diff --git a/app/src/main/java/i2p/bote/android/addressbook/AddressBookFragment.java b/app/src/main/java/i2p/bote/android/addressbook/AddressBookFragment.java
index 61dad49..55adf37 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/i2p/bote/android/addressbook/AddressBookFragment.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/i2p/bote/android/addressbook/AddressBookFragment.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import android.view.ViewGroup;
 import android.widget.ImageButton;
 
 import com.google.zxing.integration.android.IntentIntegrator;
+import com.pnikosis.materialishprogress.ProgressWheel;
 
 import java.util.SortedSet;
 
@@ -24,13 +25,14 @@ import i2p.bote.android.R;
 import i2p.bote.android.util.AuthenticatedFragment;
 import i2p.bote.android.util.BetterAsyncTaskLoader;
 import i2p.bote.android.widget.DividerItemDecoration;
+import i2p.bote.android.widget.LoadingRecyclerView;
 import i2p.bote.fileencryption.PasswordException;
 import i2p.bote.packet.dht.Contact;
 
 public class AddressBookFragment extends AuthenticatedFragment implements
         LoaderManager.LoaderCallbacks<SortedSet<Contact>> {
     OnContactSelectedListener mCallback;
-    private RecyclerView mContactsList;
+    private LoadingRecyclerView mContactsList;
     private ContactAdapter mAdapter;
 
     private View mPromotedActions;
@@ -66,7 +68,10 @@ public class AddressBookFragment extends AuthenticatedFragment implements
             LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container, Bundle savedInstanceState) {
         View v = inflater.inflate(R.layout.fragment_list_contacts, container, false);
 
-        mContactsList = (RecyclerView) v.findViewById(R.id.contacts_list);
+        mContactsList = (LoadingRecyclerView) v.findViewById(R.id.contacts_list);
+        View empty = v.findViewById(R.id.empty);
+        ProgressWheel loading = (ProgressWheel) v.findViewById(R.id.loading);
+        mContactsList.setLoadingView(empty, loading);
         mPromotedActions = v.findViewById(R.id.promoted_actions);
 
         ImageButton b = (ImageButton) v.findViewById(R.id.action_new_contact);
@@ -100,7 +105,7 @@ public class AddressBookFragment extends AuthenticatedFragment implements
         mContactsList.setLayoutManager(mLayoutManager);
 
         // Set the adapter for the list view
-        mAdapter = new ContactAdapter(mCallback);
+        mAdapter = new ContactAdapter(getActivity(), mCallback);
         mContactsList.setAdapter(mAdapter);
     }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/i2p/bote/android/addressbook/ContactAdapter.java b/app/src/main/java/i2p/bote/android/addressbook/ContactAdapter.java
index b80057a..50b14db 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/i2p/bote/android/addressbook/ContactAdapter.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/i2p/bote/android/addressbook/ContactAdapter.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package i2p.bote.android.addressbook;
 
+import android.content.Context;
 import android.support.v7.widget.RecyclerView;
 import android.view.LayoutInflater;
 import android.view.View;
@@ -15,23 +16,32 @@ import i2p.bote.android.R;
 import i2p.bote.android.util.BoteHelper;
 import i2p.bote.packet.dht.Contact;
 
-public class ContactAdapter extends RecyclerView.Adapter<ContactAdapter.ViewHolder> {
+public class ContactAdapter extends RecyclerView.Adapter<RecyclerView.ViewHolder> {
+    private Context mCtx;
     private List<Contact> mContacts;
     private AddressBookFragment.OnContactSelectedListener mListener;
 
-    public static class ViewHolder extends RecyclerView.ViewHolder {
+    public static class SimpleViewHolder extends RecyclerView.ViewHolder {
+        public SimpleViewHolder(View itemView) {
+            super(itemView);
+        }
+    }
+
+    public static class ContactViewHolder extends RecyclerView.ViewHolder {
         public ImageView mPicture;
         public TextView mName;
 
-        public ViewHolder(View itemView) {
+        public ContactViewHolder(View itemView) {
             super(itemView);
             mPicture = (ImageView) itemView.findViewById(R.id.contact_picture);
             mName = (TextView) itemView.findViewById(R.id.contact_name);
         }
     }
 
