diff --git a/css/base.css b/css/base.css
index c3841465..c7a9d0d8 100644
--- a/css/base.css
+++ b/css/base.css
@@ -2976,19 +2976,9 @@ ul.tabbar li.active > a {
 }
 
 /*
- Drag-and-drop container.
+ Drag-and-drop area.
  */
-.drag-and-drop {
-  display: flex;
-  flex-direction: column;
-  position: absolute;
-  top: 0;
-  left: 0;
-  right: 0;
-  bottom: 0;
-}
-
-.drag-and-drop .banner {
+.drag-n-drop {
   display: flex;
   border: dashed grey 0.15rem;
   border-radius: 1rem;
diff --git a/src/views/messages-view.jsx b/src/views/messages-view.jsx
index cae5f38b..d1446c6e 100644
--- a/src/views/messages-view.jsx
+++ b/src/views/messages-view.jsx
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import CallPanel from '../widgets/call-panel.jsx';
 import ChatMessage from '../widgets/chat-message.jsx';
 import ContactBadges from '../widgets/contact-badges.jsx';
 import DocPreview from '../widgets/doc-preview.jsx';
-import DragAndDrop from '../widgets/drag-and-drop.jsx'
 import ErrorPanel from '../widgets/error-panel.jsx';
 import GroupSubs from '../widgets/group-subs.jsx';
 import ImagePreview from '../widgets/image-preview.jsx';
@@ -117,6 +116,7 @@ class MessagesView extends React.Component {
     this.sendKeyPress = this.sendKeyPress.bind(this);
     this.subscribe = this.subscribe.bind(this);
     this.handleScrollReference = this.handleScrollReference.bind(this);
+    this.mountDnDEvents = this.mountDnDEvents.bind(this);
     this.handleScrollEvent = this.handleScrollEvent.bind(this);
     this.handleDescChange = this.handleDescChange.bind(this);
     this.handleSubsUpdated = this.handleSubsUpdated.bind(this);
@@ -144,9 +144,22 @@ class MessagesView extends React.Component {
     this.handleQuoteClick = this.handleQuoteClick.bind(this);
     this.handleCallHangup = this.handleCallHangup.bind(this);
 
+    this.isDragEnabled = this.isDragEnabled.bind(this);
+    this.handleDragIn = this.handleDragIn.bind(this);
+    this.handleDragOut = this.handleDragOut.bind(this);
+    this.handleDrag = this.handleDrag.bind(this);
+    this.handleDrop = this.handleDrop.bind(this);
+
     this.chatMessageRefs = {};
     this.getOrCreateMessageRef = this.getOrCreateMessageRef.bind(this);
 
+    // Keeps track of the drag event.
+    // Need a counter b/c the browser's 'drag' events may fire multiple times
+    // when the user takes the mouse pointer over the container:
+    // for the component itself and for all nested/child elements.
+    this.dragCounter = 0;
+    this.dndRef = null;
+
     this.readNotificationQueue = [];
     this.readNotificationTimer = null;
 
@@ -166,6 +179,14 @@ class MessagesView extends React.Component {
     if (this.messagesScroller) {
       this.messagesScroller.addEventListener('scroll', this.handleScrollEvent);
     }
+
+    // Drag and drop events
+    if (this.dndRef) {
+      this.dndRef.addEventListener('dragenter', this.handleDragIn);
+      this.dndRef.addEventListener('dragleave', this.handleDragOut);
+      this.dndRef.addEventListener('dragover', this.handleDrag);
+      this.dndRef.addEventListener('drop', this.handleDrop);
+    }
   }
 
   componentWillUnmount() {
@@ -175,6 +196,14 @@ class MessagesView extends React.Component {
 
     // Flush all notifications.
     this.clearNotificationQueue();
+
+    // Drag and drop events
+    if (this.dndRef) {
+      this.dndRef.removeEventListener('dragenter', this.handleDragIn);
+      this.dndRef.removeEventListener('dragleave', this.handleDragOut);
+      this.dndRef.removeEventListener('dragover', this.handleDrag);
+      this.dndRef.removeEventListener('drop', this.handleDrop);
+    }
   }
 
   // Scroll last message into view on component update e.g. on message received
@@ -505,6 +534,17 @@ class MessagesView extends React.Component {
     }
   }
 
+  /* Mound draf and drop events */
+  mountDnDEvents(dnd) {
+    if (dnd) {
+      dnd.addEventListener('dragenter', this.handleDragIn);
+      dnd.addEventListener('dragleave', this.handleDragOut);
+      dnd.addEventListener('dragover', this.handleDrag);
+      dnd.addEventListener('drop', this.handleDrop);
+      this.dndRef = dnd;
+    }
+  }
+
   goToLatestMessage() {
     this.setState({scrollPosition: 0});
     if (this.messagesScroller) {
@@ -1188,6 +1228,44 @@ class MessagesView extends React.Component {
     }
   }
 
