diff --git a/internal/web/thread.go b/internal/web/thread.go
index c9dd312ec..fa3167fa7 100644
--- a/internal/web/thread.go
+++ b/internal/web/thread.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/oauth"
 )
 
-type StatusLink struct {
+type statusLink struct {
 	User string `uri:"user" binding:"required"`
 	ID   string `uri:"id"   binding:"required"`
 }
@@ -34,40 +34,42 @@ func (m *Module) threadTemplateHandler(c *gin.Context) {
 	l := m.log.WithField("func", "threadTemplateGET")
 	l.Trace("rendering thread template")
 
-	var statusLink StatusLink
+	ctx := c.Request.Context()
 
-	if err := c.ShouldBindUri(&statusLink); err != nil {
+	var uriParts statusLink
+
+	if err := c.ShouldBindUri(&uriParts); err != nil {
 		c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, gin.H{"error": "status not found"})
 		return
 	}
 
-	authed, err := oauth.Authed(c, false, false, false, false) // we don't really need an app here but we want everything else
+	authed, err := oauth.Authed(c, false, false, false, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		l.Errorf("error authing status GET request: %s", err)
 		c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, gin.H{"error": "status not found"})
 		return
 	}
 
-	instance, err := m.processor.InstanceGet(c.Request.Context(), m.config.Host)
+	instance, err := m.processor.InstanceGet(ctx, m.config.Host)
 	if err != nil {
 		l.Debugf("error getting instance from processor: %s", err)
 		c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, gin.H{"error": "internal server error"})
 		return
 	}
 
-	status, err := m.processor.StatusGet(c.Request.Context(), authed, statusLink.ID)
+	status, err := m.processor.StatusGet(ctx, authed, uriParts.ID)
 	if err != nil {
 		c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, gin.H{"error": "status not found"})
 		return
 	}
 
-	println(statusLink.User[:1], statusLink.User, status.Account.Username)
-	if statusLink.User[:1] != "@" || statusLink.User[1:] != status.Account.Username {
+	println(uriParts.User[:1], uriParts.User, status.Account.Username)
+	if uriParts.User[:1] != "@" || uriParts.User[1:] != status.Account.Username {
 		c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, gin.H{"error": "status not found"})
 		return
 	}
 
-	context, err := m.processor.StatusGetContext(c.Request.Context(), authed, statusLink.ID)
+	context, err := m.processor.StatusGetContext(ctx, authed, uriParts.ID)
 	if err != nil {
 		c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, gin.H{"error": "status not found"})
 		return
diff --git a/testrig/testmodels.go b/testrig/testmodels.go
index d03e3506b..59233a11e 100644
--- a/testrig/testmodels.go
+++ b/testrig/testmodels.go
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ func NewTestAccounts() map[string]*gtsmodel.Account {
 			Username:                "admin",
 			AvatarMediaAttachmentID: "",
 			HeaderMediaAttachmentID: "",
-			DisplayName:             "Admin",
+			DisplayName:             "",
 			Fields:                  []gtsmodel.Field{},
 			Note:                    "",
 			Memorial:                false,
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ func NewTestAttachments() map[string]*gtsmodel.MediaAttachment {
 				},
 			},
 			AccountID:         "01F8MH1H7YV1Z7D2C8K2730QBF",
-			Description:       "",
+			Description:       "90's Trent Reznor turning to the camera",
 			ScheduledStatusID: "",
 			Blurhash:          "LEDara58O=t5EMSOENEN9]}?aK%0",
 			Processing:        2,
diff --git a/web/template/status.tmpl b/web/template/status.tmpl
index 45714f0bf..343eb2d0a 100644
--- a/web/template/status.tmpl
+++ b/web/template/status.tmpl
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <a href="{{.Account.URL}}" class="avatar"><img src="{{.Account.Avatar}}"></a>
-<a href="{{.Account.URL}}" class="displayname">{{.Account.DisplayName}}</a>
+<a href="{{.Account.URL}}" class="displayname">{{if .Account.DisplayName}}{{.Account.DisplayName}}{{else}}{{.Account.Username}}{{end}}</a>
 <a href="{{.Account.URL}}" class="username">@{{.Account.Username}}</a>
 <div class="text">
 	{{if .SpoilerText}}
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 		{{range .}}
 			<a href="{{.URL}}" target="_blank" title="{{.Description}}">
 					{{if not .Description}}
-			 		<div class="no-image-desc" aria-hidden="true" >(!)<span>Missing image description</span></div>
+			 		<div class="no-image-desc" aria-hidden="true" ><i class="fa fa-info-circle"></i><span>Missing image description</span></div>
 				{{end}}
 				<img src="{{.PreviewURL}}" alt="{{.Description}}"/>
 			</a>