-    public ContactAdapter(AddressBookFragment.OnContactSelectedListener listener) {
+    public ContactAdapter(Context context, AddressBookFragment.OnContactSelectedListener listener) {
+        mCtx = context;
         mListener = listener;
+        setHasStableIds(true);
     }
 
     public void setContacts(SortedSet<Contact> contacts) {
@@ -44,43 +54,78 @@ public class ContactAdapter extends RecyclerView.Adapter<ContactAdapter.ViewHold
         notifyDataSetChanged();
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public int getItemViewType(int position) {
+        if (mContacts == null || mContacts.isEmpty())
+            return R.layout.listitem_empty;
+
+        return R.layout.listitem_contact;
+    }
+
     // Create new views (invoked by the layout manager)
     @Override
-    public ContactAdapter.ViewHolder onCreateViewHolder(ViewGroup parent,
-                                                        int viewType) {
+    public RecyclerView.ViewHolder onCreateViewHolder(ViewGroup parent,
+                                                      int viewType) {
         View v = LayoutInflater.from(parent.getContext())
-                .inflate(R.layout.listitem_contact, parent, false);
-        return new ViewHolder(v);
+                .inflate(viewType, parent, false);
+        switch (viewType) {
+            case R.layout.listitem_contact:
+                return new ContactViewHolder(v);
+            default:
+                return new SimpleViewHolder(v);
+        }
     }
 
     // Replace the contents of a view (invoked by the layout manager)
     @Override
-    public void onBindViewHolder(final ViewHolder holder, int position) {
-        Contact contact = mContacts.get(position);
+    public void onBindViewHolder(RecyclerView.ViewHolder holder, int position) {
+        switch (holder.getItemViewType()) {
+            case R.layout.listitem_empty:
+                ((TextView) holder.itemView).setText(
+                        mCtx.getResources().getString(R.string.address_book_empty));
+                break;
 
-        String pic = contact.getPictureBase64();
-        if (pic != null && !pic.isEmpty())
-            holder.mPicture.setImageBitmap(BoteHelper.decodePicture(pic));
-        else {
-            ViewGroup.LayoutParams lp = holder.mPicture.getLayoutParams();
-            holder.mPicture.setImageBitmap(BoteHelper.getIdenticonForAddress(contact.getBase64Dest(), lp.width, lp.height));
+            case R.layout.listitem_contact:
+                final ContactViewHolder cvh = (ContactViewHolder) holder;
+                Contact contact = mContacts.get(position);
+
+                String pic = contact.getPictureBase64();
+                if (pic != null && !pic.isEmpty())
+                    cvh.mPicture.setImageBitmap(BoteHelper.decodePicture(pic));
+                else {
+                    ViewGroup.LayoutParams lp = cvh.mPicture.getLayoutParams();
+                    cvh.mPicture.setImageBitmap(BoteHelper.getIdenticonForAddress(contact.getBase64Dest(), lp.width, lp.height));
+                }
+
+                cvh.mName.setText(contact.getName());
+
+                cvh.itemView.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
+                    @Override
+                    public void onClick(View view) {
+                        mListener.onContactSelected(mContacts.get(cvh.getPosition()));
+                    }
+                });
+                break;
+
+            default:
+                break;
         }
-
-        holder.mName.setText(contact.getName());
-
-        holder.itemView.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
-            @Override
-            public void onClick(View view) {
-                mListener.onContactSelected(mContacts.get(holder.getPosition()));
-            }
-        });
     }
 
     // Return the size of the dataset (invoked by the layout manager)
     @Override
     public int getItemCount() {
-        if (mContacts != null)
-            return mContacts.size();
-        return 0;
+        if (mContacts == null || mContacts.isEmpty())
+            return 1;
+
+        return mContacts.size();
+    }
+
+    public long getItemId(int position) {
+        if (mContacts == null || mContacts.isEmpty())
+            return 0;
+
+        Contact contact = mContacts.get(position);
+        return contact.getDestination().getHash().hashCode();
     }
 }
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_list_contacts.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_list_contacts.xml
index 058ab1d..16e61d3 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_list_contacts.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_list_contacts.xml
@@ -5,11 +5,31 @@
     android:layout_width="match_parent"
     android:layout_height="match_parent">
 
-    <android.support.v7.widget.RecyclerView
-        android:id="@+id/contacts_list"
+    <FrameLayout
         android:layout_width="match_parent"
-        android:layout_height="match_parent"
-        android:scrollbars="vertical"/>
+        android:layout_height="match_parent">
+
+        <i2p.bote.android.widget.LoadingRecyclerView
+            android:id="@+id/contacts_list"
+            android:layout_width="match_parent"
+            android:layout_height="match_parent"
+            android:scrollbars="vertical"/>
+
+        <RelativeLayout
+            android:id="@+id/empty"
+            android:layout_width="match_parent"
+            android:layout_height="match_parent">
+
+            <com.pnikosis.materialishprogress.ProgressWheel
+                android:id="@+id/loading"
+                android:layout_width="80dp"
+                android:layout_height="80dp"
+                android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
+                android:layout_centerVertical="true"
+                app:barColor="@color/accent"
+                app:progressIndeterminate="true"/>
+        </RelativeLayout>
+    </FrameLayout>
 
     <net.i2p.android.ext.floatingactionbutton.FloatingActionsMenu
         android:id="@+id/promoted_actions"