diff --git a/common/content/browser.js b/common/content/browser.js
index e5e710bb..403199a8 100644
--- a/common/content/browser.js
+++ b/common/content/browser.js
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ const Browser = Module("browser", {
 
         mappings.add([modes.NORMAL], ["<C-l>"],
             "Redraw the screen",
-            function () { dactyl.execute("redraw"); });
+            function () { commands.get("redraw").action(); });
     },
 
     commands: function () {
@@ -188,7 +188,9 @@ const Browser = Module("browser", {
             function () {
                 window.QueryInterface(Ci.nsIInterfaceRequestor)
                       .getInterface(Ci.nsIDOMWindowUtils).redraw();
-                modes.show();
+                commandline.widgets.message = null;
+                if (modes.main != modes.COMMAND_LINE)
+                    commandline.widgets.command = null;
             },
             { argCount: "0" });
     }
diff --git a/common/content/commandline.js b/common/content/commandline.js
index 57f00f4c..4dac7071 100644
--- a/common/content/commandline.js
+++ b/common/content/commandline.js
@@ -8,6 +8,157 @@
 
 /** @scope modules */
 
+const CommandWidgets = Class("CommandWidgets", {
+    init: function () {
+        const self = this;
+        this.elements = {};
+        this.addElem({
+            name: "container",
+            noValue: true
+        });
+        this.addElem({
+            name: "commandline",
+            getValue: function () this.command,
+            getGroup: function () options.get("guioptions").has("C") ? this.commandbar : this.statusbar,
+            noValue: true,
+        });
+        this.addElem({
+            name: "command",
+            id: "commandline-command",
+            get: function (elem) {
+                // The long path is because of complications with the
+                // completion preview.
+                try {
+                    return elem.inputField.editor.rootElement.firstChild.textContent;
+                }
+                catch (e) {
+                    return elem.value;
+                }
+            },
+            getElement: CommandWidgets.getEditor,
+            getGroup: function (value) this.activeGroup.commandline,
+            onChange: function (elem) {
+                elem.selectionStart = elem.value.length;
+                elem.selectionEnd = elem.value.length;
+            },
+            onVisibility: function (elem, visible) visible && elem.focus()
+        });
+        this.addElem({
+            name: "prompt",
+            id: "commandline-prompt",
+            defaultGroup: "CmdPrompt",
+            getGroup: function () this.activeGroup.commandline
+        });
+        this.addElem({
+            name: "message",
+            defaultGroup: "Normal",
+            getElement: CommandWidgets.getEditor,
+            getGroup: function (value) {
+                if (this.command && !options.get("guioptions").has("M"))
+                    return this.statusbar;
+                let statusElem = this.statusbar.message;
+                if (value && statusElem.editor.rootElement.scrollWidth > statusElem.scrollWidth)
+                    return this.commandbar;
+                return this.activeGroup.mode;
+            }
+        });
+        this.addElem({
+            name: "mode",
+            defaultGroup: "ModeMsg",
+            getGroup: function (value) {
+                if (!options.get("guioptions").has("M"))
+                    if (this.commandbar.container.clientHeight == 0 ||
+                        value && !this.commandbar.commandline.collapsed)
+                        return this.statusbar;
+                return this.commandbar;
+            }
+        });
+    },
+    addElem: function (obj) {
+        const self = this;
+        this.elements[obj.name] = obj;
+        function get(id) obj.getElement ? obj.getElement(id) : document.getElementById(id);
+        this.active.__defineGetter__(obj.name, function () self.activeGroup[obj.name][obj.name]);
+        this.activeGroup.__defineGetter__(obj.name, function () self.getGroup(obj.name));
+        memoize(this.statusbar, obj.name, function () get("dactyl-statusline-field-" + (obj.id || obj.name)));
+        memoize(this.commandbar, obj.name, function () get("dactyl-" + (obj.id || obj.name)));
+
+        if (!obj.noValue)
+            Object.defineProperty(this, obj.name, Modes.boundProperty({
+                get: function () {
+                    let elem = self.getGroup(obj.name, obj.value)[obj.name];
+                    if (obj.value != null)
+                        return [obj.value[0], obj.get ? obj.get.call(this, elem) : elem.value]
+                    return null;
+                },
+                set: function (val) {
+                    if (val != null && !isArray(val))
+                        val = [obj.defaultGroup || "", val];
+                    obj.value = val;
+
+                    [this.commandbar, this.statusbar].forEach(function (nodeSet) {
+                        let elem = nodeSet[obj.name];
+                        if (val != null) {
+                            highlight.highlightNode(elem, (val[0] != null ? val[0] : obj.defaultGroup)
+                                    .split(/\s/).filter(util.identity)
+                                    .map(function (g) g + " " + nodeSet.group + g)
+                                    .join(" "));
+                            elem.value = val[1];
+                            if (obj.onChange)
+                                obj.onChange.call(this, elem);
+                        }
+                    }, this);
+
+                    this.updateVisibility();
+                    return val;
+                }
+        }).init(obj.name));
+    },
+    getGroup: function (name, value) {
+        if (!statusline.visible)
+            return this.commandbar;
+        return this.elements[name].getGroup.call(this, arguments.length > 1 ? value : this[name]);
+    },
+    updateVisibility: function () {
+        for (let elem in values(this.elements))
+            if (elem.getGroup) {
+                let value = elem.getValue ? elem.getValue.call(this)
+                          : elem.noValue || this[elem.name];
+
+                let activeGroup = this.getGroup(elem.name, value);
+                for (let group in values([this.commandbar, this.statusbar])) {
+                    let meth, node = group[elem.name];
+                    let visible = (value && group === activeGroup);
+                    if (!node.collapsed == !visible) {
+                        node.collapsed = !visible;
+                        if (elem.onVisibility)
+                            elem.onVisibility.call(this, node, visible);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+    },
+
+    active: Class.memoize(Object),
+    activeGroup: Class.memoize(Object),
+    commandbar: Class.memoize(function () ({ group: "Cmd" })),
+    statusbar: Class.memoize(function ()  ({ group: "Status" })),
+    completionList: Class.memoize(function () document.getElementById("dactyl-completions")),
+    completionContainer: Class.memoize(function () this.completionList.parentNode),
+    multilineOutput: Class.memoize(function () {
+        let elem = document.getElementById("dactyl-multiline-output");
+        elem.contentDocument.body.id = "dactyl-multiline-output-content";
+        return elem;
+    }),
+    multilineInput: Class.memoize(function () document.getElementById("dactyl-multiline-input")),
+    mowContainer: Class.memoize(function () this.multilineOutput.parentNode)
+}, {
+    getEditor: function (id) {
+        let elem = document.getElementById(id);
+        elem.inputField.QueryInterface(Ci.nsIDOMNSEditableElement);
+        return elem;
+    }
+});
+
 /**
  * This class is used for prompting of user input and echoing of messages.
  *
@@ -103,7 +254,12 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
         ////////////////////// VARIABLES ///////////////////////////////////////////////
         /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////{{{
 
