diff --git a/src/com/android/contacts/ContactStatusUtil.java b/src/com/android/contacts/ContactStatusUtil.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4aa24b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/com/android/contacts/ContactStatusUtil.java
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2011 The Android Open Source Project
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package com.android.contacts;
+
+import android.content.Context;
+import android.content.res.Resources;
+import android.provider.ContactsContract.StatusUpdates;
+
+/**
+ * Provides static function to get default contact status message.
+ */
+public class ContactStatusUtil {
+
+    private static final String TAG = "ContactStatusUtil";
+
+    public static String getStatusString(Context context, int presence) {
+        Resources resources = context.getResources();
+        switch (presence) {
+            case StatusUpdates.AVAILABLE:
+                return resources.getString(R.string.status_available);
+            case StatusUpdates.IDLE:
+            case StatusUpdates.AWAY:
+                return resources.getString(R.string.status_away);
+            case StatusUpdates.DO_NOT_DISTURB:
+                return resources.getString(R.string.status_busy);
+            case StatusUpdates.OFFLINE:
+            case StatusUpdates.INVISIBLE:
+            default:
+                return null;
+        }
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/src/com/android/contacts/list/ContactListAdapter.java b/src/com/android/contacts/list/ContactListAdapter.java
index e51fd5c..7322fc6 100644
--- a/src/com/android/contacts/list/ContactListAdapter.java
+++ b/src/com/android/contacts/list/ContactListAdapter.java
@@ -45,12 +45,13 @@
         Contacts.STARRED,                       // 4
         Contacts.CONTACT_PRESENCE,              // 5
         Contacts.CONTACT_CHAT_CAPABILITY,       // 6
-        Contacts.PHOTO_ID,                      // 7
-        Contacts.PHOTO_THUMBNAIL_URI,           // 8
-        Contacts.LOOKUP_KEY,                    // 9
-        Contacts.PHONETIC_NAME,                 // 10
-        Contacts.HAS_PHONE_NUMBER,              // 11
-        Contacts.IS_USER_PROFILE,               // 12
+        Contacts.CONTACT_STATUS,                // 7
+        Contacts.PHOTO_ID,                      // 8
+        Contacts.PHOTO_THUMBNAIL_URI,           // 9
+        Contacts.LOOKUP_KEY,                    // 10
+        Contacts.PHONETIC_NAME,                 // 11
+        Contacts.HAS_PHONE_NUMBER,              // 12
+        Contacts.IS_USER_PROFILE,               // 13
     };
 
     protected static final String[] PROJECTION_DATA = new String[] {
@@ -61,11 +62,12 @@
         Data.STARRED,                           // 4
         Data.CONTACT_PRESENCE,                  // 5
         Data.CONTACT_CHAT_CAPABILITY,           // 6
-        Data.PHOTO_ID,                          // 7
-        Data.PHOTO_THUMBNAIL_URI,               // 8
-        Data.LOOKUP_KEY,                        // 9
-        Data.PHONETIC_NAME,                     // 10
-        Data.HAS_PHONE_NUMBER,                  // 11
+        Data.CONTACT_STATUS,                    // 7
+        Data.PHOTO_ID,                          // 8
+        Data.PHOTO_THUMBNAIL_URI,               // 9
+        Data.LOOKUP_KEY,                        // 10
+        Data.PHONETIC_NAME,                     // 11
+        Data.HAS_PHONE_NUMBER,                  // 12
     };
 
     protected static final String[] FILTER_PROJECTION = new String[] {
@@ -76,13 +78,14 @@
         Contacts.STARRED,                       // 4
         Contacts.CONTACT_PRESENCE,              // 5
         Contacts.CONTACT_CHAT_CAPABILITY,       // 6
-        Contacts.PHOTO_ID,                      // 7
-        Contacts.PHOTO_THUMBNAIL_URI,           // 8
-        Contacts.LOOKUP_KEY,                    // 9
-        Contacts.PHONETIC_NAME,                 // 10
-        Contacts.HAS_PHONE_NUMBER,              // 11
-        Contacts.IS_USER_PROFILE,               // 12
-        SearchSnippetColumns.SNIPPET,           // 13
+        Contacts.CONTACT_STATUS,                // 7
+        Contacts.PHOTO_ID,                      // 8
+        Contacts.PHOTO_THUMBNAIL_URI,           // 9
+        Contacts.LOOKUP_KEY,                    // 10
+        Contacts.PHONETIC_NAME,                 // 11
+        Contacts.HAS_PHONE_NUMBER,              // 12
+        Contacts.IS_USER_PROFILE,               // 13
+        SearchSnippetColumns.SNIPPET,           // 14
     };
 
