diff --git a/web/react/components/file_attachment.jsx b/web/react/components/file_attachment.jsx
index c9aa06a978..888f24aa5c 100644
--- a/web/react/components/file_attachment.jsx
+++ b/web/react/components/file_attachment.jsx
@@ -143,10 +143,7 @@ export default class FileAttachment extends React.Component {
             >
                 <a className='post-image__thumbnail'
                     href='#'
-                    onClick={this.props.handleImageClick}
-                    data-img-id={this.props.index}
-                    data-toggle='modal'
-                    data-target={'#' + this.props.modalId}
+                    onClick={() => this.props.handleImageClick(this.props.index)}
                 >
                     {thumbnail}
                 </a>
@@ -187,9 +184,6 @@ FileAttachment.propTypes = {
     // the index of this attachment preview in the parent FileAttachmentList
     index: React.PropTypes.number.isRequired,
 
-    // the identifier of the modal dialog used to preview files
-    modalId: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
-
-    // handler for when the thumbnail is clicked
+    // handler for when the thumbnail is clicked passed the index above
     handleImageClick: React.PropTypes.func
 };
diff --git a/web/react/components/file_attachment_list.jsx b/web/react/components/file_attachment_list.jsx
index abe72089ae..212d4a9580 100644
--- a/web/react/components/file_attachment_list.jsx
+++ b/web/react/components/file_attachment_list.jsx
@@ -11,23 +11,21 @@ export default class FileAttachmentList extends React.Component {
 
         this.handleImageClick = this.handleImageClick.bind(this);
 
-        this.state = {startImgId: 0};
+        this.state = {showPreviewModal: false, startImgId: 0};
     }
-    handleImageClick(e) {
-        this.setState({startImgId: parseInt($(e.target.parentNode).attr('data-img-id'), 10)});
+    handleImageClick(indexClicked) {
+        this.setState({showPreviewModal: true, startImgId: indexClicked});
     }
     render() {
         var filenames = this.props.filenames;
-        var modalId = this.props.modalId;
 
         var postFiles = [];
         for (var i = 0; i < filenames.length && i < Constants.MAX_DISPLAY_FILES; i++) {
             postFiles.push(
                 <FileAttachment
-                    key={i}
+                    key={'file_attachment_' + i}
                     filename={filenames[i]}
                     index={i}
-                    modalId={modalId}
                     handleImageClick={this.handleImageClick}
                 />
             );
@@ -39,9 +37,10 @@ export default class FileAttachmentList extends React.Component {
                     {postFiles}
                 </div>
                 <ViewImageModal
+                    show={this.state.showPreviewModal}
+                    onModalDismissed={() => this.setState({showPreviewModal: false})}
                     channelId={this.props.channelId}
                     userId={this.props.userId}
-                    modalId={modalId}
                     startId={this.state.startImgId}
                     filenames={filenames}
                 />
@@ -55,9 +54,6 @@ FileAttachmentList.propTypes = {
     // a list of file pathes displayed by this
     filenames: React.PropTypes.arrayOf(React.PropTypes.string).isRequired,
 
-    // the identifier of the modal dialog used to preview files
-    modalId: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
-
     // the channel that this is part of
     channelId: React.PropTypes.string,
 
