diff --git a/Signal/src/Models/OWSCall.h b/Signal/src/Models/OWSCall.h
index 5c8295e3a..cd296bafa 100644
--- a/Signal/src/Models/OWSCall.h
+++ b/Signal/src/Models/OWSCall.h
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ typedef enum : NSUInteger {
                callerDisplayName:(NSString *)callerDisplayName
                             date:(NSDate *)date
                           status:(CallStatus)status
-                   displayString:(NSString *)detailString;
+                   displayString:(NSString *)detailString NS_DESIGNATED_INITIALIZER;
 
 - (NSString *)dateText;
 
diff --git a/Signal/src/Models/OWSCall.m b/Signal/src/Models/OWSCall.m
index 9ce1e6561..580f338d5 100644
--- a/Signal/src/Models/OWSCall.m
+++ b/Signal/src/Models/OWSCall.m
@@ -9,6 +9,16 @@
 
 #pragma mark - Initialzation
 
+- (id)init
+{
+    NSAssert(NO,
+        @"%s is not a valid initializer for %@. Use %@ instead",
+        __PRETTY_FUNCTION__,
+        [self class],
+        NSStringFromSelector(@selector(initWithCallerId:callerDisplayName:date:status:displayString:)));
+    return [self initWithCallerId:nil callerDisplayName:nil date:nil status:0 displayString:nil];
+}
+
 - (instancetype)initWithCallerId:(NSString *)senderId
                callerDisplayName:(NSString *)senderDisplayName
                             date:(NSDate *)date
@@ -19,32 +29,21 @@
     NSParameterAssert(senderDisplayName != nil);
 
     self = [super init];
-    if (self) {
-        _senderId = [senderId copy];
-        _senderDisplayName = [senderDisplayName copy];
-        _date = [date copy];
-        _status = status;
-        _messageType = TSCallAdapter;
-        _detailString = [detailString stringByAppendingFormat:@" "];
+    if (!self) {
+        return self;
     }
-    return self;
-}
 
-- (id)init
-{
-    NSAssert(NO,
-        @"%s is not a valid initializer for %@. Use %@ instead",
-        __PRETTY_FUNCTION__,
-        [self class],
-        NSStringFromSelector(@selector(initWithCallerId:callerDisplayName:date:status:displayString:)));
-    return nil;
-}
+    _senderId = [senderId copy];
+    _senderDisplayName = [senderDisplayName copy];
+    _date = [date copy];
+    _status = status;
+    _messageType = TSCallAdapter;
 
-- (void)dealloc
-{
-    _senderId = nil;
-    _senderDisplayName = nil;
-    _date = nil;
+    // TODO interpret detailString from status. make sure it works for calls and
+    // our re-use of calls as group update display
+    _detailString = [detailString stringByAppendingFormat:@" "];
+
+    return self;
 }
 
 - (NSString *)dateText
@@ -98,14 +97,17 @@
 
 - (instancetype)initWithCoder:(NSCoder *)aDecoder
 {
-    self = [super init];
-    if (self) {
-        _senderId = [aDecoder decodeObjectForKey:NSStringFromSelector(@selector(senderId))];
-        _senderDisplayName = [aDecoder decodeObjectForKey:NSStringFromSelector(@selector(senderDisplayName))];
-        _date = [aDecoder decodeObjectForKey:NSStringFromSelector(@selector(date))];
-        _status = (CallStatus)[aDecoder decodeIntegerForKey:NSStringFromSelector(@selector(status))];
-    }
-    return self;
+    NSString *senderId = [aDecoder decodeObjectForKey:NSStringFromSelector(@selector(senderId))];
+    NSString *senderDisplayName = [aDecoder decodeObjectForKey:NSStringFromSelector(@selector(senderDisplayName))];
+    NSDate *date = [aDecoder decodeObjectForKey:NSStringFromSelector(@selector(date))];
+    CallStatus status = (CallStatus)[aDecoder decodeIntegerForKey:NSStringFromSelector(@selector(status))];
+    NSString *displayString = @""; // FIXME what should this be?
+
+    return [self initWithCallerId:senderId
+                callerDisplayName:senderDisplayName
+                             date:date
+                           status:status
+                    displayString:displayString];
 }
 
 - (void)encodeWithCoder:(NSCoder *)aCoder
diff --git a/Signal/src/Models/OWSDisplayedMessage.m b/Signal/src/Models/OWSDisplayedMessage.m
index ba6ca85d6..983921e53 100644
--- a/Signal/src/Models/OWSDisplayedMessage.m
+++ b/Signal/src/Models/OWSDisplayedMessage.m
@@ -21,13 +21,14 @@
                             date:(NSDate *)date
 {
     self = [super init];
-
-    if (self) {
-        _senderId = [senderId copy];
-        _senderDisplayName = [senderDisplayName copy];
-        _date = [date copy];
+    if (!self) {
+        return self;
     }
 
+    _senderId = [senderId copy];
+    _senderDisplayName = [senderDisplayName copy];
+    _date = [date copy];
+
     return self;
 }
 
diff --git a/Signal/src/Models/OWSErrorMessage.m b/Signal/src/Models/OWSErrorMessage.m
index 2c9a13ba9..522c0adfe 100644
--- a/Signal/src/Models/OWSErrorMessage.m
+++ b/Signal/src/Models/OWSErrorMessage.m
@@ -11,12 +11,13 @@
                              date:(NSDate *)date
 {
     self = [super initWithSenderId:senderId senderDisplayName:senderDisplayName date:date];
-
-    if (self) {
-        _errorMessageType = messageType;
-        _messageType = TSErrorMessageAdapter;
+    if (!self) {
+        return self;
     }
 
