diff --git a/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/java/org/fox/ttrss/widget/WidgetUpdateService.java b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/java/org/fox/ttrss/widget/WidgetUpdateService.java
index e45bd301..40f7d100 100644
--- a/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/java/org/fox/ttrss/widget/WidgetUpdateService.java
+++ b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/java/org/fox/ttrss/widget/WidgetUpdateService.java
@@ -1,14 +1,5 @@
 package org.fox.ttrss.widget;
 
-import java.util.HashMap;
-
-import org.fox.ttrss.ApiRequest;
-import org.fox.ttrss.R;
-import org.fox.ttrss.util.SimpleLoginManager;
-
-import com.google.gson.JsonElement;
-import com.google.gson.JsonObject;
-
 import android.app.Service;
 import android.appwidget.AppWidgetManager;
 import android.content.ComponentName;
@@ -17,9 +8,17 @@ import android.content.SharedPreferences;
 import android.os.IBinder;
 import android.preference.PreferenceManager;
 import android.util.Log;
-import android.view.View;
 import android.widget.RemoteViews;
 
+import com.google.gson.JsonElement;
+import com.google.gson.JsonObject;
+
+import org.fox.ttrss.ApiRequest;
+import org.fox.ttrss.R;
+import org.fox.ttrss.util.SimpleLoginManager;
+
+import java.util.HashMap;
+
 public class WidgetUpdateService extends Service {
 	private final String TAG = this.getClass().getSimpleName();
 
@@ -51,8 +50,7 @@ public class WidgetUpdateService extends Service {
     	final AppWidgetManager manager = AppWidgetManager.getInstance(this);
 
     	try {
-        	view.setTextViewText(R.id.counter, String.valueOf(""));
-        	view.setViewVisibility(R.id.progress, View.VISIBLE);
+        	view.setTextViewText(R.id.counter, String.valueOf("..."));
 
 	        manager.updateAppWidget(thisWidget, view);
 	        
@@ -80,7 +78,6 @@ public class WidgetUpdateService extends Service {
    										if (content != null) {
    											int unread = content.get("unread").getAsInt();
    											
-   											view.setViewVisibility(R.id.progress, View.GONE);
    											view.setTextViewText(R.id.counter, String.valueOf(unread));
    											manager.updateAppWidget(thisWidget, view);
    											
@@ -91,7 +88,6 @@ public class WidgetUpdateService extends Service {
 										}
 									}	   										
 								
-									view.setViewVisibility(R.id.progress, View.GONE);
 									view.setTextViewText(R.id.counter, "?");
 									manager.updateAppWidget(thisWidget, view);
 								}
@@ -112,7 +108,6 @@ public class WidgetUpdateService extends Service {
 					@Override
 					protected void onLoginFailed(int requestId, ApiRequest ar) {
 						
-						view.setViewVisibility(R.id.progress, View.GONE);
 	   			    	view.setTextViewText(R.id.counter, "?");
 	   			        manager.updateAppWidget(thisWidget, view);
 					}
@@ -132,7 +127,6 @@ public class WidgetUpdateService extends Service {
     	} catch (Exception e) {
     		e.printStackTrace();
     		
-	    	view.setViewVisibility(R.id.progress, View.GONE);
 	    	view.setTextViewText(R.id.counter, getString(R.string.app_name));
 	        manager.updateAppWidget(thisWidget, view);  					
 	