diff --git a/web/react/components/post_body.jsx b/web/react/components/post_body.jsx
index dbbcdc4097..6e98e4aba4 100644
--- a/web/react/components/post_body.jsx
+++ b/web/react/components/post_body.jsx
@@ -141,7 +141,6 @@ export default class PostBody extends React.Component {
             fileAttachmentHolder = (
                 <FileAttachmentList
                     filenames={filenames}
-                    modalId={`view_image_modal_${post.id}`}
                     channelId={post.channel_id}
                     userId={post.user_id}
                 />
diff --git a/web/react/components/rhs_comment.jsx b/web/react/components/rhs_comment.jsx
index 4d1892a690..dc49fbdb1e 100644
--- a/web/react/components/rhs_comment.jsx
+++ b/web/react/components/rhs_comment.jsx
@@ -163,7 +163,6 @@ export default class RhsComment extends React.Component {
             fileAttachment = (
                 <FileAttachmentList
                     filenames={post.filenames}
-                    modalId={'rhs_comment_view_image_modal_' + post.id}
                     channelId={post.channel_id}
                     userId={post.user_id}
                 />
diff --git a/web/react/components/rhs_root_post.jsx b/web/react/components/rhs_root_post.jsx
index e661bdce1e..caa8c5c1e3 100644
--- a/web/react/components/rhs_root_post.jsx
+++ b/web/react/components/rhs_root_post.jsx
@@ -111,7 +111,6 @@ export default class RhsRootPost extends React.Component {
             fileAttachment = (
                 <FileAttachmentList
                     filenames={post.filenames}
-                    modalId={'rhs_view_image_modal_' + post.id}
                     channelId={post.channel_id}
                     userId={post.user_id}
                 />
diff --git a/web/react/components/view_image.jsx b/web/react/components/view_image.jsx
index dafcdd9f99..8db63e1961 100644
--- a/web/react/components/view_image.jsx
+++ b/web/react/components/view_image.jsx
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 
 var Client = require('../utils/client.jsx');
 var Utils = require('../utils/utils.jsx');
+var ViewImagePopoverBar = require('./view_image_popover_bar.jsx');
+var Modal = ReactBootstrap.Modal;
 
 export default class ViewImageModal extends React.Component {
     constructor(props) {
@@ -16,6 +18,10 @@ export default class ViewImageModal extends React.Component {
         this.handleKeyPress = this.handleKeyPress.bind(this);
         this.getPublicLink = this.getPublicLink.bind(this);
         this.getPreviewImagePath = this.getPreviewImagePath.bind(this);
+        this.onModalShown = this.onModalShown.bind(this);
+        this.onModalHidden = this.onModalHidden.bind(this);
+        this.onMouseEnterImage = this.onMouseEnterImage.bind(this);
+        this.onMouseLeaveImage = this.onMouseLeaveImage.bind(this);
 
         var loaded = [];
         var progress = [];
@@ -23,9 +29,18 @@ export default class ViewImageModal extends React.Component {
             loaded.push(false);
             progress.push(0);
         }
-        this.state = {imgId: this.props.startId, viewed: false, loaded: loaded, progress: progress, images: {}, fileSizes: {}};
+        this.state = {
+            imgId: this.props.startId,
+            imgHeight: '100%',
+            loaded: loaded,
+            progress: progress,
+            images: {},
+            fileSizes: {},
+            showFooter: false
+        };
     }
-    handleNext() {
+    handleNext(e) {
+        e.stopPropagation();
         var id = this.state.imgId + 1;
         if (id > this.props.filenames.length - 1) {
             id = 0;
@@ -33,7 +48,8 @@ export default class ViewImageModal extends React.Component {
         this.setState({imgId: id});
         this.loadImage(id);
     }
-    handlePrev() {
+    handlePrev(e) {
+        e.stopPropagation();
         var id = this.state.imgId - 1;
         if (id < 0) {
             id = this.props.filenames.length - 1;
@@ -50,15 +66,27 @@ export default class ViewImageModal extends React.Component {
             this.handlePrev();
         }
     }
-    componentWillReceiveProps(nextProps) {
+    onModalShown(nextProps) {
         this.setState({imgId: nextProps.startId});
+        this.loadImage(nextProps.startId);
+    }
+    onModalHidden() {
+        if (this.refs.video) {
+            var video = React.findDOMNode(this.refs.video);
+            video.pause();
+            video.currentTime = 0;
+        }
+    }
+    componentWillReceiveProps(nextProps) {
+        if (nextProps.show === true && this.props.show === false) {
+            this.onModalShown(nextProps);
+        } else if (nextProps.show === false && this.props.show === true) {
+            this.onModalHidden();
+        }
     }
     loadImage(id) {
         var imgHeight = $(window).height() - 100;
-        if (this.state.loaded[id] || this.state.images[id]) {
-            $('.modal .modal-image .image-wrapper img').css('max-height', imgHeight);
-            return;
-        }
+        this.setState({imgHeight});
 
         var filename = this.props.filenames[id];
 
