diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/notifications/media/notificationsCenter.css b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/notifications/media/notificationsCenter.css
index a2548b069e76a47f81ca5220b84991825d819fa9..1fe545ebb25d01e4615e62a5f557d88bbd08bc8d 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/notifications/media/notificationsCenter.css
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/notifications/media/notificationsCenter.css
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@
 	right: 8px;
 	bottom: 32px; /* above status bar */
 	display: none;
-	background: #1E1E1E; /* TODO@notification make themable */
-	border: 3px solid #323232;
+	background: #323232; /* TODO@notification make themable */
 	overflow: hidden;
 }
 
@@ -32,7 +31,7 @@
 	padding: 10px 5px;
 	height: 100%;
 	box-sizing: border-box;
-	border-bottom: 1px solid #323232;
+	border-bottom: 1px solid #1E1E1E;
 }
 
 /** Notification: Main Row */
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/notifications/notificationsViewer.ts b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/notifications/notificationsViewer.ts
index f6867a52823883873c160a8163b68e3694f2eb84..734ba9ecc046a92f5cca1d16fa55978acbd45f89 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/notifications/notificationsViewer.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/notifications/notificationsViewer.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import { CloseNotificationAction, ExpandNotificationAction, CollapseNotification
 
 export class NotificationsListDelegate implements IDelegate<INotificationViewItem> {
 
-	private static readonly ROW_HEIGHT = 48;
+	private static readonly ROW_HEIGHT = 42;
 	private static readonly LINE_HEIGHT = 22;
 
 	private offsetHelper: HTMLElement;
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/common/notifications.ts b/src/vs/workbench/common/notifications.ts
index fc7f5e909783a3d0e321dddbc3eef633dab6d32a..0ae411d2a092afd4af3174e1989b28e75c4d7d0c 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/common/notifications.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/common/notifications.ts
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ export interface INotificationViewItem {
 
 export class NotificationViewItem implements INotificationViewItem {
 
-	private static MAX_MESSAGE_LENGTH = 500;
+	private static MAX_MESSAGE_LENGTH = 1000;
 
 	private _expanded: boolean;
 	private toDispose: IDisposable[];