diff --git a/new-client/src/app/bootstrap/signaling.ts b/new-client/src/app/bootstrap/signaling.ts
index 6dbf940..c866853 100644
--- a/new-client/src/app/bootstrap/signaling.ts
+++ b/new-client/src/app/bootstrap/signaling.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { useClients } from '@shared/composables/use-clients'
 import { useEventBus } from '@shared/composables/use-event-bus.ts'
 import { useSignaling } from '@shared/composables/use-signaling'
 import { watch, watchEffect } from 'vue'
+import { queryClient } from '../plugins/tanstack-query'
 
 export default function () {
   const { authorized } = useAuth()
@@ -33,8 +34,9 @@ export default function () {
       removeClient(socketId)
     })
 
-    socket.on('disconnect', () => {
+    socket.on('disconnect', async () => {
       clearClients()
+      await queryClient.resetQueries()
     })
 
     socket.on('chat:new-message', (message: ChatMessage) => {
diff --git a/new-client/src/app/plugins/tanstack-query.ts b/new-client/src/app/plugins/tanstack-query.ts
index ea934de..f7cf4ec 100644
--- a/new-client/src/app/plugins/tanstack-query.ts
+++ b/new-client/src/app/plugins/tanstack-query.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,18 @@
 import type { FunctionPlugin } from 'vue'
-import { VueQueryPlugin } from '@tanstack/vue-query'
+import { QueryClient, VueQueryPlugin } from '@tanstack/vue-query'
+
+export const queryClient = new QueryClient({
+  defaultOptions: {
+    queries: {
+      retry: false,
+    },
+  },
+})
 
 export default {
   install(app) {
-    app.use(VueQueryPlugin, {})
+    app.use(VueQueryPlugin, {
+      queryClient,
+    })
   },
 } as FunctionPlugin
diff --git a/new-client/src/widgets/chat/composables/use-chat-scroll.ts b/new-client/src/widgets/chat/composables/use-chat-scroll.ts
index b8da78c..490f057 100644
--- a/new-client/src/widgets/chat/composables/use-chat-scroll.ts
+++ b/new-client/src/widgets/chat/composables/use-chat-scroll.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ export function useChatScroll(target: TemplateRef<HTMLElement>, options?: MaybeR
     getArrivedState()
   }, {
     childList: true,
-    // subtree: true,
+    subtree: true,
   })
 
   useEventListener(el, 'scroll', () => {
diff --git a/new-client/src/widgets/chat/composables/use-chat.ts b/new-client/src/widgets/chat/composables/use-chat.ts
index bc34fed..8657dfe 100644
--- a/new-client/src/widgets/chat/composables/use-chat.ts
+++ b/new-client/src/widgets/chat/composables/use-chat.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,21 @@
 import type { ChatMessage } from '@shared/api/generated-chad-api.ts'
 import { useSignaling } from '@shared/composables/use-signaling'
 import { createGlobalState } from '@vueuse/core'
-import { shallowRef, triggerRef, watch } from 'vue'
+import { computed, shallowRef, triggerRef, watch } from 'vue'
 import { qChatMessages } from '../api/qChatMessages.ts'
 
+export interface MessageGroup {
+  senderUsername: string
+  messages: ChatMessage[]
+}
+
 export const useChat = createGlobalState(() => {
   const { data: messages, hasNextPage: hasMoreMessages, fetchNextPage, isFetching } = qChatMessages()
 
   const { socket, connected } = useSignaling()
   const feedItems = shallowRef<ChatMessage[]>([])
 
-  watch(connected, (isConnected) => {
+  watch(connected, async (isConnected) => {
     if (!isConnected)
       return
 
@@ -20,5 +25,17 @@ export const useChat = createGlobalState(() => {
     })
   })
 
