diff --git a/bookwyrm/forms.py b/bookwyrm/forms.py
index 0e3ac9c1f..e92bc1802 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/forms.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/forms.py
@@ -92,6 +92,12 @@ class ReplyForm(CustomForm):
             'user', 'content', 'content_warning', 'sensitive',
             'reply_parent', 'privacy']
 
+class StatusForm(CustomForm):
+    class Meta:
+        model = models.Status
+        fields = [
+            'user', 'content', 'content_warning', 'sensitive', 'privacy']
+
 
 class EditUserForm(CustomForm):
     class Meta:
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/feed/direct_messages.html b/bookwyrm/templates/feed/direct_messages.html
index 44a0cded7..8c53cbeb1 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/feed/direct_messages.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/feed/direct_messages.html
@@ -1,9 +1,16 @@
 {% extends 'feed/feed_layout.html' %}
 {% block panel %}
 
-<div class="block">
-    <h1 class="title">Direct Messages</h1>
+<header class="block">
+    <h1 class="title">Direct Messages{% if partner %} with {% include 'snippets/username.html' with user=partner %}{% endif %}</h1>
+    {% if partner %}<p class="subtitle"><a href="/direct-messages"><span class="icon icon-arrow-left" aria-hidden="true"></span> All messages</a></p>{% endif %}
+</header>
 
+<div class="box">
+    {% include 'snippets/create_status_form.html' with type="direct" uuid=1 mentions=partner %}
+</div>
+
+<section class="block">
     {% if not activities %}
     <p>You have no messages right now.</p>
     {% endif %}
@@ -14,6 +21,6 @@
     {% endfor %}
 
     {% include 'snippets/pagination.html' with page=activities path="direct-messages" %}
-</div>
+</section>
 
 {% endblock %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/feed/feed_layout.html b/bookwyrm/templates/feed/feed_layout.html
index 33123ca80..f0c7b0577 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/feed/feed_layout.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/feed/feed_layout.html
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
         {% block panel %}{% endblock %}
 
         {% if activities %}
-        {% include 'snippets/pagination.html' with page=activities path='/'|add:tab anchor="#feed" %}
+        {% include 'snippets/pagination.html' with page=activities path=path anchor="#feed" %}
         {% endif %}
     </div>
 </div>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/create_status_form.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/create_status_form.html
index 0c2ebbee3..c6d7be3f2 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/create_status_form.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/create_status_form.html
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {% load bookwyrm_tags %}
-<form class="is-flex-grow-1" name="{{ type }}" action="/post/{{ type }}" method="post" id="tab-{{ type }}-{{ book.id }}{{ reply_parent.id }}">
+<form class="is-flex-grow-1" name="{{ type }}" action="/post/{% if type == 'direct' %}status{% else %}{{ type }}{% endif %}" method="post" id="tab-{{ type }}-{{ book.id }}{{ reply_parent.id }}">
     {% csrf_token %}
     <input type="hidden" name="book" value="{{ book.id }}">
     <input type="hidden" name="user" value="{{ request.user.id }}">
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
     </div>
     {% endif %}
     <div class="control">
-        {% if not type == 'reply' %}
+        {% if type != 'reply' and type != 'direct'  %}
         <label class="label" for="id_{% if type == 'quotation' %}quote{% else %}content{% endif %}_{{ book.id }}_{{ type }}">{{ type|title }}:</label>
         {% endif %}
 
