diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/feed/direct_messages.html b/bookwyrm/templates/feed/direct_messages.html
index 1f41808fb..8c53cbeb1 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/feed/direct_messages.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/feed/direct_messages.html
@@ -1,25 +1,26 @@
 {% 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 %}
-    </div>
-
-    <section class="block">
-        {% if not activities %}
-        <p>You have no messages right now.</p>
-        {% endif %}
-        {% for activity in activities %}
-        <div class="block">
-        {% include 'snippets/status.html' with status=activity %}
-        </div>
-        {% endfor %}
-
-        {% include 'snippets/pagination.html' with page=activities path="direct-messages" %}
-    </section>
+<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 %}
+    {% for activity in activities %}
+    <div class="block">
+    {% include 'snippets/status.html' with status=activity %}
+    </div>
+    {% endfor %}
+
+    {% include 'snippets/pagination.html' with page=activities path="direct-messages" %}
+</section>
+
 {% endblock %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/create_status_form.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/create_status_form.html
index 534ace290..c6d7be3f2 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/create_status_form.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/create_status_form.html
@@ -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' %}
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 08a5e057a..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
@@ -52,19 +53,33 @@ 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',
         }}