diff --git a/src/js/controller/mail-list.js b/src/js/controller/mail-list.js
index 70dd366..b5623de 100644
--- a/src/js/controller/mail-list.js
+++ b/src/js/controller/mail-list.js
@@ -62,11 +62,6 @@ define(function(require) {
 
             $scope.state.mailList.selected = email;
 
-            // split text only emails into parts for easier rendering
-            if (!email.html && typeof email.body === 'string') {
-                email.bodyDisplayLines = email.body.split('\n');
-            }
-
             // mark selected message as 'read'
             markAsRead(email);
         };
diff --git a/src/js/controller/read.js b/src/js/controller/read.js
index c2bf5d4..63715d4 100644
--- a/src/js/controller/read.js
+++ b/src/js/controller/read.js
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ define(function(require) {
                 this.open = to;
             }
         };
+
+        $scope.lineEmpty = function(line) {
+            return line.replace(/>/g, '').trim().length === 0;
+        };
     };
 
     //
diff --git a/src/js/controller/write.js b/src/js/controller/write.js
index 46a8315..ca5a5cd 100644
--- a/src/js/controller/write.js
+++ b/src/js/controller/write.js
@@ -62,12 +62,12 @@ define(function(require) {
 
             // fill text body
             from = re.from[0].name || re.from[0].address;
-            body = '<br><br>' + $filter('date')(re.sentDate, 'EEEE, MMM d, yyyy h:mm a') + ' ' + from + ' wrote:<br><br>';
+            body = '<br><br>' + $filter('date')(re.sentDate, 'EEEE, MMM d, yyyy h:mm a') + ' ' + from + ' wrote:<br>> ';
 
             // clean text from markup if to prevent injection in contenteditable
             if (!re.html) {
                 cleaned = angular.element('<p>' + re.body + '</p>').text();
-                body += cleaned.split('\n').join('<br>');
+                body += cleaned.split('\n').join('<br>> ');
                 $scope.body = body;
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/sass/views/_read.scss b/src/sass/views/_read.scss
index 69a0676..0c43330 100644
--- a/src/sass/views/_read.scss
+++ b/src/sass/views/_read.scss
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
         .date {
             color: $color-grey-light;
             font-size: $font-size-small;
-            margin-top: 0.5em;
+            margin-top: 0.25em;
             margin-bottom: 1.5em;
             padding: 0px;
         }
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
         color: $color-grey-lighter;
         background-color: $color-grey-lighter;
         margin-top: 1em;
-        margin-bottom: 1.5em;
+        margin-bottom: 1.75em;
     }
 
     .body {
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@
         line-height: 1.5em;
         height: 100%;
         overflow-y: scroll;
+
+        .empty-line {
+            line-height: 1em;
+        }
     }
 
     iframe {
diff --git a/src/tpl/read.html b/src/tpl/read.html
index e064dfa..17af8a9 100644
--- a/src/tpl/read.html
+++ b/src/tpl/read.html
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@
   <div class="seperator-line"></div>
 
   <div class="body">
-    <!-- Render parts of a text only email in paragraphs for easier styling -->
-    <span ng-repeat="line in state.mailList.selected.bodyDisplayLines track by $index">
+    <!-- Render lines of a text-email in divs for easier styling -->
+    <div ng-repeat="line in state.mailList.selected.body.split('\n') track by $index" ng-class="{'empty-line': lineEmpty(line)}">
       {{line}}<br>
-    </span>
+    </div>
   </div><!--/.body-->
 </div><!--/.view-read-->
\ No newline at end of file