diff --git a/.DS_Store b/.DS_Store
index 762b4ed3..aae1b97b 100644
Binary files a/.DS_Store and b/.DS_Store differ
diff --git a/app.js b/app.js
index ae70a632..f66af294 100644
--- a/app.js
+++ b/app.js
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ var handlebars = hbs.create({
     ifEquals: function(arg1, arg2, options) {
       return (arg1 == arg2) ? options.fn(this) : options.inverse(this);
     },
+    ifNotEquals: function(arg1, arg2, options) {
+      return (arg1 != arg2) ? options.fn(this) : options.inverse(this);
+    }
   },
   extname: 'hbs',
   defaultLayout:'layout.hbs',
diff --git a/routes/chat.js b/routes/chat.js
index 0767b659..441ae0e5 100644
--- a/routes/chat.js
+++ b/routes/chat.js
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@ router.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: false }))
 
 
 /* GET home page. */
-router.get('/', checkAuthentication, setupSocketListeners, function(req, res, next) {
+router.get('/', (req, res, next) => {
+    req.session.authorigin = 'chat?' + querystring.stringify(req.query);
+    next();
+  }, checkAuthentication, setupSocketListeners, function(req, res, next) {
   // Setup chat data and render chat page
   preselectedThread = req.query.preselectedThread ? req.query.preselectedThread : '';
   chatData.find({allParticipants:
@@ -95,40 +98,53 @@ function setupSocketListeners(req, res, next) {
   next();
 }
 
-router.post('/openThread', checkAuthentication, function(req,res){
-  chatData.findOne({item: req.body.itemId, interestedBuyer:req.session.passport.user._json.email}).then(doc => {
-    if (!doc) {
-      // Start a new thread
-      var current_millies = new Date().getTime();
-      var current_timestamp = Long.fromNumber(current_millies);
-      var date = new Date(current_millies);
-      var dateReadable = date.toString();
-      var chat = {
-        item: mongoose.Types.ObjectId(req.body.itemId),
-        seller: req.body.seller,
-        interestedBuyer: req.session.passport.user._json.email,
-        allParticipants:[ {email: req.session.passport.user._json.email}, {email: req.body.seller} ],
-        dateChatCreated: current_timestamp,
-        dateChatCreatedComputed: dateReadable
+router.get('/openThread', (req, res, next) => {
+    req.session.authorigin = 'chat/openThread?' + querystring.stringify(req.query);
+    next();
+  }, checkAuthentication, function(req,res) {
+    var {itemId, seller} = req.query;
+    var currentUser = req.session.passport.user._json.email;
+    // Ensure the seller is not opening a thread on their own listing
+    itemData.findOne({_id: itemId, postedBy:currentUser}).then(doc => {
+      if (!doc) {
+        // The seller ≠ the buyer
+        // Create a new thread or open the existing one
+        chatData.findOne({item: itemId, interestedBuyer:currentUser}).then(doc => {
+          if (!doc) {
+            // Start a new thread
+            var current_millies = new Date().getTime();
+            var current_timestamp = Long.fromNumber(current_millies);
+            var date = new Date(current_millies);
+            var dateReadable = date.toString();
+            var chat = {
+              item: mongoose.Types.ObjectId(itemId),
+              seller: seller,
+              interestedBuyer: req.session.passport.user._json.email,
+              allParticipants:[ {email: currentUser}, {email: seller} ],
+              dateChatCreated: current_timestamp,
+              dateChatCreatedComputed: dateReadable
+            }
+            var data = new chatData(chat);
+            data.save((err, doc) => {
+              res.redirect('/chat?' + querystring.stringify({'preselectedThread':doc.id}));
+            });
+          } else {
+            // Open the existing thread
+            res.redirect('/chat?' + querystring.stringify({'preselectedThread':doc.id}));
+          }
+        });
+      } else {
+        // The seller = the buyer
+        res.redirect('/?' + querystring.stringify({'alert':"You own this listing! You cannot buy your own listing!"}));
       }
-      var data = new chatData(chat);
-      data.save((err, doc) => {
-        res.redirect('/chat?' + querystring.stringify({'preselectedThread':doc.id}));
-      });
-    } else {
-      // Open the existing thread
-      res.redirect('/chat?' + querystring.stringify({'preselectedThread':doc.id}));
-    }
-  })
+    });
 });
 
 //authenticate a user is logged in
 function checkAuthentication(req,res,next){
   if(req.isAuthenticated()){
-      //req.isAuthenticated() will return true if user is logged in
       next();
   } else{
-    req.session.authorigin = 'chat';
     res.redirect('/auth/google/callback')
   }
 }
diff --git a/routes/index.js b/routes/index.js
index 842c65a7..1c7b2190 100644
--- a/routes/index.js
+++ b/routes/index.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ router.get('/' ,function(req, res, next) {
   }
   results.find({sold:false}).sort( { datePosted: -1 } )
   	.then(function(doc) {
-      res.render('index', { title: 'DrewUse', items:doc, currentSession: req.session, filters:filters});
+      res.render('index', { title: 'DrewUse', items:doc, currentSession: req.session, filters:filters, queryParams:req.query});
     });
 });
 
diff --git a/views/chat.hbs b/views/chat.hbs
index 4ff2cf5f..2a567671 100644
--- a/views/chat.hbs
+++ b/views/chat.hbs
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ img{ max-width:100%;}
       </div>
       <div id="input_zone" class="type_msg">
           <div class="input_msg_write">
-            <input id="message" type="text" class="write_msg" placeholder="Type a message" />
+            <input id="message" type="text" class="write_msg" placeholder="Type a message..." />
             <button id="send_message" class="msg_send_btn" type="button"><i class="fa fa-paper-plane-o" aria-hidden="true"></i></button>
           </div>
       </div>
@@ -225,16 +225,15 @@ img{ max-width:100%;}
 </div>
 