-        memoize(this, "_completionList", function () ItemList("dactyl-completions"));
+        this.__defineGetter__("_completionList", function () {
+            let node = this.widgets.active.commandline;
+            if (!node._completionList)
+                node._completionList = ItemList("dactyl-completions-" + node.id);
+            return node._completionList;
+        });
         this._completions = null;
         this._history = null;
 
@@ -114,7 +270,6 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
         // this is then used if we focus the command line again without the "official"
         // way of calling "open"
         this._currentExtendedMode = null; // the extended mode which we last openend the command line for
-        this._currentPrompt = null;
         this._currentCommand = null;
 
         // save the arguments for the inputMultiline method which are needed in the event handler
@@ -170,15 +325,6 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
         }
     },
 
-
-    /**
-     * Highlight the messageBox according to <b>group</b>.
-     */
-    set highlightGroup(group) {
-        highlight.highlightNode(this.widgets.message, group);
-    },
-    get highlightGroup() this.widgets.message.getAttributeNS(NS.uri, "highlight"),
-
     /**
      * Determines whether the command line should be visible.
      *
@@ -187,31 +333,6 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
     get commandVisible() modes.main == modes.COMMAND_LINE &&
             !(modes.extended & (modes.INPUT_MULTILINE | modes.OUTPUT_MULTILINE)),
 
-    /**
-     * Set the command-line prompt.
-     *
-     * @param {string} val
-     * @param {string} highlightGroup
-     */
-    _setPrompt: function (val, highlightGroup) {
-        this.widgets.prompt.value = val;
-        this.widgets.prompt.size = val.length;
-        this.widgets.prompt.collapsed = (val == "");
-        highlight.highlightNode(this.widgets.prompt, highlightGroup || commandline.HL_NORMAL);
-    },
-
-    /**
-     * Set the command-line input value. The caret is reset to the
-     * end of the line.
-     *
-     * @param {string} cmd
-     */
-    _setCommand: function (cmd) {
-        this.widgets.command.value = cmd;
-        this.widgets.command.selectionStart = cmd.length;
-        this.widgets.command.selectionEnd = cmd.length;
-    },
-
     /**
      * Display a message in the command-line area.
      *
@@ -221,15 +342,14 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
      *     messages move to the MOW.
      */
     _echoLine: function echoLine(str, highlightGroup, forceSingle) {
-        this.highlightGroup = highlightGroup;
-        this.widgets.message.value = str;
+        this.widgets.message = str ? [highlightGroup, str] : null;
 
         dactyl.triggerObserver("echoLine", str, highlightGroup, forceSingle);
 
         if (!this.commandVisible)
             commandline.hide();
 
-        let field = this.widgets.message.inputField;
+        let field = this.widgets.active.message.inputField;
         if (!forceSingle && field.editor.rootElement.scrollWidth > field.scrollWidth)
             this._echoMultiline(<span highlight="Message">{str}</span>, highlightGroup);
     },
@@ -319,30 +439,14 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
     get quiet() this._quiet,
     set quiet(val) {
         this._quiet = val;
-        Array.forEach(this.widgets.commandline.childNodes, function (node) {
-            node.style.opacity = this._quiet || this._silent ? "0" : "";
+        ["commandbar", "statusbar"].forEach(function (nodeSet) {
+            Array.forEach(this.widgets[nodeSet].commandline.childNodes, function (node) {
+                node.style.opacity = this._quiet || this._silent ? "0" : "";
+            }, this);
         }, this);
     },
 
-    widgets: Class.memoize(function () {
-        let widgets = {
-            commandline: document.getElementById("dactyl-commandline"),
-            prompt: document.getElementById("dactyl-commandline-prompt"),
-            command: document.getElementById("dactyl-commandline-command"),
-
-            message: document.getElementById("dactyl-message"),
-
-            multilineOutput: document.getElementById("dactyl-multiline-output"),
-            multilineInput: document.getElementById("dactyl-multiline-input")
-        };
-
-        widgets.command.inputField.QueryInterface(Ci.nsIDOMNSEditableElement);
-        widgets.message.inputField.QueryInterface(Ci.nsIDOMNSEditableElement);
-        widgets.mowContainer = widgets.multilineOutput.parentNode;
-
-        widgets.multilineOutput.contentDocument.body.id = "dactyl-multiline-output-content";
-        return widgets;
-    }),
+    widgets: Class.memoize(function () CommandWidgets()),
 
     // @param type can be:
     //  "submit": when the user pressed enter in the command line
@@ -371,19 +475,11 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
         }
     },
 
