diff --git a/CHANGELOG.txt b/CHANGELOG.txt
index 7ca96fc74d71a19..30bc4331e51a7dc 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.txt
+++ b/CHANGELOG.txt
@@ -22,11 +22,14 @@ Drupal x.x.x, xxxx-xx-xx
     * added support for multiple database connections.
 - theme system:
     * changed all GIFs to PNGs.
+- blocks:
+    * added 'recent comments' block.
+    * added 'categories' block.
 - blogger API:
     * added support for auto-discovery of blogger API via RSD.
 - accessibility:
     * improved the accessibility of the archive module's calendar.
-    * improved form handling.
+    * improved form handling and error reporting.
 
 
 Drupal 4.4.2, 2004-07-04
diff --git a/includes/bootstrap.inc b/includes/bootstrap.inc
index 968f0d29f4145ce..7a4518a51fae870 100644
--- a/includes/bootstrap.inc
+++ b/includes/bootstrap.inc
@@ -261,12 +261,16 @@ function watchdog($type, $message, $link = NULL) {
  * @{
  */
 function drupal_set_message($message = NULL, $type = "status") {
-  if (!isset($_SESSION['messages'])) {
-    $_SESSION['messages'] = array();
-  }
-
   if (isset($message)) {
-    $_SESSION['messages'][] = array($message, $type);
+    if (!isset($_SESSION['messages'])) {
+      $_SESSION['messages'] = array();
+    }
+
+    if (!isset($_SESSION['messages'][$type])) {
+      $_SESSION['messages'][$type] = array();
+    }
+
+    $_SESSION['messages'][$type][] = $message;
   }
 
   return $_SESSION['messages'];
diff --git a/includes/theme.inc b/includes/theme.inc
index 494ee78b27ef36d..c7c7c48872f38db 100644
--- a/includes/theme.inc
+++ b/includes/theme.inc
@@ -183,6 +183,35 @@ function theme_page($content, $title = NULL, $breadcrumb = NULL) {
   return $output;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Returns themed set of status and/or error messages.  The messages are grouped
+ * by type.
+ *
+ * @return a string containing the messages.
+ */
+function theme_status_messages() {
+  if ($data = drupal_get_messages()) {
+    $output = '';
+    foreach ($data as $type => $messages) {
+      $output .= "<div class=\"messages $type\">\n";
+      if (count($messages) > 1) {
+        $output .= " <ul>\n";
+        foreach($messages as $message) {
+          $output .= "  <li>". ucfirst($message) ."</li>\n";
+        }
+        $output .= " </ul>\n";
+      }
+      else {
+        $output .= ucfirst($messages[0]);
+      }
+      $output .= "</div>\n";
+    }
+
+    return $output;
+  }
+}
+
+
 /**
  * Returns themed set of links.
  *
@@ -283,7 +312,6 @@ function theme_node($node, $main = 0, $page = 0) {
 function theme_form_element($title, $value, $description = NULL, $id = NULL, $required = FALSE, $error = FALSE) {
 
   $output  = "<div class=\"form-item\">\n";
-
   $required = $required ? theme('mark') : '';
 
   if ($title) {
@@ -446,6 +474,7 @@ function theme_item_list($items = array(), $title = NULL) {
 
 /**
  * Returns themed error message.
+ * REMOVE: this function is deprecated an no longer used in core.
  *
  * @param $message the error message to be themed.
  *
diff --git a/themes/chameleon/chameleon.theme b/themes/chameleon/chameleon.theme
index 3f24f74068cdc24..8af17edf0ce6755 100644
--- a/themes/chameleon/chameleon.theme
+++ b/themes/chameleon/chameleon.theme
@@ -77,10 +77,7 @@ function chameleon_page($content, $title = NULL, $breadcrumb = NULL) {
     $output .= "<div id=\"help\">$help</div><hr />";
   }
 
