diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/InviteMemberList.js b/src/components/views/rooms/InviteMemberList.js
index 480066771b..8f8b22eaa7 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/InviteMemberList.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/InviteMemberList.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     propTypes: {
         roomId: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
         onInvite: React.PropTypes.func.isRequired, // fn(inputText)
+        onThirdPartyInvite: React.PropTypes.func.isRequired, // fn(inputText)
         onSearchQueryChanged: React.PropTypes.func // fn(inputText)
     },
 
@@ -49,10 +50,19 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         }
     },
 
+    componentDidMount: function() {
+        // initialise the email tile
+        this.onSearchQueryChanged('');
+    },
+
     onInvite: function(ev) {
         this.props.onInvite(this._input);
     },
 
+    onThirdPartyInvite: function(ev) {
+        this.props.onThirdPartyInvite(this._input);
+    },
+
     onSearchQueryChanged: function(input) {
         this._input = input;
         var EntityTile = sdk.getComponent("rooms.EntityTile");
@@ -68,9 +78,10 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
         this._emailEntity = new Entities.newEntity(
             <EntityTile key="dynamic_invite_tile" suppressOnHover={true} showInviteButton={true}
-            avatarJsx={ <BaseAvatar name="@" width={36} height={36} /> }
-            className="mx_EntityTile_invitePlaceholder"
-            presenceState="online" onClick={this.onInvite} name={label} />,
+                avatarJsx={ <BaseAvatar name="@" width={36} height={36} /> }
+                className="mx_EntityTile_invitePlaceholder"
+                presenceState="online" onClick={this.onThirdPartyInvite} name={"Invite by email"} 
+            />,
             function(query) {
                 return true; // always show this
             }
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/MemberInfo.js b/src/components/views/rooms/MemberInfo.js
index 889bc7bd8a..ba4a3734f5 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/MemberInfo.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/MemberInfo.js
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             action: 'leave_room',
             room_id: this.props.member.roomId,
         });
-        this.props.onFinished();        
+        this.props.onFinished();
     },
 
     getInitialState: function() {
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/MemberList.js b/src/components/views/rooms/MemberList.js
index a1769ad5f3..21c0827fcc 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/MemberList.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/MemberList.js
@@ -166,6 +166,21 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         });
     }, 500),
 
+    onThirdPartyInvite: function(inputText) {
+        var TextInputDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.TextInputDialog");
+        Modal.createDialog(TextInputDialog, {
+            title: "Invite members by email",
+            description: "Please enter the email addresses to be invited (comma separated)",
+            value: inputText,
+            button: "Invite",
+            onFinished: (should_invite, addresses)=>{
+                if (should_invite) {
+                    this.onInvite(addresses);
+                }
+            }
+        });
+    },
+
     onInvite: function(inputText) {
         var ErrorDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ErrorDialog");
         var NeedToRegisterDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.NeedToRegisterDialog");
@@ -514,6 +529,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             inviteMemberListSection = (
                 <InviteMemberList roomId={this.props.roomId}
                     onSearchQueryChanged={this.onSearchQueryChanged}
+                    onThirdPartyInvite={this.onThirdPartyInvite}
                     onInvite={this.onInvite} />
             );
         }
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/SearchableEntityList.js b/src/components/views/rooms/SearchableEntityList.js
index c09fc2faee..28e7b1785c 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/SearchableEntityList.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/SearchableEntityList.js
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ var SearchableEntityList = React.createClass({
     getInitialState: function() {
         return {
             query: "",
+            focused: false,
             truncateAt: this.props.truncateAt,
             results: this.getSearchResults("", this.props.entities)
         };
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ var SearchableEntityList = React.createClass({
 
     getSearchResults: function(query, entities) {
         if (!query || query.length === 0) {
-            return this.props.emptyQueryShowsAll ? entities : []
+            return this.props.emptyQueryShowsAll ? entities : [ entities[0] ]
         }
         return entities.filter(function(e) {
             return e.matches(query);
@@ -128,19 +129,21 @@ var SearchableEntityList = React.createClass({
 
     render: function() {
         var inputBox;
-
+        
         if (this.props.showInputBox) {
             inputBox = (
                 <form onSubmit={this.onQuerySubmit} autoComplete="off">
                     <input className="mx_SearchableEntityList_query" id="mx_SearchableEntityList_query" type="text"
                         onChange={this.onQueryChanged} value={this.state.query}
+                        onFocus={ ()=>{ this.setState({ focused: true }) } }
+                        onBlur={ ()=>{ this.setState({ focused: false }) } }
                         placeholder={this.props.searchPlaceholderText} />
                 </form>
             );
         }
 
         var list;
-        if (this.state.results.length) {
+        if (this.state.results.length > 1 || this.state.focused) {
             if (this.props.truncateAt) { // caller wants list truncated
                 var TruncatedList = sdk.getComponent("elements.TruncatedList");
                 list = (
@@ -172,10 +175,10 @@ var SearchableEntityList = React.createClass({
         }
 
         return (
-            <div className={ "mx_SearchableEntityList " + (this.state.query.length ? "mx_SearchableEntityList_expanded" : "") }>
+            <div className={ "mx_SearchableEntityList " + (list ? "mx_SearchableEntityList_expanded" : "") }>
                 { inputBox }
                 { list }
-                { this.state.query.length ? <div className="mx_SearchableEntityList_hrWrapper"><hr/></div> : '' }
+                { list ? <div className="mx_SearchableEntityList_hrWrapper"><hr/></div> : '' }
             </div>
         );
     }