-    get command() {
-        try {
-            // The long path is because of complications with the
-            // completion preview.
-            return this.widgets.command.inputField.editor.rootElement.firstChild.textContent;
-        }
-        catch (e) {
-            return this.widgets.command.value;
-        }
+    hideCompletions: function hideCompletions() {
+        for (let nodeSet in values([this.widgets.statusbar, this.widgets.commandbar]))
+            if (nodeSet.commandline._completionList)
+                nodeSet.commandline._completionList.hide();
     },
-    set command(cmd) this.widgets.command.value = cmd,
-
-    get message() this.widgets.message.value,
 
     /**
      * Open the command line. The main mode is set to
@@ -398,21 +494,18 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
     open: function open(prompt, cmd, extendedMode) {
         // save the current prompts, we need it later if the command widget
         // receives focus without calling the this.open() method
-        this._currentPrompt = prompt || "";
         this._currentCommand = cmd || "";
         this._currentExtendedMode = extendedMode || null;
         this._keepCommand = false;
 
-        this._setPrompt(this._currentPrompt);
-        this._setCommand(this._currentCommand);
-        this.widgets.commandline.collapsed = false;
-
         modes.set(modes.COMMAND_LINE, this._currentExtendedMode);
 
-        this.widgets.command.focus();
+        this.widgets.active.commandline.collapsed = false;
+        this.widgets.prompt = prompt;
+        this.widgets.command = cmd || "";
 
-        this._history = CommandLine.History(this.widgets.command.inputField, (modes.extended == modes.EX) ? "command" : "search");
-        this._completions = CommandLine.Completions(this.widgets.command.inputField);
+        this._history = CommandLine.History(this.widgets.active.command.inputField, (modes.extended == modes.EX) ? "command" : "search");
+        this._completions = CommandLine.Completions(this.widgets.active.command.inputField);
 
         // open the completion list automatically if wanted
         if (cmd.length)
@@ -442,7 +535,7 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
         dactyl.focusContent(false);
 
         this.widgets.multilineInput.collapsed = true;
-        this._completionList.hide();
+        this.hideCompletions();
 
         if (!this._keepCommand || this._silent || this._quiet) {
             this.widgets.mowContainer.collapsed = true;
@@ -456,6 +549,17 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
         this._keepCommand = false;
     },
 
+    get command() {
+        if (this.widgets.command)
+            return this._lastCommand = this.widgets.command[1];
+        return this._lastCommand;
+    },
+    set command(val) {
+        if (this.widgets.command)
+            return this.widgets.command = val;
+        return this._lastCommand = val;
+    },
+
     /**
      * Displays the multi-line output of a command, preceded by the last
      * executed ex command string.
@@ -473,7 +577,7 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
      * are under it.
      */
     hide: function hide() {
-        this.widgets.commandline.collapsed = true;
+        this.widgets.command = null;
     },
 
     /**
@@ -524,16 +628,16 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
         if (single)
             this._lastEcho = null;
         else {
-            if (this.widgets.message.value == this._lastEcho)
+            if (this.widgets.message && this.widgets.message[1] == this._lastEcho)
                 this._echoMultiline(<span highlight="Message">{this._lastEcho}</span>,
-                                    this.highlightGroup);
+                                    this.widgets.message[0]);
             this._lastEcho = (action == this._echoLine) && str;
         }
 
         // TODO: this is all a bit convoluted - clean up.
         // assume that FORCE_MULTILINE output is fully styled
         if (!(flags & this.FORCE_MULTILINE) && !single
-            && (!this.widgets.mowContainer.collapsed || this.widgets.message.value == this._lastEcho)) {
+            && (!this.widgets.mowContainer.collapsed || this.widgets.message && this.widgets.message[1] == this._lastEcho)) {
 
             highlightGroup += " Message";
             action = this._echoMultiline;
@@ -575,12 +679,11 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
         modes.push(modes.COMMAND_LINE, modes.PROMPT);
         this._currentExtendedMode = modes.PROMPT;
 
-        this._setPrompt(prompt, extra.promptHighlight || this.HL_QUESTION);
-        this._setCommand(extra.default || "");
-        this.widgets.commandline.collapsed = false;
-        this.widgets.command.focus();
+        this.widgets.prompt = !prompt ? null : [extra.promptHighlight || "Question", prompt];
+        this.widgets.command = extra.default || "";
+        this.widgets.active.commandline.collapsed = false;
 
-        this._completions = CommandLine.Completions(this.widgets.command.inputField);
+        this._completions = CommandLine.Completions(this.widgets.active.command.inputField);
     },
 
     readHeredoc: function (end) {
@@ -603,7 +706,7 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
     // FIXME: Buggy, especially when pasting. Shouldn't use a RegExp.
     inputMultiline: function inputMultiline(end, callbackFunc) {
         // Kludge.
-        let cmd = !this.widgets.command.collapsed && this.command;
+        let cmd = !this.widgets.active.command.collapsed && this.command;
         modes.push(modes.COMMAND_LINE, modes.INPUT_MULTILINE);
         if (cmd != false)
             this._echoLine(cmd, this.HL_NORMAL);
@@ -634,12 +737,12 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
             if (event.type == "blur") {
                 // prevent losing focus, there should be a better way, but it just didn't work otherwise
                 this.timeout(function () {
-                    if (this.commandVisible && event.originalTarget == this.widgets.command.inputField)
-                        this.widgets.command.inputField.focus();
+                    if (this.commandVisible && event.originalTarget == this.widgets.active.command.inputField)
+                        this.widgets.active.command.inputField.focus();
                 }, 0);
             }
             else if (event.type == "focus") {
-                if (!this.commandVisible && event.target == this.widgets.command.inputField) {
+                if (!this.commandVisible && event.target == this.widgets.active.command.inputField) {
                     event.target.blur();
                     dactyl.beep();
                 }
@@ -662,7 +765,7 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
                     let mode = this._currentExtendedMode; // save it here, as modes.pop() resets it
                     this._keepCommand = !userContext.hidden_option_no_command_afterimage;
                     this._currentExtendedMode = null; // Don't let modes.pop trigger "cancel"
-                    modes.pop(!this._silent);
+                    modes.pop();
                     commandline.triggerCallback("submit", mode, command);
                 }
                 // user pressed <Up> or <Down> arrow to cycle history completion
@@ -946,7 +1049,7 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
     },
 