 <script>
+  // Add current user to session
+  window.sessionStorage.setItem('currentUser', '{{currentSession.passport.user._json.email}}');
+  window.sessionStorage.setItem('currentUsername', window.sessionStorage.getItem('currentUser').match(/[^@]+/)[0]);
   // Setup socket.io client
   var socket = io.connect(`/${window.sessionStorage.getItem('currentUsername')}`);
 
   // Add listeners
   socket.on('newMessage', appendMessage)
   socket.on('displayThread', displayThread)
-
-  // Add current user to session
-  window.sessionStorage.setItem('currentUser', '{{currentSession.passport.user._json.email}}');
-  window.sessionStorage.setItem('currentUsername', window.sessionStorage.getItem('currentUser').match(/[^@]+/)[0]);
   
   // Setup listener for clicking the send-message button
   $("#send_message").click(() => {
@@ -249,8 +248,7 @@ img{ max-width:100%;}
   });
   
   // Handle selection of a specific thread
-  $('.chat_people').click(function(){
-    console.log('Thread Clicked');
+  $('.chat_people').click(function() {
     var threadId = $(this).attr('threadId');  // Get thread id
     selectThread(threadId);
   });
@@ -274,7 +272,6 @@ img{ max-width:100%;}
   // xs.emit('hey');
 
   function selectThread(threadId) {
-    console.log('Thread Selected');
     // Save thread id to session storage
     window.sessionStorage.setItem('currentThread', threadId); // set thread id in session
     $("#chatroom").empty();
@@ -304,7 +301,7 @@ img{ max-width:100%;}
   function appendMessage(message){
     // Add new message to chat room
     $("#chatroom").append(`<p class='message'>${message.byWho}: ${message.message}</p>`)
-    $("#message").val(" ");
+    $("#message").val("");
   }
 
   function displayThread(thread){
@@ -320,8 +317,6 @@ img{ max-width:100%;}
     for (var i in thread.messages) {
       appendMessage(thread.messages[i]);
     }
-
-    $("#message").val(" ");
   }
 
 </script>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/views/index.hbs b/views/index.hbs
index 1a73a87e..28d1e969 100644
--- a/views/index.hbs
+++ b/views/index.hbs
@@ -115,9 +115,9 @@
   </div>
 </div>
 <!-- LISTING CARDS -->
-{{#if currentSession.passport}}
-  <div class="row">
-      {{# each items }}
+<div class="row">
+  {{# each items }}
+    {{#ifNotEquals this.postedBy ../currentSession.passport.user._json.email}}
       <div class="col-sm-3" style="margin-top:20px">
         <div class="card" >
           <img class="card-img-top" src="{{ this.image_url }}" alt="Card image cap" style="height:10vw;">
@@ -127,45 +127,23 @@
             <p class="card-text" name="description">{{ this.description }}</p>
             <p name="condition">A <strong>{{ this.booktype }}</strong> in <strong>{{ this.condition }}</strong> condition.</strong></p>
             <hr/>
-            {{#if listingIsSameAsUser}}
-
-            {{else}}
-            <form action="/chat/openThread" method="POST">
+            <form action="/chat/openThread">
               <input class="card-text" name="itemId" value="{{this._id}}" style="display:none;"></input>
               <input class="card-text" name="seller" value="{{this.postedBy}}" style="display:none;"></input>
               <center><button type="submit" class="btn btn-success">I'm Interested</button></center>
             </form>
-            {{/if}}
           </div>
           <div class="card-footer">
            <small class="text-muted">{{ this.datePostedComputed }}</small>
          </div>
         </div>
       </div>
-      {{/each}}
-  </div>
-{{else}}
-  <div class="row">
-      {{# each items }}
-      <div class="col-sm-3" style="margin-top:20px">
-        <div class="card" >
-          <img class="card-img-top" src="{{ this.image_url }}" alt="Card image cap" style="height:10vw;">
-          <div class="card-body">
-            <h5 class="card-title" name="title">{{ this.title }}</h5>
-            <p name="price">Price: ${{ this.price }}</p>
-            <p class="card-text" name="description">{{ this.description }}</p>
-            <p name="condition">A <strong>{{ this.booktype }}</strong> in <strong>{{ this.condition }}</strong> condition.</strong></p>
-            <hr/>
-            <form>
-            <center><button class="btn btn-success disabled">I'm Interested</button></center>
-          </form>
-          </div>
-          <div class="card-footer">
-           <small class="text-muted">{{ this.datePostedComputed }}</small>
-         </div>
-        </div>
-      </div>
-      {{/each}}
-  </div>
-{{/if}}
-<br>
+    {{/ifNotEquals}}
+  {{/each}}
+</div>
+
+{{#if queryParams.alert}}
+  <script>
+    alert('{{queryParams.alert}}');
+  </script>
+{{/if}}
\ No newline at end of file