreen('user/' + userId);
diff --git a/src/components/views/avatars/BaseAvatar.js b/src/components/views/avatars/BaseAvatar.js
index 65730be40b..a4443430f4 100644
--- a/src/components/views/avatars/BaseAvatar.js
+++ b/src/components/views/avatars/BaseAvatar.js
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         urls: React.PropTypes.array, // [highest_priority, ... , lowest_priority]
         width: React.PropTypes.number,
         height: React.PropTypes.number,
+        // XXX resizeMethod not actually used.
         resizeMethod: React.PropTypes.string,
         defaultToInitialLetter: React.PropTypes.bool // true to add default url
     },
diff --git a/src/components/views/dialogs/ChatCreateOrReuseDialog.js b/src/components/views/dialogs/ChatCreateOrReuseDialog.js
index f563af6691..93ebf8cc2f 100644
--- a/src/components/views/dialogs/ChatCreateOrReuseDialog.js
+++ b/src/components/views/dialogs/ChatCreateOrReuseDialog.js
@@ -18,34 +18,30 @@ import React from 'react';
 import sdk from '../../../index';
 import dis from '../../../dispatcher';
 import MatrixClientPeg from '../../../MatrixClientPeg';
+import { _t } from '../../../languageHandler';
 import DMRoomMap from '../../../utils/DMRoomMap';
 import AccessibleButton from '../elements/AccessibleButton';
 import Unread from '../../../Unread';
 import classNames from 'classnames';
 import createRoom from '../../../createRoom';
+import { RoomMember } from "matrix-js-sdk";
 
 export default class ChatCreateOrReuseDialog extends React.Component {
 
     constructor(props) {
         super(props);
-        this.onNewDMClick = this.onNewDMClick.bind(this);
         this.onRoomTileClick = this.onRoomTileClick.bind(this);
+
+        this.state = {
+            tiles: [],
+            profile: {
+                displayName: null,
+                avatarUrl: null,
+            },
+        };
     }
 
-    onNewDMClick() {
-        createRoom({dmUserId: this.props.userId});
-        this.props.onFinished(true);
-    }
-
-    onRoomTileClick(roomId) {
-        dis.dispatch({
-            action: 'view_room',
-            room_id: roomId,
-        });
-        this.props.onFinished(true);
-    }
-
-    render() {
+    componentWillMount() {
         const client = MatrixClientPeg.get();
 
         const dmRoomMap = new DMRoomMap(client);
@@ -70,40 +66,115 @@ export default class ChatCreateOrReuseDialog extends React.Component {
                         highlight={highlight}
                         isInvite={me.membership == "invite"}
                         onClick={this.onRoomTileClick}
-                    />
+                    />,
                 );
             }
         }
 
-        const labelClasses = classNames({
-            mx_MemberInfo_createRoom_label: true,
-            mx_RoomTile_name: true,
+        this.setState({
+            tiles: tiles,
         });
-        const startNewChat = <AccessibleButton
-            className="mx_MemberInfo_createRoom"
-            onClick={this.onNewDMClick}
-        >
-            <div className="mx_RoomTile_avatar">
-                <img src="img/create-big.svg" width="26" height="26" />
-            </div>
-            <div className={labelClasses}><i>{_("Start new chat")}</i></div>
-        </AccessibleButton>;
+
+        if (tiles.length === 0) {
+            this.setState({
+                busyProfile: true,
+            });
+            MatrixClientPeg.get().getProfileInfo(this.props.userId).then((resp) => {
+                const profile = {
+                    displayName: resp.displayname,
+                    avatarUrl: null,
+                };
+                if (resp.avatar_url) {
+                    profile.avatarUrl = MatrixClientPeg.get().mxcUrlToHttp(
+                        resp.avatar_url, 48, 48, "crop",
+                    );
+                }
+                this.setState({
+                    profile: profile,
+                });
+            }, (err) => {
+                console.error('Unable to get profile for user', this.props.userId, err);
+            }).finally(() => {
+                this.setState({
+                    busyProfile: false,
+                });
+            });
+        }
+    }
+
+    onRoomTileClick(roomId) {
+        this.props.onExistingRoomSelected(roomId);
+    }
+
+    render() {
+        let title = '';
+        let content = null;
+        if (this.state.tiles.length > 0) {
+            // Show the existing rooms with a "+" to add a new dm
+            title = _t('Create a new chat or reuse an existing one');
+            const labelClasses = classNames({
+                mx_MemberInfo_createRoom_label: true,
+                mx_RoomTile_name: true,
+            });
+            const startNewChat = <AccessibleButton
+                className="mx_MemberInfo_createRoom"
+                onClick={this.props.onNewDMClick}
+            >
+                <div className="mx_RoomTile_avatar">
+                    <img src="img/create-big.svg" width="26" height="26" />
+                </div>
+                <div className={labelClasses}><i>{ _t("Start new chat") }</i></div>
+            </AccessibleButton>;
+            content = <div className="mx_Dialog_content">
+                { _t('You already have existing direct chats with this user:') }
+                <div className="mx_ChatCreateOrReuseDialog_tiles">
+                    { this.state.tiles }
+                    { startNewChat }
+                </div>
+            </div>;
+        } else {
+            // Show the avatar, name and a button to confirm that a new chat is requested
+            const BaseAvatar = sdk.getComponent('avatars.BaseAvatar');
+            const Spinner = sdk.getComponent('elements.Spinner');
+            title = _t('Start chatting');
+
+            let profile = null;
+            if (this.state.busyProfile) {
+                profile = <Spinner />;
+            } else {
+                profile = <div className="mx_ChatCreateOrReuseDialog_profile">
+                    <BaseAvatar
+                        name={this.state.profile.displayName || this.props.userId}
+                        url={this.state.profile.avatarUrl}
+                        width={48} height={48}
+                    />
+                    <div className="mx_ChatCreateOrReuseDialog_profile_name">
+                        {this.state.profile.displayName || this.props.userId}
+                    </div>
+                </div>;
+            }
+            content = <div>
+                <div className="mx_Dialog_content">
+                    <p>
+                        { _t('Click on the button below to start chatting!') }
+                    </p>
+                    { profile }
+                </div>
+                <div className="mx_Dialog_buttons">
+                    <button className="mx_Dialog_primary" onClick={this.props.onNewDMClick}>
+                        { _t('Start Chatting') }
+                    </button>
+                </div>
+            </div>;
+        }
 
