diff --git a/osx/tight-menu-item-view.mm b/osx/tight-menu-item-view.mm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..acd7830
--- /dev/null
+++ b/osx/tight-menu-item-view.mm
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+//
+/* -*- Mode: objc; c-file-style: "gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil -*- */
+/*
+ * @copyright See LICENCE for copyright and license information.
+ *
+ * @author Alexander Afanasyev <alexander.afanasyev@ucla.edu>
+ * @author Ilya Moiseenko <iliamo@ucla.edu>
+ */
+
+#import "tight-menu-item-view.h"
+
+@implementation TightMenuItemView
+
+-(void)setStatus:(NSString*)value
+{
+  status = value;
+}
+
+- (void) drawRect:(NSRect)dirtyRect
+{
+  [self setSubviews:[NSArray array]];
+
+  NSRect fullBounds = [self bounds];
+  fullBounds.size.height += 4;
+  [[NSBezierPath bezierPathWithRect:fullBounds] setClip];
+
+
+  [[NSColor colorWithCalibratedRed:(70.0f/255.0f)
+                              green:(70.0f/255.0f)
+                              blue:(70.0f/255.0f)
+                              alpha:1.0] set];
+  NSRectFill(fullBounds);
+  
+  NSTextField *connectionStatusText = [[NSTextField alloc] initWithFrame:[self bounds]];
+  [connectionStatusText setTextColor:[NSColor whiteColor]];
+  [connectionStatusText setStringValue:status];
+  [connectionStatusText setEditable:NO];
+  [connectionStatusText setBezeled:NO];
+  [connectionStatusText setDrawsBackground:NO];
+  [connectionStatusText setSelectable:NO];
+  [connectionStatusText setAlignment:NSCenterTextAlignment];
+  NSFont *theFont = [NSFont fontWithName:@"Lucida Grande" size:14];
+  [connectionStatusText setFont:theFont];
+  
+  [self addSubview: connectionStatusText];
+}
+
+
+@end