diff --git a/interface/src/Avatar.cpp b/interface/src/Avatar.cpp
index 03c803b798..eda3247cd5 100644
--- a/interface/src/Avatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Avatar.cpp
@@ -753,7 +753,7 @@ void Avatar::setDisplayingHead(bool displayingHead) {
 }
 
 static TextRenderer* textRenderer() {
-    static TextRenderer* renderer = new TextRenderer(SANS_FONT_FAMILY, 24);
+    static TextRenderer* renderer = new TextRenderer(SANS_FONT_FAMILY, 24, -1, false, TextRenderer::SHADOW_EFFECT);
     return renderer;
 }
 
@@ -833,6 +833,7 @@ void Avatar::render(bool lookingInMirror, glm::vec3 cameraPosition) {
         glScalef(chatMessageScale, chatMessageScale, 1.0f);
 
         glDisable(GL_LIGHTING);
+        glDepthMask(false);
         if (_keyState == NO_KEY_DOWN) {
             textRenderer()->draw(-width/2, 0, _chatMessage.c_str());
             
@@ -848,6 +849,7 @@ void Avatar::render(bool lookingInMirror, glm::vec3 cameraPosition) {
             textRenderer()->draw(width/2 - lastWidth, 0, _chatMessage.c_str() + lastIndex);                        
         }
         glEnable(GL_LIGHTING);
+        glDepthMask(true);
         
         glPopMatrix();
     }
diff --git a/interface/src/Log.cpp b/interface/src/Log.cpp
index 5fcfb51e25..9b57df1694 100644
--- a/interface/src/Log.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Log.cpp
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ void Log::setCharacterSize(unsigned width, unsigned height) {
 }
 
 static TextRenderer* textRenderer() {
-    static TextRenderer* renderer = new TextRenderer(FONT_FAMILY);
+    static TextRenderer* renderer = new TextRenderer(FONT_FAMILY, -1, -1, false, TextRenderer::SHADOW_EFFECT);
     return renderer;
 }
 
diff --git a/interface/src/Util.cpp b/interface/src/Util.cpp
index bf3c568012..2df1196a86 100644
--- a/interface/src/Util.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Util.cpp
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ double diffclock(timeval *clock1,timeval *clock2)
 
 static TextRenderer* textRenderer(int mono) {
     static TextRenderer* monoRenderer = new TextRenderer(MONO_FONT_FAMILY);
-    static TextRenderer* proportionalRenderer = new TextRenderer(SANS_FONT_FAMILY);
+    static TextRenderer* proportionalRenderer = new TextRenderer(SANS_FONT_FAMILY, -1, -1, false, TextRenderer::SHADOW_EFFECT);
     return mono ? monoRenderer : proportionalRenderer;
 }
 
diff --git a/interface/src/ui/ChatEntry.cpp b/interface/src/ui/ChatEntry.cpp
index ad4cf70ab0..588c394eb1 100644
--- a/interface/src/ui/ChatEntry.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/ui/ChatEntry.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 using namespace std;
 
-const int MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH = 140;
+const int MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH = 80;
 
 ChatEntry::ChatEntry() : _cursorPos(0) {
 }
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ bool ChatEntry::keyPressEvent(QKeyEvent* event) {
                 event->ignore();
                 return true;
             }
-            if (_contents.size() != MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH) {
+            if (_contents.size() < MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH) {
                 _contents.insert(_cursorPos, 1, text.at(0).toAscii());
                 _cursorPos++;
             }
@@ -74,7 +74,19 @@ bool ChatEntry::keyPressEvent(QKeyEvent* event) {
 }
 
 void ChatEntry::render(int screenWidth, int screenHeight) {
-    drawtext(20, screenHeight - 150, 0.10, 0, 1.0, 0, _contents.c_str(), 1, 1, 1);
+    // draw a gray background so that we can actually see what we're typing
+    int bottom = screenHeight - 150, top = screenHeight - 165;
+    int left = 20, right = left + 600;
+    
+    glColor3f(0.2f, 0.2f, 0.2f);
+    glBegin(GL_QUADS);
+    glVertex2f(left - 5, bottom + 7);
+    glVertex2f(right + 5, bottom + 7);
+    glVertex2f(right + 5, top - 3);
+    glVertex2f(left - 5, top - 3);
+    glEnd();
+
+    drawtext(left, bottom, 0.10, 0, 1.0, 0, _contents.c_str(), 1, 1, 1);
     
