diff --git a/core/mci_view_factory.js b/core/mci_view_factory.js
index 928212e6..5794ce94 100644
--- a/core/mci_view_factory.js
+++ b/core/mci_view_factory.js
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ MCIViewFactory.prototype.getPredefinedViewLabel = function(code) {
 			UT	: this.client.user.properties.theme_id,
 			MS	: moment(this.client.user.properties.account_created).format(this.client.currentTheme.helpers.getDateFormat()),
 
+			MA	: this.client.user.properties.message_area_name,
+
 
 			SH	: this.client.term.termHeight.toString(),
 			SW	: this.client.term.termWidth.toString(),
diff --git a/core/message_area.js b/core/message_area.js
index 361cfd1b..077c87ad 100644
--- a/core/message_area.js
+++ b/core/message_area.js
@@ -73,6 +73,25 @@ function changeCurrentArea(client, areaId, cb) {
 				client.user.persistProperty('message_area_id', areaId, function persisted(err) {
 					callback(err);
 				});
+			},
+			function cacheAreaName(callback) {
+				msgDb.get(
+					'SELECT area_name '		+
+					'FROM message_area '	+
+					'WHERE area_id=? '		+
+					'LIMIT 1;',
+					[ areaId ],
+					function got(err, row) {
+						//	note: failures here are non-fatal
+						if(err) {
+							callback(null);
+						} else {
+							client.user.persistProperty('message_area_name', row.area_name, function persisted(err) {
+								callback(null);
+							});
+						}
+					}
+				);
 			}
 		],
 		function complete(err) {
diff --git a/core/user.js b/core/user.js
index 1b38b6b0..3e5e7b5c 100644
--- a/core/user.js
+++ b/core/user.js
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ User.prototype.persistProperty = function(propName, propValue, cb) {
 			}
 		}
 	);
-}
+};
 
 User.prototype.persistProperties = function(properties, cb) {
 	var self = this;
diff --git a/mods/art/msg_area_list.ans b/mods/art/msg_area_list.ans
index 0f48bc4d..ae43220f 100644
Binary files a/mods/art/msg_area_list.ans and b/mods/art/msg_area_list.ans differ
diff --git a/mods/msg_area.js b/mods/msg_area.js
index 34f7d56f..043866da 100644
--- a/mods/msg_area.js
+++ b/mods/msg_area.js
@@ -23,10 +23,7 @@ function MessageAreaModule(options) {
 
 	this.menuMethods = {
 		changeArea : function(formData, extraArgs) {
-			//	:TODO: really, we just need to go to a menu with a list of areas to select from and call a @systemMethod:setMessageArea() call with fallback to here
-			self.client.user.persistProperty('message_area_id', 2, function persisted(err) {
-				
-			});	//	:TODO: just for testing
+			//	:TODO: clean this code up
 		}
 	};
 }