     getSpaceNeeded: function getSpaceNeeded() {
-        let rect = this.widgets.commandline.getBoundingClientRect();
+        let rect = this.widgets.commandbar.commandline.getBoundingClientRect();
         let offset = rect.bottom - window.innerHeight;
         return Math.max(0, offset);
     },
@@ -960,21 +1063,19 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
      *     and what they do.
      */
     updateMorePrompt: function updateMorePrompt(force, showHelp) {
-        if (this.widgets.mowContainer.collapsed) {
-            this._echoLine("", this.HL_NORMAL);
-            return;
-        }
+        if (this.widgets.mowContainer.collapsed)
+            return this.widgets.message = null;
 
         let win = this.widgets.multilineOutput.contentWindow;
         function isScrollable() !win.scrollMaxY == 0;
         function atEnd() win.scrollY / win.scrollMaxY >= 1;
 
         if (showHelp)
-            this._echoLine("-- More -- SPACE/d/j: screen/page/line down, b/u/k: up, q: quit", this.HL_MOREMSG, true);
+            this.widgets.message = ["MoreMsg", "-- More -- SPACE/d/j: screen/page/line down, b/u/k: up, q: quit"];
         else if (force || (options["more"] && isScrollable() && !atEnd()))
-            this._echoLine("-- More --", this.HL_MOREMSG, true);
+            this.widgets.message = ["MoreMsg", "-- More --"];
         else
-            this._echoLine("Press ENTER or type command to continue", this.HL_QUESTION, true);
+            this.widgets.message = ["Question", "Press ENTER or type command to continue"];
     },
 
     /**
@@ -994,7 +1095,7 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
             availableHeight += parseFloat(this.widgets.mowContainer.height);
         availableHeight -= extra || 0;
 
-        doc.body.style.minWidth = this.widgets.commandline.scrollWidth + "px";
+        doc.body.style.minWidth = this.widgets.commandbar.commandline.scrollWidth + "px";
         this.widgets.mowContainer.height = Math.min(doc.height, availableHeight) + "px";
         this.timeout(function ()
             this.widgets.mowContainer.height = Math.min(doc.height, availableHeight) + "px",
@@ -1158,7 +1259,7 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
             // The second line is a hack to deal with some substring
             // preview corner cases.
             let value = this.prefix + completion + this.suffix;
-            commandline.widgets.command.value = value;
+            commandline.widgets.active.command.value = value;
             this.editor.selection.focusNode.textContent = value;
 
             // Reset the caret to one position after the completion.
@@ -1168,8 +1269,8 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
 
         get caret() this.editor.selection.focusOffset,
         set caret(offset) {
-            commandline.widgets.command.selectionStart = offset;
-            commandline.widgets.command.selectionEnd = offset;
+            commandline.widgets.active.command.selectionStart = offset;
+            commandline.widgets.active.command.selectionEnd = offset;
         },
 
         get start() this.context.allItems.start,
@@ -1245,9 +1346,9 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
             }
             else if (this.removeSubstring) {
                 let str = this.removeSubstring;
-                let cmd = commandline.widgets.command.value;
+                let cmd = commandline.widgets.active.command.value;
                 if (cmd.substr(cmd.length - str.length) == str)
-                    commandline.widgets.command.value = cmd.substr(0, cmd.length - str.length);
+                    commandline.widgets.active.command.value = cmd.substr(0, cmd.length - str.length);
             }
             delete this.removeSubstring;
         },
@@ -1601,6 +1702,7 @@ const ItemList = Class("ItemList", {
         this._container = iframe.parentNode;
 
         this._doc.body.id = id + "-content";
+        this._doc.body.className = iframe.className + "-content";
         this._doc.body.appendChild(this._doc.createTextNode(""));
         this._doc.body.style.borderTop = "1px solid black"; // FIXME: For cases where completions/MOW are shown at once, or ls=0. Should use :highlight.
 
diff --git a/common/content/configbase.js b/common/content/configbase.js
index bb6d62b5..b7be5a43 100644
--- a/common/content/configbase.js
+++ b/common/content/configbase.js
@@ -154,19 +154,28 @@ const ConfigBase = Class(ModuleBase, {
         Enabled      color: blue;
         Disabled     color: red;
 
-        !Normal      color: black  !important; background: white !important;
-        ErrorMsg     color: white  !important; background: red   !important; font-weight: bold !important;
-        InfoMsg      color: black  !important; background: white !important;
-        LineNr       color: orange !important; background: white !important;
-        ModeMsg      color: black  !important; background: white !important;
-        MoreMsg      color: green  !important; background: white !important;
-        Message      white-space: normal; min-width: 100%; padding-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em; display: block;
-        NonText      color: blue; min-height: 16px; padding-left: 2px;
-        *Preview     color: gray;
-        Question     color: green  !important; background: white !important; font-weight: bold !important;
-        WarningMsg   color: red    !important; background: white !important;
+        !Normal          color: black   !important; background: white   !important; font-weight: normal !important;
+        !StatusNormal    color: white   !important; background: inherit !important;
+        ErrorMsg         color: white   !important; background: red     !important; font-weight: bold !important;
+        InfoMsg          color: black   !important; background: white   !important;
+        StatusInfoMsg    color: white   !important; background: inherit !important;
+        LineNr           color: orange  !important; background: white   !important;
+        ModeMsg          color: black   !important; background: white   !important;
+        StatusModeMsg    color: white   !important; background: inherit !important;
+        MoreMsg          color: green   !important; background: white   !important;
+        StatusMoreMsg                               background: black   !important;
+        Message          white-space: normal; min-width: 100%; padding-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em; display: block;
+        NonText          color: blue; min-height: 16px; padding-left: 2px;
+        *Preview         color: gray;
+        Question         color: green   !important; background: white   !important; font-weight: bold !important;
+        StatusQuestion   color: green   !important; background: black   !important;
+        WarningMsg       color: red     !important; background: white   !important;
+        StatusWarningMsg color: red     !important; background: black   !important;
 
