diff --git a/cave/com.raytheon.viz.ui/src/com/raytheon/viz/ui/statusline/StatBar.java b/cave/com.raytheon.viz.ui/src/com/raytheon/viz/ui/statusline/StatBar.java
index 41a8d15075..7b832f008f 100644
--- a/cave/com.raytheon.viz.ui/src/com/raytheon/viz/ui/statusline/StatBar.java
+++ b/cave/com.raytheon.viz.ui/src/com/raytheon/viz/ui/statusline/StatBar.java
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ import com.raytheon.viz.ui.statusline.StatusStore.IStatusListener;
  * Date			Ticket#		Engineer	Description
  * ------------	----------	-----------	--------------------------
  * Jul 14, 2008		#1223	randerso	Initial creation
+ * Oct 22, 2012 #1229       rferrel     Changes for non-blocking ViewMessageDialog.
  * 
  * </pre>
  * 
@@ -276,6 +277,6 @@ public class StatBar extends ContributionItem implements IStatusListener {
     }
 
     private void viewMessages() {
-        statusStore.getViewMessagesDialog().open();
+        statusStore.openViewMessagesDialog();
     }
 }
diff --git a/cave/com.raytheon.viz.ui/src/com/raytheon/viz/ui/statusline/StatusStore.java b/cave/com.raytheon.viz.ui/src/com/raytheon/viz/ui/statusline/StatusStore.java
index 19c53fbf38..4edc7ac867 100644
--- a/cave/com.raytheon.viz.ui/src/com/raytheon/viz/ui/statusline/StatusStore.java
+++ b/cave/com.raytheon.viz.ui/src/com/raytheon/viz/ui/statusline/StatusStore.java
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import com.raytheon.viz.ui.statusline.StatusMessage.Importance;
  * ------------	----------	-----------	--------------------------
  * Jul 14, 2008				randerso	Initial creation
  * Sep 12, 2008             wdougherty  Added updateStatusTextI() method
+ * Oct 22, 2012 1229        rferrel     Changes for non-blocking ViewMessagesDialog.
  * 
  * </pre>
  * 
@@ -196,7 +197,8 @@ public class StatusStore {
                 }
 
                 // Update View Message display
-                if (viewDialog != null) {
+                if (viewDialog != null && viewDialog.getShell() != null
+                        && !viewDialog.isDisposed()) {
                     viewDialog.updateText();
                 }
                 // Update Urgent Messages display
@@ -243,13 +245,17 @@ public class StatusStore {
         });
     }
 
-    public ViewMessagesDialog getViewMessagesDialog() {
-        if (viewDialog == null) {
+    public void openViewMessagesDialog() {
+        if (viewDialog == null || viewDialog.getShell() == null
+                || viewDialog.isDisposed()) {
             this.viewDialog = new ViewMessagesDialog(Display.getDefault()
                     .getActiveShell(), this.messageBuffer, this.importanceDict,
                     "View Messages");
+            viewDialog.setBlockOnOpen(false);
+            viewDialog.open();
+        } else {
+            viewDialog.bringToTop();
         }
-        return viewDialog;
     }
 
     public StatBar getStatusBar() {
diff --git a/cave/com.raytheon.viz.ui/src/com/raytheon/viz/ui/statusline/ViewMessagesDialog.java b/cave/com.raytheon.viz.ui/src/com/raytheon/viz/ui/statusline/ViewMessagesDialog.java
index 0ae0da8d96..864497d828 100644
--- a/cave/com.raytheon.viz.ui/src/com/raytheon/viz/ui/statusline/ViewMessagesDialog.java
+++ b/cave/com.raytheon.viz.ui/src/com/raytheon/viz/ui/statusline/ViewMessagesDialog.java
@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@
 package com.raytheon.viz.ui.statusline;
 
 import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
+import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.TimeZone;
 
-import org.eclipse.jface.dialogs.Dialog;
 import org.eclipse.swt.SWT;
 import org.eclipse.swt.custom.StyleRange;
 import org.eclipse.swt.custom.StyledText;
@@ -32,12 +32,14 @@ import org.eclipse.swt.graphics.Color;
 import org.eclipse.swt.graphics.Font;
 import org.eclipse.swt.graphics.FontMetrics;
 import org.eclipse.swt.graphics.GC;
+import org.eclipse.swt.graphics.RGB;
 import org.eclipse.swt.layout.GridData;
 import org.eclipse.swt.layout.GridLayout;
 import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Composite;
 import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Control;
 import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Shell;
 
+import com.raytheon.viz.ui.dialogs.CaveJFACEDialog;
 import com.raytheon.viz.ui.statusline.StatusMessage.Importance;
 
 /**
@@ -48,6 +50,7 @@ import com.raytheon.viz.ui.statusline.StatusMessage.Importance;
  * Date         Ticket#    Engineer    Description
  * ------------ ---------- ----------- --------------------------
  * 	May 19, 2008					Eric Babin Initial Creation
+ * Oct 22, 2012 1229       rferrel     Converted to CaveJFACEDialog.
  * 
  * </pre>
  * 
@@ -55,7 +58,7 @@ import com.raytheon.viz.ui.statusline.StatusMessage.Importance;
  * @version 1.0
  */
 
-public class ViewMessagesDialog extends Dialog {
+public class ViewMessagesDialog extends CaveJFACEDialog {
 
     private SimpleDateFormat sdf;
 
@@ -71,6 +74,11 @@ public class ViewMessagesDialog extends Dialog {
 
     private Font font;
 
+    /**
+     * Track colors used so they can be reused and disposed.
+     */
+    private final Map<RGB, Color> colorMap = new HashMap<RGB, Color>();
+
     /**
      * @param parent
      */
@@ -130,7 +138,9 @@ public class ViewMessagesDialog extends Dialog {
     /*
      * (non-Javadoc)
      * 
-     * @see org.eclipse.jface.window.Window#configureShell(org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Shell)
+     * @see
+     * org.eclipse.jface.window.Window#configureShell(org.eclipse.swt.widgets
+     * .Shell)
      */
     @Override
     protected void configureShell(Shell shell) {
@@ -155,11 +165,21 @@ public class ViewMessagesDialog extends Dialog {
                 String s = sdf.format(m.getMessageDate()) + " "
                         + m.getMessageText() + "\n";
 
-                // TODO: need to ensure colors are disposed
+                RGB rgb = importance.getForegroundColor();
+                Color foregroundColor = colorMap.get(rgb);
+                if (foregroundColor == null) {
+                    foregroundColor = new Color(top.getDisplay(), rgb);
+                    colorMap.put(rgb, foregroundColor);
+                }
+
+                rgb = importance.getBackgroundColor();
+                Color backgroundColor = colorMap.get(rgb);
+                if (backgroundColor == null) {
+                    backgroundColor = new Color(top.getDisplay(), rgb);
+                    colorMap.put(rgb, backgroundColor);
+                }
                 styleRanges[i++] = new StyleRange(startIndex, s.length(),
-                        new Color(top.getDisplay(), importance
-                                .getForegroundColor()), new Color(top
-                                .getDisplay(), importance.getBackgroundColor()));
+                        foregroundColor, backgroundColor);
 
                 styledText.setText(styledText.getText() + s);
 
@@ -168,4 +188,13 @@ public class ViewMessagesDialog extends Dialog {
         }
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public boolean close() {
+        for (Color color : colorMap.values()) {
+            color.dispose();
+        }
+        colorMap.clear();
+        return super.close();
+    }
+
 }