diff --git a/src/adaptors/UBThumbnailAdaptor.cpp b/src/adaptors/UBThumbnailAdaptor.cpp
index b0b6a141..3d87e123 100644
--- a/src/adaptors/UBThumbnailAdaptor.cpp
+++ b/src/adaptors/UBThumbnailAdaptor.cpp
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ void UBThumbnailAdaptor::generateMissingThumbnails(UBDocumentProxy* proxy)
 
 const QPixmap* UBThumbnailAdaptor::get(UBDocumentProxy* proxy, int pageIndex)
 {
+    UBApplication::showMessage(tr("loading thumbnail of page %1").arg(pageIndex + 1));
     QString fileName = proxy->persistencePath() + UBFileSystemUtils::digitFileFormat("/page%1.thumbnail.jpg", pageIndex);
 
     QFile file(fileName);
diff --git a/src/board/UBBoardController.cpp b/src/board/UBBoardController.cpp
index e5ce8e36..ffa576ec 100644
--- a/src/board/UBBoardController.cpp
+++ b/src/board/UBBoardController.cpp
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ void UBBoardController::initBackgroundGridSize()
     int gridSize = (resolutionRatio * 10. * dpi) / UBGeometryUtils::inchSize;
 
     UBSettings::settings()->crossSize = gridSize;
+    UBSettings::settings()->defaultCrossSize = gridSize;
     mActiveScene->setBackgroundGridSize(gridSize);
 
     //qDebug() << "grid size: " << gridSize;
@@ -228,10 +229,11 @@ void UBBoardController::setupViews()
     mDisplayView->setInteractive(false);
     mDisplayView->setTransformationAnchor(QGraphicsView::NoAnchor);
 
-    mMessageWindow = new UBMessageWindow(mControlView);
+    mPaletteManager = new UBBoardPaletteManager(mControlContainer, this);
+
+    mMessageWindow = new UBMessageWindow(mControlContainer);
     mMessageWindow->hide();
 
-    mPaletteManager = new UBBoardPaletteManager(mControlContainer, this);
     connect(this, SIGNAL(activeSceneChanged()), mPaletteManager, SLOT(activeSceneChanged()));
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/UBApplicationController.cpp b/src/core/UBApplicationController.cpp
index d8bdc89f..4e062425 100644
--- a/src/core/UBApplicationController.cpp
+++ b/src/core/UBApplicationController.cpp
@@ -358,6 +358,7 @@ void UBApplicationController::showBoard()
         }
     }
 
+    UBApplication::showMessage(tr("Drawing active scene and thumbnail previews"));
     mMainMode = Board;
 
     adaptToolBar();
diff --git a/src/core/UBPersistenceManager.cpp b/src/core/UBPersistenceManager.cpp
index f0791119..a28cb35f 100644
--- a/src/core/UBPersistenceManager.cpp
+++ b/src/core/UBPersistenceManager.cpp
@@ -777,6 +777,7 @@ void UBPersistenceManager::persistDocumentScene(UBDocumentProxy* pDocumentProxy,
         if (pDocumentProxy->isModified())
             persistDocumentMetadata(pDocumentProxy, forceImmediateSaving);
 
+        UBApplication::showMessage(tr("saving document thumbnail for the page %1").arg(pSceneIndex+1));
         UBThumbnailAdaptor::persistScene(pDocumentProxy, pScene, pSceneIndex);
         if(forceImmediateSaving)
             UBSvgSubsetAdaptor::persistScene(pDocumentProxy,pScene,pSceneIndex);
diff --git a/src/document/UBDocumentContainer.cpp b/src/document/UBDocumentContainer.cpp
index 9bc9601c..2d30f607 100644
--- a/src/document/UBDocumentContainer.cpp
+++ b/src/document/UBDocumentContainer.cpp
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ void UBDocumentContainer::setDocument(UBDocumentProxy* document, bool forceReloa
 
         emit initThumbnailsRequired(this);
         emit documentSet(mCurrentDocument);
-        reloadThumbnails();
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/document/UBDocumentContainer.h b/src/document/UBDocumentContainer.h
index 8ee9b5c0..f47e08ea 100644
--- a/src/document/UBDocumentContainer.h
+++ b/src/document/UBDocumentContainer.h
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ class UBDocumentContainer : public QObject
 
         void insertThumbPage(int index);
 
-
     private:
         UBDocumentProxy* mCurrentDocument;
         QList<const QPixmap*>  mDocumentThumbs;
diff --git a/src/document/UBDocumentController.cpp b/src/document/UBDocumentController.cpp
index 04d53136..7c6b3406 100644
--- a/src/document/UBDocumentController.cpp
+++ b/src/document/UBDocumentController.cpp
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ void UBDocumentController::selectDocument(UBDocumentProxy* proxy, bool setAsCurr
     if (selected)
     {
         setDocument(proxy);
+        reloadThumbnails();
 
         selected->setSelected(true);
 
