diff --git a/web/react/components/create_post.jsx b/web/react/components/create_post.jsx
index d38a6798f9..681ca252ff 100644
--- a/web/react/components/create_post.jsx
+++ b/web/react/components/create_post.jsx
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             post.channel_id = this.state.channel_id;
             post.filenames = this.state.previews;
 
+            post.root_id = this.state.rootId;
+            post.parent_id = this.state.parentId;
+
             client.createPost(post, ChannelStore.getCurrent(),
                 function(data) {
                     PostStore.storeDraft(data.channel_id, data.user_id, null);
@@ -92,6 +95,17 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         }
 
         $(".post-list-holder-by-time").perfectScrollbar('update');
+
+        if (this.state.rootId || this.state.parentId) {
+            this.setState({rootId: "", parentId: ""});
+
+            // clear the active thread since we've now sent our message
+            AppDispatcher.handleViewAction({
+                type: ActionTypes.RECEIVED_ACTIVE_THREAD_CHANGED,
+                root_id: "",
+                parent_id: ""
+            });
+        }
     },
     componentDidUpdate: function() {
         this.resizePostHolder();
@@ -112,6 +126,60 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     handleUserInput: function(messageText) {
         this.resizePostHolder();
         this.setState({messageText: messageText});
+
+        // look to see if the message begins with any carets to indicate that it's a reply
+        var replyMatch = messageText.match(/^\^+/g);
+        if (replyMatch) {
+            // the number of carets indicates how many message threads back we're replying to
+            var caretCount = replyMatch[0].length;
+
+            var posts = PostStore.getCurrentPosts();
+
+            var rootId = "";
+
+            // find the nth most recent post that isn't a comment on another (ie it has no parent) where n is caretCount
+            for (var i = 0; i < posts.order.length; i++) {
+                var postId = posts.order[i];
+
+                if (posts.posts[postId].parent_id === "") {
+                    if (caretCount == 1) {
+                        rootId = postId;
+                        break;
+                    } else {
+                        caretCount -= 1;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            if (rootId) {
+                // set the parent id to match the root id so that we're replying to the first post in the thread
+                var parentId = rootId;
+
+                // alert the post list so that it can display the active thread
+                AppDispatcher.handleViewAction({
+                    type: ActionTypes.RECEIVED_ACTIVE_THREAD_CHANGED,
+                    root_id: rootId,
+                    parent_id: parentId
+                });
+
+                // save these so that we don't need to recalculate them when we send this post
+                this.setState({rootId: rootId, parentId: parentId});
+            } else {
+                // we couldn't find a post to respond to
+                this.setState({rootId: "", parentId: ""});
+            }
+        } else {
+            if (this.state.rootId || this.state.parentId) {
+                this.setState({rootId: "", parentId: ""});
+
+                AppDispatcher.handleViewAction({
+                    type: ActionTypes.RECEIVED_ACTIVE_THREAD_CHANGED,
+                    root_id: "",
+                    parent_id: ""
+                });
+            }
+        }
+
         var draft = PostStore.getCurrentDraft();
         if (!draft) {
             draft = {}
diff --git a/web/react/components/post.jsx b/web/react/components/post.jsx
index e72a2d001c..e3586ecded 100644
--- a/web/react/components/post.jsx
+++ b/web/react/components/post.jsx
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                         <img className="post-profile-img" src={"/api/v1/users/" + post.user_id + "/image?time=" + timestamp} height="36" width="36" />
                     </div>
                     : null }
-                    <div className="post__content">
+                    <div className={"post__content" + (this.props.isActiveThread ? " active-thread__content" : "")}>
                         <PostHeader ref="header" post={post} sameRoot={this.props.sameRoot} commentCount={commentCount} handleCommentClick={this.handleCommentClick} isLastComment={this.props.isLastComment} />
                         <PostBody post={post} sameRoot={this.props.sameRoot} parentPost={parentPost} posts={posts} handleCommentClick={this.handleCommentClick} />
                         <PostInfo ref="info" post={post} sameRoot={this.props.sameRoot} commentCount={commentCount} handleCommentClick={this.handleCommentClick} allowReply="true" />
diff --git a/web/react/components/post_list.jsx b/web/react/components/post_list.jsx
index c058455bae..0fe668aeff 100644
--- a/web/react/components/post_list.jsx
+++ b/web/react/components/post_list.jsx
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ function getStateFromStores() {
 
     return {
         post_list: PostStore.getCurrentPosts(),
-        channel: channel
+        channel: channel,
+        activeThreadRootId: ""
     };
 }
 
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         ChannelStore.addChangeListener(this._onChange);
         UserStore.addStatusesChangeListener(this._onTimeChange);
         SocketStore.addChangeListener(this._onSocketChange);
+        PostStore.addActiveThreadChangedListener(this._onActiveThreadChanged);
 
         $(".post-list-holder-by-time").perfectScrollbar();
 
@@ -131,6 +133,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         ChannelStore.removeChangeListener(this._onChange);
         UserStore.removeStatusesChangeListener(this._onTimeChange);
         SocketStore.removeChangeListener(this._onSocketChange);
+        PostStore.removeActiveThreadChangedListener(this._onActiveThreadChanged);
         $('body').off('click.userpopover');
     },
     resize: function() {
@@ -228,6 +231,9 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             this.refs[id].forceUpdateInfo();
         }
     },
+    _onActiveThreadChanged: function(rootId, parentId) {
+        this.setState({"activeThreadRootId": rootId});
+    },
     getMorePosts: function(e) {
         e.preventDefault();
 
@@ -419,7 +425,14 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 // it is the last comment if it is last post in the channel or the next post has a different root post
                 var isLastComment = utils.isComment(post) && (i === 0 || posts[order[i-1]].root_id != post.root_id);
 
-                var postCtl = <Post ref={post.id} sameUser={sameUser} sameRoot={sameRoot} post={post} parentPost={parentPost} key={post.id} posts={posts} hideProfilePic={hideProfilePic} isLastComment={isLastComment} />;
+                // check if this is part of the thread that we're currently replying to
+                var isActiveThread = this.state.activeThreadRootId && (post.id === this.state.activeThreadRootId || post.root_id === this.state.activeThreadRootId);
+
+                var postCtl = (
+                    <Post ref={post.id} sameUser={sameUser} sameRoot={sameRoot} post={post} parentPost={parentPost} key={post.id}
+                        posts={posts} hideProfilePic={hideProfilePic} isLastComment={isLastComment} isActiveThread={isActiveThread}
+                    />
+                );
 
                 currentPostDay = utils.getDateForUnixTicks(post.create_at);
                 if (currentPostDay.toDateString() != previousPostDay.toDateString()) {
diff --git a/web/sass-files/sass/partials/_post.scss b/web/sass-files/sass/partials/_post.scss
index 481ed63a52..87c7a427c2 100644
--- a/web/sass-files/sass/partials/_post.scss
+++ b/web/sass-files/sass/partials/_post.scss
@@ -322,6 +322,10 @@ body.ios {
 			max-width: 100%;
 			@include legacy-pie-clearfix;
 		}
+        &.active-thread__content {
+            // HARRISON remove me
+            color: blue;
+        }
 	}
 	.post-image__columns {
 		@include legacy-pie-clearfix;
@@ -437,4 +441,4 @@ body.ios {
 			width: 40px;
 		}
 	}
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}