diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/zephyr.js b/zephyr/static/js/zephyr.js
index f5c2eefb86..df671bece7 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/zephyr.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/zephyr.js
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ $(function() {
     var status_classes = 'alert-error alert-success alert-info';
     var send_status = $('#send-status');
     var buttons = $('#class-message, #personal-message').find('input[type="submit"]');
+
     var options = {
         beforeSubmit: function (form, _options) {
             send_status.removeClass(status_classes)
@@ -65,11 +66,16 @@ $(function() {
         error: function() {
             send_status.removeClass(status_classes)
                        .addClass('alert-error')
-                       .text('Error sending message')
+                       .html('Error sending message ')
+                       .append($('<span />')
+                           .addClass('send-status-close').html('&times;')
+                           .click(function () { send_status.stop(true).fadeOut(500); }))
                        .stop(true).fadeTo(0,1);
+
             buttons.removeAttr('disabled');
         }
     };
+
     send_status.hide();
     $("#class-message form").ajaxForm(options);
     $("#personal-message form").ajaxForm(options);
diff --git a/zephyr/static/styles/zephyr.css b/zephyr/static/styles/zephyr.css
index 24d8f1a32a..46f6109db8 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/styles/zephyr.css
+++ b/zephyr/static/styles/zephyr.css
@@ -61,3 +61,22 @@ form.zephyr textarea {
     padding: 8px 14px 8px 14px;
     line-height: 20px;
 }
+
+/* Like .alert .close */
+.send-status-close {
+    font-size:   17px;
+    font-weight: bold;
+    color:       black;
+    text-shadow: 0 1px 0 white;
+    opacity:     .2;
+    filter:      alpha(opacity=20);
+    margin-left: 5px;
+    position:    relative;
+    top:         1px;
+}
+
+.send-status-close:hover {
+    cursor:  pointer;
+    opacity: .4;
+    filter:  alpha(opacity=40);
+}