diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomDirectory.js b/src/components/structures/RoomDirectory.js
index e13eab8eb3a..a7211f6f462 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomDirectory.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomDirectory.js
@@ -26,14 +26,17 @@ const dis = require('../../dispatcher');
 
 import { linkifyAndSanitizeHtml } from '../../HtmlUtils';
 import Promise from 'bluebird';
-
 import { _t } from '../../languageHandler';
-
-import {instanceForInstanceId, protocolNameForInstanceId} from '../../utils/DirectoryUtils';
+import { instanceForInstanceId, protocolNameForInstanceId } from '../../utils/DirectoryUtils';
+import Analytics from '../../Analytics';
 
 const MAX_NAME_LENGTH = 80;
 const MAX_TOPIC_LENGTH = 160;
 
+function track(action) {
+    Analytics.trackEvent('RoomDirectory', action);
+}
+
 module.exports = React.createClass({
     displayName: 'RoomDirectory',
 
@@ -53,6 +56,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             publicRooms: [],
             loading: true,
             protocolsLoading: true,
+            error: null,
             instanceId: null,
             includeAll: false,
             roomServer: null,
@@ -95,10 +99,12 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 // thing you see when loading the client!
                 return;
             }
-            const ErrorDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ErrorDialog");
-            Modal.createTrackedDialog('Failed to get protocol list from homeserver', '', ErrorDialog, {
-                title: _t('Failed to get protocol list from homeserver'),
-                description: _t('The homeserver may be too old to support third party networks'),
+            track('Failed to get protocol list from homeserver');
+            this.setState({
+                error: _t(
+                    'Riot failed to get the protocol list from the homeserver. ' +
+                    'The homeserver may be too old to support third party networks.',
+                ),
             });
         });
 
@@ -187,12 +193,14 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 return;
             }
 
-            this.setState({ loading: false });
             console.error("Failed to get publicRooms: %s", JSON.stringify(err));
-            const ErrorDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ErrorDialog");
-            Modal.createTrackedDialog('Failed to get public room list', '', ErrorDialog, {
-                title: _t('Failed to get public room list'),
-                description: ((err && err.message) ? err.message : _t('The server may be unavailable or overloaded')),
+            track('Failed to get public room list');
+            this.setState({
+                loading: false,
+                error:
+                    `${_t('Riot failed to get the public room list.')} ` +
+                    `${(err && err.message) ? err.message : _t('The homeserver may be unavailable or overloaded.')}`
+                ,
             });
         });
     },
@@ -511,25 +519,15 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     },
 
     render: function() {
-        const SimpleRoomHeader = sdk.getComponent('rooms.SimpleRoomHeader');
         const Loader = sdk.getComponent("elements.Spinner");
         const BaseDialog = sdk.getComponent('views.dialogs.BaseDialog');
         const AccessibleButton = sdk.getComponent('elements.AccessibleButton');
 
-        // TODO: clean this up
-        if (this.state.protocolsLoading) {
-            return (
-                <div className="mx_RoomDirectory">
-                    <Loader />
-                </div>
-            );
-        }
-
         let content;
-        if (this.state.loading) {
-            content = <div className="mx_RoomDirectory">
-                <Loader />
-            </div>;
+        if (this.state.error) {
+            content = this.state.error;
+        } else if (this.state.protocolsLoading || this.state.loading) {
+            content = <Loader />;
         } else {
             const rows = this.getRows();
             // we still show the scrollpanel, at least for now, because
@@ -557,33 +555,48 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             </ScrollPanel>;
         }
 
-        const protocolName = protocolNameForInstanceId(this.protocols, this.state.instanceId);
-        let instance_expected_field_type;
-        if (
-            protocolName &&
-            this.protocols &&
-            this.protocols[protocolName] &&
-            this.protocols[protocolName].location_fields.length > 0 &&
-            this.protocols[protocolName].field_types
-        ) {
-            const last_field = this.protocols[protocolName].location_fields.slice(-1)[0];
-            instance_expected_field_type = this.protocols[protocolName].field_types[last_field];
-        }
+        let listHeader;
+        if (!this.state.protocolsLoading) {
+            const NetworkDropdown = sdk.getComponent('directory.NetworkDropdown');
+            const DirectorySearchBox = sdk.getComponent('elements.DirectorySearchBox');
 
+            const protocolName = protocolNameForInstanceId(this.protocols, this.state.instanceId);
+            let instance_expected_field_type;
+            if (
+                protocolName &&
+                this.protocols &&
+                this.protocols[protocolName] &&
+                this.protocols[protocolName].location_fields.length > 0 &&
+                this.protocols[protocolName].field_types
+            ) {
+                const last_field = this.protocols[protocolName].location_fields.slice(-1)[0];
+                instance_expected_field_type = this.protocols[protocolName].field_types[last_field];
+            }
 
