diff --git a/client/src/app/chat-page.component.html b/client/src/app/chat-page.component.html
index 2c5e3c2..d3f2123 100644
--- a/client/src/app/chat-page.component.html
+++ b/client/src/app/chat-page.component.html
@@ -40,12 +40,12 @@
         </div>
       }
 
-      <div class="chat-header d-flex flex-column flex-lg-row justify-content-between align-items-start align-items-lg-center gap-3 mb-4">
-        <div>
-          <a class="back-link" routerLink="/">← Back to dashboard</a>
-          @if (currentUser(); as connectedUser) {
-            <h1 class="h3 mb-1 mt-2">{{ connectedUser.displayName }}</h1>
-            <div class="status-indicators mt-2">
+      <div class="chat-header mb-4">
+        @if (currentUser(); as connectedUser) {
+          <div class="chat-header-main">
+            <a class="back-link" routerLink="/" aria-label="Back to dashboard">←</a>
+            <h1 class="chat-header-title mb-0">{{ connectedUser.displayName }}</h1>
+            <div class="status-indicators">
               <div class="status-indicator">
                 <span class="status-led" [class.status-led-ok]="indicatorTone(session.signalingState()) === 'ok'" [class.status-led-connecting]="indicatorTone(session.signalingState()) === 'connecting'" [class.status-led-offline]="indicatorTone(session.signalingState()) === 'offline'"></span>
                 <span>Signaling</span>
@@ -62,11 +62,13 @@
                 <span>WebRTC</span>
               </button>
             </div>
-          } @else {
-            <h1 class="h3 mb-1 mt-2">Not signed in</h1>
-            <p class="small text-secondary mb-0">Return to the dashboard and sign in again.</p>
-          }
-        </div>
+          </div>
+        } @else {
+          <div class="chat-header-main">
+            <a class="back-link" routerLink="/" aria-label="Back to dashboard">←</a>
+            <h1 class="chat-header-title mb-0">Not signed in</h1>
+          </div>
+        }
       </div>
 
       <div class="chat-layout">
@@ -279,7 +281,7 @@
             <textarea
               #composerTextarea
               class="form-control composer-textarea"
-              rows="3"
+              rows="2"
               [(ngModel)]="messageText"
               (ngModelChange)="handleMessageTextChange($event)"
               (keydown.enter)="handleComposerEnter($event)"
diff --git a/client/src/app/chat-page.component.scss b/client/src/app/chat-page.component.scss
index 606f2d2..d75aae6 100644
--- a/client/src/app/chat-page.component.scss
+++ b/client/src/app/chat-page.component.scss
@@ -17,11 +17,32 @@
 }
 
 .chat-page {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
   width: min(100%, 800px);
+  height: min(calc(100dvh - 2rem), 1024px);
+  max-height: 1024px;
   margin-inline: auto;
   overflow-x: hidden;
 }
 
+.chat-header {
+  flex: 0 0 auto;
+}
+
+.chat-header-main {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-wrap: wrap;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 0.85rem;
+}
+
+.chat-header-title {
+  margin: 0;
+  font-size: clamp(1.35rem, 2vw, 1.75rem);
+  line-height: 1.1;
+}
+
 .call-modal-backdrop {
   position: fixed;
   inset: 0;
@@ -91,14 +112,22 @@
 }
 
 .back-link {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  width: 2rem;
+  height: 2rem;
   color: var(--link-color);
   text-decoration: none;
+  font-size: 1.4rem;
+  line-height: 1;
 }
 
 .status-indicators {
   display: flex;
   flex-wrap: wrap;
   gap: 0.9rem;
+  margin-left: auto;
 }
 
 .status-indicator {
@@ -151,11 +180,16 @@
 
 .chat-layout {
   display: grid;
+  flex: 1 1 auto;
   grid-template-columns: minmax(10rem, 13rem) minmax(0, 1fr);
   gap:1.25rem;
+  min-height: 0;
 }
 
 .peer-sidebar {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  min-height: 0;
   padding:1rem;
   border-radius: 1.3rem;
   border: 1px solid var(--surface-border-soft);
@@ -174,8 +208,10 @@
 
 .peer-list {
   display: grid;
+  align-content: start;
+  flex: 1 1 auto;
   gap: 0.75rem;
-  max-height: calc(100dvh - 17rem);
+  min-height: 0;
   overflow: auto;
 }
 
@@ -273,15 +309,17 @@
 }
 
 .chat-main {
+  display: grid;
+  grid-template-rows: minmax(0, 1fr) auto;
   min-width: 0;
+  min-height: 0;
 }
 
 .conversation {
   display: grid;
   gap: 0.85rem;
   align-content: start;
-  min-height: 24rem;
-  max-height: calc(100dvh - 20rem);
+  min-height: 0;
   overflow: auto;
   padding: 0.5rem 0;
 }
@@ -392,6 +430,7 @@
 .composer {
   display: grid;
   gap: 0.85rem;
+  flex: 0 0 auto;
   padding-top: 1rem;
   margin-top: 1rem;
   border-top: 1px solid var(--surface-border-soft);
@@ -441,7 +480,10 @@
 }
 
 .composer-textarea {
-  min-height: 7rem;
+  min-height: calc(2 * 1.5rem + 1.25rem);
+  max-height: calc(6 * 1.5rem + 1.25rem);
+  overflow-y: auto;
+  resize: none;
 }
 
 .composer-call {
@@ -626,6 +668,11 @@
     max-height: 16rem;
   }
 
+  .status-indicators {
+    width: 100%;
+    margin-left: 0;
+  }
+
   .bubble {
     max-width: 88%;
   }