diff --git a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/ConversationActivity.java b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/ConversationActivity.java
index a854a4a4f..ebb855336 100644
--- a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/ConversationActivity.java
+++ b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/ConversationActivity.java
@@ -1579,7 +1579,8 @@ public class ConversationActivity extends PassphraseRequiredActionBarActivity
                 || eventId == DcContext.DC_EVENT_MSG_READ
                 || eventId == DcContext.DC_EVENT_MSG_DELIVERED)
                && event.getData1Int() == chatId) {
-        titleView.updateStatus(dcContext, chatId);
+        DcContact contact = recipient.getDcContact();
+        titleView.setSeenRecently(contact!=null? contact.isSeenRecently() : false);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/ConversationListItem.java b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/ConversationListItem.java
index cc9708f4b..257ab5854 100644
--- a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/ConversationListItem.java
+++ b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/ConversationListItem.java
@@ -167,14 +167,8 @@ public class ConversationListItem extends RelativeLayout
 
     this.avatar.setAvatar(glideRequests, recipient, false);
 
-    if (recipient.isMultiUserRecipient()) {
-      avatar.setSeenRecently(false);
-    } else {
-      DcContext dcContext = DcHelper.getContext(getContext());
-      int[] members = dcContext.getChatContacts((int)chatId);
-      DcContact contact = dcContext.getContact(members.length>=1? members[0] : 0);
-      avatar.setSeenRecently(contact.isSeenRecently());
-    }
+    DcContact contact = recipient.getDcContact();
+    avatar.setSeenRecently(contact!=null? contact.isSeenRecently() : false);
 
     fromView.setCompoundDrawablesWithIntrinsicBounds(
         thread.isMuted()? R.drawable.ic_volume_off_grey600_18dp : 0,
diff --git a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/ConversationTitleView.java b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/ConversationTitleView.java
index d3af06113..86cf98518 100644
--- a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/ConversationTitleView.java
+++ b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/ConversationTitleView.java
@@ -140,15 +140,8 @@ public class ConversationTitleView extends RelativeLayout {
     subtitle.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
   }
 
-  public void updateStatus(DcContext dcContext, int chatId) {
-    boolean isOnline = false;
-    if(!dcContext.getChat(chatId).isMultiUser()) {
-      int[] members = dcContext.getChatContacts(chatId);
-      if(members.length>=1) {
-        isOnline = dcContext.getContact(members[0]).isSeenRecently();
-      }
-    }
-    avatar.setSeenRecently(isOnline);
+  public void setSeenRecently(boolean seenRecently) {
+    avatar.setSeenRecently(seenRecently);
   }
 
   public void hideAvatar() {
diff --git a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/recipients/Recipient.java b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/recipients/Recipient.java
index 19cd831d5..91fa99b57 100644
--- a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/recipients/Recipient.java
+++ b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/recipients/Recipient.java
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ public class Recipient {
   private @Nullable String         profileName;
   private @Nullable String         profileAvatar;
 
-  // either dcChat or dcContact are set
   private @Nullable DcChat dcChat;
   private @Nullable DcContact dcContact;
 
@@ -125,7 +124,8 @@ public class Recipient {
         DcContext dcContext = DcHelper.getContext(context);
         int[] contacts = dcContext.getChatContacts(chatId);
         if( contacts.length>=1 ) {
-          maybeSetSystemContactPhoto(context, dcContext.getContact(contacts[0]));
+          this.dcContact = dcContext.getContact(contacts[0]);
+          maybeSetSystemContactPhoto(context, this.dcContact);
         }
       }
     }
@@ -194,12 +194,12 @@ public class Recipient {
 
   public int getFallbackAvatarColor() {
     int rgb = 0x00808080;
-    if(dcContact!=null) {
-      rgb = dcContact.getColor();
-    }
-    else if(dcChat!=null){
+    if(dcChat!=null) {
       rgb = dcChat.getColor();
     }
+    else if(dcContact!=null) {
+      rgb = dcContact.getColor();
+    }
     int argb = Color.argb(0xFF, Color.red(rgb), Color.green(rgb), Color.blue(rgb));
     return argb;
   }