-        !CmdLine;>*  font-family: monospace !important; padding: 1px !important;
+        !CmdLine;>*      font-family: monospace !important; padding: 1px !important;
+        !StatusCmdLine>* color: white; background: black; font-weight: normal;
+        CmdPrompt;.dactyl-commandline-prompt
+        CmdInput;.dactyl-commandline-command
         CmdOutput    white-space: pre;
 
         CompGroup
diff --git a/common/content/dactyl.js b/common/content/dactyl.js
index 31c13855..38f84234 100644
--- a/common/content/dactyl.js
+++ b/common/content/dactyl.js
@@ -94,22 +94,27 @@ const Dactyl = Module("dactyl", {
         postCommands: null
     },
 
-    registerObserver: function (type, callback) {
+    registerObserver: function (type, callback, weak) {
         if (!(type in this.observers))
             this.observers[type] = [];
-        this.observers[type].push(callback);
+        this.observers[type].push(weak ? Cu.getWeakReference(callback) : { get: function () callback });
     },
 
     unregisterObserver: function (type, callback) {
         if (type in this.observers)
-            this.observers[type] = this.observers[type].filter(function (c) c != callback);
+            this.observers[type] = this.observers[type].filter(function (c) c.get() != callback);
     },
 
     // TODO: "zoom": if the zoom value of the current buffer changed
     triggerObserver: function (type) {
         let args = Array.slice(arguments, 1);
-        for (let [, func] in Iterator(this.observers[type] || []))
-            func.apply(null, args);
+        if (type in this.observers)
+            this.observers[type] = this.observers[type].filter(function (callback) {
+                if (callback.get()) {
+                    callback.get().apply(null, args);
+                    return true;
+                }
+            });
     },
 
     /**
@@ -1199,6 +1204,15 @@ const Dactyl = Module("dactyl", {
             "boolean", false);
 
         const groups = {
+            commandline: {
+                opts: {
+                    M: ["Always show messages outside of the status line"],
+                    C: ["Always show the command-line outside of the status line"],
+                },
+                setter: function (opts) {
+                    commandline.widgets.updateVisibility();
+                }
+            },
             config: {
                 opts: config.guioptions,
                 setter: function (opts) {
diff --git a/common/content/dactyl.xul b/common/content/dactyl.xul
index f5fc9bfc..cef08f73 100644
--- a/common/content/dactyl.xul
+++ b/common/content/dactyl.xul
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@
             oncommandupdate="&events;.onFocusChange(event);"/>
         <commandset id="onPentadactylSelect" commandupdater="true" events="select"
             oncommandupdate="&events;.onSelectionChange(event);"/>
+    </window>
 
+    <vbox id="browser-bottombox">
         <!-- As of Firefox 3.1pre, iframe.height changes do not seem to have immediate effect,
              therefore we need to put them into a <vbox> for which that works just fine -->
         <vbox class="dactyl-container" hidden="false" collapsed="true">
@@ -53,41 +55,48 @@
         </vbox>
 
         <vbox class="dactyl-container" hidden="false" collapsed="true">
-            <iframe id="dactyl-completions" src="chrome://dactyl/content/buffer.xhtml"
+            <iframe class="dactyl-completions" id="dactyl-completions-dactyl-commandline" src="chrome://dactyl/content/buffer.xhtml"
                 flex="1" hidden="false" collapsed="false"
                 onclick="&commandline;.onMultilineOutputEvent(event)"/>
         </vbox>
 
-        <stack orient="horizontal" align="stretch" class="dactyl-container" dactyl:highlight="CmdLine">
-            <textbox class="plain" id="dactyl-mode"    flex="1" readonly="true" dactyl:highlight="Normal"/>
-            <textbox class="plain" id="dactyl-message" flex="1" readonly="true" dactyl:highlight="Normal"/>
+        <vbox id="dactyl-completions-&status;commandline-container" class="dactyl-container" hidden="false" collapsed="true" insertbefore="addon-bar,status-bar">
+            <iframe class="dactyl-completions" id="dactyl-completions-&status;commandline" src="chrome://dactyl/content/buffer.xhtml"
+                flex="1" hidden="false" collapsed="false"
+                onclick="&commandline;.onMultilineOutputEvent(event)"/>
+        </vbox>
 
-            <hbox id="dactyl-commandline" hidden="false" class="dactyl-container" dactyl:highlight="Normal" collapsed="true">
-                <label   class="plain" id="dactyl-commandline-prompt"  flex="0" crop="end" value="" collapsed="true"/>
-                <textbox class="plain" id="dactyl-commandline-command" flex="1" type="search" timeout="100"
+        <stack orient="horizontal" align="stretch" class="dactyl-container" id="dactyl-container" dactyl:highlight="CmdLine CmdCmdLine">
+            <textbox class="plain" id="dactyl-mode"    flex="1" readonly="true"/>
+            <textbox class="plain" id="dactyl-message" flex="1" readonly="true"/>
+
+            <hbox id="dactyl-commandline" hidden="false" class="dactyl-container" dactyl:highlight="Normal CmdNormal" collapsed="true">
+                <label   id="dactyl-commandline-prompt"  class="dactyl-commandline-prompt  plain" flex="0" crop="end" value="" collapsed="true"/>
+                <textbox id="dactyl-commandline-command" class="dactyl-commandline-command plain" flex="1" type="input" timeout="100"
                     oninput="&commandline;.onEvent(event);" onkeyup="&commandline;.onEvent(event);"
                     onfocus="&commandline;.onEvent(event);" onblur="&commandline;.onEvent(event);"/>
             </hbox>
         </stack>
 
