diff --git a/src/App.jsx b/src/App.jsx
index f0b5bd6..e1060c0 100644
--- a/src/App.jsx
+++ b/src/App.jsx
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ const App = () => {
       noItemsMessage={'No matching fruit found'}
       placeholder={'Type something fruity'}
       styles={styles}
+      minQueryLength={1}
     />
   )
 }
diff --git a/src/data.js b/src/data.js
index 69ef8c1..7601ecb 100644
--- a/src/data.js
+++ b/src/data.js
@@ -7,10 +7,11 @@ const fruits = [
   "Blackberry",
   "Blackcurrant",
   "Blueberry",
-  "Currant",
+  "Cantaloupe",
   "Cherry",
   "Cherimoya",
   "Clementine",
+  "Currant",
   "Date",
   "Damson",
   "Durian",
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ const fruits = [
   "Grape",
   "Grapefruit",
   "Guava",
+  "Honeydew melon",
   "Huckleberry",
   "Jackfruit",
   "Jambul",
@@ -33,23 +35,19 @@ const fruits = [
   "Mango",
   "Mangostine",
   "Melon",
-  "Cantaloupe",
-  "Honeydew melon",
-  "Watermelon",
   "Rock melon",
   "Nectarine",
   "Orange",
   "Peach",
   "Pear",
-  "Williams pear or Bartlett pear",
-  "Pitaya",
   "Physalis",
-  "Plum/prune (dried plum)",
   "Pineapple",
+  "Pitaya",
+  "Plum",
   "Pomegranate",
+  "Prune",
   "Raisin",
   "Raspberry",
-  "Western raspberry (blackcap)",
   "Rambutan",
   "Redcurrant",
   "Salal berry",
@@ -60,6 +58,8 @@ const fruits = [
   "Tomato",
   "Ugli fruit",
   "Watermelon",
+  "Western raspberry (blackcap)",
+  "Williams pear or Bartlett pear",
   "Ziziphus mauritiana"
 ]
 
diff --git a/src/lib/components/container.jsx b/src/lib/components/container.jsx
index f12701e..1ff56f5 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/container.jsx
+++ b/src/lib/components/container.jsx
@@ -3,12 +3,16 @@ import setify from 'setify' // Sets input value without changing cursor position
 import { StateContext } from '../context/state'
 import Items from './items'
 import { useDebounce } from 'use-debounce'
-import { useItemsState, useAutoFocus, useQueryChange } from './hooks/containerEffects'
 import useData from './hooks/useData'
 import undef from '../utils/undef'
 import isUndefined from '../utils/isUndefined'
 import startsWithCaseInsensitive from '../utils/startsWithCaseInsensitive'
 import defaultStyles from './styles/input.styles.js'
+import {
+  useItemsState,
+  useAutoFocus,
+  useQueryChange,
+} from './hooks/containerEffects'
 import {
   setQuery,
   setHighlighted,
@@ -32,7 +36,6 @@ export default function Container(props) {
     itemGroupsAreImmutable,
     maxItems,
     minQueryLength,
-    loadingMessage,
     noItemsMessage,
     onChange,
     onSelect,
@@ -61,7 +64,6 @@ export default function Container(props) {
   // Component state
   const [debouncedQuery] = useDebounce(state.query, debounceWait)
   const [hasFocus, setHasFocus] = useState(false)
-  const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false)
 
   // DOM references
   const queryInput = useRef(null)
@@ -96,12 +98,6 @@ export default function Container(props) {
   // typeahead value and the query value and fire onChnage
   useQueryChange(state.query, queryInput, typeaheadInput, onChange)
 
-  // Figure out whether we are able to display a loading state
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (state.items && state.items.length) setIsLoading(false)
-    else if (state.query.length <= minQueryLength) setIsLoading(true)
-  }, [state.items, state.query, minQueryLength, setIsLoading])
-
   // When the highlighted item changes, make sure the typeahead matches and format
   // the query text to match the case of the typeahead text
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -256,9 +252,7 @@ export default function Container(props) {
 
         {isDropdown() && (
           <Items
-            isLoading={isLoading}
             items={state.items}
-            loadingMessage={loadingMessage}
             noItemsMessage={noItemsMessage}
           />
         )}
diff --git a/src/lib/components/items.jsx b/src/lib/components/items.jsx
index 6ce39aa..881cc75 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/items.jsx
+++ b/src/lib/components/items.jsx
@@ -3,10 +3,9 @@ import { StateContext } from '../context/state'
 import defaultStyles from './styles/items.styles.js'
 import ItemFirst from './itemFirst'
 import Item from './item'
-import isUndefined from '../utils/isUndefined'
 
 export default function Items(props) {
-  const { isLoading, items, loadingMessage, noItemsMessage } = props
+  const { items, noItemsMessage } = props
   const { state } = useContext(StateContext)
   const { customStyles } = state
 
@@ -29,22 +28,10 @@ export default function Items(props) {
     )
   }
 
-  const showLoadingMessage = useMemo(() => {
-    return isLoading && !isUndefined(loadingMessage)
-  }, [isLoading, loadingMessage])
-
   const noItemsMsg = () => {
-    const msg = showLoadingMessage
-      ? loadingMessage
-      : noItemsMessage
-
-    const msgClassName = showLoadingMessage
-      ? customStyles.loading
-      : customStyles.noItems
-
     return (
       <div className={customStyles.dropdown} style={defaultStyles.dropdown}>
-        <div className={msgClassName}>{msg}</div>
+        <div className={customStyles.noItems}>{noItemsMessage}</div>
       </div>
     )
   }
@@ -52,9 +39,11 @@ export default function Items(props) {
   const dropdown = () => {
     if (items && items.length) {
       return itemElements()
-    } else if ((noItemsMessage && !isLoading) || showLoadingMessage) {
+    }
+    else if (noItemsMessage && state.query) {
       return noItemsMsg()
-    } else {
+    }
+    else {
       return <React.Fragment />
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/lib/context/state.jsx b/src/lib/context/state.jsx
index eeb2b3c..3c8bf4a 100644
--- a/src/lib/context/state.jsx
+++ b/src/lib/context/state.jsx
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ const StateContextProvider = (props) => {
     items,
     highlighted: undef,
     selected: undef,
-    isLoading: false,
     customStyles: styles,
     splitChar,
     props: propsMinusChildren
diff --git a/src/lib/index.jsx b/src/lib/index.jsx
index 1fa0e60..b63d0f1 100644
--- a/src/lib/index.jsx
+++ b/src/lib/index.jsx
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ Turnstone.propTypes = {
     )
   },
   itemGroupsAreImmutable: PropTypes.bool,
-  loadingMessage: PropTypes.string,
   minQueryLength: (props) => {
     PropTypes.checkPropTypes(
       {minQueryLength: PropTypes.number},
@@ -80,7 +79,9 @@ Turnstone.propTypes = {
       'prop', 'Turnstone'
     )
     if(props.minQueryLength < propDefaults.minQueryLength)
-      return new Error(`Prop "minQueryLength" must be a number greater than ${propDefaults.minQueryLength - 1}`)
+      return new Error(
+        `Prop "minQueryLength" must be a number greater than ${propDefaults.minQueryLength - 1}`
+      )
   },
   noItemsMessage: PropTypes.string,
   onChange: PropTypes.func,