diff --git a/src/com/android/contacts/ContactSaveService.java b/src/com/android/contacts/ContactSaveService.java
index fb549d2..f475609 100644
--- a/src/com/android/contacts/ContactSaveService.java
+++ b/src/com/android/contacts/ContactSaveService.java
@@ -35,13 +35,12 @@
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.Intent;
 import android.content.OperationApplicationException;
-import android.content.res.AssetFileDescriptor;
 import android.database.Cursor;
 import android.net.Uri;
+import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.os.Handler;
 import android.os.Looper;
 import android.os.Parcelable;
-import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.os.RemoteException;
 import android.provider.ContactsContract;
 import android.provider.ContactsContract.AggregationExceptions;
@@ -55,15 +54,14 @@
 import android.util.Log;
 import android.widget.Toast;
 
-import java.lang.Long;
-import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.HashSet;
-import java.util.List;
-import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList;
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.FileInputStream;
 import java.io.FileOutputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.HashSet;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList;
 
 /**
  * A service responsible for saving changes to the content provider.
diff --git a/src/com/android/contacts/activities/ContactDetailActivity.java b/src/com/android/contacts/activities/ContactDetailActivity.java
index 601e9fb..dd3b03b 100644
--- a/src/com/android/contacts/activities/ContactDetailActivity.java
+++ b/src/com/android/contacts/activities/ContactDetailActivity.java
@@ -45,11 +45,8 @@
 import android.view.MenuItem;
 import android.view.MenuItem.OnMenuItemClickListener;
 import android.view.View;
-import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
-import android.view.ViewGroup;
 import android.view.accessibility.AccessibilityEvent;
 import android.view.accessibility.AccessibilityManager;
-import android.widget.CheckBox;
 import android.widget.Toast;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
@@ -151,27 +148,37 @@
 
     @Override
     public boolean onPrepareOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
-        MenuItem starredMenuItem = menu.findItem(R.id.menu_star);
-        ViewGroup starredContainer = (ViewGroup) getLayoutInflater().inflate(
-                R.layout.favorites_star, null, false);
-        final CheckBox starredView = (CheckBox) starredContainer.findViewById(R.id.star);
-        starredView.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {
+        final MenuItem starredMenuItem = menu.findItem(R.id.menu_star);
+        starredMenuItem.setOnMenuItemClickListener(new OnMenuItemClickListener() {
             @Override
-            public void onClick(View v) {
+            public boolean onMenuItemClick(MenuItem item) {
                 // Toggle "starred" state
                 // Make sure there is a contact
                 if (mLookupUri != null) {
+                    // Read the current starred value from the UI instead of using the last
+                    // loaded state. This allows rapid tapping without writing the same
+                    // value several times
+                    final boolean isStarred = starredMenuItem.isChecked();
+
+                    // To improve responsiveness, swap out the picture (and tag) in the UI already
+                    ContactDetailDisplayUtils.configureStarredMenuItem(starredMenuItem,
+                            mContactData.isDirectoryEntry(), mContactData.isUserProfile(),
+                            !isStarred);
+
+                    // Now perform the real save
                     Intent intent = ContactSaveService.createSetStarredIntent(
-                            ContactDetailActivity.this, mLookupUri, starredView.isChecked());
+                            ContactDetailActivity.this, mLookupUri, !isStarred);
                     ContactDetailActivity.this.startService(intent);
                 }
+                return true;
             }
         });
         // If there is contact data, update the starred state
         if (mContactData != null) {
-            ContactDetailDisplayUtils.setStarred(mContactData, starredView);
+            ContactDetailDisplayUtils.configureStarredMenuItem(starredMenuItem,
+                    mContactData.isDirectoryEntry(), mContactData.isUserProfile(),
+                    mContactData.getStarred());
         }
-        starredMenuItem.setActionView(starredContainer);
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/com/android/contacts/detail/ContactDetailDisplayUtils.java b/src/com/android/contacts/detail/ContactDetailDisplayUtils.java
index 912d7fb..08e8bfe 100644
--- a/src/com/android/contacts/detail/ContactDetailDisplayUtils.java
+++ b/src/com/android/contacts/detail/ContactDetailDisplayUtils.java
@@ -54,12 +54,12 @@
 import android.text.TextUtils;
 import android.util.Log;
 import android.view.LayoutInflater;
+import android.view.MenuItem;
 import android.view.View;
 import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
 import android.view.ViewGroup;
 import android.view.animation.AccelerateInterpolator;
 import android.view.animation.AlphaAnimation;
-import android.widget.CheckBox;
 import android.widget.ImageView;
 import android.widget.LinearLayout;
 import android.widget.ListView;
@@ -283,17 +283,43 @@
     /**
      * Sets the starred state of this contact.
      */
-    public static void setStarred(Result contactData, CheckBox starredView) {
+    public static void configureStarredImageView(ImageView starredView, boolean isDirectoryEntry,
+            boolean isUserProfile, boolean isStarred) {
         // Check if the starred state should be visible
-        if (!contactData.isDirectoryEntry() && !contactData.isUserProfile()) {
+        if (!isDirectoryEntry && !isUserProfile) {
             starredView.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
-            starredView.setChecked(contactData.getStarred());
+            final int resId = isStarred
+                    ? R.drawable.btn_star_on_normal_holo_light
+                    : R.drawable.btn_star_off_normal_holo_light;
+            starredView.setImageResource(resId);
+            starredView.setTag(isStarred);
+            starredView.setContentDescription(starredView.getResources().getString(
+                    isStarred ? R.string.menu_removeStar : R.string.menu_addStar));
         } else {
             starredView.setVisibility(View.GONE);
         }
     }
 