         const BaseDialog = sdk.getComponent('views.dialogs.BaseDialog');
         return (
             <BaseDialog className='mx_ChatCreateOrReuseDialog'
-                onFinished={() => {
-                    this.props.onFinished(false)
-                }}
-                title='Create a new chat or reuse an existing one'
+                onFinished={ this.props.onFinished.bind(false) }
+                title={title}
             >
-                <div className="mx_Dialog_content">
-                    You already have existing direct chats with this user:
-                    <div className="mx_ChatCreateOrReuseDialog_tiles">
-                        {tiles}
-                        {startNewChat}
-                    </div>
-                </div>
+                { content }
             </BaseDialog>
         );
     }
@@ -111,5 +182,8 @@ export default class ChatCreateOrReuseDialog extends React.Component {
 
 ChatCreateOrReuseDialog.propTyps = {
     userId: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+    // Called when clicking outside of the dialog
     onFinished: React.PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+    onNewDMClick: React.PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+    onExistingRoomSelected: React.PropTypes.func.isRequired,
 };
diff --git a/src/components/views/dialogs/ChatInviteDialog.js b/src/components/views/dialogs/ChatInviteDialog.js
index b50a782073..f475635212 100644
--- a/src/components/views/dialogs/ChatInviteDialog.js
+++ b/src/components/views/dialogs/ChatInviteDialog.js
@@ -95,16 +95,25 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                     // A Direct Message room already exists for this user, so select a
                     // room from a list that is similar to the one in MemberInfo panel
                     const ChatCreateOrReuseDialog = sdk.getComponent(
-                        "views.dialogs.ChatCreateOrReuseDialog"
+                        "views.dialogs.ChatCreateOrReuseDialog",
                     );
                     Modal.createDialog(ChatCreateOrReuseDialog, {
                         userId: userId,
                         onFinished: (success) => {
-                            if (success) {
-                                this.props.onFinished(true, inviteList[0]);
-                            }
-                            // else show this ChatInviteDialog again
-                        }
+                            this.props.onFinished(success);
+                        },
+                        onNewDMClick: () => {
+                            dis.dispatch({
+                                action: 'start_chat',
+                                user_id: userId,
+                            });
+                        },
+                        onExistingRoomSelected: (roomId) => {
+                            dis.dispatch({
+                                action: 'view_room',
+                                user_id: roomId,
+                            });
+                        },
                     });
                 } else {
                     this._startChat(inviteList);
diff --git a/src/createRoom.js b/src/createRoom.js
index f476a86dcc..1522dbc9a8 100644
--- a/src/createRoom.js
+++ b/src/createRoom.js
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ function createRoom(opts) {
         // the room exists, causing things like
         // https://github.com/vector-im/vector-web/issues/1813
         if (opts.andView) {
+            console.info('And viewing');
             dis.dispatch({
                 action: 'view_room',
                 room_id: roomId,
diff --git a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
index 11727223e3..c8d9614961 100644
--- a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
+++ b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
@@ -771,5 +771,11 @@
   "Idle": "Idle",
   "Offline": "Offline",
   "disabled": "disabled",
-  "enabled": "enabled"
+  "enabled": "enabled",
+  "Start chatting": "Start chatting",
+  "Start Chatting": "Start Chatting",
+  "Click on the button below to start chatting!": "Click on the button below to start chatting!",
+  "Create a new chat or reuse an existing one": "Create a new chat or reuse an existing one",
+  "You already have existing direct chats with this user:": "You already have existing direct chats with this user:",
+  "Start new chat": "Start new chat"
 }
diff --git a/src/stores/LifecycleStore.js b/src/stores/LifecycleStore.js
index d38138b3ef..b06c03b778 100644
--- a/src/stores/LifecycleStore.js
+++ b/src/stores/LifecycleStore.js
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ class LifecycleStore extends Store {
     __onDispatch(payload) {
         switch (payload.action) {
             case 'do_after_sync_prepared':
+                console.info('Will do after sync', payload.deferred_action);
                 this._setState({
                     deferred_action: payload.deferred_action,
                 });
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ class LifecycleStore extends Store {
                 if (payload.state !== 'PREPARED') {
                     break;
                 }
+                console.info('Doing', payload.deferred_action);
                 if (!this._state.deferred_action) break;
                 const deferredAction = Object.assign({}, this._state.deferred_action);
                 this._setState({