diff --git a/gajim/common/config.py b/gajim/common/config.py
index 8dc84db913373d64525cb1aeed19740d181f323c..ded1ca430edf69296b13a3393383d66aafad6cae 100644
--- a/gajim/common/config.py
+++ b/gajim/common/config.py
@@ -337,10 +337,6 @@ class Config:
             'mood': [opt_str, ''],
             'mood_text': [opt_str, ''],
         }, {}),
-        'defaultstatusmsg': ({
-            'enabled': [opt_bool, False],
-            'message': [opt_str, ''],
-        }, {}),
         'soundevents': ({
             'enabled': [opt_bool, True],
             'path': [opt_str, ''],
@@ -390,14 +386,6 @@ class Config:
         '_last_offline': ['', '', '', '', '', ''],
     }
 
-    defaultstatusmsg_default = {
-        'online': [False, _('I’m available.')],
-        'away': [False, _('Be right back.')],
-        'xa': [False, _('I’m not available.')],
-        'dnd': [False, _('Do not disturb.')],
-        'offline': [False, _('Bye!')],
-    }
-
     soundevents_default = {
         'attention_received': [True, 'attention.wav'],
         'first_message_received': [True, 'message1.wav'],
@@ -691,9 +679,3 @@ def __init__(self):
             self.add_per('soundevents', event)
             self.set_per('soundevents', event, 'enabled', default[0])
             self.set_per('soundevents', event, 'path', default[1])
-
-        for status in self.defaultstatusmsg_default:
-            default = self.defaultstatusmsg_default[status]
-            self.add_per('defaultstatusmsg', status)
-            self.set_per('defaultstatusmsg', status, 'enabled', default[0])
-            self.set_per('defaultstatusmsg', status, 'message', default[1])
diff --git a/gajim/data/gui/preferences_window.ui b/gajim/data/gui/preferences_window.ui
index 3b7ac992c60d2c90e4b25c83b6b88a17f269d893..bfd08f3e96dadb4a0bad1293563bda09a7f7bcf1 100644
--- a/gajim/data/gui/preferences_window.ui
+++ b/gajim/data/gui/preferences_window.ui
@@ -1258,6 +1258,7 @@
           <object class="GtkBox" id="status_tab">
             <property name="visible">True</property>
             <property name="can_focus">False</property>
+            <property name="valign">start</property>
             <property name="border_width">18</property>
             <property name="orientation">vertical</property>
             <property name="spacing">6</property>
@@ -1436,6 +1437,7 @@ $T will be replaced by auto-not-available timeout.</property>
               <object class="GtkFrame">
                 <property name="visible">True</property>
                 <property name="can_focus">False</property>
+                <property name="valign">start</property>
                 <property name="label_xalign">0</property>
                 <property name="shadow_type">none</property>
                 <child>
@@ -1443,6 +1445,7 @@ $T will be replaced by auto-not-available timeout.</property>
                     <property name="visible">True</property>
                     <property name="can_focus">False</property>
                     <property name="events">GDK_POINTER_MOTION_MASK | GDK_POINTER_MOTION_HINT_MASK | GDK_BUTTON_PRESS_MASK | GDK_BUTTON_RELEASE_MASK</property>
+                    <property name="valign">start</property>
                     <property name="margin_top">6</property>
                     <property name="orientation">vertical</property>
                     <property name="spacing">6</property>
@@ -1536,74 +1539,6 @@ $T will be replaced by auto-not-available timeout.</property>
                         <property name="position">1</property>
                       </packing>
                     </child>
-                    <child>
-                      <object class="GtkScrolledWindow" id="default_message_scrolledwindow">
-                        <property name="height_request">150</property>
-                        <property name="visible">True</property>
-                        <property name="can_focus">True</property>
-                        <property name="tooltip_text" translatable="yes">If enabled, Gajim will not ask for a status message. The specified default message will be used instead.</property>
-                        <property name="shadow_type">in</property>
-                        <child>
-                          <object class="GtkTreeView" id="default_msg_treeview">
-                            <property name="visible">True</property>
-                            <property name="can_focus">True</property>
-                            <property name="model">default_message_liststore</property>
-                            <property name="search_column">0</property>
-                            <signal name="cursor-changed" handler="on_msg_treeview_cursor_changed" swapped="no"/>
-                            <signal name="key-press-event" handler="on_msg_treeview_key_press_event" swapped="no"/>
-                            <child internal-child="selection">
-                              <object class="GtkTreeSelection"/>
-                            </child>
-                            <child>
-                              <object class="GtkTreeViewColumn" id="status">
-                                <property name="resizable">True</property>
-                                <property name="title" translatable="yes">Status</property>
-                                <child>
-                                  <object class="GtkCellRendererText" id="statustext"/>
-                                  <attributes>
-                                    <attribute name="text">1</attribute>
-                                  </attributes>
-                                </child>
-                              </object>
-                            </child>
-                            <child>
-                              <object class="GtkTreeViewColumn" id="defaultmsg">
-                                <property name="resizable">True</property>
-                                <property name="title" translatable="yes">Default Message</property>
-                                <property name="expand">True</property>
-                                <child>
-                                  <object class="GtkCellRendererText" id="defaultmessage">
-                                    <property name="editable">True</property>
-                                    <signal name="edited" handler="on_default_msg_cell_edited" swapped="no"/>
-                                  </object>
-                                  <attributes>
-                                    <attribute name="text">2</attribute>
-                                  </attributes>
-                                </child>
-                              </object>
-                            </child>
-                            <child>
-                              <object class="GtkTreeViewColumn" id="enabled">
-                                <property name="title" translatable="yes">Enabled</property>
-                                <child>
-                                  <object class="GtkCellRendererToggle" id="enable">
-                                    <signal name="toggled" handler="default_msg_toggled_cb" swapped="no"/>
-                                  </object>
-                                  <attributes>
-                                    <attribute name="active">3</attribute>
-                                  </attributes>
-                                </child>
-                              </object>
-                            </child>
-                          </object>
-                        </child>
-                      </object>
-                      <packing>
-                        <property name="expand">True</property>
-                        <property name="fill">True</property>
-                        <property name="position">2</property>
-                      </packing>
-                    </child>
                   </object>
                 </child>
                 <child type="label">
@@ -1640,6 +1575,7 @@ $T will be replaced by auto-not-available timeout.</property>
                     <property name="column_spacing">12</property>
                     <child>
                       <object class="GtkScrolledWindow" id="scrolledwindow1">
+                        <property name="height_request">250</property>
                         <property name="visible">True</property>
                         <property name="can_focus">True</property>
                         <property name="hexpand">True</property>
diff --git a/gajim/gtk/preferences.py b/gajim/gtk/preferences.py
index 1f0e00359668f18e3c1987418f32c06f63ef2931..c4058c34b85889e674dc1f8bbd59e7cfa4abb4a2 100644
--- a/gajim/gtk/preferences.py
+++ b/gajim/gtk/preferences.py
@@ -278,9 +278,6 @@ def __init__(self):
         st = app.config.get('ask_offline_status')
         self._ui.prompt_offline_status_message_checkbutton.set_active(st)
 