@@ -68,84 +96,27 @@ export default class ViewImageModal extends React.Component {
         if (fileType === 'image') {
             var img = new Image();
             img.load(this.getPreviewImagePath(filename),
-                function load() {
-                    var progress = this.state.progress;
-                    progress[id] = img.completedPercentage;
-                    this.setState({progress: progress});
-                }.bind(this));
-            img.onload = (function onload(imgid) {
-                return function onloadReturn() {
-                    var loaded = this.state.loaded;
-                    loaded[imgid] = true;
-                    this.setState({loaded: loaded});
-                    $(React.findDOMNode(this.refs.image)).css('max-height', imgHeight);
-                }.bind(this);
-            }.bind(this)(id));
+                     () => {
+                         const progress = this.state.progress;
+                         progress[id] = img.completedPercentage;
+                         this.setState({progress});
+                     });
+            img.onload = () => {
+                const loaded = this.state.loaded;
+                loaded[id] = true;
+                this.setState({loaded});
+            };
             var images = this.state.images;
             images[id] = img;
-            this.setState({images: images});
+            this.setState({images});
         } else {
             // there's nothing to load for non-image files
             var loaded = this.state.loaded;
             loaded[id] = true;
-            this.setState({loaded: loaded});
-        }
-    }
-    componentDidUpdate() {
-        if (this.state.loaded[this.state.imgId]) {
-            if (this.refs.imageWrap) {
-                $(React.findDOMNode(this.refs.imageWrap)).removeClass('default');
-            }
+            this.setState({loaded});
         }
     }
     componentDidMount() {
-        $('#' + this.props.modalId).on('shown.bs.modal', function onModalShow() {
-            this.setState({viewed: true});
-            this.loadImage(this.state.imgId);
-        }.bind(this));
-
-        $('#' + this.props.modalId).on('hidden.bs.modal', function onModalHide() {
-            if (this.refs.video) {
-                var video = React.findDOMNode(this.refs.video);
-                video.pause();
-                video.currentTime = 0;
-            }
-        }.bind(this));
-
-        $(React.findDOMNode(this.refs.modal)).click(function onModalClick(e) {
-            if (e.target === this || e.target === React.findDOMNode(this.refs.imageBody)) {
-                $('.image_modal').modal('hide');
-            }
-        }.bind(this));
-
-        $(React.findDOMNode(this.refs.imageWrap)).hover(
-            function onModalHover() {
-                $(React.findDOMNode(this.refs.imageFooter)).addClass('footer--show');
-            }.bind(this), function offModalHover() {
-                $(React.findDOMNode(this.refs.imageFooter)).removeClass('footer--show');
-            }.bind(this)
-        );
-
-        if (this.refs.previewArrowLeft) {
-            $(React.findDOMNode(this.refs.previewArrowLeft)).hover(
-                function onModalHover() {
-                    $(React.findDOMNode(this.refs.imageFooter)).addClass('footer--show');
-                }.bind(this), function offModalHover() {
-                    $(React.findDOMNode(this.refs.imageFooter)).removeClass('footer--show');
-                }.bind(this)
-            );
-        }
-
-        if (this.refs.previewArrowRight) {
-            $(React.findDOMNode(this.refs.previewArrowRight)).hover(
-                function onModalHover() {
-                    $(React.findDOMNode(this.refs.imageFooter)).addClass('footer--show');
-                }.bind(this), function offModalHover() {
-                    $(React.findDOMNode(this.refs.imageFooter)).removeClass('footer--show');
-                }.bind(this)
-            );
-        }
-
         $(window).on('keyup', this.handleKeyPress);
 