-  return { messages, feedItems, hasMoreMessages, fetchNextPage, isFetching }
+  const messageGroups = computed<MessageGroup[]>(() => {
+    const all = [...(messages.value ?? []), ...feedItems.value]
+    return all.reduce((groups, msg) => {
+      const last = groups.at(-1)
+      if (last?.senderUsername === msg.senderUsername)
+        last.messages.push(msg)
+      else
+        groups.push({ senderUsername: msg.senderUsername, messages: [msg] })
+      return groups
+    }, [] as MessageGroup[])
+  })
+
+  return { messageGroups, hasMoreMessages, fetchNextPage, isFetching }
 })
diff --git a/new-client/src/widgets/chat/ui/ChatMessage.vue b/new-client/src/widgets/chat/ui/ChatMessage.vue
index b4a6393..b43b886 100644
--- a/new-client/src/widgets/chat/ui/ChatMessage.vue
+++ b/new-client/src/widgets/chat/ui/ChatMessage.vue
@@ -1,30 +1,25 @@
 <template>
   <div class="chat-message">
-    <ChadAvatar class="chat-message__avatar" src="" :fallback="initials" :highlighted="isMyMessage" />
-    <div>
-      <div class="chat-message__top">
-        <p class="chat-message__sender">
-          {{ !sender ? message.senderUsername : sender.displayName }}
-        </p>
-
-        <p class="chat-message__datetime">
-          {{ datetime }}
-        </p>
-      </div>
-
-      <p class="chat-message__body">
-        {{ message.text }}
+    <div class="chat-message__top">
+      <p class="chat-message__sender">
+        {{ !sender ? message.senderUsername : sender.displayName }}
       </p>
 
-      <ChatMessageAttachments v-if="message.attachments.length > 0" :attachments="message.attachments" class="chat-message__attachments" />
+      <p class="chat-message__datetime">
+        {{ datetime }}
+      </p>
     </div>
+
+    <p class="chat-message__body">
+      {{ message.text }}
+    </p>
+
+    <ChatMessageAttachments v-if="message.attachments.length > 0" :attachments="message.attachments" class="chat-message__attachments" />
   </div>
 </template>
 
 <script setup lang="ts">
 import type { ChatMessage } from '@shared/api/generated-chad-api.ts'
-import ChadAvatar from '@shared/components/ui/Avatar.vue'
-import { useAuth } from '@shared/composables/use-auth.ts'
 import { useUserDetails } from '@shared/composables/use-user-details.ts'
 import ChatMessageAttachments from '@widgets/chat/ui/ChatMessageAttachments.vue'
 import { format, isThisYear, isToday } from 'date-fns'
@@ -34,16 +29,8 @@ const props = defineProps<{
   message: ChatMessage
 }>()
 
-const { me } = useAuth()
-
-const isMyMessage = computed(() => {
-  return props.message.senderUsername === me.value?.username
-})
-
 const { user: sender } = useUserDetails(toRef(() => props.message.senderUsername))
 
-const initials = computed(() => props.message.senderUsername.slice(props.message.senderUsername.length - 2))
-
 const datetime = computed(() => {
   let formatStr = 'd MMMM yyyy, HH:mm'
 
@@ -62,27 +49,23 @@ const datetime = computed(() => {
 .chat-message {
   $self: &;
 
-  display: grid;
-  grid-template-columns: auto 1fr;
-  grid-template-areas: 'avatar top' 'avatar body';
-  column-gap: var(--space-3);
-  padding-block: var(--space-3);
-  padding-inline: var(--space-6);
-
-  &__avatar {
-    grid-area: avatar;
+  &:not(:last-child) {
+    margin-bottom: var(--space-3);
   }
 
   &__top {
     display: flex;
     gap: var(--space-2);
     align-items: center;
-    grid-area: top;
     //margin-top: var(--space-1);
   }
 
   &__sender {
     @include font-body-bold;
+
+    #{$self}:not(:first-child) & {
+      display: none;
+    }
   }
 
