diff --git a/chat.c b/chat.c
index 1bfd94f..a90bb2a 100644
--- a/chat.c
+++ b/chat.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
+#include <time.h>
 
 #include "../../core/Messenger.h"
 #include "../../core/network.h"
@@ -26,11 +27,15 @@ typedef struct {
 
 extern void fix_name(uint8_t* name);
 
-
 static void chat_onMessage(ToxWindow* self, int num, uint8_t* msg, uint16_t len) {
   ChatContext* ctx = (ChatContext*) self->x;
   uint8_t nick[MAX_NAME_LENGTH] = {0};
 
+  time_t now;
+  time(&now);
+  struct tm * timeinfo;
+  timeinfo = localtime(&now);
+
   if(ctx->friendnum != num)
     return;
 
@@ -42,10 +47,11 @@ static void chat_onMessage(ToxWindow* self, int num, uint8_t* msg, uint16_t len)
   fix_name(msg);
   fix_name(nick);
 
+  wattron(ctx->history, COLOR_PAIR(2));
+  wprintw(ctx->history, "%02d:%02d:%02d  ", timeinfo->tm_hour, timeinfo->tm_min, timeinfo->tm_sec);
   wattron(ctx->history, COLOR_PAIR(4));
   wprintw(ctx->history, "%s: ", nick);
   wattroff(ctx->history, COLOR_PAIR(4));
-
   wprintw(ctx->history, "%s\n", msg);
 
   self->blink = true;
@@ -71,9 +77,26 @@ static void chat_onStatusChange(ToxWindow* self, int num, uint8_t* status, uint1
 
 }
 
+/* check that the string has one non-space character */
+int string_is_empty(char *string)
+{
+  int rc = 0;
+  char *copy = strdup(string);
+
+  rc = ((strtok(copy, " ") == NULL) ? 1:0);
+  free(copy);
+
+  return rc;
+}
+
 static void chat_onKey(ToxWindow* self, int key) {
   ChatContext* ctx = (ChatContext*) self->x;
 
+  time_t now;
+  time(&now);
+  struct tm * timeinfo;
+  timeinfo = localtime(&now);
+
   if(isprint(key)) {
 
     if(ctx->pos != sizeof(ctx->line)-1) {
@@ -81,28 +104,34 @@ static void chat_onKey(ToxWindow* self, int key) {
       ctx->line[ctx->pos] = '\0';
     }
   }
+
   else if(key == '\n') {
-    wattron(ctx->history, COLOR_PAIR(1));
-    wprintw(ctx->history, "you: ", ctx->line);
-    wattroff(ctx->history, COLOR_PAIR(1));
+    if(!string_is_empty(ctx->line)) {
+      /* make sure the string has at least non-space character */
+      wattron(ctx->history, COLOR_PAIR(2));
+      wprintw(ctx->history, "%02d:%02d:%02d  ", timeinfo->tm_hour, timeinfo->tm_min, timeinfo->tm_sec);
+      wattron(ctx->history, COLOR_PAIR(1));
+      wprintw(ctx->history, "you: ", ctx->line);
+      wattroff(ctx->history, COLOR_PAIR(1));
+      wprintw(ctx->history, "%s\n", ctx->line);
 
-    wprintw(ctx->history, "%s\n", ctx->line);
+      if(m_sendmessage(ctx->friendnum, (uint8_t*) ctx->line, strlen(ctx->line)+1) < 0) {
+        wattron(ctx->history, COLOR_PAIR(3));
+        wprintw(ctx->history, " * Failed to send message.\n");
+        wattroff(ctx->history, COLOR_PAIR(3));
+      }
 
-    if(m_sendmessage(ctx->friendnum, (uint8_t*) ctx->line, strlen(ctx->line)+1) < 0) {
-      wattron(ctx->history, COLOR_PAIR(3));
-      wprintw(ctx->history, " * Failed to send message.\n");
-      wattroff(ctx->history, COLOR_PAIR(3));
+      ctx->line[0] = '\0';
+      ctx->pos = 0;
     }
-
-    ctx->line[0] = '\0';
-    ctx->pos = 0;
   }
+
   else if(key == 0x107 || key == 0x8 || key == 0x7f) {
     if(ctx->pos != 0) {
       ctx->line[--ctx->pos] = '\0';
     }
   }
-  
+
 }
 
 static void chat_onDraw(ToxWindow* self) {
@@ -150,7 +179,7 @@ ToxWindow new_chat(int friendnum) {
   uint8_t nick[MAX_NAME_LENGTH] = {0};
   getname(friendnum, (uint8_t*) &nick);
   fix_name(nick);
-  
+
   snprintf(ret.title, sizeof(ret.title), "[%s (%d)]", nick, friendnum);
 
   ChatContext* x = calloc(1, sizeof(ChatContext));
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 391b0b3..3b45a89 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -170,12 +170,12 @@ static void do_tox() {
   doMessenger();
 }
 
-static void load_data() {
+static void load_data(char *path) {
   FILE* fd;
   size_t len;
   uint8_t* buf;
 
-  if((fd = fopen("data", "r")) != NULL) {
+  if((fd = fopen(path, "r")) != NULL) {
     fseek(fd, 0, SEEK_END);
     len = ftell(fd);
     fseek(fd, 0, SEEK_SET);
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ static void load_data() {
 
     Messenger_save(buf);
 
-    fd = fopen("data", "w");
+    fd = fopen(path, "w");
     if(fd == NULL) {
       fprintf(stderr, "fopen() failed.\n");
 
@@ -282,13 +282,36 @@ void prepare_window(WINDOW* w) {
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
   int ch;
+  int i = 0;
+  int f_flag = 0;
+  char *filename = "data";
   ToxWindow* a;
 
+    for(i = 0; i < argc; i++) {
+        if(argv[i][0] == '-') {
+            if(argv[i][1] == 'f') {
+                if(argv[i + 1] != NULL)
+                    filename = argv[i + 1];
+                else {
+                    f_flag = -1;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
   init_term();
   init_tox();
-  load_data();
+  load_data(filename);
   init_windows();
 
+  if(f_flag == -1) {
+    attron(COLOR_PAIR(3) | A_BOLD);
+    wprintw(prompt->window, "You passed '-f' without giving an argument!\n"
+                            "defaulting to 'data' for a keyfile...\n");
+    attroff(COLOR_PAIR(3) | A_BOLD);
+  }
+    
+
   while(true) {
     // Update tox.
     do_tox();