Index: src/bp-templates/bp-legacy/js/buddypress.js
===================================================================
--- src/bp-templates/bp-legacy/js/buddypress.js	(revision 9352)
+++ src/bp-templates/bp-legacy/js/buddypress.js	(working copy)
@@ -33,11 +33,11 @@
 		var $member_nicename = $whats_new.val();
 
 		jq('#whats-new-options').animate({
-			height:'40px'
+			minHeight:'40px'
 		});
 
 		$whats_new.animate({
-			height:'50px'
+			minHeight:'50px'
 		});
 
 		jq.scrollTo( $whats_new, 500, {
@@ -50,15 +50,23 @@
 
 	/**** Activity Posting ********************************************************/
 
+	// Set a class of 'hide' on initial #whats-new-options element
+	jq('#whats-new-options').addClass('whats-new-hide');
+
 	/* Textarea focus */
 	$whats_new.focus( function(){
+
+		// Add a class for focussed state of textarea
+		$whats_new.addClass('whats-new-has-focus');
+
 		jq('#whats-new-options').animate({
-			height:'40px'
+			minHeight: '40px'
 		});
 		jq('#whats-new-form textarea').animate({
-			height:'50px'
+			minHeight: '50px'
 		});
 		jq('#aw-whats-new-submit').prop('disabled', false);
+		jq('#whats-new-options').addClass('whats-new-show').removeClass('whats-new-hide');
 
 		var $whats_new_form = jq('form#whats-new-form'),
 			$activity_all = jq( '#activity-all' );
@@ -87,12 +95,14 @@
 			if (!this.value.match(/\S+/)) {
 				this.value = '';
 				jq('#whats-new-options').animate({
-					height:'40px'
+					minHeight: ''
 				});
 				jq('form#whats-new-form textarea').animate({
-					height:'20px'
+					minHeight: '20px'
 				});
+				$whats_new.removeClass('whats-new-has-focus');
 				jq('#aw-whats-new-submit').prop('disabled', true);
+				jq('#whats-new-options').removeClass('whats-new-show').addClass('whats-new-hide');
 			}
 		}
 	});
@@ -1366,11 +1376,11 @@
 		var target = jq(event.target),
 			object;
 
-		if ( target.attr('type') === 'submit' ) {
+		if ( target.attr('type') === 'submit' || target.attr('type') === 'button' ) {
 			//var css_id = jq('.item-list-tabs li.selected').attr('id').split( '-' );
 			object = 'messages';
 
-			bp_filter_request( object, jq.cookie('bp-' + object + '-filter'), jq.cookie('bp-' + object + '-scope') , 'div.' + object, target.parent().children('label').children('input').val(), 1, jq.cookie('bp-' + object + '-extras') );
+			bp_filter_request( object, jq.cookie('bp-' + object + '-filter'), jq.cookie('bp-' + object + '-scope') , 'div.' + object, jq('#messages_search').val(), 1, jq.cookie('bp-' + object + '-extras') );
 
 			return false;
 		}