diff --git a/client/electrum4a.py b/client/electrum4a.py
index f670ccb79..6ec8fe98c 100755
--- a/client/electrum4a.py
+++ b/client/electrum4a.py
@@ -152,19 +152,18 @@ def main_layout():
     return make_layout("""
         <TextView android:id="@+id/balanceTextView" 
                 android:layout_width="match_parent"
-                android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
+                android:layout_height="70" 
                 android:text=""
+                android:textColor="#ffffffff"
                 android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge" 
-                android:gravity="left"
-                android:textColor="0xffffffff"
                 android:padding="10"
-                android:textSize="18" >
+                android:textSize="6pt"
+                android:gravity="center_vertical|center_horizontal|left">
         </TextView>
 
-
         <TextView android:id="@+id/historyTextView" 
                 android:layout_width="match_parent"
-                android:layout_height="70" 
+                android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
                 android:text="Recent transactions"
                 android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge" 
                 android:gravity="center_vertical|center_horizontal|center">
@@ -346,7 +345,7 @@ def get_history_layout(n):
     values = get_history_values(n)
     for v in values:
         a,b,c,d = v
-        color = "0xff00ff00" if a == 'v' else "0xffff0000"
+        color = "#ff00ff00" if a == 'v' else "#ffff0000"
         rows += """
         <TableRow>
           <TextView
@@ -391,9 +390,9 @@ def set_history_layout(n):
         droid.fullSetProperty("hl_%d_col1"%i,"text", a)
 
         if a == 'v':
-            droid.fullSetProperty("hl_%d_col1"%i, "textColor","0xff00ff00")
+            droid.fullSetProperty("hl_%d_col1"%i, "textColor","#ff00ff00")
         else:
-            droid.fullSetProperty("hl_%d_col1"%i, "textColor","0xffff0000")
+            droid.fullSetProperty("hl_%d_col1"%i, "textColor","#ffff0000")
 
         droid.fullSetProperty("hl_%d_col2"%i,"text", b)
         droid.fullSetProperty("hl_%d_col3"%i,"text", c)
@@ -402,8 +401,10 @@ def set_history_layout(n):
 
 
 
-def update_layout():
 
+status_text = ''
+def update_layout():
+    global status_text
     if not wallet.interface.is_connected:
         text = "Not connected..."
     elif wallet.blocks == 0:
@@ -415,15 +416,16 @@ def update_layout():
         text = "Balance:"+format_satoshis(c) 
         if u : text += '   [' + format_satoshis(u,True).strip() + ']'
 
-    droid.fullSetProperty("balanceTextView", "text", text)
 
-    if wallet.was_updated and wallet.up_to_date:
-        global first_time_update
-        if not first_time_update:
+    # vibrate if status changed
+    if text != status_text:
+        if status_text and wallet.interface.is_connected and wallet.up_to_date:
             droid.vibrate()
-        else:
-            first_time_update = False
-        wallet.was_updated = False
+        status_text = text
+
+    droid.fullSetProperty("balanceTextView", "text", status_text)
+
+    if wallet.up_to_date:
         set_history_layout(15)
 
 
@@ -513,18 +515,34 @@ def make_new_contact():
             modal_dialog('Invalid address', address)
 
 
+do_refresh = False
+
+def update_callback():
+    global do_refresh
+    print "gui callback", wallet.interface.is_connected, wallet.up_to_date
+    do_refresh = True
+    droid.eventPost("refresh",'z')
+
 def main_loop():
+    global do_refresh
+
     update_layout()
     out = None
     quitting = False
     while out is None:
 
-        event = droid.eventWait(1000).result  # wait for 1 second
-        if not event:
-            update_layout()
+        event = droid.eventWait(1000).result
+        if event is None:
+            if do_refresh: 
+                update_layout()
+                do_refresh = False
             continue
 
-        print "got event in main loop", event
+        print "got event in main loop", repr(event)
+        if event == 'OK': continue
+        if event is None: continue
+        #if event["name"]=="refresh":
+
 
         # request 2 taps before we exit
         if event["name"]=="key":
@@ -578,15 +596,13 @@ def payto_loop():
                 recipient = droid.fullQueryDetail("recipient").result.get('text')
                 label  = droid.fullQueryDetail("label").result.get('text')
                 amount = droid.fullQueryDetail('amount').result.get('text')
-                fee    = '0.001'
                 try:
                     amount = int( 100000000 * Decimal(amount) )
                 except:
                     modal_dialog('Error','invalid amount')
                     continue
 
-                fee    = int( 100000000 * Decimal(fee) )
-                result = pay_to(recipient, amount, fee, label)
+                result = pay_to(recipient, amount, wallet.fee, label)
                 if result:
                     out = 'main'
 
@@ -771,14 +787,12 @@ def settings_loop():
 
     return out
 
-                
 
-menu_commands = ["send", "receive", "settings", "contacts", "main"]
 