+  isDragEnabled() {
+    return this.state.isWriter && !this.state.unconfirmed && !this.props.forwardMessage && !this.state.peerMessagingDisabled;
+  }
+
+  handleDrag(e) {
+    e.preventDefault();
+    e.stopPropagation();
+  }
+
+  handleDragIn(e) {
+    e.preventDefault();
+    e.stopPropagation();
+    this.dragCounter++;
+    if (e.dataTransfer.items && e.dataTransfer.items.length > 0) {
+      this.setState({dragging: true});
+    }
+  }
+
+  handleDragOut(e) {
+    e.preventDefault();
+    e.stopPropagation();
+    this.dragCounter--;
+    if (this.dragCounter <= 0) {
+      this.setState({dragging: false});
+    }
+  }
+
+  handleDrop(e) {
+    e.preventDefault();
+    e.stopPropagation();
+    this.setState({dragging: false});
+    if (this.isDragEnabled() && e.dataTransfer.files && e.dataTransfer.files.length > 0) {
+      this.handleFileDrop(e.dataTransfer.files);
+      e.dataTransfer.clearData();
+      this.dragCounter = 0;
+    }
+  }
+
   render() {
     const {formatMessage} = this.props.intl;
 
@@ -1486,14 +1564,14 @@ class MessagesView extends React.Component {
                 onClearError={this.props.onError} />
               : null}
             <LoadSpinner show={this.state.fetchingMessages} />
-            {!this.state.unconfirmed && !this.props.forwardMessage && this.state.isWriter && !this.state.peerMessagingDisabled ?
-              <DragAndDrop actionPrompt={this.props.intl.formatMessage(messages.drag_file)}
-                onDrop={this.handleFileDrop} >{messagesComponent}</DragAndDrop>
-              : messagesComponent}
+            {messagesComponent}
+            {this.state.dragging && this.isDragEnabled() ?
+              <div className="drag-n-drop">{formatMessage(messages.drag_file)}</div>
+            : null}
           </>
         );
       }
-      component = <div id="topic-view">{component2}</div>
+      component = <div id="topic-view"  ref={this.mountDnDEvents}>{component2}</div>
     }
     return component;
   }
diff --git a/src/widgets/drag-and-drop.jsx b/src/widgets/drag-and-drop.jsx
deleted file mode 100644
index 22b01710..00000000
--- a/src/widgets/drag-and-drop.jsx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,84 +0,0 @@
-// Drag & drop container: displays a banner on drag and calls a handler on drop.
-import React from 'react';
-
-export default class DragAndDrop extends React.PureComponent {
-  constructor(props) {
-    super(props);
-    this.state = {
-      // A file is being dragged over the container.
-      dragging: false
-    };
-    this.dropRef = React.createRef();
-    // Keeps track of the drag event.
-    // Need a counter b/c the browser's 'drag' events may fire multiple times
-    // when the user takes the mouse pointer over the container:
-    // for the component itself and for all nested/child elements.
-    this.dragCounter = 0;
-
-    this.handleDrag = this.handleDrag.bind(this);
-    this.handleDragIn = this.handleDragIn.bind(this);
-    this.handleDragOut = this.handleDragOut.bind(this);
-    this.handleDrop = this.handleDrop.bind(this);
-  }
-
-  componentDidMount() {
-    const div = this.dropRef.current;
-    div.addEventListener('dragenter', this.handleDragIn);
-    div.addEventListener('dragleave', this.handleDragOut);
-    div.addEventListener('dragover', this.handleDrag);
-    div.addEventListener('drop', this.handleDrop);
-  }
-
-  componentWillUnmount() {
-    const div = this.dropRef.current;
-    div.removeEventListener('dragenter', this.handleDragIn);
-    div.removeEventListener('dragleave', this.handleDragOut);
-    div.removeEventListener('dragover', this.handleDrag);
-    div.removeEventListener('drop', this.handleDrop);
-  }
-
-  handleDrag(e) {
-    e.preventDefault();
-    e.stopPropagation();
-  }
-
-  handleDragIn(e) {
-    e.preventDefault();
-    e.stopPropagation();
-    this.dragCounter++;
-    if (e.dataTransfer.items && e.dataTransfer.items.length > 0) {
-      this.setState({dragging: true});
-    }
-  }
-
-  handleDragOut(e) {
-    e.preventDefault();
-    e.stopPropagation();
-    this.dragCounter--;
-    if (this.dragCounter <= 0) {
-      this.setState({dragging: false});
-    }
-  }
-
-  handleDrop(e) {
-    e.preventDefault();
-    e.stopPropagation();
-    this.setState({dragging: false});
-    if (e.dataTransfer.files && e.dataTransfer.files.length > 0) {
-      this.props.onDrop(e.dataTransfer.files);
-      e.dataTransfer.clearData();
-      this.dragCounter = 0;
-    }
-  }
-
-  render() {
-    return (
-      <div className="drag-and-drop" ref={this.dropRef}>
-        {this.state.dragging ?
-          <div className="banner">{this.props.actionPrompt}</div>
-          : null}
-        {this.props.children}
-      </div>
-    );
-  }
-};