diff --git a/bookwyrm/forms.py b/bookwyrm/forms.py
index 0e3ac9c1..e92bc180 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/forms.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/forms.py
@@ -92,6 +92,12 @@ class ReplyForm(CustomForm):
             'user', 'content', 'content_warning', 'sensitive',
             'reply_parent', 'privacy']
 
+class StatusForm(CustomForm):
+    class Meta:
+        model = models.Status
+        fields = [
+            'user', 'content', 'content_warning', 'sensitive', 'privacy']
+
 
 class EditUserForm(CustomForm):
     class Meta:
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/feed/direct_messages.html b/bookwyrm/templates/feed/direct_messages.html
index 44a0cded..1f41808f 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/feed/direct_messages.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/feed/direct_messages.html
@@ -4,16 +4,22 @@
 <div class="block">
     <h1 class="title">Direct Messages</h1>
 
-    {% 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 class="box">
+        {% include 'snippets/create_status_form.html' with type="direct" uuid=1 %}
     </div>
-    {% endfor %}
 
-    {% include 'snippets/pagination.html' with page=activities path="direct-messages" %}
+    <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>
 
 {% endblock %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/feed/feed_layout.html b/bookwyrm/templates/feed/feed_layout.html
index 33123ca8..f0c7b057 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/feed/feed_layout.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/feed/feed_layout.html
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
         {% block panel %}{% endblock %}
 
         {% if activities %}
-        {% include 'snippets/pagination.html' with page=activities path='/'|add:tab anchor="#feed" %}
+        {% include 'snippets/pagination.html' with page=activities path=path anchor="#feed" %}
         {% endif %}
     </div>
 </div>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/create_status_form.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/create_status_form.html
index 0c2ebbee..534ace29 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/create_status_form.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/create_status_form.html
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {% load bookwyrm_tags %}
-<form class="is-flex-grow-1" name="{{ type }}" action="/post/{{ type }}" method="post" id="tab-{{ type }}-{{ book.id }}{{ reply_parent.id }}">
+<form class="is-flex-grow-1" name="{{ type }}" action="/post/{% if type == 'direct' %}status{% else %}{{ type }}{% endif %}" method="post" id="tab-{{ type }}-{{ book.id }}{{ reply_parent.id }}">
     {% csrf_token %}
     <input type="hidden" name="book" value="{{ book.id }}">
     <input type="hidden" name="user" value="{{ request.user.id }}">
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
     </div>
     {% endif %}
     <div class="control">
-        {% if not type == 'reply' %}
+        {% if type != 'reply' and type != 'direct'  %}
         <label class="label" for="id_{% if type == 'quotation' %}quote{% else %}content{% endif %}_{{ book.id }}_{{ type }}">{{ type|title }}:</label>
         {% endif %}
 
@@ -53,7 +53,12 @@
                 {% include 'snippets/toggle/toggle_button.html' with text="Include spoiler alert" icon="warning is-size-4" controls_text="spoilers" controls_uid=uuid focus="id_content_warning" checkbox="id_show_spoilers" class="toggle-button" pressed=status.content_warning %}
             </div>
             <div class="control">
-                {% include 'snippets/privacy_select.html' with current=reply_parent.privacy%}
+            {% if type == 'direct' %}
+                <input type="hidden" name="privacy" value="direct">
+                <button type="button" class="button" aria-label="Privacy" disabled>Private</button>
+            {% else %}
+                {% include 'snippets/privacy_select.html' with current=reply_parent.privacy %}
+            {% endif %}
             </div>
         </div>
         <div class="column is-narrow">
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/feed.py b/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
index 931cf355..08a5e057 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ class Feed(View):
             'activities': paginated.page(page),
             'tab': tab,
             'goal_form': forms.GoalForm(),
+            'path': '/%s' % tab,
         }}
         return TemplateResponse(request, 'feed/feed.html', data)
 
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ class DirectMessage(View):
             'title': 'Direct Messages',
             'user': request.user,
             'activities': activity_page,
+            'path': '/direct-messages',
         }}
         return TemplateResponse(request, 'feed/direct_messages.html', data)