diff --git a/config/default.json b/config/default.json
index a1e9adf51..77f8b352e 100644
--- a/config/default.json
+++ b/config/default.json
@@ -23,5 +23,5 @@
     "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----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\nrwLV\n-----END CERTIFICATE-----\n",
   "import": false,
   "serverTrustRoot": "BbqY1DzohE4NUZoVF+L18oUPrK3kILllLEJh2UnPSsEx",
-  "defaultPublicChatServer": "https://chat.lokinet.org/"
+  "defaultPublicChatServer": "http://localhost:8081"
 }
diff --git a/js/models/conversations.js b/js/models/conversations.js
index dff8043fa..279a28247 100644
--- a/js/models/conversations.js
+++ b/js/models/conversations.js
@@ -2136,18 +2136,19 @@
         });
       }
     },
-    isModerator() {
+    isModerator(pubKey) {
       if (!this.isPublic()) {
         return false;
       }
-      return this.get('modStatus');
+      return this.get('moderators').includes(pubKey);
     },
-    async setModStatus(newStatus) {
+    async setModerators(moderators) {
       if (!this.isPublic()) {
         return;
       }
-      if (this.get('modStatus') !== newStatus) {
-        this.set({ modStatus: newStatus });
+      // TODO: compare array properly
+      if (!_.isEqual(this.get('moderators'), moderators)) {
+        this.set({ moderators });
         await window.Signal.Data.updateConversation(this.id, this.attributes, {
           Conversation: Whisper.Conversation,
         });
diff --git a/js/models/messages.js b/js/models/messages.js
index 8f2283293..9a0c7db7d 100644
--- a/js/models/messages.js
+++ b/js/models/messages.js
@@ -680,9 +680,12 @@
         isP2p: !!this.get('isP2p'),
         isPublic: !!this.get('isPublic'),
         isRss: !!this.get('isRss'),
+        isModerator:
+          !!this.get('isPublic') &&
+          this.getConversation().isModerator(this.getSource()),
         isDeletable:
           !this.get('isPublic') ||
-          this.getConversation().isModerator() ||
+          this.getConversation().isModerator(this.OUR_NUMBER) ||
           this.getSource() === this.OUR_NUMBER,
 
         onCopyText: () => this.copyText(),
diff --git a/js/modules/loki_public_chat_api.js b/js/modules/loki_public_chat_api.js
index 20e061083..f54fde25c 100644
--- a/js/modules/loki_public_chat_api.js
+++ b/js/modules/loki_public_chat_api.js
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ const { URL, URLSearchParams } = require('url');
 // Can't be less than 1200 if we have unauth'd requests
 const PUBLICCHAT_MSG_POLL_EVERY = 1.5 * 1000; // 1.5s
 const PUBLICCHAT_CHAN_POLL_EVERY = 20 * 1000; // 20s
-const PUBLICCHAT_DELETION_POLL_EVERY = 5 * 1000; // 1 second
+const PUBLICCHAT_DELETION_POLL_EVERY = 5 * 1000; // 5s
+const PUBLICCHAT_MOD_POLL_EVERY = 5 * 1000; // 1 second
 
 // singleton to relay events to libtextsecure/message_receiver
 class LokiPublicChatAPI extends EventEmitter {
@@ -219,7 +220,7 @@ class LokiPublicChannelAPI {
     this.pollForMessages();
     this.pollForDeletions();
     this.pollForChannel();
-    this.refreshModStatus();
+    this.pollForModerators();
   }
 
   stop() {
@@ -306,17 +307,34 @@ class LokiPublicChannelAPI {
     };
   }
 
+  // get moderation actions
+  async pollForModerators() {
+    try {
+      await this.pollOnceForModerators();
+    } catch (e) {
+      log.warn(`Error while polling for public chat moderators: ${e}`);
+    }
+    if (this.running) {
+      this.timers.channel = setTimeout(() => {
+        this.pollForModerators();
+      }, PUBLICCHAT_MOD_POLL_EVERY);
+    }
+  }
+
   // get moderator status
-  async refreshModStatus() {
+  async pollOnceForModerators() {
     // get moderator status
-    const res = await this.serverRequest('loki/v1/user_info');
+    const res = await this.serverRequest(`loki/v1/channel/${this.channelId}/get_moderators`);
+    const ourNumber = textsecure.storage.user.getNumber();
     // if no problems and we have data
-    if (!res.err && res.response && res.response.data) {
-      this.modStatus = res.response.data.moderator_status;
+    let moderators;
+    if (!res.err && res.response && res.response.moderators) {
+      moderators = res.response.moderators;
+      this.modStatus = moderators.includes(ourNumber);
     }
     // if problems, we won't drop moderator status
 
-    await this.conversation.setModStatus(this.modStatus);
+    await this.conversation.setModerators(moderators);
 
     // get token info
     const tokenRes = await this.serverRequest('token');
@@ -328,7 +346,6 @@ class LokiPublicChannelAPI {
       tokenRes.response.data.user
     ) {
       // get our profile name and write it to the network
-      const ourNumber = textsecure.storage.user.getNumber();
       const profileConvo = ConversationController.get(ourNumber);
       const profileName = profileConvo.getProfileName();
 
@@ -386,11 +403,11 @@ class LokiPublicChannelAPI {
     try {
       await this.pollForChannelOnce();
     } catch (e) {
-      log.warn(`Error while polling for public chat deletions: ${e}`);
+      log.warn(`Error while polling for public chat room details: ${e}`);
     }
     if (this.running) {
       this.timers.channel = setTimeout(() => {
-        this.pollForChannelOnce();
+        this.pollForChannel();
       }, PUBLICCHAT_CHAN_POLL_EVERY);
     }
   }
diff --git a/ts/components/conversation/Message.tsx b/ts/components/conversation/Message.tsx
index 8ed5fa4f3..7be336fb2 100644
--- a/ts/components/conversation/Message.tsx
+++ b/ts/components/conversation/Message.tsx
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ interface LinkPreviewType {
 
 export interface Props {
   disableMenu?: boolean;
+  isModerator?: boolean;
   isDeletable: boolean;
   text?: string;
   textPending?: boolean;
@@ -648,6 +649,7 @@ export class Message extends React.PureComponent<Props, State> {
       authorPhoneNumber,
       authorProfileName,
       collapseMetadata,
+      isModerator,
       authorColor,
       conversationType,
       direction,
@@ -662,6 +664,9 @@ export class Message extends React.PureComponent<Props, State> {
       return;
     }
 
+    // TODO: Render mod icon?
+    console.log(isModerator);
+
     return (
       <div className="module-message__author-avatar">
         <Avatar