diff --git a/public/css/main.less b/public/css/main.less
index cc69374949..37fc8a39ce 100644
--- a/public/css/main.less
+++ b/public/css/main.less
@@ -829,11 +829,6 @@ iframe.iphone {
   width: 100%;
 }
 
-.comment-to-comment-formgroup {
-  width: 50%;
-  height: 35px;
-}
-
 .story-headline {
   font-size: 20px;
 }
diff --git a/views/stories/comments.jade b/views/stories/comments.jade
index 5826fef54c..bbf84b6322 100644
--- a/views/stories/comments.jade
+++ b/views/stories/comments.jade
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
             var sentinel = 0;
             var renderComments = function renderComments(comments, containerSelector, level) {
                 var commentDetails;
-                var backgroundColorForCommentNestingLevel = level % 2 !== 0 ? 'odd' : 'even';
                 R.forEach(function displayComments(comment) {
 
                     $.ajax({
@@ -61,13 +60,17 @@
                                     var div = document.createElement('div');
                                     var commentId = $(this).attr('id');
                                     $(div).html(
-                                            "<div class='formgroup comment-to-comment-formgroup'>" +
-                                                "<text class='form-control' id='comment-to-comment-textarea' maxlength='140' autofocus></textarea>" +
-                                                '<span class="pull-left" id="textarea_feedback"></span>' +
-                                                "<button class='btn btn-small btn-primary pull-right' id='submit-comment-to-comment'>Submit</button>" +
-                                                    '</div>' +
-
-                                            "</div>"
+                                        "<div class='formgroup comment-to-comment-formgroup'>" +
+                                            "<div class=col-xs-12" +
+                                                "<div class='input-group'>" +
+                                                    "<input class='form-control' id='comment-to-comment-textarea' type='text' maxlength='140' autofocus />" +
+                                                "</div>" +
+                                            "</div>" +
+                                            "<span class='input-group-btn'>" +
+                                                "<button id='submit-comment-to-comment' class='btn btn-big btn-primary btn-responsive' type='button'>Send</button>" +
+                                            "</span>" +
+                                            "<span class='pull-left' id='textarea_feedback'></span>" +
+                                        "</div>"
                                     )
                                             .addClass('row')
                                             .appendTo($(this).closest('.media-body-wrapper'));
diff --git a/views/stories/show.jade b/views/stories/show.jade
index 4313a5aa56..fe36f3c7f7 100644
--- a/views/stories/show.jade
+++ b/views/stories/show.jade
@@ -41,10 +41,18 @@
                     input#comment-box.big-text-field.field-responsive.form-control(type='text', placeholder='Enter your reply', autofocus)
                     span.input-group-btn
                         button#comment-button.btn.btn-big.btn-primary.btn-responsive(type='button') Send
-
+                span.pull-left#textarea_feedback
     script.
         $('#reply-to-main-post').on('click', function() {
             $('#initial-comment-submit').removeClass('hidden-element');
             $(this).unbind('click');
+            $('.comment-to-comment-formgroup').empty();
+        });
+        var text_max = 140;
+        $('#textarea_feedback').html(text_max + ' characters remaining');
+        $('#comment-box').keyup(function () {
+            var text_length = $('#comment-box').val().length;
+            var text_remaining = text_max - text_length;
+            $('#textarea_feedback').html(text_remaining + ' characters remaining');
         });
     include ./comments