-  foreach (drupal_get_messages() as $message) {
-    list($message, $type) = $message;
-    $output .= "<div class=\"message $type\">". ucfirst($message) ."</div>";
-  }
+  $output .= theme_status_messages();
 
   $output .= "\n<!-- begin content -->\n";
   $output .= $content;
diff --git a/themes/chameleon/common.css b/themes/chameleon/common.css
index ece5c3ab3383f93..7ed4e4ff89ae862 100644
--- a/themes/chameleon/common.css
+++ b/themes/chameleon/common.css
@@ -99,17 +99,17 @@ br {
 .block {
   width: 180px;
 }
-.message {
+.messages {
   padding: 0.3em;
-  margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;
+  margin: 0.5em 0em 0.5em 0em;
 }
 .status {
-  border: 1px solid #696;
-  color: #696;
+  border: 1px solid #3a3;
+  color: #3a3;
 }
 .error, form-item input.error {
-  border: 1px solid #930;
-  color: #930;
+  border: 1px solid red;
+  color: red;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/themes/xtemplate/default/xtemplate.css b/themes/xtemplate/default/xtemplate.css
index 5e2e7b2c2849a76..8828323a48cea5d 100644
--- a/themes/xtemplate/default/xtemplate.css
+++ b/themes/xtemplate/default/xtemplate.css
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ table {
 .breadcrumb {
   margin-bottom: .5em;
 }
-.message {
+.messages {
   background-color: #eee;
   border: 1px solid #ccc;
   padding: 0.3em;
diff --git a/themes/xtemplate/default/xtemplate.xtmpl b/themes/xtemplate/default/xtemplate.xtmpl
index c05d345347e738a..e01129a38733007 100644
--- a/themes/xtemplate/default/xtemplate.xtmpl
+++ b/themes/xtemplate/default/xtemplate.xtmpl
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
         <div id="help">{help}</div>
         <!-- END: help -->
         <!-- BEGIN: message -->
-        <div class="message {type}">{message}</div>
+        {message}
         <!-- END: message -->
 <!-- END: header -->
 
diff --git a/themes/xtemplate/pushbutton/xtemplate.css b/themes/xtemplate/pushbutton/xtemplate.css
index a78cb095fe249df..cdf464eec54e075 100644
--- a/themes/xtemplate/pushbutton/xtemplate.css
+++ b/themes/xtemplate/pushbutton/xtemplate.css
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ td#home a:hover img {
 .breadcrumb {
   margin-bottom: .5em;
 }
-.message {
+.messages {
   background-color: #eee;
   border: 1px solid #ccc;
   padding: 0.3em;
diff --git a/themes/xtemplate/pushbutton/xtemplate.xtmpl b/themes/xtemplate/pushbutton/xtemplate.xtmpl
index f847c51c3ae1d22..5e148eaac8b83ea 100644
--- a/themes/xtemplate/pushbutton/xtemplate.xtmpl
+++ b/themes/xtemplate/pushbutton/xtemplate.xtmpl
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
         <div id="help">{help}</div>
         <!-- END: help -->
         <!-- BEGIN: message -->
-        <div class="message {type}">{message}</div>
+        {message}
         <!-- END: message -->
 <!-- END: header -->
 
diff --git a/themes/xtemplate/xtemplate.theme b/themes/xtemplate/xtemplate.theme
index 60efdeeb561ae25..1ef3a591ceacdf9 100644
--- a/themes/xtemplate/xtemplate.theme
+++ b/themes/xtemplate/xtemplate.theme
@@ -164,10 +164,8 @@ function xtemplate_page($content, $title = NULL, $breadcrumb = NULL) {
     $xtemplate->template->parse("header.help");
   }
 
-  foreach (drupal_get_messages() as $message) {
-    list($message, $type) = $message;
-    $xtemplate->template->assign("message", ucfirst($message));
-    $xtemplate->template->assign("type", $type);
+  if ($message = theme_status_messages()) {
+    $xtemplate->template->assign("message", $message);
     $xtemplate->template->parse("header.message");
   }