diff --git a/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/ChatWindow.java b/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/ChatWindow.java
index 8e7dc55..5e87a00 100644
--- a/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/ChatWindow.java
+++ b/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/ChatWindow.java
@@ -131,7 +131,13 @@ public class ChatWindow extends JFrame {
 
 			// updates list elements when list is resized
 			@Override
-			public void componentResized(ComponentEvent e) { messageList.synchronizeModel(); }
+			public void componentResized(ComponentEvent e) {
+				messageList.synchronizeModel();
+				var prefSize = e.getComponent().getPreferredSize();
+				messageList.setMinimumSize(new Dimension(prefSize.width, 0));
+				messageList.setMaximumSize(new Dimension(prefSize.width, Integer.MAX_VALUE));
+				messageList.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(prefSize.width, messageList.getPreferredSize().height));
+			}
 		});
 		scrollPane.setHorizontalScrollBarPolicy(ScrollPaneConstants.HORIZONTAL_SCROLLBAR_NEVER);
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/renderer/MessageListRenderer.java b/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/renderer/MessageListRenderer.java
index 911a419..f6b6596 100644
--- a/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/renderer/MessageListRenderer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/renderer/MessageListRenderer.java
@@ -30,10 +30,12 @@ import envoy.data.Message.MessageStatus;
 public class MessageListRenderer implements ComponentListCellRenderer<Message> {
 
 	private static EnumMap<MessageStatus, ImageIcon> statusIcons;
+	private static ImageIcon							forwardIcon;
 
 	static {
 		try {
 			statusIcons = IconUtil.loadByEnum(MessageStatus.class, 16);
+			// forwardIcon = IconUtil.load("icons/forward.png", 16);
 		} catch (IOException e) {
 			e.printStackTrace();
 		}
@@ -46,7 +48,8 @@ public class MessageListRenderer implements ComponentListCellRenderer<Message> {
 		final var theme = Settings.getInstance().getThemes().get(Settings.getInstance().getCurrentTheme());
 
 		// Panel
-		final var panel = new JPanel();
+		final var	panel	= new JPanel();
+		final int	padding	= (int) (list.getWidth() * 0.35);
 
 		GridBagLayout gbl_panel = new GridBagLayout();
 		gbl_panel.columnWidths	= new int[] { 1, 1 };
@@ -76,10 +79,14 @@ public class MessageListRenderer implements ComponentListCellRenderer<Message> {
 		messageTextArea.setWrapStyleWord(true);
 		messageTextArea.setForeground(theme.getMessageTextColor());
 		messageTextArea.setAlignmentX(0.5f);
-		messageTextArea.setBackground(Color.red);
+		messageTextArea.setBackground(theme.getCellColor());
 		messageTextArea.setEditable(false);
-		messageTextArea.setFont(new Font("Arial", Font.PLAIN, 14));
-		messageTextArea.setSize(list.getWidth() - 1, 200);
+		var font = new Font("Arial", Font.PLAIN, 14);
+		messageTextArea.setFont(font);
+		// var frc = new FontRenderContext(new AffineTransform(), true, true);
+		// messageTextArea.setSize(Math.min(list.getWidth() - padding, (int)
+		// font.getStringBounds(message.getText(), frc).getWidth()), 10);
+		messageTextArea.setSize(list.getWidth() - padding, 10);
 
 		var gbc_messageTextArea = new GridBagConstraints();
 		gbc_messageTextArea.fill	= GridBagConstraints.HORIZONTAL;
@@ -110,13 +117,10 @@ public class MessageListRenderer implements ComponentListCellRenderer<Message> {
 			panel.add(forwardLabel, gbc_forwardLabel);
 		}
 
-		int padding = (int) (list.getWidth() * 0.35);
+		// Define an etched border and some space to the messages below
+		panel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createCompoundBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(0, 0, 20, padding), BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder()));
 
-		// Define some space to the messages below
-		panel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createCompoundBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(0, 0, 0, padding),
-				BorderFactory.createCompoundBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(), BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder())));
-
-		var size = new Dimension(list.getWidth() - 50, panel.getPreferredSize().height);
+		var size = new Dimension(list.getWidth(), panel.getPreferredSize().height);
 
 		panel.setPreferredSize(size);
 		panel.setMinimumSize(size);