diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/NodeInfo.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/NodeInfo.kt
index 55ea51f75..e7e03b658 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/NodeInfo.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/NodeInfo.kt
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package com.geeksville.mesh
 
 import android.os.Parcel
 import android.os.Parcelable
+import com.geeksville.mesh.ui.bearing
+import com.geeksville.mesh.ui.latLongToMeter
 
 
 // model objects that directly map to the corresponding protobufs
@@ -44,6 +46,12 @@ data class Position(val latitude: Double, val longitude: Double, val altitude: I
     ) {
     }
 
+    /// @return distance in meters to some other node (or null if unknown)
+    fun distance(o: Position) = latLongToMeter(latitude, longitude, o.latitude, o.longitude)
+
+    /// @return bearing to the other position in degrees
+    fun bearing(o: Position) = bearing(latitude, longitude, o.latitude, o.longitude)
+
     override fun writeToParcel(parcel: Parcel, flags: Int) {
         parcel.writeDouble(latitude)
         parcel.writeDouble(longitude)
@@ -80,6 +88,24 @@ data class NodeInfo(
     ) {
     }
 
+    /// @return distance in meters to some other node (or null if unknown)
+    fun distance(o: NodeInfo?): Double? {
+        val p = position
+        val op = o?.position
+        return if (p != null && op != null)
+            p.distance(op)
+        else
+            null
+    }
+
+    /// @return a nice human readable string for the distance, or null for unknown
+    fun distanceStr(o: NodeInfo?) = distance(o)?.let { dist ->
+        if (dist < 1000)
+            "%.0f m".format(dist)
+        else
+            "%.1f km".format(dist / 1000)
+    }
+
     override fun writeToParcel(parcel: Parcel, flags: Int) {
         parcel.writeInt(num)
         parcel.writeParcelable(user, flags)
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/LocationUtils.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/LocationUtils.kt
index fbb29944e..10df4cacc 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/LocationUtils.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/LocationUtils.kt
@@ -96,7 +96,10 @@ fun addDistance(
     return doubleArrayOf(lat + dLat, longitude + dLong)
 }
 
-fun LatLongToMeter(
+/**
+ * @return distance in meters along the surface of the earth (ish)
+ */
+fun latLongToMeter(
     lat_a: Double,
     lng_a: Double,
     lat_b: Double,
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/Messages.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/Messages.kt
index c6a079ae5..5e885f207 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/Messages.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/Messages.kt
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ val TimestampEmphasis = object : Emphasis {
 @Composable
 fun MessageCard(msg: TextMessage, modifier: Modifier = Modifier.None) {
     Row(modifier = modifier) {
-        UserIcon(null)
+        UserIcon(NodeDB.nodes.value[msg.from])
 
         Column(modifier = LayoutPadding(left = 12.dp)) {
             Row {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/UserIcon.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/UserIcon.kt
index 8016b84fd..e40622ce3 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/UserIcon.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/UserIcon.kt
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import androidx.ui.material.MaterialTheme
 import androidx.ui.tooling.preview.Preview
 import com.geeksville.mesh.NodeInfo
 import com.geeksville.mesh.R
+import com.geeksville.mesh.model.NodeDB
 
 /**
  * Show the user icon for a particular user with distance from the operator and a small pointer
@@ -22,7 +23,10 @@ fun UserIcon(user: NodeInfo? = null, modifier: Modifier = Modifier.None) {
             tint = palette.onSecondary,
             modifier = LayoutGravity.Center
         )
-        Text("1.2 km", modifier = LayoutGravity.Center)
+        val ourNodeInfo = NodeDB.ourNodeInfo
+        val distance = ourNodeInfo.distanceStr(user)
+        if (distance != null)
+            Text(distance, modifier = LayoutGravity.Center)
     }
 }
 
@@ -31,6 +35,6 @@ fun UserIcon(user: NodeInfo? = null, modifier: Modifier = Modifier.None) {
 fun previewUserIcon() {
     // another bug? It seems modaldrawerlayout not yet supported in preview
     MaterialTheme(colors = palette) {
-        UserIcon()
+        UserIcon(NodeDB.testNodes[1])
     }
 }