     /**
+     * Sets the starred state of this contact.
+     */
+    public static void configureStarredMenuItem(MenuItem starredMenuItem, boolean isDirectoryEntry,
+            boolean isUserProfile, boolean isStarred) {
+        // Check if the starred state should be visible
+        if (!isDirectoryEntry && !isUserProfile) {
+            starredMenuItem.setVisible(true);
+            final int resId = isStarred
+                    ? R.drawable.btn_star_on_normal_holo_dark
+                    : R.drawable.btn_star_off_normal_holo_dark;
+            starredMenuItem.setIcon(resId);
+            starredMenuItem.setChecked(isStarred);
+            starredMenuItem.setTitle(isStarred ? R.string.menu_removeStar : R.string.menu_addStar);
+        } else {
+            starredMenuItem.setVisible(false);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
      * Set the social snippet text. If there isn't one, then set the view to gone.
      */
     public static void setSocialSnippet(Context context, Result contactData, TextView statusView,
diff --git a/src/com/android/contacts/detail/ContactDetailFragment.java b/src/com/android/contacts/detail/ContactDetailFragment.java
index 7c79a4c..b0050c0 100644
--- a/src/com/android/contacts/detail/ContactDetailFragment.java
+++ b/src/com/android/contacts/detail/ContactDetailFragment.java
@@ -1356,7 +1356,7 @@
         public final TextView companyView;
         public final ImageView photoView;
         public final View photoOverlayView;
-        public final CheckBox starredView;
+        public final ImageView starredView;
         public final int layoutResourceId;
 
         public HeaderViewCache(View view, int layoutResourceInflated) {
@@ -1364,7 +1364,7 @@
             companyView = (TextView) view.findViewById(R.id.company);
             photoView = (ImageView) view.findViewById(R.id.photo);
             photoOverlayView = view.findViewById(R.id.photo_touch_intercept_overlay);
-            starredView = (CheckBox) view.findViewById(R.id.star);
+            starredView = (ImageView) view.findViewById(R.id.star);
             layoutResourceId = layoutResourceInflated;
         }
 
@@ -1505,9 +1505,11 @@
             }
 
             // Set the starred state if it should be displayed
-            final CheckBox favoritesStar = viewCache.starredView;
+            final ImageView favoritesStar = viewCache.starredView;
             if (favoritesStar != null) {
-                ContactDetailDisplayUtils.setStarred(mContactData, favoritesStar);
+                ContactDetailDisplayUtils.configureStarredImageView(favoritesStar,
+                        mContactData.isDirectoryEntry(), mContactData.isUserProfile(),
+                        mContactData.getStarred());
                 final Uri lookupUri = mContactData.getLookupUri();
                 favoritesStar.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {
                     @Override
@@ -1515,8 +1517,22 @@
                         // Toggle "starred" state
                         // Make sure there is a contact
                         if (lookupUri != null) {
+                            // Read the current starred value from the UI instead of using the last
+                            // loaded state. This allows rapid tapping without writing the same
+                            // value several times
+                            final Object tag = favoritesStar.getTag();
+                            final boolean isStarred = tag == null
+                                    ? false : (Boolean) favoritesStar.getTag();
+
+                            // To improve responsiveness, swap out the picture (and tag) in the UI
+                            // already
+                            ContactDetailDisplayUtils.configureStarredImageView(favoritesStar,
+                                    mContactData.isDirectoryEntry(), mContactData.isUserProfile(),
+                                    !isStarred);
+
+                            // Now perform the real save
                             Intent intent = ContactSaveService.createSetStarredIntent(
-                                    getContext(), lookupUri, favoritesStar.isChecked());
+                                    getContext(), lookupUri, !isStarred);
                             getContext().startService(intent);
                         }
                     }