         // keep track of whether or not this component is mounted so we can safely set the state asynchronously
@@ -189,6 +160,12 @@ export default class ViewImageModal extends React.Component {
         // only images have proper previews, so just use a placeholder icon for non-images
         return Utils.getPreviewImagePathForFileType(fileType);
     }
+    onMouseEnterImage() {
+        this.setState({showFooter: true});
+    }
+    onMouseLeaveImage() {
+        this.setState({showFooter: false});
+    }
     render() {
         if (this.props.filenames.length < 1 || this.props.filenames.length - 1 < this.state.imgId) {
             return <div/>;
@@ -299,23 +276,6 @@ export default class ViewImageModal extends React.Component {
             bgClass = 'black-bg';
         }
 
-        var publicLink = '';
-        if (global.window.config.EnablePublicLink === 'true') {
-            publicLink = (
-                <div>
-                    <a
-                        href='#'
-                        className='public-link text'
-                        data-title='Public Image'
-                        onClick={this.getPublicLink}
-                    >
-                        Get Public Link
-                    </a>
-                    <span className='text'> | </span>
-                </div>
-            );
-        }
-
         var leftArrow = '';
         var rightArrow = '';
         if (this.props.filenames.length > 1) {
@@ -342,65 +302,61 @@ export default class ViewImageModal extends React.Component {
             );
         }
 
+        let closeButtonClass = 'modal-close';
+        if (this.state.showFooter) {
+            closeButtonClass += ' modal-close--show';
+        }
+
         return (
-            <div
-                className='modal fade image_modal'
-                ref='modal'
-                id={this.props.modalId}
-                tabIndex='-1'
-                role='dialog'
-                aria-hidden='true'
+            <Modal
+                show={this.props.show}
+                onHide={this.props.onModalDismissed}
+                className='image_modal'
+                dialogClassName='modal-image'
             >
-                <div className='modal-dialog modal-image'>
-                    <div className='modal-content image-content'>
+                <Modal.Body
+                    modalClassName='image-body'
+                    onClick={this.props.onModalDismissed}
+                >
+                    <div
+                        className={'image-wrapper ' + bgClass}
+                        style={{maxHeight: this.state.imgHeight}}
+                        onMouseEnter={this.onMouseEnterImage}
+                        onMouseLeave={this.onMouseLeaveImage}
+                        onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
+                    >
                         <div
-                            ref='imageBody'
-                            className='modal-body image-body'
-                        >
-                            <div
-                                ref='imageWrap'
-                                className={'image-wrapper default ' + bgClass}
-                            >
-                                <div
-                                    className='modal-close'
-                                    data-dismiss='modal'
-                                />
-                                {content}
-                                <div
-                                    ref='imageFooter'
-                                    className='modal-button-bar'
-                                >
-                                <span className='pull-left text'>{'File ' + (this.state.imgId + 1) + ' of ' + this.props.filenames.length}</span>
-                                    <div className='image-links'>
-                                        {publicLink}
-                                        <a
-                                            href={fileUrl}
-                                            download={name}
-                                            className='text'
-                                        >
-                                            Download
-                                        </a>
-                                    </div>
-                                </div>
-                            </div>
-                            {leftArrow}
-                            {rightArrow}
-                        </div>
+                            className={closeButtonClass}
+                            onClick={this.props.onModalDismissed}
+                        />
+                        {content}
+                        <ViewImagePopoverBar
+                            show={this.state.showFooter}
+                            fileId={this.state.imgId}
+                            totalFiles={this.props.filenames.length}
+                            filename={name}
+                            fileURL={fileUrl}
+                            onGetPublicLinkPressed={this.getPublicLink}
+                        />
                     </div>
-                </div>
-            </div>
+                    {leftArrow}
+                    {rightArrow}
+                </Modal.Body>
+            </Modal>
         );
     }
 }
 
