diff --git a/lib/main.dart b/lib/main.dart
index fe9b83d..05d2bfd 100644
--- a/lib/main.dart
+++ b/lib/main.dart
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class FlwtchState extends State<Flwtch> {
     appStatus = AppModel(cwtch: cwtch);
   }
 
-  ChangeNotifierProvider<Settings> getSettingsProvider() => ChangeNotifierProvider(create: (context) => globalSettings);
+  ChangeNotifierProvider<Settings> getSettingsProvider() => ChangeNotifierProvider.value(value: globalSettings);
   Provider<FlwtchState> getFlwtchStateProvider() => Provider<FlwtchState>(create: (_) => this);
   ChangeNotifierProvider<ProfileListState> getProfileListProvider() => ChangeNotifierProvider(create: (context) => profs);
 
diff --git a/lib/model.dart b/lib/model.dart
index e6ceed3..a5c54a6 100644
--- a/lib/model.dart
+++ b/lib/model.dart
@@ -145,7 +145,9 @@ class ProfileInfoState extends ChangeNotifier {
             status: contact["status"],
             imagePath: contact["picture"],
             isBlocked: contact["authorization"] == "blocked",
-            savePeerHistory: contact["saveConversationHistory"]);
+            savePeerHistory: contact["saveConversationHistory"],
+            numMessages: contact["numMessages"],
+            numUnread: contact["numUnread"]);
       }));
     }
   }
@@ -188,14 +190,17 @@ class ContactInfoState extends ChangeNotifier {
   String _imagePath;
   String _savePeerHistory;
   int _unreadMessages = 0;
+  int _totalMessages = 0;
 
-  ContactInfoState({this.profileOnion, this.onion, nickname = "", isGroup = false, isInvitation = false, isBlocked = false, status = "", imagePath = "", savePeerHistory = "DeleteHistoryConfirmed"}) {
+  ContactInfoState({this.profileOnion, this.onion, nickname = "", isGroup = false, isInvitation = false, isBlocked = false, status = "", imagePath = "", savePeerHistory = "DeleteHistoryConfirmed", numMessages = 0, numUnread = 0,}) {
     this._nickname = nickname;
     this._isGroup = isGroup;
     this._isInvitation = isInvitation;
     this._isBlocked = isBlocked;
     this._status = status;
     this._imagePath = imagePath;
+    this._totalMessages = numMessages;
+    this._unreadMessages = numUnread;
     this._savePeerHistory = savePeerHistory;
   }
 
@@ -236,6 +241,12 @@ class ContactInfoState extends ChangeNotifier {
     notifyListeners();
   }
 
+  get totalMessages => this._totalMessages;
+  set totalMessages(int newVal) {
+    this._totalMessages = newVal;
+    notifyListeners();
+  }
+
   get imagePath => this._imagePath;
   set imagePath(String newVal) {
     this._imagePath = newVal;
diff --git a/lib/views/doublecolview.dart b/lib/views/doublecolview.dart
index 04249ac..ef632e7 100644
--- a/lib/views/doublecolview.dart
+++ b/lib/views/doublecolview.dart
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class _DoubleColumnViewState extends State<DoubleColumnView> {
           child: flwtch.selectedConversation == ""
               ? Center(child: Text("pick a contact"))
               : //dev
-              Container(child: MessageView(profile: flwtch.selectedProfile, conversationHandle: flwtch.selectedConversation)),
+              Container(child: MessageView()),
         ),
       ],
     );
diff --git a/lib/views/messageview.dart b/lib/views/messageview.dart
index 53eab3d..f1de90b 100644
--- a/lib/views/messageview.dart
+++ b/lib/views/messageview.dart
@@ -8,10 +8,6 @@ import '../opaque.dart';
 import '../widgets/messagelist.dart';
 
