diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-stream-item.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-stream-item.hbs
index bb2d0c62f79..56c082a0d60 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-stream-item.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-stream-item.hbs
@@ -36,11 +36,11 @@
 {{/if}}
 
 <p class='excerpt' data-topic-id="{{item.topic_id}}" data-post-id="{{item.post_id}}" data-user-id="{{item.user_id}}">
-  {{#if item.expandedExcerpt}}
-    {{{item.expandedExcerpt}}}
+  {{~#if item.expandedExcerpt}}
+    {{~{item.expandedExcerpt}~}}
   {{else}}
-    {{{item.excerpt}}}
-  {{/if}}
+    {{~{item.excerpt}~}}
+  {{/if~}}
 </p>
 
 {{#each item.children as |child|}}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/messages.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/messages.hbs
index 44a55413eaf..c7970164fdf 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/messages.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/messages.hbs
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
 
 <section class='user-right messages'>
 
-<div class="clearfix list-actions">
+<div class="list-actions">
     {{#if showToggleBulkSelect}}
       <button {{action "toggleBulkSelect"}} class="btn btn-default bulk-select no-text" title="{{i18n "user.messages.bulk_select"}}">
         {{d-icon "list"}}
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/user.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/user.scss
index 1379f9f8809..e0e0582a781 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/user.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/user.scss
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // These styles are also used for "/groups" — test those pages if making significant changes
 .user-right {
   .list-actions {
+    display: flex;
     margin-bottom: 10px;
 
     .btn {
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/components/user-stream-item.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/components/user-stream-item.scss
index 843da511304..99afbdf9ef7 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/components/user-stream-item.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/components/user-stream-item.scss
@@ -122,11 +122,13 @@
   }
 
   .excerpt {
-    margin: 5px 0;
+    margin: 1em 0 0 0;
     font-size: $font-0;
     word-wrap: break-word;
     color: $primary;
-
+    &:empty {
+      display: none;
+    }
     details.disabled {
       color: $primary-medium;
     }
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/components/user-stream-item.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/components/user-stream-item.scss
index d74b9550f16..d1da43f9982 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/components/user-stream-item.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/components/user-stream-item.scss
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
   // selectors below are its children
   .item,
   .user-stream-item {
-    padding: 20px 8px 15px 8px;
+    padding: 1em 0.53em;
   }
 
   .time,