diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.js b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.js
index f90d89c8c1..e1fe075f42 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 'use strict';
 var React = require("react");
 var ReactDOM = require("react-dom");
-import { _t } from '../../../languageHandler';
+import { _t, _tJsx } from '../../../languageHandler';
 var GeminiScrollbar = require('react-gemini-scrollbar');
 var MatrixClientPeg = require("../../../MatrixClientPeg");
 var CallHandler = require('../../../CallHandler');
@@ -478,17 +478,25 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         switch (section) {
             case 'im.vector.fake.direct':
                 return <div className="mx_RoomList_emptySubListTip">
-                    Press
-                    <StartChatButton size="16" callout={true}/>
-                    to start a chat with someone
+                    {_tJsx(
+                        "Press <StartChatButton> to start a chat with someone",
+                        [/<StartChatButton>/],
+                        [
+                            (sub) => <StartChatButton size="16" callout={true}/>
+                        ]
+                    )}
                 </div>;
             case 'im.vector.fake.recent':
                 return <div className="mx_RoomList_emptySubListTip">
-                    You're not in any rooms yet! Press
-                    <CreateRoomButton size="16" callout={true}/>
-                    to make a room or
-                    <RoomDirectoryButton size="16" callout={true}/>
-                    to browse the directory
+                    {_tJsx(
+                        "You're not in any rooms yet! Press <CreateRoomButton> to make a room or"+
+                        " <RoomDirectoryButton> to browse the directory",
+                        [/<CreateRoomButton>/, /<RoomDirectoryButton>/],
+                        [
+                            (sub) => <CreateRoomButton size="16" callout={true}/>,
+                            (sub) => <RoomDirectoryButton size="16" callout={true}/>
+                        ]
+                    )}
                 </div>;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/createRoom.js b/src/createRoom.js
index bf0c0fee1c..ce83f31c27 100644
--- a/src/createRoom.js
+++ b/src/createRoom.js
@@ -76,14 +76,11 @@ function createRoom(opts) {
         }
     ];
 
-    let modal;
-    setTimeout(()=>{
-        modal = Modal.createDialog(Loader, null, 'mx_Dialog_spinner');
-    }, 0);
+    const modal = Modal.createDialog(Loader, null, 'mx_Dialog_spinner');
 
     let roomId;
     return client.createRoom(createOpts).finally(function() {
-        if (modal) modal.close();
+        modal.close();
     }).then(function(res) {
         roomId = res.room_id;
         if (opts.dmUserId) {
diff --git a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
index ad00ea9275..e7f8199f9c 100644
--- a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
+++ b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
@@ -440,6 +440,7 @@
   "Please Register": "Please Register",
   "Power level must be positive integer.": "Power level must be positive integer.",
   "Press": "Press",
+  "Press <StartChatButton> to start a chat with someone": "Press <StartChatButton> to start a chat with someone",
   "Privacy warning": "Privacy warning",
   "Private Chat": "Private Chat",
   "Privileged Users": "Privileged Users",
@@ -648,7 +649,7 @@
   "Would you like to <acceptText>accept</acceptText> or <declineText>decline</declineText> this invitation?": "Would you like to <acceptText>accept</acceptText> or <declineText>decline</declineText> this invitation?",
   "You already have existing direct chats with this user:": "You already have existing direct chats with this user:",
   "You are already in a call.": "You are already in a call.",
-  "You're not in any rooms yet! Press": "You're not in any rooms yet! Press",
+  "You're not in any rooms yet! Press <CreateRoomButton> to make a room or <RoomDirectoryButton> to browse the directory": "You're not in any rooms yet! Press <CreateRoomButton> to make a room or <RoomDirectoryButton> to browse the directory",
   "You are trying to access %(roomName)s.": "You are trying to access %(roomName)s.",
   "You cannot place a call with yourself.": "You cannot place a call with yourself.",
   "You cannot place VoIP calls in this browser.": "You cannot place VoIP calls in this browser.",
diff --git a/src/i18n/strings/pt_BR.json b/src/i18n/strings/pt_BR.json
index 4485f67987..1e915a5491 100644
--- a/src/i18n/strings/pt_BR.json
+++ b/src/i18n/strings/pt_BR.json
@@ -356,6 +356,7 @@
     "%(senderName)s placed a %(callType)s call.": "%(senderName)s fez uma chamada de %(callType)s.",
     "Power level must be positive integer.": "O nível de permissões tem que ser um número inteiro e positivo.",
     "Press": "Aperte",
+    "Press <StartChatButton> to start a chat with someone": "Clique em <StartChatButton> para iniciar a conversa com alguém",
     "Reason": "Razão",
     "%(targetName)s rejected the invitation.": "%(targetName)s recusou o convite.",
     "%(senderName)s removed their display name (%(oldDisplayName)s).": "%(senderName)s removeu o seu nome público (%(oldDisplayName)s).",
@@ -398,7 +399,7 @@
     "VoIP is unsupported": "Chamada de voz não permitida",
     "%(senderName)s withdrew %(targetName)s's invitation.": "%(senderName)s desfez o convite a %(targetName)s.",
     "You are already in a call.": "Você já está em  uma chamada.",
-    "You're not in any rooms yet! Press": "Você ainda não está em nenhuma sala! Pressione",
+    "You're not in any rooms yet! Press <CreateRoomButton> to make a room or <RoomDirectoryButton> to browse the directory": "Você ainda não está em nenhuma sala! Clique em <CreateRoomButton> para criar uma sala ou em <RoomDirectoryButton> para navegar pela lista pública de salas",
     "You are trying to access %(roomName)s.": "Você está tentando acessar a sala %(roomName)s.",
     "You cannot place a call with yourself.": "Você não pode iniciar uma chamada.",
     "You cannot place VoIP calls in this browser.": "Você não pode fazer chamadas de voz neste navegador.",