+    _errorMessageType = messageType;
+    _messageType = TSErrorMessageAdapter;
+
     return self;
 }
 
diff --git a/Signal/src/Models/OWSInfoMessage.h b/Signal/src/Models/OWSInfoMessage.h
index 4017383f7..f6b704cdf 100644
--- a/Signal/src/Models/OWSInfoMessage.h
+++ b/Signal/src/Models/OWSInfoMessage.h
@@ -23,5 +23,4 @@ typedef NS_ENUM(NSInteger, OWSInfoMessageType) {
 
 - (NSString *)text;
 
-
 @end
diff --git a/Signal/src/Models/OWSInfoMessage.m b/Signal/src/Models/OWSInfoMessage.m
index 8d814ef34..bc6319b08 100644
--- a/Signal/src/Models/OWSInfoMessage.m
+++ b/Signal/src/Models/OWSInfoMessage.m
@@ -14,12 +14,13 @@
     //@discussion: NSParameterAssert() ?
 
     self = [super initWithSenderId:senderId senderDisplayName:senderDisplayName date:date];
-
-    if (self) {
-        _infoMessageType = messageType;
-        _messageType = TSInfoMessageAdapter;
+    if (!self) {
+        return self;
     }
 
+    _infoMessageType = messageType;
+    _messageType = TSInfoMessageAdapter;
+
     return self;
 }
 
diff --git a/Signal/src/view controllers/MessagesViewController.m b/Signal/src/view controllers/MessagesViewController.m
index 2cd48d342..c27e9fcef 100644
--- a/Signal/src/view controllers/MessagesViewController.m	
+++ b/Signal/src/view controllers/MessagesViewController.m	
@@ -826,20 +826,14 @@ typedef enum : NSUInteger {
     NSString *allText = call.date != nil ? [text stringByAppendingString:[call dateText]] : text;
 
     UIFont *boldFont = [UIFont fontWithName:@"HelveticaNeue-Medium" size:12.0f];
-    UIFont *regularFont = [UIFont fontWithName:@"HelveticaNeue-Light" size:12.0f];
-
-    //TODO declarative dict
-    NSDictionary *attrs = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjectsAndKeys:boldFont, NSFontAttributeName, nil];
     NSMutableAttributedString *attributedText = [[NSMutableAttributedString alloc] initWithString:allText
-                                                                                       attributes:attrs];
-
+                                                                                       attributes:@{ NSFontAttributeName: boldFont }];
     if([call date]!=nil) {
         // Not a group meta message
-        NSDictionary *subAttrs = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjectsAndKeys:
-                                  regularFont, NSFontAttributeName, nil];
-
-        const NSRange range = NSMakeRange([text length],[[call dateText] length]);
-        [attributedText setAttributes:subAttrs range:range];
+        UIFont *regularFont = [UIFont fontWithName:@"HelveticaNeue-Light" size:12.0f];
+        const NSRange range = NSMakeRange([text length], [[call dateText] length]);
+        [attributedText setAttributes:@{ NSFontAttributeName: regularFont }
+                                range:range];
     }
     callCell.cellLabel.attributedText = attributedText;
     callCell.cellLabel.numberOfLines = 0; // uses as many lines as it needs
diff --git a/Signal/src/views/OWSCallCollectionViewCell.h b/Signal/src/views/OWSCallCollectionViewCell.h
index 08bbf173f..53d8bcc58 100644
--- a/Signal/src/views/OWSCallCollectionViewCell.h
+++ b/Signal/src/views/OWSCallCollectionViewCell.h
@@ -4,17 +4,12 @@
 #import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
 #import <JSQMessagesViewController/JSQMessagesCollectionViewCell.h>
 
-#define kCallCellHeight 40.0f
-#define kCallCellWidth 400.0f
-
 @interface OWSCallCollectionViewCell : JSQMessagesCollectionViewCell
 
-// TODO can we use an existing label from JSQMessagesCollectionViewCell?
 @property (weak, nonatomic, readonly) JSQMessagesLabel *cellLabel;
 @property (weak, nonatomic, readonly) UIImageView *outgoingCallImageView;
 @property (weak, nonatomic, readonly) UIImageView *incomingCallImageView;
 
-
 #pragma mark - Class methods
 
 + (UINib *)nib;
diff --git a/Signal/src/views/OWSCallCollectionViewCell.m b/Signal/src/views/OWSCallCollectionViewCell.m
index 8f19d713c..7ba7a13ef 100644
--- a/Signal/src/views/OWSCallCollectionViewCell.m
+++ b/Signal/src/views/OWSCallCollectionViewCell.m
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 #import "OWSCallCollectionViewCell.h"
 #import <JSQMessagesViewController/UIView+JSQMessages.h>
 
-
 @interface OWSCallCollectionViewCell ()
 
 @property (weak, nonatomic) IBOutlet JSQMessagesLabel *cellLabel;
@@ -42,10 +41,6 @@
     self.cellLabel.textColor = [UIColor lightGrayColor];
 }
 
-- (void)dealloc
-{
-    _cellLabel = nil;
-}
 
 #pragma mark - Collection view cell