@@ -267,7 +268,7 @@ void UBDocumentController::itemSelectionChanged()
 {
     updateCurrentSelection();
 
-    reloadThumbnails();
+    emit documentThumbnailsUpdated(this);
 
     if (multipleSelection())
         mSelectionType = Multiple;
diff --git a/src/gui/UBBoardThumbnailsView.cpp b/src/gui/UBBoardThumbnailsView.cpp
index f2ccafd7..c7fa4b9b 100644
--- a/src/gui/UBBoardThumbnailsView.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/UBBoardThumbnailsView.cpp
@@ -115,6 +115,8 @@ void UBBoardThumbnailsView::removeThumbnail(int i)
 
 UBDraggableThumbnailView* UBBoardThumbnailsView::createThumbnail(UBDocumentContainer* source, int i)
 {
+    UBApplication::showMessage(tr("Loading document scene (%1/%2)").arg(i+1).arg(source->selectedDocument()->pageCount()));
+
     UBGraphicsScene* pageScene = UBPersistenceManager::persistenceManager()->loadDocumentScene(source->selectedDocument(), i);
     UBThumbnailView* pageView = new UBThumbnailView(pageScene);
 
@@ -200,20 +202,23 @@ void UBBoardThumbnailsView::resizeEvent(QResizeEvent *event)
 
 void UBBoardThumbnailsView::mousePressEvent(QMouseEvent *event)
 {
-    mLongPressTimer.start();
-    mLastPressedMousePos = event->pos();
-
-    UBDraggableThumbnailView* item = dynamic_cast<UBDraggableThumbnailView*>(itemAt(event->pos()));
+    QGraphicsView::mousePressEvent(event);
 
-    if (item)
+    if (!event->isAccepted())
     {
-        UBApplication::boardController->persistViewPositionOnCurrentScene();
-        UBApplication::boardController->persistCurrentScene();
-        UBApplication::boardController->setActiveDocumentScene(item->sceneIndex());
-        UBApplication::boardController->centerOn(UBApplication::boardController->activeScene()->lastCenter());
-    }
+        mLongPressTimer.start();
+        mLastPressedMousePos = event->pos();
 
-    QGraphicsView::mousePressEvent(event);
+        UBDraggableThumbnailView* item = dynamic_cast<UBDraggableThumbnailView*>(itemAt(event->pos()));
+
+        if (item)
+        {
+            UBApplication::boardController->persistViewPositionOnCurrentScene();
+            UBApplication::boardController->persistCurrentScene();
+            UBApplication::boardController->setActiveDocumentScene(item->sceneIndex());
+            UBApplication::boardController->centerOn(UBApplication::boardController->activeScene()->lastCenter());
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 void UBBoardThumbnailsView::mouseMoveEvent(QMouseEvent *event)
diff --git a/src/gui/UBMessageWindow.cpp b/src/gui/UBMessageWindow.cpp
index 1d499a98..14adbbb6 100644
--- a/src/gui/UBMessageWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/UBMessageWindow.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ UBMessageWindow::UBMessageWindow(QWidget *parent)
     mLabel = new QLabel(parent);
     mLabel->setStyleSheet(QString("QLabel { color: white; background-color: transparent; border: none; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px }"));
 
-    mOriginalAlpha = mBackgroundBrush.color().alpha();
+    mOriginalAlpha = 255;
 
     mLayout->setContentsMargins(radius() + 15, 4, radius() + 15, 4);
 
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ void UBMessageWindow::showMessage(const QString& message, bool showSpinningWheel
     {
         mSpinningWheel->hide();
         mSpinningWheel->stopAnimation();
-        mTimer.start(200, this);
+        mTimer.start(50, this);
     }
     adjustSizeAndPosition();
 
diff --git a/src/gui/UBThumbnailWidget.cpp b/src/gui/UBThumbnailWidget.cpp
index 788c7f6d..5d6acbaf 100644
--- a/src/gui/UBThumbnailWidget.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/UBThumbnailWidget.cpp
@@ -898,17 +898,27 @@ void UBDraggableThumbnail::mousePressEvent(QGraphicsSceneMouseEvent *event)
     if (triggered(p.y()))
     {
         if(deletable() && getIcon("close")->triggered(p.x()))
+        {
+            event->accept();
             deletePage();
+        }
         else if(getIcon("duplicate")->triggered(p.x()))
+        {
+            event->accept();
             duplicatePage();
+        }
         /*
         else if(movableUp() && getIcon("moveUp")->triggered(p.x()))
             moveUpPage();
         else if (movableDown() && getIcon("moveDown")->triggered(p.x()))
             moveDownPage();*/
-    }
 
-    event->accept();
+         event->ignore();
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        event->ignore();
+    }
 }
 
 void UBDraggableThumbnail::mouseReleaseEvent(QGraphicsSceneMouseEvent *event)