diff --git a/org/channel-tui-view.org b/org/channel-tui-view.org
index 9324beb..4e93b3c 100644
--- a/org/channel-tui-view.org
+++ b/org/channel-tui-view.org
@@ -170,24 +170,28 @@ Returns a list of strings, one per line."
       (let ((msg-count 0) (lines-remaining max-lines))
         (loop for i from (1- total) downto 0
               while (> lines-remaining 0)
-              do (let ((mh (aref msg-heights i)))
-                   (if (<= mh lines-remaining)
-                       (progn (decf lines-remaining mh) (incf msg-count))
+               do (let ((mh (aref msg-heights i))
+                          (spacer (if (< i (1- total)) 1 0)))
+                   (if (<= (+ mh spacer) lines-remaining)
+                       (progn (decf lines-remaining (+ mh spacer)) (incf msg-count))
                        (setf lines-remaining 0))))
         (let* ((scroll-skip (st :scroll-offset))
                (start (max 0 (- total msg-count scroll-skip))))
-           (loop for i from start below total while (< y (- h 7))
-                 do (let ((pairs (aref msg-lines i)))
-                      (dolist (pair pairs)
-                        (when (>= y (- h 7)) (return))
-                        (destructuring-bind (bstr bcolor tstr tcolor &optional rect-bg) pair
-                          (when rect-bg
-                            (cl-tty.backend:draw-rect fb 0 y 1 1 :bg rect-bg))
-                          (let ((has-border (and bstr (> (length bstr) 0))))
-                            (when has-border
-                              (cl-tty.backend:draw-text fb hpad y bstr bcolor nil))
-                            (cl-tty.backend:draw-text fb (+ hpad (if has-border 2 0)) y tstr tcolor nil)))
-                       (incf y)))))))))
+            (loop for i from start below total while (< y (- h 7))
+                  do (let ((pairs (aref msg-lines i)))
+                       (dolist (pair pairs)
+                         (when (>= y (- h 7)) (return))
+                         (destructuring-bind (bstr bcolor tstr tcolor &optional rect-bg) pair
+                           (when rect-bg
+                             (cl-tty.backend:draw-rect fb 0 y 1 1 :bg rect-bg))
+                           (let ((has-border (and bstr (> (length bstr) 0))))
+                             (when has-border
+                               (cl-tty.backend:draw-text fb hpad y bstr bcolor nil))
+                             (cl-tty.backend:draw-text fb (+ hpad (if has-border 2 0)) y tstr tcolor nil)))
+                        (incf y))
+                       ;; spacer between message blocks
+                        (when (< i (1- total))
+                          (incf y)))))))))
 #+END_SRC
 
 ** Input Line
@@ -209,11 +213,11 @@ Returns a list of strings, one per line."
           (hint-fg (theme-color :hint)))
     ;; Light grey input panel: h-7 to h-4 (4 rows), indented by hpad
     (cl-tty.backend:draw-rect fb hpad (- h 7) inner-w 4 :bg bg-i)
-    ;; Speaker line for all 4 input rows
+    ;; Speaker line for all 4 input rows (at hpad, matching history)
     (dolist (r (list (- h 7) (- h 6) (- h 5) (- h 4)))
-      (cl-tty.backend:draw-text fb 0 r "│" (theme-color :input-prompt) nil))
-    ;; Prompt at h-6, second row at h-5 (placeholder for expansion)
-    (cl-tty.backend:draw-text fb hpad (- h 6) visible input-fg nil)
+      (cl-tty.backend:draw-text fb hpad r "│" (theme-color :input-prompt) nil))
+    ;; Prompt at h-6, second row at h-5 — text at hpad+2 matching history
+    (cl-tty.backend:draw-text fb (+ hpad 2) (- h 6) visible input-fg nil)
     ;; Hint — lowercase, right-aligned at h-2
     (let ((hint "ctrl+p | /help"))
       (cl-tty.backend:draw-text fb (- chat-w (length hint) 2) (- h 2) hint hint-fg (theme-color :bg)))))
@@ -299,7 +303,7 @@ Returns a list of strings, one per line."
          (pos (or (st :cursor-pos) 0))
          (prompt-w (- cw (* 2 hpad) 2))
          (display-start (max 0 (- pos (1- prompt-w))))
-         (cx (+ hpad (- pos display-start)))
+          (cx (+ hpad 2 (- pos display-start)))
          (cy (- h 6)))
     (cl-tty.backend:cursor-move fb cx cy)
     (cl-tty.backend:cursor-style fb :block :blink t)