diff --git a/src/templates/app.html b/src/templates/app.html
index 6bbe54bc0..06fe76687 100644
--- a/src/templates/app.html
+++ b/src/templates/app.html
@@ -8,24 +8,25 @@
     <div id="top" style="text-align: center;">
       &nbsp;
       <span id="top-message"></span>
+      <span id="error-message"></span>
     </div>
 
-    <div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 1000px">
-      <div style="width: 200px; float: left;">
+    <div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 1100px">
+      <div style="width: 300px; height: 800px; float: left; overflow: scroll;">
         <button type="button" class="btn" onclick="createNewTopLevelNote()">Create new note</button>
 
         <div id="tree">
         </div>
       </div>
 
-      <div style="width: 750px; float: left; margin-left: 20px;">
+      <div style="width: 750px; float: left; margin-left: 30px;">
         <div style="float: right;">
           <form action="logout" method="POST">
             <input type="submit" class="btn btn-sm" value="Logout">
           </form>
         </div>
 
-        <div style="float: left;">
+        <div style="float: left; margin: 5px;">
           <input type="text" autocomplete="off" value="Welcome to Notecase web app!" id="noteTitle" style="font-size: x-large; border: 0; width: 100%;">
         </div>
 
diff --git a/static/js/html2notecase.js b/static/js/html2notecase.js
index f39bea486..03ba143b8 100644
--- a/static/js/html2notecase.js
+++ b/static/js/html2notecase.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ function html2notecase(contents, note) {
     contents = contents.replace(/<br>/g, '\n');
     contents = contents.replace(/<\/p>/g, '\n');
     contents = contents.replace(/<p>/g, '');
+    contents = contents.replace(/&nbsp;/g, ' ');
 
     let index = 0;
 
diff --git a/static/js/note.js b/static/js/note.js
index 8a37792d5..cfaae36ca 100644
--- a/static/js/note.js
+++ b/static/js/note.js
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ function noteChanged() {
         contentType: "application/json",
         success: function(result) {
             message("Saved!");
+        },
+        error: function(result) {
+            error("Error saving the note!");
         }
     });
 }
diff --git a/static/js/notecase2html.js b/static/js/notecase2html.js
index c3c569496..4eef20a38 100644
--- a/static/js/notecase2html.js
+++ b/static/js/notecase2html.js
@@ -44,5 +44,7 @@ function notecase2html(note) {
 
     noteText = noteText.replace(/(?:\r\n|\r|\n)/g, '<br />');
 
+    noteText = noteText.replace(/  /g, '&nbsp;&nbsp;');
+
     return noteText;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/static/js/tree.js b/static/js/tree.js
index ae2951333..beb401eb2 100644
--- a/static/js/tree.js
+++ b/static/js/tree.js
@@ -127,6 +127,10 @@ $(function(){
                                 }
                             });
                         }
+                    },
+                    "return": function(node) {
+                        // doesn't work :-/
+                        $('#noteDetail').summernote('focus');
                     }
                 }
             }
diff --git a/static/js/utils.js b/static/js/utils.js
index 53aa59a31..071437c85 100644
--- a/static/js/utils.js
+++ b/static/js/utils.js
@@ -2,4 +2,10 @@ function message(str) {
     $("#top-message").show();
     $("#top-message").html(str);
     $("#top-message").fadeOut(3000);
+}
+
+function error(str) {
+    $("#error-message").show();
+    $("#error-message").html(str);
+    $("#error-message").fadeOut(10000);
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/static/style.css b/static/style.css
index 8aab96ef6..969f3138e 100644
--- a/static/style.css
+++ b/static/style.css
@@ -9,4 +9,12 @@
     color: green;
     padding: 5px;
     border-radius: 10px;
+}
+
+#error-message {
+    display: none; /* initial state is hidden */
+    background-color: red;
+    color: white;
+    padding: 5px;
+    border-radius: 10px;
 }
\ No newline at end of file