         <vbox class="dactyl-container" hidden="false" collapsed="false" dactyl:highlight="CmdLine">
-            <textbox id="dactyl-multiline-input" class="plain" flex="1" rows="1" hidden="false" collapsed="true" multiline="true" dactyl:highlight="Normal"
-                onkeypress="&commandline;.onMultilineInputEvent(event);" oninput="&commandline;.onMultilineInputEvent(event);"
-                onblur="&commandline;.onMultilineInputEvent(event);"/>
+            <textbox id="dactyl-multiline-input" class="plain" flex="1" rows="1" hidden="false" collapsed="true" multiline="true"
+                     dactyl:highlight="Normal"
+                     onkeypress="&commandline;.onMultilineInputEvent(event);" oninput="&commandline;.onMultilineInputEvent(event);"
+                     onblur="&commandline;.onMultilineInputEvent(event);"/>
         </vbox>
-    </window>
+    </vbox>
 
     <statusbar id="status-bar" dactyl:highlight="StatusLine">
         <hbox insertbefore="&dactyl.statusBefore;" insertafter="&dactyl.statusAfter;"
-              id="&status;status" flex="1" hidden="false" align="center">
-            <stack orient="horizontal" align="stretch"      flex="1" class="dactyl-container" dactyl:highlight="CmdLine">
-                <textbox class="plain" id="&status;url"     flex="1" readonly="false" crop="end"/>
-                <textbox class="plain" id="&status;mode"    flex="1" readonly="true" collapsed="true" dactyl:highlight="Normal"/>
-                <textbox class="plain" id="&status;message" flex="1" readonly="true" collapsed="true" dactyl:highlight="Normal"/>
+              style="background: inherit;" id="&status;container" flex="1" hidden="false" align="center">
+            <stack orient="horizontal" align="stretch"       flex="1" class="dactyl-container" dactyl:highlight="CmdLine StatusCmdLine">
+                <textbox class="plain" id="&status;url"      flex="1" readonly="false" crop="end"/>
+                <textbox class="plain" id="&status;mode"     flex="0" readonly="true"  crop="end" collapsed="true"/>
+                <textbox class="plain" id="&status;message"  flex="1" readonly="true" collapsed="true" dactyl:highlight="Normal StatusNormal"/>
 
-                <hbox id="&status;commandline" hidden="false" class="dactyl-container" dactyl:highlight="Normal" collapsed="true">
-                    <label class="plain" id="&status;commandline-prompt"  flex="0" crop="end" value="" collapsed="true"/>
-                    <textbox class="plain" id="&status;commandline-command" flex="1" type="search" timeout="100"
+                <hbox id="&status;commandline" hidden="false" class="dactyl-container" dactyl:highlight="Normal StatusNormal" collapsed="true">
+                    <label id="&status;commandline-prompt"    class="dactyl-commandline-prompt  plain" flex="0" crop="end" value="" collapsed="true"/>
+                    <textbox id="&status;commandline-command" class="dactyl-commandline-command plain" flex="1" type="text" timeout="100"
                         oninput="&commandline;.onEvent(event);" onkeyup="&commandline;.onEvent(event);"
                         onfocus="&commandline;.onEvent(event);" onblur="&commandline;.onEvent(event);"/>
                 </hbox>
diff --git a/common/content/editor.js b/common/content/editor.js
index 7a3002a8..07ba0a1e 100644
--- a/common/content/editor.js
+++ b/common/content/editor.js
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ const Editor = Module("editor", {
      */
     expandAbbreviation: function (mode) {
         let textbox   = Editor.getEditor();
-        if (!textbox)
+        if (!(textbox && textbox.value))
             return false;
         let text      = textbox.value;
         let currStart = textbox.selectionStart;
diff --git a/common/content/modes.js b/common/content/modes.js
index 6845e367..e5ede1f0 100644
--- a/common/content/modes.js
+++ b/common/content/modes.js
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ const Modes = Module("modes", {
         this._lastMode = 0;
         this._modeMap = {};
 
+        this.boundProperties = {};
+
         // main modes, only one should ever be active
         this.addMode("NORMAL",   { char: "n", display: -1 });
         this.addMode("INSERT",   { char: "i", input: true });
@@ -168,11 +170,10 @@ const Modes = Module("modes", {
 
     // show the current mode string in the command line
     show: function () {
-        let msg = "";
+        let msg = null;
         if (options["showmode"])
             msg = this._getModeMessage();
-
-        commandline.echo(msg, "ModeMsg", commandline.FORCE_SINGLELINE);
+        commandline.widgets.mode = msg || null;
     },
 
     // add/remove always work on the this._extended mode only
@@ -181,19 +182,30 @@ const Modes = Module("modes", {
         this.show();
     },
 
-    save: function (id, value, obj, prop) {
-        if (this.topOfStack)
-            this.topOfStack[2][id] = { value: value, obj: obj, prop: prop };
+    save: function (id, obj, prop) {
+        this.boundProperties[id] = { obj: Cu.getWeakReference(obj), prop: prop };
     },
 