     protected static final int CONTACT_ID_COLUMN_INDEX = 0;
@@ -92,13 +95,14 @@
     protected static final int CONTACT_STARRED_COLUMN_INDEX = 4;
     protected static final int CONTACT_PRESENCE_STATUS_COLUMN_INDEX = 5;
     protected static final int CONTACT_CHAT_CAPABILITY_COLUMN_INDEX = 6;
-    protected static final int CONTACT_PHOTO_ID_COLUMN_INDEX = 7;
-    protected static final int CONTACT_PHOTO_URI_COLUMN_INDEX = 8;
-    protected static final int CONTACT_LOOKUP_KEY_COLUMN_INDEX = 9;
-    protected static final int CONTACT_PHONETIC_NAME_COLUMN_INDEX = 10;
-    protected static final int CONTACT_HAS_PHONE_COLUMN_INDEX = 11;
-    protected static final int CONTACT_IS_USER_PROFILE = 12;
-    protected static final int CONTACT_SNIPPET_COLUMN_INDEX = 13;
+    protected static final int CONTACT_CONTACT_STATUS_COLUMN_INDEX = 7;
+    protected static final int CONTACT_PHOTO_ID_COLUMN_INDEX = 8;
+    protected static final int CONTACT_PHOTO_URI_COLUMN_INDEX = 9;
+    protected static final int CONTACT_LOOKUP_KEY_COLUMN_INDEX = 10;
+    protected static final int CONTACT_PHONETIC_NAME_COLUMN_INDEX = 11;
+    protected static final int CONTACT_HAS_PHONE_COLUMN_INDEX = 12;
+    protected static final int CONTACT_IS_USER_PROFILE = 13;
+    protected static final int CONTACT_SNIPPET_COLUMN_INDEX = 14;
 
     private CharSequence mUnknownNameText;
     private int mDisplayNameColumnIndex;
@@ -304,9 +308,9 @@
         view.showPhoneticName(cursor, CONTACT_PHONETIC_NAME_COLUMN_INDEX);
     }
 
-    protected void bindPresence(final ContactListItemView view, Cursor cursor) {
-        view.showPresence(cursor, CONTACT_PRESENCE_STATUS_COLUMN_INDEX,
-                CONTACT_CHAT_CAPABILITY_COLUMN_INDEX);
+    protected void bindPresenceAndStatusMessage(final ContactListItemView view, Cursor cursor) {
+        view.showPresenceAndStatusMessage(cursor, CONTACT_PRESENCE_STATUS_COLUMN_INDEX,
+                CONTACT_CHAT_CAPABILITY_COLUMN_INDEX, CONTACT_CONTACT_STATUS_COLUMN_INDEX);
     }
 
     protected void bindSearchSnippet(final ContactListItemView view, Cursor cursor) {
diff --git a/src/com/android/contacts/list/ContactListItemView.java b/src/com/android/contacts/list/ContactListItemView.java
index 4fb6f1d..d69f880 100644
--- a/src/com/android/contacts/list/ContactListItemView.java
+++ b/src/com/android/contacts/list/ContactListItemView.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package com.android.contacts.list;
 
 import com.android.contacts.ContactPresenceIconUtil;
+import com.android.contacts.ContactStatusUtil;
 import com.android.contacts.R;
 import com.android.contacts.format.DisplayNameFormatter;
 import com.android.contacts.format.PrefixHighlighter;
@@ -916,7 +917,7 @@
             mStatusView.setSingleLine(true);
             mStatusView.setEllipsize(getTextEllipsis());
             mStatusView.setTextAppearance(mContext, android.R.style.TextAppearance_Small);
-            mStatusView.setText("Put Status here");   // Temporary
+            mStatusView.setTextColor(Color.GRAY);
             addView(mStatusView);
         }
         return mStatusView;
@@ -996,20 +997,33 @@
     }
 
