diff --git a/include/zot.php b/include/zot.php
index d5789438c..1f121802a 100644
--- a/include/zot.php
+++ b/include/zot.php
@@ -1428,8 +1428,13 @@ function process_delivery($sender,$arr,$deliveries,$relay,$public = false,$reque
 			continue;
 		}
 
+
 		$channel = $r[0];
 
+		// allow public postings to the sys channel regardless of permissions
+		if(($channel['channel_pageflags'] & PAGE_SYSTEM) && (! $arr['item_private']))
+			$public = true;
+
 		$tag_delivery = tgroup_check($channel['channel_id'],$arr);
 
 		$perm = (($arr['mid'] == $arr['parent_mid']) ? 'send_stream' : 'post_comments');
diff --git a/view/tpl/conv_list.tpl b/view/tpl/conv_list.tpl
index 444734f48..aec1a78ab 100755
--- a/view/tpl/conv_list.tpl
+++ b/view/tpl/conv_list.tpl
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@
 						</ul>
 					</div>
 					<div id="like-rotator-{{$item.id}}" class="like-rotator"></div>
-					<div class="wall-item-tools-left btn-group">
+					<div class="wall-item-tools-left{{if $item.unseen_comments || $item.like_count || $item.dislike_count}} btn-group{{/if}}">
 
 
 				<div class="wall-item-list-comments btn-group"><button class="btn btn-default btn-sm" onclick="window.location.href='{{$item.llink}}'; return false;">{{$item.comment_count_txt}}{{if $item.unseen_comments}}