diff --git a/tmux.conf b/tmux.conf
index c6236c1..1e86c9e 100644
--- a/tmux.conf
+++ b/tmux.conf
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ set-option -g default-terminal "screen-256color"
 # The default is 500ms, which makes vim kind of painful
 set-option -sg escape-time 50
 
+# Enable UTF-8
+set-window-option -g utf8 on
+
 # Enable mouse mode
 set-option -g mode-mouse on
 set-option -g mouse-select-pane on
@@ -39,6 +42,7 @@ set-option -g status on
 set-option -g status-interval 2
 set-option -g status-bg colour8
 set-option -g status-fg colour7
+set-option -g status-utf8 on
 
 # Status bar - left
 # <username>@<host> <session name>
@@ -64,10 +68,10 @@ set-window-option -g window-status-format "#I-#P:#W#F"
 set-window-option -g window-status-current-format "#I-#P:#W#F"
 
 # Message bar formatting
-set-option -g message-bg green
+set-option -g message-bg colour7
 set-option -g message-fg black
-set-option -g message-command-bg yellow
-set-option -g message-command-fg black
+set-option -g message-command-bg black
+set-option -g message-command-fg colour7
 
 # Pane highlighting
 set-option -g pane-active-border-fg green
@@ -94,7 +98,7 @@ bind-key H \
     display-message 'Toggled logging to ~/tmux_logs/tmux_log.#I-#P'
 
 # Synchronize panes - have a hotkey to switch sync on and off
-bind-key -n F5 set-window-option synchronize-panes
+bind-key C-s set-window-option synchronize-panes
 
 # Tweak the copy mode bindings
 unbind-key -t vi-copy C-e
@@ -112,6 +116,9 @@ bind-key -r j resize-pane -D
 bind-key -r k resize-pane -U
 bind-key -r l resize-pane -R
 
+# Allow the escape key to quit the command mode
+bind-key -ct vi-edit Escape cancel
+
 # Terminator style pane switching
 # OSX Terminal.app, enable Use option as meta key
 # and delete the key bindings for Option Cursor left & Option Cursor right