 
-first_time_update = True
+menu_commands = ["send", "receive", "settings", "contacts", "main"]
 droid = android.Android()
-wallet = Wallet()
+wallet = Wallet(update_callback)
 
 wallet.set_path("/sdcard/electrum.dat")
 wallet.read()
diff --git a/client/electrum_text_320.png b/client/electrum_text_320.png
index dc6f08644..4a8f8375d 100644
Binary files a/client/electrum_text_320.png and b/client/electrum_text_320.png differ
diff --git a/client/gui_qt.py b/client/gui_qt.py
index 66f61cefc..9c2dc7524 100644
--- a/client/gui_qt.py
+++ b/client/gui_qt.py
@@ -144,6 +144,8 @@ class ElectrumWindow(QMainWindow):
     def __init__(self, wallet):
         QMainWindow.__init__(self)
         self.wallet = wallet
+        self.wallet.gui_callback = self.update_callback
+
         self.funds_error = False
 
         self.tabs = tabs = QTabWidget(self)
@@ -164,11 +166,11 @@ class ElectrumWindow(QMainWindow):
         QShortcut(QKeySequence("Ctrl+Q"), self, self.close)
         QShortcut(QKeySequence("Ctrl+PgUp"), self, lambda: tabs.setCurrentIndex( (tabs.currentIndex() - 1 )%tabs.count() ))
         QShortcut(QKeySequence("Ctrl+PgDown"), self, lambda: tabs.setCurrentIndex( (tabs.currentIndex() + 1 )%tabs.count() ))
-
+        
+        self.connect(self, QtCore.SIGNAL('updatesignal'), self.update_wallet)
 
 
     def connect_slots(self, sender):
-        self.connect(sender, QtCore.SIGNAL('timersignal'), self.update_wallet)
         self.connect(sender, QtCore.SIGNAL('timersignal'), self.check_recipient)
         self.previous_payto_e=''
 
@@ -189,6 +191,9 @@ class ElectrumWindow(QMainWindow):
                     self.payto_e.setText(s)
 
 
+    def update_callback(self):
+        self.emit(QtCore.SIGNAL('updatesignal'))
+
     def update_wallet(self):
         if self.wallet.interface.is_connected:
             if self.wallet.blocks == -1:
@@ -215,8 +220,7 @@ class ElectrumWindow(QMainWindow):
         self.statusBar().showMessage(text)
         self.status_button.setIcon( icon )
 
-        if self.wallet.was_updated and self.wallet.up_to_date:
-            self.wallet.was_updated = False
+        if self.wallet.up_to_date:
             self.textbox.setText( self.wallet.banner )
             self.update_history_tab()
             self.update_receive_tab()
@@ -1059,4 +1063,6 @@ class ElectrumGui():
         if url: w.set_url(url)
         w.app = self.app
         w.connect_slots(s)
+        w.update_wallet()
+
         self.app.exec_()
diff --git a/client/interface.py b/client/interface.py
index 56ad9e612..bdba222dd 100644
--- a/client/interface.py
+++ b/client/interface.py
@@ -316,6 +316,7 @@ class TcpStratumInterface(Interface):
             traceback.print_exc(file=sys.stdout)
 
         self.is_connected = False
+        print "poking"
         self.poke()
 
     def send(self, messages):
@@ -448,27 +449,33 @@ class WalletSynchronizer(threading.Thread):
     def run(self):
         import socket, time
         while True:
-            try:
-                while self.interface.is_connected:
-                    new_addresses = self.wallet.synchronize()
-                    if new_addresses:
-                        self.interface.subscribe(new_addresses)
-                        for addr in new_addresses:
-                            with self.wallet.lock:
-                                self.wallet.addresses_waiting_for_status.append(addr)
-
-                    if self.wallet.is_up_to_date():
+            while self.interface.is_connected:
+                new_addresses = self.wallet.synchronize()
+                if new_addresses:
+                    self.interface.subscribe(new_addresses)
+                    for addr in new_addresses:
+                        with self.wallet.lock:
+                            self.wallet.addresses_waiting_for_status.append(addr)
+
+                if self.wallet.is_up_to_date():
+                    if not self.wallet.up_to_date:
                         self.wallet.up_to_date = True
+                        self.wallet.was_updated = True
                         self.wallet.up_to_date_event.set()
-                    else:
+                else:
+                    if self.wallet.up_to_date:
                         self.wallet.up_to_date = False
+                        self.wallet.was_updated = True
 
-                    response = self.interface.responses.get()#True,100000000000) # workaround so that it can be keyboard interrupted
-                    self.handle_response(response)
-            except socket.error:
-                print "socket error"
-                wallet.interface.is_connected = False
+                if self.wallet.was_updated:
+                    self.wallet.gui_callback()
+                    self.wallet.was_updated = False
+
+                response = self.interface.responses.get()
+                self.handle_response(response)
 
+            print "disconnected, gui callback"
+            self.wallet.gui_callback()
             if self.loop:
                 time.sleep(5)
                 self.start_interface()
diff --git a/client/wallet.py b/client/wallet.py
index d0418ebef..906b53677 100644
--- a/client/wallet.py
+++ b/client/wallet.py
@@ -242,10 +242,11 @@ from interface import DEFAULT_SERVERS
 
 
 class Wallet:
-    def __init__(self):
+    def __init__(self, gui_callback = lambda: None):
 
         self.electrum_version = ELECTRUM_VERSION
         self.seed_version = SEED_VERSION
+        self.gui_callback = gui_callback
 
         self.gap_limit = 5           # configuration
         self.fee = 100000