     // helper function to set both modes in one go
     // if silent == true, you also need to take care of the mode handling changes yourself
     set: function (mainMode, extendedMode, silent, stack) {
+
+        if (!stack && mainMode != null)
+            this._modeStack = [];
+
+        let push = mainMode != null && !(stack && stack.pop);
+        if (push && this.topOfStack)
+            for (let [id, { obj, prop }] in Iterator(this.boundProperties)) {
+                if (!obj.get())
+                    delete this.boundProperties(id);
+                else
+                    this.topOfStack[2][id] = { obj: obj.get(), prop: prop, value: obj.get()[prop] };
+            }
+
         silent = (silent || this._main == mainMode && this._extended == extendedMode);
         // if a this._main mode is set, the this._extended is always cleared
         let oldMain = this._main, oldExtended = this._extended;
-        if (!stack && mainMode != null)
-            this.modeStack = [];
+
         if (typeof extendedMode === "number")
             this._extended = extendedMode;
         if (typeof mainMode === "number") {
@@ -270,6 +282,26 @@ const Modes = Module("modes", {
     get extended() this._extended,
     set extended(value) { this.set(null, value); }
 }, {
+    cacheId: 0,
+    boundProperty: function boundProperty(desc) {
+        let id = this.cacheId++, value;
+        return Class.Property(update({
+            enumerable: true,
+            configurable: true,
+            init: function (prop) update(this, {
+                get: function () {
+                    if (desc.get)
+                        var val = desc.get.call(this, value);
+                    return val === undefined ? value : val;
+                },
+                set: function (val) {
+                    value = desc.set.call(this, val);
+                    value = value === undefined ? val : value;
+                    modes.save(id, this, prop)
+                }
+            })
+        }, desc));
+    }
 });
 
 // vim: set fdm=marker sw=4 ts=4 et:
diff --git a/common/content/options.js b/common/content/options.js
index 84654447..8ee4da6b 100644
--- a/common/content/options.js
+++ b/common/content/options.js
@@ -147,6 +147,8 @@ const Option = Class("Option", {
 
         this.hasChanged = true;
         this.setFrom = null;
+
+        dactyl.triggerObserver("options." + this.name, newValues);
     },
 
     /**
diff --git a/common/content/statusline.js b/common/content/statusline.js
index 43d46ac3..4c96841b 100644
--- a/common/content/statusline.js
+++ b/common/content/statusline.js
@@ -11,15 +11,16 @@
 const StatusLine = Module("statusline", {
     init: function () {
         this._statusLine = document.getElementById("status-bar");
-        this._statusBar = document.getElementById("addon-bar") || this._statusLine;
-        this._statusBar.collapsed = true; // it is later restored unless the user sets laststatus=0
+        this.statusBar = document.getElementById("addon-bar") || this._statusLine;
+        this.statusBar.collapsed = true; // it is later restored unless the user sets laststatus=0
 
         // our status bar fields
-        this.widgets = array(["status", "url", "inputbuffer", "progress", "tabcount", "bufferposition", "zoomlevel"]
+        this.widgets = array(["container", "url", "inputbuffer", "progress", "tabcount", "bufferposition", "zoomlevel"]
                     .map(function (field) [field, document.getElementById("dactyl-statusline-field-" + field)]))
                     .toObject();
+        this.widgets.status = this.widgets.container;
 
-        if (this._statusBar.localName == "toolbar") {
+        if (this.statusBar.localName == "toolbar") {
             styles.addSheet(true, "addon-bar", config.styleableChrome, <css><![CDATA[
                 #status-bar { margin-top: 0 !important; }
                 #addon-bar { padding: 0 !important; min-height: 18px !important; }
@@ -31,6 +32,8 @@ const StatusLine = Module("statusline", {
         }
     },
 
+    get visible() !this.statusBar.collapsed,
+
     /**
      * Update the status bar to indicate how secure the website is:
      * extended - Secure connection with Extended Validation(EV) certificate.
@@ -274,12 +277,12 @@ const StatusLine = Module("statusline", {
             {
                 setter: function setter(value) {
                     if (value == 0)
-                        statusline._statusBar.collapsed = true;
+                        statusline.statusBar.collapsed = true;
                     else if (value == 1)
                         dactyl.echoerr("show status line only with > 1 window not implemented yet");
                     else
-                        statusline._statusBar.collapsed = false;
-
+                        statusline.statusBar.collapsed = false;
+                    commandline.widgets.updateVisibility();
                     return value;
                 },
                 completer: function completer(context) [
diff --git a/common/locale/en-US/options.xml b/common/locale/en-US/options.xml
index 2b9b6f43..fa667110 100644
--- a/common/locale/en-US/options.xml
+++ b/common/locale/en-US/options.xml
@@ -631,14 +631,16 @@
         <p>Supported characters:</p>
 
         <dl>
-            <dt>m</dt>      <dd>Menubar</dd>
-            <dt>T</dt>      <dd>Toolbar</dd>
             <dt>B</dt>      <dd>Bookmark bar</dd>
-            <dt>n</dt>      <dd>Tab number</dd>
+            <dt>C</dt>      <dd>Always show the command-line outside of the status line</dd>
+            <dt>M</dt>      <dd>Always show messages outside of the status line</dd>
             <dt>N</dt>      <dd>Tab number over image</dd>
+            <dt>T</dt>      <dd>Toolbar</dd>
             <dt>b</dt>      <dd>Bottom scrollbar</dd>
-            <dt>r</dt>      <dd>Right scrollbar</dd>
             <dt>l</dt>      <dd>Left scrollbar (<em>l</em> and <em>r</em> are mutually exclusive)</dd>
+            <dt>m</dt>      <dd>Menubar</dd>
+            <dt>n</dt>      <dd>Tab number</dd>
+            <dt>r</dt>      <dd>Right scrollbar</dd>
         </dl>
 