 ViewImageModal.defaultProps = {
+    show: false,
     filenames: [],
-    modalId: '',
     channelId: '',
     userId: '',
     startId: 0
 };
 ViewImageModal.propTypes = {
+    show: React.PropTypes.bool.isRequired,
+    onModalDismissed: React.PropTypes.func.isRequired,
     filenames: React.PropTypes.array,
     modalId: React.PropTypes.string,
     channelId: React.PropTypes.string,
diff --git a/web/react/components/view_image_popover_bar.jsx b/web/react/components/view_image_popover_bar.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..68817d751e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/react/components/view_image_popover_bar.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2015 Spinpunch, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+// See License.txt for license information.
+
+export default class ViewImagePopoverBar extends React.Component {
+    constructor(props) {
+        super(props);
+    }
+    render() {
+        var publicLink = '';
+        if (global.window.config.EnablePublicLink === 'true') {
+            publicLink = (
+                <div>
+                    <a
+                        href='#'
+                        className='public-link text'
+                        data-title='Public Image'
+                        onClick={this.getPublicLink}
+                    >
+                        {'Get Public Link'}
+                    </a>
+                    <span className='text'>{' | '}</span>
+                </div>
+            );
+        }
+
+        var footerClass = 'modal-button-bar';
+        if (this.props.show) {
+            footerClass += ' footer--show';
+        }
+
+        return (
+            <div
+                ref='imageFooter'
+                className={footerClass}
+            >
+                <span className='pull-left text'>{'File ' + (this.props.fileId + 1) + ' of ' + this.props.totalFiles}</span>
+                <div className='image-links'>
+                    {publicLink}
+                    <a
+                        href={this.props.fileURL}
+                        download={this.props.filename}
+                        className='text'
+                    >
+                        {'Download'}
+                    </a>
+                </div>
+            </div>
+        );
+    }
+}
+ViewImagePopoverBar.defaultProps = {
+    show: false,
+    imgId: 0,
+    totalFiles: 0,
+    filename: '',
+    fileURL: ''
+};
+
+ViewImagePopoverBar.propTypes = {
+    show: React.PropTypes.bool.isRequired,
+    fileId: React.PropTypes.number.isRequired,
+    totalFiles: React.PropTypes.number.isRequired,
+    filename: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+    fileURL: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+    onGetPublicLinkPressed: React.PropTypes.func.isRequired
+};
diff --git a/web/sass-files/sass/partials/_modal.scss b/web/sass-files/sass/partials/_modal.scss
index 62067c3b81..b0d5a0f7db 100644
--- a/web/sass-files/sass/partials/_modal.scss
+++ b/web/sass-files/sass/partials/_modal.scss
@@ -190,16 +190,13 @@
 			position: relative;
 			max-width: 90%;
 			min-height: 100px;
-			min-width: 320px;
+			min-width: 240px;
 			@include border-radius(3px);
 			display: table;
 			margin: 0 auto;
 			&:hover {
 				@include border-radius(3px 3px 0 0);
 			}
-			&:hover .modal-close {
-				@include opacity(1);
-			}
 			&.default {
 				width: 100%;
 				height: 80%;
@@ -213,8 +210,15 @@
 				right: -13px;
 				top: -13px;
 				@include opacity(0);
+				-webkit-transition: opacity 0.6s;
+				-moz-transition: opacity 0.6s;
+				-o-transition: opacity 0.6s;
+				transition: opacity 0.6s;
 				cursor: pointer;
 				z-index: 9999;
+				&.modal-close--show {
+					@include opacity(1);
+				}
 			}
 			> a {
 				background: #FFF;
@@ -226,7 +230,7 @@
 				max-height: 100%;
 			}
 		}
-		.image-content {
+		.modal-content{
 			box-shadow: none;
 			background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);
 			width: 100%;
@@ -310,6 +314,7 @@
 	}
 }
 
+
 // Invite New Member
 .invite {
 	margin-right: 40px;
@@ -324,4 +329,4 @@
 			padding-left: 0;
 		}
 	}
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}