diff --git a/Chiota/Chiota.Android/Services/NotificationsTask.cs b/Chiota/Chiota.Android/Services/NotificationsTask.cs
index a0cb9ea..6b87670 100644
--- a/Chiota/Chiota.Android/Services/NotificationsTask.cs
+++ b/Chiota/Chiota.Android/Services/NotificationsTask.cs
@@ -35,22 +35,31 @@ private async Task<bool> LookForNewNotifications()
           var contactApprovedList = await user.TangleMessenger.GetJsonMessageAsync<SentDataWrapper<Contact>>(user.ApprovedAddress);
 
           // currently no messages for contact request due to perfomance issues
+          // show only one new message
+          var contactNotificationId = 0;
           foreach (var contact in contactApprovedList.Where(c => !c.Data.Rejected))
           {
             var encryptedMessages = await user.TangleMessenger.GetMessagesAsync(contact.Data.ChatAdress);
 
-            foreach (var unused in encryptedMessages.Where(c => !c.Stored))
+            // don't send a reminder for every new message
+            if (encryptedMessages.Any(c => !c.Stored))
             {
+              var intent = Application.Context.PackageManager.GetLaunchIntentForPackage(Application.Context.PackageName);
+              intent.AddFlags(ActivityFlags.ClearTop);
+              var pendingIntent = PendingIntent.GetActivity(Application.Context, 0, intent, PendingIntentFlags.UpdateCurrent);
               var builder = new NotificationCompat.Builder(Application.Context)
                 .SetAutoCancel(true) // Dismiss from the notif. area when clicked
+                .SetContentIntent(pendingIntent)
                 .SetContentTitle(contact.Data.Name) // Set its title
                 .SetContentText("New Message from " + contact.Data.Name)
                 .SetSound(RingtoneManager.GetDefaultUri(RingtoneType.Notification))
                 .SetSmallIcon(Resource.Drawable.reminder);
               var notification = builder.Build();
               var notificationManager = Application.Context.GetSystemService(Context.NotificationService) as NotificationManager;
-              notificationManager?.Notify(0, notification);
+              notificationManager?.Notify(contactNotificationId, notification);
             }
+
+            contactNotificationId++;
           }
         }
       }
diff --git a/Chiota/Chiota/IOTAServices/RepositoryFactory.cs b/Chiota/Chiota/IOTAServices/RepositoryFactory.cs
index 28c82bb..be70a7b 100644
--- a/Chiota/Chiota/IOTAServices/RepositoryFactory.cs
+++ b/Chiota/Chiota/IOTAServices/RepositoryFactory.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 namespace Chiota.IOTAServices
 {
+  using System;
   using System.Collections.Generic;
+  using System.Threading.Tasks;
 
   using RestSharp;
 
@@ -51,8 +53,15 @@ private static bool NoteIsHealthy(IIotaNodeRepository node)
     {
       try
       {
-        var nodeInfo = node.GetNodeInfo();
-        return nodeInfo.LatestMilestoneIndex == nodeInfo.LatestSolidSubtangleMilestoneIndex;
+        // Timeout after 5 seconds
+        var task = Task.Run(() => node.GetNodeInfo());
+        if (task.Wait(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5)))
+        {
+          var nodeInfo = task.Result;
+          return nodeInfo.LatestMilestoneIndex == nodeInfo.LatestSolidSubtangleMilestoneIndex;
+        }
+
+        return false;
       }
       catch
       {
diff --git a/Chiota/Chiota/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.cs b/Chiota/Chiota/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.cs
index 4085165..13900c9 100644
--- a/Chiota/Chiota/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.cs
+++ b/Chiota/Chiota/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.cs
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ public ChatViewModel(ListView messagesListView, Contact contact, User user)
       this.user = user;
       this.contact = contact;
       this.messagesListView = messagesListView;
-      this.PageIsShown = true;
       this.OutGoingText = null;
 
       // reset hash short storage, because it's different for every chat
@@ -81,7 +80,7 @@ public ObservableCollection<MessageViewModel> Messages
 
     public async void OnAppearing()
     {
-      // cancel if there is no interent
+      this.PageIsShown = true;
       this.contact.PublicNtruKey = await this.GetContactPublicKey();
       if (this.contact.PublicNtruKey == null)
       {
diff --git a/Chiota/Chiota/Views/ChatPage.xaml.cs b/Chiota/Chiota/Views/ChatPage.xaml.cs
index 377d9e5..2d7857b 100644
--- a/Chiota/Chiota/Views/ChatPage.xaml.cs
+++ b/Chiota/Chiota/Views/ChatPage.xaml.cs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
   [XamlCompilation(XamlCompilationOptions.Compile)]
   public partial class ChatPage : ContentPage
   {
-    private ChatViewModel vm;
+    private readonly ChatViewModel vm;
 
     public ChatPage(Contact contact, User user)
     {
@@ -34,15 +34,14 @@ public ChatPage(Contact contact, User user)
 
     protected override void OnAppearing()
     {
-      this.vm.OnAppearing();
+      this.vm?.OnAppearing();
       base.OnAppearing();
     }
 
     protected override void OnDisappearing()
     {
       this.vm.PageIsShown = false;
-      this.vm = null;
-      this.Navigation.PopAsync();
+      base.OnDisappearing();
     }
 
     private void OnTextChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
diff --git a/Chiota/Chiota/Views/ContactPage.xaml b/Chiota/Chiota/Views/ContactPage.xaml
index 8ed9467..adb53c9 100644
--- a/Chiota/Chiota/Views/ContactPage.xaml
+++ b/Chiota/Chiota/Views/ContactPage.xaml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
   </ContentPage.Resources>
 
   <AbsoluteLayout BackgroundColor="#f5f5f5" HorizontalOptions="FillAndExpand" VerticalOptions="FillAndExpand">
-    <StackLayout BackgroundColor="#f5f5f5">
+    <StackLayout AbsoluteLayout.LayoutFlags="All" AbsoluteLayout.LayoutBounds="0,0,1,1">
       <SearchBar Placeholder="Search..." 
                        PlaceholderColor="Gray" 
                        TextChanged="Handler_TextChanged"/>