         <p>See also <o>showtabline</o>.</p>
diff --git a/common/modules/base.jsm b/common/modules/base.jsm
index 93afe31e..003a114f 100644
--- a/common/modules/base.jsm
+++ b/common/modules/base.jsm
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ function update(target) {
         Object.getOwnPropertyNames(src || {}).forEach(function (k) {
             let desc = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(src, k);
             if (desc.value && desc.value instanceof Class.Property)
-                desc = desc.value.init(k);
+                desc = desc.value.init(k) || desc.value;
             if (desc.value && callable(desc.value) && Object.getPrototypeOf(target)) {
                 let func = desc.value;
                 desc.value.superapply = function (self, args)
@@ -663,15 +663,15 @@ function Class() {
  * @class Class.Property
  * A class which, when assigned to a property in a Class's prototype
  * or class property object, defines that property's descriptor
- * rather than its value. When the init argument is a function, that
- * function is passed the property's name and must return a property
- * descriptor object. When it is an object, that object is used as
- * the property descriptor.
+ * rather than its value. If the desc object has an init property, it
+ * will be called with the property's name before the descriptor is
+ * assigned.
  *
- * @param {function|Object} desc The property descriptor or a
- *      function which returns the same.
+ * @param {Object} desc The property descriptor.
  */
-Class.Property = function Property(desc) ({ __proto__: Property.prototype, init: callable(desc) ? desc : function () desc });
+Class.Property = function Property(desc) update(
+    Object.create(Property.prototype), desc);
+Class.Property.prototype.init = function () {};
 /**
  * Extends a subclass with a superclass. The subclass's
  * prototype is replaced with a new object, which inherits
@@ -708,13 +708,15 @@ Class.extend = function extend(subclass, superclass, overrides) {
  * @return {Class.Property}
  */
 Class.memoize = function memoize(getter)
-    Class.Property(function (key) ({
+    Class.Property({
         configurable: true,
         enumerable: true,
-        get: function replace() (
-        Class.replaceProperty(this, key, null),
-        Class.replaceProperty(this, key, getter.call(this, key)))
-    }));
+        init: function (key) {
+            this.get = function replace() (
+                Class.replaceProperty(this, key, null),
+                Class.replaceProperty(this, key, getter.call(this, key)))
+        }
+    });
 
 Class.replaceProperty = function replaceProperty(obj, prop, value) {
     Object.defineProperty(obj, prop, { configurable: true, enumerable: true, value: value, writable: true });
diff --git a/common/skin/dactyl.css b/common/skin/dactyl.css
index 40b6fd7f..b6a801b0 100644
--- a/common/skin/dactyl.css
+++ b/common/skin/dactyl.css
@@ -69,14 +69,20 @@
 @-moz-document
     url-prefix(chrome://) {
 
+[dactyl|highlight~=CmdLine] {
+    background: inherit;
+    color: inherit;
+}
+
 .dactyl-container > * {
     font-family: inherit;
 }
 
-#dactyl-completions {
+.dactyl-completions {
     -moz-user-focus: ignore;
     overflow: -moz-scrollbars-none !important; /* does not seem to work fully */
     border-width: 0px !important;
+    border-top: 1px solid black !important;
     /*-moz-appearance: none !important; /* prevent an ugly 3D border */
 }
 
@@ -113,20 +119,20 @@ statusbarpanel {
     display: none;
 }
 
-#dactyl-commandline-prompt {
+.dactyl-commandline-prompt {
     background-color: inherit;
     margin: 0px;
     padding: 0px;
 }
-#dactyl-commandline-command {
+.dactyl-commandline-command {
     background-color: inherit;
     color: inherit;
     margin: 0px;
 }
-#dactyl-commandline-command html|*:focus {
+.dactyl-commandline-command html|*:focus {
     outline-width: 0px !important
 }
-#dactyl-commandline-command .textbox-search-icons {
+.dactyl-commandline-command .textbox-search-icons {
     visibility: collapse !important;
 }
 #dactyl-message {
@@ -140,7 +146,7 @@ statusbarpanel {
 
 /* MOW */
 
-#dactyl-completions,
+.dactyl-completions,
 #dactyl-multiline-output,
 #dactyl-multiline-input {
     overflow: hidden;
@@ -148,7 +154,7 @@ statusbarpanel {
     color: black;
 }
 
-#dactyl-completions-content,
+.dactyl-completions-content,
 #dactyl-multiline-output-content,
 #dactyl-multiline-input {
     white-space: pre;
@@ -161,15 +167,15 @@ statusbarpanel {
     font: inherit;
 }
 
-#dactyl-completions-content table,
+.dactyl-completions-content table,
 #dactyl-multiline-output-content table {
     white-space: inherit;
     border-spacing: 0px;
 }
 
-#dactyl-completions-content td,
+.dactyl-completions-content td,
 #dactyl-multiline-output-content td,
-#dactyl-completions-content th,
+.dactyl-completions-content th,
 #dactyl-multiline-output-content th {
     padding: 0px 2px;
 }
diff --git a/pentadactyl/NEWS b/pentadactyl/NEWS
index a40b38ab..c6c492f8 100644
--- a/pentadactyl/NEWS
+++ b/pentadactyl/NEWS
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
         backspace.
       - Supports reverse incremental search.
     * Multiple Ex commands may now be separated by |
+    * Command-line is now hidden by default. Added C and M to
+      'guioptions'.
     * IMPORTANT: Plugins are now loaded from the 'plugins/'
       directory in 'runtimepath' rather than 'plugin/'.
     * IMPORTANT: 'loadplugins' is now a regexlist option rather than
@@ -34,6 +36,7 @@
       See :help stringlist
     * IMPORTANT: 'extendedhinttags' is now a regexmap rather than a
       string.
+    * IMPORTANT: 'guioptions' default value has changed.
     * Added 'altwildmode' and <A-Tab> commandline key binding.
     * Added 'autocomplete' option for specifying which completion
       groups should be auto-completed.
diff --git a/pentadactyl/content/config.js b/pentadactyl/content/config.js
index 0230b4e0..a025b6da 100644
--- a/pentadactyl/content/config.js
+++ b/pentadactyl/content/config.js
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ const Config = Module("config", ConfigBase, {
 
     defaults: {
         complete: "slf",
-        guioptions: "rb",
+        guioptions: "rbC",
         showtabline: 2,
         titlestring: "Pentadactyl"
     },