diff --git a/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.cpp b/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.cpp
index 27f0100c9..7fd48af72 100644
--- a/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.cpp
+++ b/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.cpp
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ namespace BlackGui
             return c;
         }
 
-        QWidget *CTextMessageComponent::getTabWidget(CTextMessageComponent::Tab tab) const
+        QWidget *CTextMessageComponent::getTabWidget(TextMessageTab tab) const
         {
             switch (tab)
             {
@@ -125,14 +125,14 @@ namespace BlackGui
             return nullptr;
         }
 
-        CTextMessageTextEdit *CTextMessageComponent::getTextEdit(CTextMessageComponent::Tab tab) const
+        CTextMessageTextEdit *CTextMessageComponent::getTextEdit(TextMessageTab tab) const
         {
             QWidget *w = this->getTabWidget(tab);
             if (!w) { return nullptr; }
             return this->findChild<CTextMessageTextEdit *>();
         }
 
-        void CTextMessageComponent::selectTabWidget(CTextMessageComponent::Tab tab)
+        void CTextMessageComponent::selectTabWidget(TextMessageTab tab)
         {
             QWidget *w = this->getTabWidget(tab);
             if (w)
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ namespace BlackGui
 
         bool CTextMessageComponent::isCorrespondingTextMessageTabSelected(CTextMessage textMessage) const
         {
-            if (!this->isVisibleWidget()) { return false; }
+            if (!this->isVisibleWidgetHack()) { return false; }
             if (!textMessage.hasValidRecipient()) { return false; }
             if (textMessage.isEmpty()) { return false; } // ignore empty message
             if (textMessage.isPrivateMessage())
@@ -460,9 +460,14 @@ namespace BlackGui
             this->handleEnteredTextMessage(cl);
         }
 
+        bool CTextMessageComponent::isVisibleWidgetHack() const
+        {
+            return m_usedAsOverlayWidget ? true : this->isVisibleWidget();
+        }
+
         void CTextMessageComponent::handleEnteredTextMessage(const QString &textMessage)
         {
-            if (!this->isVisibleWidget()) { return; }
+            if (!this->isVisibleWidgetHack()) { return; }
 
             QString cl(textMessage.trimmed().simplified());
             if (cl.isEmpty()) { return; }
@@ -549,7 +554,7 @@ namespace BlackGui
             if (commandLine.isEmpty() || commandLine.startsWith(".")) { return false; }
 
             // no "dot" command input
-            if (!this->isVisibleWidget()) { return false; } // invisible, do ignore
+            if (!this->isVisibleWidgetHack()) { return false; } // invisible, do ignore
             this->handleEnteredTextMessage(commandLine); // handle as it was entered by own command line
 
             return false; // we never handle the message directly, but forward it
@@ -587,5 +592,20 @@ namespace BlackGui
             ui->comp_SettingsStyle->fontSizePlus();
         }
 
+        void CTextMessageComponent::setTab(TextMessageTab tab)
+        {
+            ui->tw_TextMessages->setCurrentIndex(tab);;
+        }
+
+        void CTextMessageComponent::showSettings(bool show)
+        {
+            ui->gb_Settings->setVisible(show);
+        }
+
+        void CTextMessageComponent::showTextMessageEntry(bool show)
+        {
+            ui->le_textMessages->setVisible(show);
+        }
+
     } // namespace
 } // namespace
diff --git a/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.h b/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.h
index a9bfc97ca..17e5bd957 100644
--- a/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.h
+++ b/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.h
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #ifndef BLACKGUI_COMPONENTS_TEXTMESSAGECOMPONENT_H
 #define BLACKGUI_COMPONENTS_TEXTMESSAGECOMPONENT_H
 
+#include "textmessagecomponenttab.h"
 #include "blackgui/settings/textmessagesettings.h"
 #include "blackgui/components/enablefordockwidgetinfoarea.h"
 #include "blackgui/blackguiexport.h"
@@ -40,15 +41,6 @@ namespace BlackGui
             Q_OBJECT
 
         public:
-            //! Tabs
-            enum Tab
-            {
-                TextMessagesAll,
-                TextMessagesUnicom,
-                TextMessagesCom1,
-                TextMessagesCom2
-            };
-
             //! Constructor
             explicit CTextMessageComponent(QWidget *parent = nullptr);
 
@@ -76,6 +68,18 @@ namespace BlackGui
             void fontSizePlus();
             //! @}
 
+            //! Set tab
+            void setTab(TextMessageTab tab);
+
+            //! Show the settings
+            void showSettings(bool show);
+
+            //! Show an text entry field
+            void showTextMessageEntry(bool show);
+
+            //! Used as overlay and not dock widget
+            void setAsUsedInOverlayMode() { m_usedAsOverlayWidget = true; }
+
         signals:
             //! Message to be displayed in info window
             void displayInInfoWindow(const BlackMisc::CVariant &message, int displayDurationMs) const;
@@ -87,15 +91,16 @@ namespace BlackGui
             QScopedPointer<Ui::CTextMessageComponent> ui;
             BlackMisc::CIdentifier m_identifier { "TextMessageComponent", this };
             BlackMisc::CSetting<Settings::TextMessageSettings> m_messageSettings { this, &CTextMessageComponent::onSettingsChanged };
+            bool m_usedAsOverlayWidget = false; //!< disables dockwidget parts
 
             //! Enum to widget
-            QWidget *getTabWidget(Tab tab) const;
+            QWidget *getTabWidget(TextMessageTab tab) const;
 
             //! Related text edit
-            CTextMessageTextEdit *getTextEdit(Tab tab) const;
+            CTextMessageTextEdit *getTextEdit(TextMessageTab tab) const;
 
             //! Select given tab
-            void selectTabWidget(Tab tab);
+            void selectTabWidget(TextMessageTab tab);
 
             //! New message tab for given callsign
             QWidget *addNewTextMessageTab(const BlackMisc::Aviation::CCallsign &callsign);
@@ -166,6 +171,9 @@ namespace BlackGui
 
             //! Command line entered
             void textMessageEntered();
+
+            //! Visible widget hack
+            bool isVisibleWidgetHack() const;
         };
     } // ns
 } // ns
diff --git a/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponenttab.h b/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponenttab.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..19779ad44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponenttab.h
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+/* Copyright (C) 2018
+ * swift project Community / Contributors
+ *
+ * This file is part of swift project. It is subject to the license terms in the LICENSE file found in the toplevel
+ * directory of this distribution and at http://www.swiftproject.org/license.html. No part of swift project,
+ * including this file, may be copied, modified, propagated, or distributed except according to the terms
+ * contained in the LICENSE file.
+ */
+
+//! \file
+
+#ifndef BLACKGUI_COMPONENTS_TEXTMESSAGECOMPONENT_TAB_H
+#define BLACKGUI_COMPONENTS_TEXTMESSAGECOMPONENT_TAB_H
+
+namespace BlackGui
+{
+    namespace Components
+    {
+        //! Tabs
+        enum TextMessageTab
+        {
+            TextMessagesAll,
+            TextMessagesUnicom,
+            TextMessagesCom1,
+            TextMessagesCom2
+        };
+    } // ns
+} // ns
+#endif // guard