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
         <textarea name="quote" class="textarea" id="id_quote_{{ book.id }}_{{ type }}" placeholder="{{ placeholder }}" required></textarea>
         {% else %}
         {% include 'snippets/content_warning_field.html' with parent_status=status %}
-        <textarea name="content" class="textarea" id="id_content_{{ type }}-{{ book.id }}{{reply_parent.id}}" placeholder="{{ placeholder }}" {% if type == 'reply' %} aria-label="Reply"{% endif %} required>{% if reply_parent %}{{ reply_parent|mentions:request.user }}{% endif %}</textarea>
+        <textarea name="content" class="textarea" id="id_content_{{ type }}-{{ book.id }}{{reply_parent.id}}" placeholder="{{ placeholder }}" {% if type == 'reply' %} aria-label="Reply"{% endif %} required>{% if reply_parent %}{{ reply_parent|mentions:request.user }}{% endif %}{% if mentions %}@{{ mentions|username }} {% endif %}</textarea>
         {% endif %}
     </div>
     {% if type == 'quotation' %}
@@ -53,7 +53,12 @@
                 {% include 'snippets/toggle/toggle_button.html' with text="Include spoiler alert" icon="warning is-size-4" controls_text="spoilers" controls_uid=uuid focus="id_content_warning" checkbox="id_show_spoilers" class="toggle-button" pressed=status.content_warning %}
             </div>
             <div class="control">
-                {% include 'snippets/privacy_select.html' with current=reply_parent.privacy%}
+            {% if type == 'direct' %}
+                <input type="hidden" name="privacy" value="direct">
+                <button type="button" class="button" aria-label="Privacy" disabled>Private</button>
+            {% else %}
+                {% include 'snippets/privacy_select.html' with current=reply_parent.privacy %}
+            {% endif %}
             </div>
         </div>
         <div class="column is-narrow">
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/status_options.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/status_options.html
index a6609cb30..3bf8251f6 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/status_options.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/status_options.html
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@
     </form>
 </li>
 {% else %}
+<li role="menuitem">
+    <a href="/direct-messages/{{ status.user|username }}" class="button is-fullwidth is-small">Send direct message</a>
+</li>
 <li role="menuitem">
     {% include 'snippets/block_button.html' with user=status.user class="is-fullwidth" %}
 </li>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/user_options.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/user_options.html
index ab68c2e3c..bc54ca1c7 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/user_options.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/user_options.html
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
 {% endblock %}
 
 {% block dropdown-list %}
+<li role="menuitem">
+    <a href="/direct-messages/{{ user|username }}" class="button is-fullwidth is-small">Send direct message</a>
+</li>
 <li role="menuitem">
     {% include 'snippets/block_button.html' with user=user class="is-fullwidth" %}
 </li>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/user/user_layout.html b/bookwyrm/templates/user/user_layout.html
index 3fcbf1e2f..1ab51ce32 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/user/user_layout.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/user/user_layout.html
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
             {% endif %}
         </div>
     </div>
-    {% if not is_self %}
+    {% if not is_self and request.user.is_authenticated %}
     <div class="field has-addons">
         <div class="control">
             {% include 'snippets/follow_button.html' with user=user %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/urls.py b/bookwyrm/urls.py
index d232747f9..6d759ac21 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/urls.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/urls.py
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ urlpatterns = [
     # feeds
     re_path(r'^(?P<tab>home|local|federated)/?$', views.Feed.as_view()),
     re_path(r'^direct-messages/?$', views.DirectMessage.as_view()),
+    re_path(r'^direct-messages/(?P<username>%s)?$' % regex.username,
+            views.DirectMessage.as_view()),
 
     # search
     re_path(r'^search/?$', views.Search.as_view()),
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/feed.py b/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
index 931cf355c..0e550f0c8 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ''' non-interactive pages '''
 from django.contrib.auth.decorators import login_required
 from django.core.paginator import Paginator
+from django.db.models import Q
 from django.http import HttpResponseNotFound
 from django.template.response import TemplateResponse
 from django.utils import timezone
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ class Feed(View):
             'activities': paginated.page(page),
             'tab': tab,
             'goal_form': forms.GoalForm(),
+            'path': '/%s' % tab,
         }}
         return TemplateResponse(request, 'feed/feed.html', data)
 
@@ -51,20 +53,35 @@ class Feed(View):
 @method_decorator(login_required, name='dispatch')
 class DirectMessage(View):
     ''' dm view '''
-    def get(self, request):
+    def get(self, request, username=None):
         ''' like a feed but for dms only '''
         try:
             page = int(request.GET.get('page', 1))
         except ValueError:
             page = 1
 
-        activities = get_activity_feed(request.user, 'direct')
+        queryset = models.Status.objects
+
+        user = None
+        if username:
+            try:
+                user = get_user_from_username(username)
+            except models.User.DoesNotExist:
+                pass
+        if user:
+            queryset = queryset.filter(Q(user=user) | Q(mention_users=user))
+
+        activities = get_activity_feed(
+            request.user, 'direct', queryset=queryset)
+
         paginated = Paginator(activities, PAGE_LENGTH)
         activity_page = paginated.page(page)
         data = {**feed_page_data(request.user), **{
             'title': 'Direct Messages',
             'user': request.user,
+            'partner': user,
             'activities': activity_page,
+            'path': '/direct-messages',
         }}
         return TemplateResponse(request, 'feed/direct_messages.html', data)