 class MessageView extends StatefulWidget {
-  const MessageView({Key key, this.profile, this.conversationHandle}) : super(key: key);
-  final ProfileInfoState profile;
-  final String conversationHandle;
-
   @override
   _MessageViewState createState() => _MessageViewState();
 }
@@ -29,7 +25,7 @@ class _MessageViewState extends State<MessageView> {
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
     return Scaffold(
       appBar: AppBar(
-        title: Text(widget.conversationHandle),
+        title: Text(Provider.of<ContactInfoState>(context).onion),
         actions: [
           IconButton(icon: Icon(Icons.chat), onPressed: _pushContactSettings),
           IconButton(icon: Icon(Icons.list), onPressed: _pushContactSettings),
@@ -37,7 +33,7 @@ class _MessageViewState extends State<MessageView> {
           IconButton(icon: Icon(Icons.settings), onPressed: _pushContactSettings),
         ],
       ),
-      body: MessageList(profile: widget.profile, conversationHandle: widget.conversationHandle),
+      body: MessageList(),
       bottomSheet: _buildComposeBox(),
     );
   }
diff --git a/lib/views/triplecolview.dart b/lib/views/triplecolview.dart
index ff5e475..2388bd3 100644
--- a/lib/views/triplecolview.dart
+++ b/lib/views/triplecolview.dart
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class _TripleColumnViewState extends State<TripleColumnView> {
         child: flwtch.selectedConversation == ""
             ? Center(child: Text("pick a contact"))
             : //dev
-            Container(child: MessageView(profile: flwtch.selectedProfile, conversationHandle: flwtch.selectedConversation)),
+            Container(child: MessageView()),
       ),
     ]);
   }
diff --git a/lib/widgets/contactrow.dart b/lib/widgets/contactrow.dart
index 3857a64..0de405d 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/contactrow.dart
+++ b/lib/widgets/contactrow.dart
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class _ContactRowState extends State<ContactRow> {
               ChangeNotifierProvider.value(value: Provider.of<ProfileInfoState>(context)),
               ChangeNotifierProvider.value(value: Provider.of<ContactInfoState>(context)),
             ],
-            child: MessageView(conversationHandle: handle),
+            child: MessageView(),
           );
         },
       ),
diff --git a/lib/widgets/messagelist.dart b/lib/widgets/messagelist.dart
index 5b7d245..be7d09d 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/messagelist.dart
+++ b/lib/widgets/messagelist.dart
@@ -1,61 +1,26 @@
-import 'dart:async';
 import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
 import 'package:provider/provider.dart';
 
-import '../main.dart';
 import '../model.dart';
 import 'messagebubble.dart';
 
 class MessageList extends StatefulWidget {
-  final ProfileInfoState profile;
-  final String conversationHandle;
-
-  const MessageList({Key key, this.profile, this.conversationHandle}) : super(key: key);
-
   @override
   _MessageListState createState() => _MessageListState();
 }
 
 class _MessageListState extends State<MessageList> {
-  int conversationNumMessages = 0;
-  Timer timer;
-
   @override
-  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
-    _updateMessageCount(context);
-    if (timer == null) {
-      timer = Timer.periodic(Duration(seconds: 1), (Timer t) {
-        _updateMessageCount(context);
-      });
-    }
-
-    return ProxyProvider0(
-        update: (_, __) => MessageCounter(conversationNumMessages),
-        child: ListView.builder(
-          itemCount: conversationNumMessages,
-          itemBuilder: (context, index) {
-            return MessageBubble(
-              profile: Provider.of<ProfileInfoState>(context),
-              contactOnion: widget.conversationHandle,
-              messageIndex: index,
-            );
-          },
-        ));
+  Widget build(BuildContext outerContext) {
+    return ListView.builder(
+      itemCount: Provider.of<ContactInfoState>(context).totalMessages,
+      itemBuilder: (context, index) {
+        return MessageBubble(
+          profile: Provider.of<ProfileInfoState>(outerContext),
+          contactOnion: Provider.of<ContactInfoState>(outerContext).onion,
+          messageIndex: index,
+        );
+      },
+    );
   }
-
-  Future _updateMessageCount(BuildContext context) async {
-    if (!mounted) {
-      if (timer != null && timer.isActive) timer.cancel();
-      return;
-    }
-
-    Provider.of<FlwtchState>(context, listen: false).cwtch.NumMessages(Provider.of<ProfileInfoState>(context, listen: false).onion, widget.conversationHandle).then((n) {
-      if (n != conversationNumMessages) setState(() => conversationNumMessages = n);
-    });
-  }
-}
-
-class MessageCounter {
-  MessageCounter(this.x);
-  int x = 0;
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file