diff --git a/frontend/src/components/MessageList.css b/frontend/src/components/MessageList.css
index ccb9594..a673d5d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/MessageList.css
+++ b/frontend/src/components/MessageList.css
@@ -4,98 +4,97 @@
   padding: var(--sp-4);
   display: flex;
   flex-direction: column;
-  gap: 14px;
 }
 
 .message-row {
+  position: relative;
   display: flex;
   gap: var(--sp-2);
-  justify-content: flex-start;
-  align-items: flex-end;
+  padding: 1px var(--sp-2);
+  border-radius: 6px;
 }
 
-.message-row-mine {
-  justify-content: flex-end;
+.message-row-start {
+  margin-top: 10px;
+}
+
+.message-row:hover {
+  background: var(--ds-surface);
 }
 
 .message-avatar-slot {
-  width: 28px;
+  width: 36px;
   flex: none;
 }
 
-.message-bubble-wrap {
-  display: flex;
-  flex-direction: column;
-  align-items: flex-start;
-  max-width: 65%;
+.message-content {
+  flex: 1;
+  min-width: 0;
 }
 
-.message-row-mine .message-bubble-wrap {
-  align-items: flex-end;
+.message-header {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: baseline;
+  gap: 8px;
+  margin-bottom: 2px;
 }
 
 .message-author {
-  font-size: 0.76rem;
-  color: var(--ds-muted);
-  margin-bottom: 3px;
-  font-weight: 600;
+  font-size: 0.86rem;
+  font-weight: 700;
+  color: var(--ds-text);
 }
 
-.message-bubble {
-  position: relative;
-  background: var(--ds-surface-2);
-  color: var(--ds-text);
-  padding: 8px 12px;
-  border-radius: 10px;
+.message-time {
+  font-size: 0.68rem;
+  color: var(--ds-muted);
+  font-family: var(--mono);
+}
+
+.message-text {
   font-size: 0.88rem;
   line-height: 1.45;
+  color: var(--ds-text);
   white-space: pre-wrap;
   word-break: break-word;
 }
 
-.message-bubble-mine {
-  background: var(--ds-accent-2);
+.message-edited {
+  font-style: italic;
+  color: var(--ds-muted);
+  font-size: 0.78rem;
 }
 
 .message-edit-link {
   display: none;
   position: absolute;
-  top: -18px;
-  right: 0;
-  background: transparent;
-  border: none;
+  top: 2px;
+  right: var(--sp-2);
+  background: var(--ds-surface-2);
+  border: 1px solid var(--ds-border);
   color: var(--ds-muted);
   font-size: 0.68rem;
   cursor: pointer;
-  padding: 2px 4px;
+  padding: 2px 8px;
+  border-radius: 6px;
 }
 
 .message-edit-link:hover {
   color: var(--ds-text);
+  border-color: var(--ds-accent);
 }
 
-.message-bubble:hover .message-edit-link {
+.message-row:hover .message-edit-link {
   display: inline;
 }
 
 .message-edit-input {
   background: var(--ds-surface-2);
   border: 1px solid var(--ds-accent);
-  border-radius: 10px;
-  padding: 8px 12px;
+  border-radius: 6px;
+  padding: 6px 10px;
   font-size: 0.88rem;
   color: var(--ds-text);
   font-family: var(--sans);
   width: 100%;
 }
-
-.message-time {
-  font-size: 0.68rem;
-  color: var(--ds-muted);
-  margin-top: 3px;
-  font-family: var(--mono);
-}
-
-.message-edited {
-  font-style: italic;
-}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/MessageList.tsx b/frontend/src/components/MessageList.tsx
index 48264f8..a6088f0 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/MessageList.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/MessageList.tsx
@@ -37,21 +37,29 @@ export function MessageList({ messages, members, onEdit }: MessageListProps) {
       {messages.map((msg, i) => {
         const mine = msg.user_id === user?.id
         const prev = messages[i - 1]
-        const showAvatar = !mine && (!prev || prev.user_id !== msg.user_id)
-        const showName = showAvatar
+        // Mattermost-style grouping: every message shows who sent it, but
+        // consecutive messages from the same sender only repeat the
+        // avatar/name/timestamp header on the first one in the run --
+        // applies uniformly, including to your own messages.
+        const isGroupStart = !prev || prev.user_id !== msg.user_id
         const editing = editingId === msg.id
 
         return (
-          <div key={msg.id} className={`message-row${mine ? ' message-row-mine' : ''}`}>
-            {!mine && (
-              <div className="message-avatar-slot">
-                {showAvatar && (
-                  <UserAvatar username={msg.username} colorIndex={senderColorIndex(msg.username, members)} />
-                )}
-              </div>
-            )}
-            <div className="message-bubble-wrap">
-              {showName && <div className="message-author">{msg.username}</div>}
+          <div key={msg.id} className={`message-row${isGroupStart ? ' message-row-start' : ''}`}>
+            <div className="message-avatar-slot">
+              {isGroupStart && (
+                <UserAvatar username={msg.username} colorIndex={senderColorIndex(msg.username, members)} />
+              )}
+            </div>
+            <div className="message-content">
+              {isGroupStart && (
+                <div className="message-header">
+                  <span className="message-author">{msg.username}</span>
+                  <span className="message-time">
+                    {new Date(msg.created_at).toLocaleTimeString([], { hour: 'numeric', minute: '2-digit' })}
+                  </span>
+                </div>
+              )}
               {editing ? (
                 <input
                   autoFocus
@@ -65,25 +73,22 @@ export function MessageList({ messages, members, onEdit }: MessageListProps) {
                   onBlur={() => commitEdit(msg.id)}
                 />
               ) : (
-                <div className={`message-bubble${mine ? ' message-bubble-mine' : ''}`}>
+                <div className="message-text">
                   {msg.content}
-                  {mine && (
-                    <button
-                      type="button"
-                      className="message-edit-link"
-                      onClick={() => startEdit(msg)}
-                      aria-label="Edit message"
-                    >
-                      Edit
-                    </button>
-                  )}
+                  {msg.edited_at && <span className="message-edited"> (edited)</span>}
                 </div>
               )}
-              <div className="message-time">
-                {new Date(msg.created_at).toLocaleTimeString([], { hour: 'numeric', minute: '2-digit' })}
-                {msg.edited_at && <span className="message-edited"> (edited)</span>}
-              </div>
             </div>
+            {mine && !editing && (
+              <button
+                type="button"
+                className="message-edit-link"
+                onClick={() => startEdit(msg)}
+                aria-label="Edit message"
+              >
+                Edit
+              </button>
+            )}
           </div>
         )
       })}