diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/buddy_data.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/buddy_data.js
index bb4b89df20..84c4cc7ee8 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/buddy_data.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/buddy_data.js
@@ -91,6 +91,15 @@ run_test('buddy_status', () => {
     assert.equal(buddy_data.buddy_status(me.user_id), 'active');
 });
 
+run_test('user_title', () => {
+    assert.equal(buddy_data.user_title(me.user_id), 'Human Myself is active');
+    user_status.set_status_text({
+        user_id: me.user_id,
+        status_text: 'out to lunch',
+    });
+    assert.equal(buddy_data.user_title(me.user_id), 'out to lunch');
+});
+
 run_test('simple search', () => {
     const user_ids = buddy_data.get_filtered_and_sorted_user_ids('sel');
 
diff --git a/static/js/buddy_data.js b/static/js/buddy_data.js
index 8c961e2bac..d15405d55d 100644
--- a/static/js/buddy_data.js
+++ b/static/js/buddy_data.js
@@ -134,10 +134,33 @@ exports.my_user_status = function (user_id) {
     return i18n.t('(you)');
 };
 
+exports.user_title = function (user_id) {
+    var buddy_status = exports.buddy_status(user_id);
+    var type_desc = presence_descriptions[buddy_status];
+    var status_text = user_status.get_status_text(user_id);
+    var person = people.get_person_from_user_id(user_id);
+    var title;
+
+    if (status_text) {
+        // The user-set status, like "out to lunch",
+        // is more important than actual presence.
+        title = status_text;
+    } else {
+        title = person.full_name;
+        if (type_desc) {
+            // example: "Cordelia Lear is away"
+            title += ' ' + type_desc;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return title;
+};
+
 exports.info_for = function (user_id) {
     var buddy_status = exports.buddy_status(user_id);
     var person = people.get_person_from_user_id(user_id);
     var my_user_status = exports.my_user_status(user_id);
+    var title = exports.user_title(user_id);
 
     return {
         href: hash_util.pm_with_uri(person.email),
@@ -147,7 +170,7 @@ exports.info_for = function (user_id) {
         is_current_user: people.is_my_user_id(user_id),
         num_unread: get_num_unread(user_id),
         type: buddy_status,
-        type_desc: presence_descriptions[buddy_status],
+        title: title,
     };
 };
 
diff --git a/static/js/server_events_dispatch.js b/static/js/server_events_dispatch.js
index b0ea355ed4..ff7f2e45ac 100644
--- a/static/js/server_events_dispatch.js
+++ b/static/js/server_events_dispatch.js
@@ -472,6 +472,7 @@ exports.dispatch_normal_event = function dispatch_normal_event(event) {
                 user_id: event.user_id,
                 status_text: event.status_text,
             });
+            activity.redraw_user(event.user_id);
         }
         break;
     }
diff --git a/static/templates/user_presence_row.handlebars b/static/templates/user_presence_row.handlebars
index cdd726ed9c..d353a9c83a 100644
--- a/static/templates/user_presence_row.handlebars
+++ b/static/templates/user_presence_row.handlebars
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
           href="{{href}}"
           data-user-id="{{user_id}}"
           data-name="{{name}}"
-          title="{{name}} {{type_desc}}">
+          title="{{title}}">
             {{name}}
             {{#if my_user_status}}
             <span class="my_user_status">{{my_user_status}}</span>