-        let placeholder = _t('Search for a room');
-        if (!this.state.instanceId) {
-            placeholder = _t('Search for a room like #example') + ':' + this.state.roomServer;
-        } else if (instance_expected_field_type) {
-            placeholder = instance_expected_field_type.placeholder;
-        }
 
-        let showJoinButton = this._stringLooksLikeId(this.state.filterString, instance_expected_field_type);
-        if (protocolName) {
-            const instance = instanceForInstanceId(this.protocols, this.state.instanceId);
-            if (this._getFieldsForThirdPartyLocation(this.state.filterString, this.protocols[protocolName], instance) === null) {
-                showJoinButton = false;
+            let placeholder = _t('Search for a room');
+            if (!this.state.instanceId) {
+                placeholder = _t('Search for a room like #example') + ':' + this.state.roomServer;
+            } else if (instance_expected_field_type) {
+                placeholder = instance_expected_field_type.placeholder;
             }
+
+            let showJoinButton = this._stringLooksLikeId(this.state.filterString, instance_expected_field_type);
+            if (protocolName) {
+                const instance = instanceForInstanceId(this.protocols, this.state.instanceId);
+                if (this._getFieldsForThirdPartyLocation(this.state.filterString, this.protocols[protocolName], instance) === null) {
+                    showJoinButton = false;
+                }
+            }
+
+            listHeader = <div className="mx_RoomDirectory_listheader">
+                <DirectorySearchBox
+                    className="mx_RoomDirectory_searchbox"
+                    onChange={this.onFilterChange} onClear={this.onFilterClear} onJoinClick={this.onJoinClick}
+                    placeholder={placeholder} showJoinButton={showJoinButton}
+                />
+                <NetworkDropdown config={this.props.config} protocols={this.protocols} onOptionChange={this.onOptionChange} />
+            </div>;
         }
 
         const createRoomButton = (<AccessibleButton
@@ -591,8 +604,6 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             className="mx_RoomDirectory_createRoom"
         >{_t("Create new room")}</AccessibleButton>);
 
-        const NetworkDropdown = sdk.getComponent('directory.NetworkDropdown');
-        const DirectorySearchBox = sdk.getComponent('elements.DirectorySearchBox');
         return (
             <BaseDialog
                 className={'mx_RoomDirectory_dialog'}
@@ -603,14 +614,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             >
                 <div className="mx_RoomDirectory">
                     <div className="mx_RoomDirectory_list">
-                        <div className="mx_RoomDirectory_listheader">
-                            <DirectorySearchBox
-                                className="mx_RoomDirectory_searchbox"
-                                onChange={this.onFilterChange} onClear={this.onFilterClear} onJoinClick={this.onJoinClick}
-                                placeholder={placeholder} showJoinButton={showJoinButton}
-                            />
-                            <NetworkDropdown config={this.props.config} protocols={this.protocols} onOptionChange={this.onOptionChange} />
-                        </div>
+                        {listHeader}
                         {content}
                     </div>
                 </div>
diff --git a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
index e85537ba038..94d524d767c 100644
--- a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
+++ b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
@@ -1379,15 +1379,15 @@
     "Create a new community": "Create a new community",
     "Create a community to group together users and rooms! Build a custom homepage to mark out your space in the Matrix universe.": "Create a community to group together users and rooms! Build a custom homepage to mark out your space in the Matrix universe.",
     "You have no visible notifications": "You have no visible notifications",
-    "Failed to get protocol list from homeserver": "Failed to get protocol list from homeserver",
-    "The homeserver may be too old to support third party networks": "The homeserver may be too old to support third party networks",
-    "Failed to get public room list": "Failed to get public room list",
-    "The server may be unavailable or overloaded": "The server may be unavailable or overloaded",
+    "Riot failed to get the protocol list from the homeserver. The homeserver may be too old to support third party networks.": "Riot failed to get the protocol list from the homeserver. The homeserver may be too old to support third party networks.",
+    "Riot failed to get the public room list.": "Riot failed to get the public room list.",
+    "The homeserver may be unavailable or overloaded.": "The homeserver may be unavailable or overloaded.",
     "Delete the room alias %(alias)s and remove %(name)s from the directory?": "Delete the room alias %(alias)s and remove %(name)s from the directory?",
     "Remove %(name)s from the directory?": "Remove %(name)s from the directory?",
     "Remove from Directory": "Remove from Directory",
     "remove %(name)s from the directory.": "remove %(name)s from the directory.",
     "delete the alias.": "delete the alias.",
+    "The server may be unavailable or overloaded": "The server may be unavailable or overloaded",
     "Unable to join network": "Unable to join network",
     "Riot does not know how to join a room on this network": "Riot does not know how to join a room on this network",
     "Room not found": "Room not found",