-        # Default status messages
-        self.fill_default_msg_treeview()
-
         # Status messages
         renderer = Gtk.CellRendererText()
         renderer.connect('edited', self.on_msg_cell_edited)
@@ -442,8 +439,6 @@ def create_av_combobox(opt_name, device_dict, config_name=None,
                                 self.on_msg_treemodel_row_changed)
         self._ui.msg_treeview.get_model().connect('row-deleted',
                                 self.on_msg_treemodel_row_deleted)
-        self._ui.default_msg_treeview.get_model().connect('row-changed',
-                                self.on_default_msg_treemodel_row_changed)
 
         self.sounds_preferences = None
         self.theme_preferences = None
@@ -704,38 +699,6 @@ def on_prompt_online_status_message_checkbutton_toggled(self, widget):
     def on_prompt_offline_status_message_checkbutton_toggled(self, widget):
         self.on_checkbutton_toggled(widget, 'ask_offline_status')
 
-    def fill_default_msg_treeview(self):
-        model = self._ui.default_msg_treeview.get_model()
-        model.clear()
-        status = []
-        for status_ in app.config.get_per('defaultstatusmsg'):
-            status.append(status_)
-        status.sort()
-        for status_ in status:
-            msg = app.config.get_per('defaultstatusmsg', status_, 'message')
-            msg = helpers.from_one_line(msg)
-            enabled = app.config.get_per('defaultstatusmsg', status_, 'enabled')
-            iter_ = model.append()
-            uf_show = helpers.get_uf_show(status_)
-            model.set(iter_, 0, status_, 1, uf_show, 2, msg, 3, enabled)
-
-    def on_default_msg_cell_edited(self, cell, row, new_text):
-        model = self._ui.default_msg_treeview.get_model()
-        iter_ = model.get_iter_from_string(row)
-        model.set_value(iter_, 2, new_text)
-
-    def default_msg_toggled_cb(self, cell, path):
-        model = self._ui.default_msg_treeview.get_model()
-        model[path][3] = not model[path][3]
-
-    def on_default_msg_treemodel_row_changed(self, model, path, iter_):
-        status = model[iter_][0]
-        message = model[iter_][2]
-        message = helpers.to_one_line(message)
-        app.config.set_per('defaultstatusmsg', status, 'enabled',
-                model[iter_][3])
-        app.config.set_per('defaultstatusmsg', status, 'message', message)
-
     def save_status_messages(self, model):
         for msg in app.config.get_per('statusmsg'):
             app.config.del_per('statusmsg', msg)
diff --git a/gajim/roster_window.py b/gajim/roster_window.py
index c414733747adb085897d6749de7e2b73cafbd82f..65348601ae40c78910fd0b171cf7d5ede5064ff4 100644
--- a/gajim/roster_window.py
+++ b/gajim/roster_window.py
@@ -2160,23 +2160,19 @@ def on_status_changed(self, account, show):
         self._status_selector.update()
 
     def get_status_message(self, show, on_response, show_pep=True,
-                    always_ask=False):
+                           always_ask=False):
         """
         Get the status message by:
 
-        1/ looking in default status message
-        2/ asking to user if needed depending on ask_on(ff)line_status and
-                always_ask
+        asking to user if needed depending on ask_on(ff)line_status and
+            always_ask
         show_pep can be False to hide pep things from status message or True
         """
-        empty_pep = {'activity': '', 'subactivity': '', 'activity_text': '',
-            'mood': '', 'mood_text': ''}
-        if show in app.config.get_per('defaultstatusmsg'):
-            if app.config.get_per('defaultstatusmsg', show, 'enabled'):
-                msg = app.config.get_per('defaultstatusmsg', show, 'message')
-                msg = helpers.from_one_line(msg)
-                on_response(msg, empty_pep)
-                return
+        empty_pep = {'activity': '',
+                     'subactivity': '',
+                     'activity_text': '',
+                     'mood': '',
+                     'mood_text': ''}
         if not always_ask and ((show == 'online' and not app.config.get(
         'ask_online_status')) or (show == 'offline' and not \
         app.config.get('ask_offline_status'))):