     /**
-     * Sets the proper icon (star or presence or nothing)
+     * Sets the proper icon (star or presence or nothing) and/or status message.
      */
-    public void showPresence(Cursor cursor, int presenceColumnIndex, int capabilityColumnIndex) {
+    public void showPresenceAndStatusMessage(Cursor cursor, int presenceColumnIndex,
+            int capabilityColumnIndex, int contactStatusColumnIndex) {
         Drawable icon = null;
+        int presence = 0;
+        int chatCapability = 0;
         if (!cursor.isNull(presenceColumnIndex)) {
-            int status = cursor.getInt(presenceColumnIndex);
-            int chatCapability = 0;
+            presence = cursor.getInt(presenceColumnIndex);
             if (capabilityColumnIndex != 0 && !cursor.isNull(presenceColumnIndex)) {
                 chatCapability = cursor.getInt(capabilityColumnIndex);
             }
             icon = ContactPresenceIconUtil.getChatCapabilityIcon(
-                    getContext(), status, chatCapability);
+                    getContext(), presence, chatCapability);
         }
         setPresence(icon);
+
+        String statusMessage = null;
+        if (contactStatusColumnIndex != 0 && !cursor.isNull(contactStatusColumnIndex)) {
+            statusMessage = cursor.getString(contactStatusColumnIndex);
+        }
+        // If there is no status message from the contact, but there was a presence value, then use
+        // the default status message string
+        if (statusMessage == null && presence != 0) {
+            statusMessage = ContactStatusUtil.getStatusString(getContext(), presence);
+        }
+        setStatus(statusMessage);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/com/android/contacts/list/ContactTileView.java b/src/com/android/contacts/list/ContactTileView.java
index 715c331..6374c23 100644
--- a/src/com/android/contacts/list/ContactTileView.java
+++ b/src/com/android/contacts/list/ContactTileView.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 package com.android.contacts.list;
 
 import com.android.contacts.ContactPhotoManager;
+import com.android.contacts.ContactStatusUtil;
 import com.android.contacts.R;
 import com.android.contacts.list.ContactTileAdapter.ContactEntry;
 
@@ -90,7 +91,8 @@
                     statusText = null;
                 } else {
                     statusText =
-                          (entry.status == null ? getStatusString(entry.presence) : entry.status);
+                          (entry.status != null ? entry.status :
+                          ContactStatusUtil.getStatusString(mContext, entry.presence));
                 }
                 mStatus.setText(statusText);
             }
@@ -119,23 +121,6 @@
         }
     }
 
-    private String getStatusString(int presence) {
-        Resources resources = getResources();
-        switch (presence) {
-            case StatusUpdates.AVAILABLE:
-                return resources.getString(R.string.status_available);
-            case StatusUpdates.IDLE:
-            case StatusUpdates.AWAY:
-                return resources.getString(R.string.status_away);
-            case StatusUpdates.DO_NOT_DISTURB:
-                return resources.getString(R.string.status_busy);
-            case StatusUpdates.OFFLINE:
-            case StatusUpdates.INVISIBLE:
-            default:
-                return null;
-        }
-    }
-
     public Uri getLookupUri() {
         return mLookupUri;
     }
diff --git a/src/com/android/contacts/list/DefaultContactListAdapter.java b/src/com/android/contacts/list/DefaultContactListAdapter.java
index c93b544..8b93888 100644
--- a/src/com/android/contacts/list/DefaultContactListAdapter.java
+++ b/src/com/android/contacts/list/DefaultContactListAdapter.java
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@
         }
 
         bindName(view, cursor);
-        bindPresence(view, cursor);
+        bindPresenceAndStatusMessage(view, cursor);
 
         if (isSearchMode()) {
             bindSearchSnippet(view, cursor);
diff --git a/src/com/android/contacts/list/LegacyContactListAdapter.java b/src/com/android/contacts/list/LegacyContactListAdapter.java
index ffc8fc3..b3ab2af 100644
--- a/src/com/android/contacts/list/LegacyContactListAdapter.java
+++ b/src/com/android/contacts/list/LegacyContactListAdapter.java
@@ -91,6 +91,6 @@
     }
 
     protected void bindPresence(final ContactListItemView view, Cursor cursor) {
-        view.showPresence(cursor, PERSON_PRESENCE_STATUS_COLUMN_INDEX, 0);
+        view.showPresenceAndStatusMessage(cursor, PERSON_PRESENCE_STATUS_COLUMN_INDEX, 0, 0);
     }
 }