diff --git a/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable-hdpi/appwidget_bg_pressed.9.png b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable-hdpi/appwidget_bg_pressed.9.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..efacbcfa
Binary files /dev/null and b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable-hdpi/appwidget_bg_pressed.9.png differ
diff --git a/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable-hdpi/appwidget_dark_bg.9.png b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable-hdpi/appwidget_dark_bg.9.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..02ee4401
Binary files /dev/null and b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable-hdpi/appwidget_dark_bg.9.png differ
diff --git a/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable-hdpi/appwidget_dark_bg_focused.9.png b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable-hdpi/appwidget_dark_bg_focused.9.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ccc01774
Binary files /dev/null and b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable-hdpi/appwidget_dark_bg_focused.9.png differ
diff --git a/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable-xhdpi/appwidget_bg_pressed.9.png b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable-xhdpi/appwidget_bg_pressed.9.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..97a3ba09
Binary files /dev/null and b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable-xhdpi/appwidget_bg_pressed.9.png differ
diff --git a/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable-xhdpi/appwidget_dark_bg.9.png b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable-xhdpi/appwidget_dark_bg.9.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7ccb762b
Binary files /dev/null and b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable-xhdpi/appwidget_dark_bg.9.png differ
diff --git a/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable-xhdpi/appwidget_dark_bg_focused.9.png b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable-xhdpi/appwidget_dark_bg_focused.9.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..da9289e6
Binary files /dev/null and b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable-xhdpi/appwidget_dark_bg_focused.9.png differ
diff --git a/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable/appwidget_dark_bg_clickable.xml b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable/appwidget_dark_bg_clickable.xml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7cfc9d2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/drawable/appwidget_dark_bg_clickable.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+<!--
+  Copyright 2011 Google Inc.
+
+  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.
+  -->
+
+<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
+    <item android:drawable="@drawable/appwidget_bg_pressed" android:state_pressed="true" />
+    <item android:drawable="@drawable/appwidget_dark_bg_focused"
+        android:state_focused="true"
+        android:state_enabled="true"
+        android:state_window_focused="true" />
+    <item android:drawable="@drawable/appwidget_dark_bg" />
+</selector>
diff --git a/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/layout/widget_small.xml b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/layout/widget_small.xml
index ec377296..2ea0e9bd 100644
--- a/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/layout/widget_small.xml
+++ b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/layout/widget_small.xml
@@ -1,42 +1,34 @@
 <FrameLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
     android:id="@+id/widget_main"
-    android:layout_width="match_parent"
-    android:layout_height="fill_parent" >
+    android:padding="@dimen/widget_margin"
+    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
+    android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
 
     <LinearLayout
+        android:background="@drawable/appwidget_dark_bg_clickable"
         android:layout_width="match_parent"
         android:layout_height="match_parent"
+        android:minWidth="110dp"
+        android:padding="8dp"
         android:orientation="vertical" >
 
         <ImageView
-            android:id="@+id/imageView1"
             android:layout_width="wrap_content"
             android:layout_height="wrap_content"
             android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
-            android:paddingTop="2dp"
             android:src="@drawable/ic_launcher" />
 
         <TextView
             android:id="@+id/counter"
             android:layout_width="wrap_content"
             android:layout_height="wrap_content"
-            android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
-            android:gravity="center"
-            android:text="-1"
-            android:shadowColor="#cc000000"
-            android:shadowDx="0"
-            android:shadowDy="3"
-            android:shadowRadius="3"
+            android:layout_gravity="center"
+            android:gravity="center_horizontal"
+            android:text="123"
             android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceSmall"
-            android:textColor="@android:color/primary_text_dark" />
+            android:textColor="@android:color/primary_text_dark"
+            android:textSize="13sp" />
 
     </LinearLayout>
 
-    <ProgressBar
-        android:id="@+id/progress"
-        style="?android:attr/progressBarStyleLarge"
-        android:layout_width="match_parent"
-        android:layout_height="match_parent"
-        android:visibility="gone" />
-
-</FrameLayout>
\ No newline at end of file
+</FrameLayout>
diff --git a/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/values/dimens.xml b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/values/dimens.xml
index 47c82246..71882af8 100644
--- a/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/values/dimens.xml
+++ b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/values/dimens.xml
@@ -2,4 +2,5 @@
     <!-- Default screen margins, per the Android Design guidelines. -->
     <dimen name="activity_horizontal_margin">16dp</dimen>
     <dimen name="activity_vertical_margin">16dp</dimen>
+    <dimen name="widget_margin">0dp</dimen> <!-- we're v14+ anyway -->
 </resources>
diff --git a/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/xml/widget_small.xml b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/xml/widget_small.xml
index c41eb3d2..df80ac46 100644
--- a/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/xml/widget_small.xml
+++ b/org.fox.ttrss/src/main/res/xml/widget_small.xml
@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@
     android:minHeight="40dp"
     android:updatePeriodMillis="86400000"
     android:initialLayout="@layout/widget_small"
-    android:resizeMode="horizontal|vertical"
+    android:resizeMode="none"
     android:widgetCategory="home_screen">
 </appwidget-provider>
\ No newline at end of file