     float width = 0;
     for (string::iterator it = _contents.begin(), end = it + _cursorPos; it != end; it++) {
@@ -82,7 +94,7 @@ void ChatEntry::render(int screenWidth, int screenHeight) {
     }
     glDisable(GL_LINE_SMOOTH);
     glBegin(GL_LINE_STRIP);
-    glVertex2f(20 + width, screenHeight - 165);
-    glVertex2f(20 + width, screenHeight - 150);
+    glVertex2f(left + width, top + 2);
+    glVertex2f(left + width, bottom + 2);
     glEnd();
 }
diff --git a/interface/src/ui/TextRenderer.cpp b/interface/src/ui/TextRenderer.cpp
index 3130463398..df04988bc9 100644
--- a/interface/src/ui/TextRenderer.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/ui/TextRenderer.cpp
@@ -19,9 +19,10 @@ Glyph::Glyph(int textureID, const QPoint& location, const QRect& bounds, int wid
     _textureID(textureID), _location(location), _bounds(bounds), _width(width) {
 }
 
-TextRenderer::TextRenderer(const char* family, int pointSize, int weight, bool italic)
-        : _font(family, pointSize, weight, italic),
-          _metrics(_font), _x(IMAGE_SIZE), _y(IMAGE_SIZE), _rowHeight(0) {
+TextRenderer::TextRenderer(const char* family, int pointSize, int weight,
+                           bool italic, EffectType effectType, int effectThickness)
+        : _font(family, pointSize, weight, italic), _metrics(_font), _effectType(effectType),
+          _effectThickness(effectThickness), _x(IMAGE_SIZE), _y(IMAGE_SIZE), _rowHeight(0) {
     _font.setKerning(false);
 }
 
@@ -97,6 +98,14 @@ const Glyph& TextRenderer::getGlyph(char c) {
         glyph = Glyph(0, QPoint(), QRect(), _metrics.width(ch));
         return glyph;
     }
+    // grow the bounds to account for effect, if any
+    if (_effectType == SHADOW_EFFECT) {
+        bounds.adjust(-_effectThickness, 0, 0, _effectThickness);
+    
+    } else if (_effectType == OUTLINE_EFFECT) {
+        bounds.adjust(-_effectThickness, -_effectThickness, _effectThickness, _effectThickness);
+    }
+    
     // grow the bounds to account for antialiasing
     bounds.adjust(-1, -1, 1, 1);
     
@@ -128,6 +137,23 @@ const Glyph& TextRenderer::getGlyph(char c) {
         image.fill(0);
         QPainter painter(&image);
         painter.setFont(_font);
+        if (_effectType == SHADOW_EFFECT) {
+            for (int i = 0; i < _effectThickness; i++) {
+                painter.drawText(-bounds.x() - i, -bounds.y() + i, ch);
+            }
+        } else if (_effectType == OUTLINE_EFFECT) {
+            QPainterPath path;
+            QFont font = _font;
+            font.setStyleStrategy(QFont::ForceOutline);
+            path.addText(-bounds.x() - 0.5, -bounds.y() + 0.5, font, ch);
+            QPen pen;
+            pen.setWidth(_effectThickness);
+            pen.setJoinStyle(Qt::RoundJoin);
+            pen.setCapStyle(Qt::RoundCap);
+            painter.setPen(pen);
+            painter.setRenderHint(QPainter::Antialiasing);
+            painter.drawPath(path);
+        }
         painter.setPen(QColor(255, 255, 255));
         painter.drawText(-bounds.x(), -bounds.y(), ch);
     }    
diff --git a/interface/src/ui/TextRenderer.h b/interface/src/ui/TextRenderer.h
index 6de0c77bad..6df7186d86 100644
--- a/interface/src/ui/TextRenderer.h
+++ b/interface/src/ui/TextRenderer.h
@@ -23,7 +23,10 @@ class Glyph;
 class TextRenderer {
 public:
 
-    TextRenderer(const char* family, int pointSize = -1, int weight = -1, bool italic = false);
+    enum EffectType { NO_EFFECT, SHADOW_EFFECT, OUTLINE_EFFECT };
+
+    TextRenderer(const char* family, int pointSize = -1, int weight = -1, bool italic = false,
+                 EffectType effect = NO_EFFECT, int effectThickness = 2);
     ~TextRenderer();
 
     const QFontMetrics& metrics() const { return _metrics; }
@@ -42,6 +45,12 @@ private:
     
     // the font metrics
     QFontMetrics _metrics;
+
+    // the type of effect to apply
+    EffectType _effectType;
+
+    // the thickness of the effect
+    int _effectThickness;
     
     // maps characters to cached glyph info
     QHash<char, Glyph> _glyphs;