   &__datetime {
@@ -93,7 +76,6 @@ const datetime = computed(() => {
   }
 
   &__body {
-    grid-area: body;
     margin-top: var(--space-1);
   }
 
diff --git a/new-client/src/widgets/chat/ui/ChatMessageAttachments.vue b/new-client/src/widgets/chat/ui/ChatMessageAttachments.vue
index e74b0b6..6a34d20 100644
--- a/new-client/src/widgets/chat/ui/ChatMessageAttachments.vue
+++ b/new-client/src/widgets/chat/ui/ChatMessageAttachments.vue
@@ -31,21 +31,17 @@ const notImages = computed(() => {
 
 <style lang="scss">
 .chat-message-attachments {
-  > *:not(:last-child) {
-    margin-bottom: var(--space-3);
-  }
+  overflow-x: auto;
 
-  &__images {
+  &__images,
+  &__list {
     display: flex;
     gap: var(--space-2);
     flex-wrap: nowrap;
-    overflow-x: auto;
   }
 
   &__list {
-    > *:not(:last-child) {
-      margin-bottom: var(--space-2);
-    }
+    margin-top: var(--space-3);
   }
 }
 </style>
diff --git a/new-client/src/widgets/chat/ui/ChatMessageGroup.vue b/new-client/src/widgets/chat/ui/ChatMessageGroup.vue
index dba29b2..afaa675 100644
--- a/new-client/src/widgets/chat/ui/ChatMessageGroup.vue
+++ b/new-client/src/widgets/chat/ui/ChatMessageGroup.vue
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ const isMyMessage = computed(() => {
   padding-inline: var(--space-6);
 
   &__avatar {
-    align-self: flex-start;
     position: sticky;
     top: var(--space-3);
   }
diff --git a/new-client/src/widgets/chat/ui/ChatMessages.vue b/new-client/src/widgets/chat/ui/ChatMessages.vue
index 1d062f3..d798f05 100644
--- a/new-client/src/widgets/chat/ui/ChatMessages.vue
+++ b/new-client/src/widgets/chat/ui/ChatMessages.vue
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 <template>
   <div class="chat-messages">
-    <div v-if="messages" ref="scroll" class="chat-messages__list">
-      <ChatMessage v-for="message in messages" :key="message.id" :message="message" />
-      <ChatMessage v-for="item in feedItems" :key="item.id" :message="item" />
+    <div v-if="messageGroups.length" ref="scroll" class="chat-messages__list">
+      <ChatMessageGroup
+        v-for="group in messageGroups"
+        :key="`group-${group.messages[0].id}`"
+        :group="group"
+      />
     </div>
 
     <ChadSpinner v-if="isFetching" class="chat-messages__spinner" />
@@ -18,7 +21,7 @@ import { ArrowDown } from '@lucide/vue'
 import ChadSpinner from '@shared/components/ui/Spinner.vue'
 import { useEventBus } from '@shared/composables/use-event-bus.ts'
 import { useChatScroll } from '@widgets/chat/composables/use-chat-scroll.ts'
-import ChatMessage from '@widgets/chat/ui/ChatMessage.vue'
+import ChatMessageGroup from '@widgets/chat/ui/ChatMessageGroup.vue'
 import { onUnmounted, ref, useTemplateRef, watch } from 'vue'
 import { useChat } from '../composables/use-chat'
 
@@ -26,7 +29,7 @@ const eventBus = useEventBus()
 
 const scrollRef = useTemplateRef('scroll')
 
-const { messages, feedItems, hasMoreMessages, fetchNextPage, isFetching } = useChat()
+const { messageGroups, hasMoreMessages, fetchNextPage, isFetching } = useChat()
 
 const hasUnreadMessages = ref(false)
 
diff --git a/server/.gitignore b/server/.gitignore
index f1adac0..b273880 100644
--- a/server/.gitignore
+++ b/server/.gitignore
@@ -18,3 +18,5 @@ node_modules
 
 .env*
 *.db
+
+uploads