diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/components/UserAvatar.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/components/UserAvatar.kt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7bd36564b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/components/UserAvatar.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2025 Meshtastic LLC
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+package com.geeksville.mesh.ui.components
+
+import androidx.compose.foundation.background
+import androidx.compose.foundation.clickable
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Box
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.size
+import androidx.compose.foundation.shape.CircleShape
+import androidx.compose.material.MaterialTheme
+import androidx.compose.material.Text
+import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
+import androidx.compose.runtime.remember
+import androidx.compose.ui.Alignment
+import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
+import androidx.compose.ui.graphics.Color
+import androidx.compose.ui.platform.LocalDensity
+import androidx.compose.ui.text.font.FontWeight
+import androidx.compose.ui.text.rememberTextMeasurer
+import androidx.compose.ui.text.style.TextAlign
+import androidx.compose.ui.text.style.TextOverflow
+import androidx.compose.ui.tooling.preview.Preview
+import androidx.compose.ui.tooling.preview.PreviewParameter
+import com.geeksville.mesh.model.Node
+import com.geeksville.mesh.ui.preview.NodePreviewParameterProvider
+import com.geeksville.mesh.ui.theme.AppTheme
+
+@Composable
+fun UserAvatar(
+    node: Node,
+    modifier: Modifier = Modifier,
+    onClick: () -> Unit = {}
+) {
+    val textMeasurer = rememberTextMeasurer()
+    val textStyle = MaterialTheme.typography.button.copy(
+        fontWeight = FontWeight.Normal,
+    )
+    val textLayoutResult = remember {
+        textMeasurer.measure(text = "MMMM", style = textStyle)
+    }
+
+    Box(
+        contentAlignment = Alignment.Center,
+        modifier = modifier
+            .size(with(LocalDensity.current) { textLayoutResult.size.width.toDp() })
+            .background(
+                color = Color(node.colors.second),
+                shape = CircleShape
+            )
+            .clickable(onClick = onClick)
+    ) {
+        Text(
+            text = node.user.shortName.ifEmpty { "?" },
+            color = Color(node.colors.first),
+            style = textStyle,
+            textAlign = TextAlign.Center,
+            overflow = TextOverflow.Ellipsis,
+            maxLines = 1,
+        )
+    }
+}
+
+@Preview(showBackground = true)
+@Composable
+private fun AvatarPreview(
+    @PreviewParameter(NodePreviewParameterProvider::class)
+    node: Node
+) {
+    AppTheme {
+        UserAvatar(node)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/message/components/MessageItem.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/message/components/MessageItem.kt
index 3764e7b97..5aeccf99c 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/message/components/MessageItem.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/message/components/MessageItem.kt
@@ -27,12 +27,8 @@ import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Column
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Row
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxWidth
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.padding
-import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.width
 import androidx.compose.foundation.shape.RoundedCornerShape
 import androidx.compose.material.Card
-import androidx.compose.material.Chip
-import androidx.compose.material.ChipDefaults
-import androidx.compose.material.ExperimentalMaterialApi
 import androidx.compose.material.Icon
 import androidx.compose.material.LocalTextStyle
 import androidx.compose.material.MaterialTheme
@@ -51,8 +47,6 @@ import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
 import androidx.compose.ui.graphics.Color
 import androidx.compose.ui.res.colorResource
 import androidx.compose.ui.res.stringResource
-import androidx.compose.ui.text.font.FontWeight
-import androidx.compose.ui.text.style.TextAlign
 import androidx.compose.ui.text.style.TextOverflow
 import androidx.compose.ui.tooling.preview.PreviewLightDark
 import androidx.compose.ui.unit.dp
@@ -62,11 +56,12 @@ import com.geeksville.mesh.MessageStatus
 import com.geeksville.mesh.R
 import com.geeksville.mesh.model.Node
 import com.geeksville.mesh.ui.components.AutoLinkText
+import com.geeksville.mesh.ui.components.UserAvatar
 import com.geeksville.mesh.ui.preview.NodePreviewParameterProvider
 import com.geeksville.mesh.ui.theme.AppTheme
 
 @Suppress("LongMethod", "CyclomaticComplexMethod")
-@OptIn(ExperimentalMaterialApi::class, ExperimentalFoundationApi::class)
+@OptIn(ExperimentalFoundationApi::class)
 @Composable
 internal fun MessageItem(
     node: Node,
@@ -95,6 +90,15 @@ internal fun MessageItem(
         Modifier.padding(start = 8.dp, top = 8.dp, end = 0.dp, bottom = 6.dp)
     }
 
+    if (!fromLocal) {
+        UserAvatar(
+            node = node,
+            modifier = Modifier
+                .padding(start = 8.dp, top = 8.dp)
+                .align(Alignment.Top),
+        ) { onChipClick() }
+    }
+
     Card(
         modifier = Modifier
             .weight(1f)
@@ -115,26 +119,6 @@ internal fun MessageItem(
                     .padding(horizontal = 8.dp),
                 verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically,
             ) {
-                if (!fromLocal) {
-                    Chip(
-                        onClick = onChipClick,
-                        modifier = Modifier
-                            .padding(end = 8.dp)
-                            .width(72.dp),
-                        colors = ChipDefaults.chipColors(
-                            backgroundColor = Color(node.colors.second),
-                            contentColor = Color(node.colors.first),
-                        ),
-                    ) {
-                        Text(
-                            text = node.user.shortName,
-                            modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth(),
-                            fontSize = MaterialTheme.typography.button.fontSize,
-                            fontWeight = FontWeight.Normal,
-                            textAlign = TextAlign.Center,
-                        )
-                    }
-                }
                 Column(
                     modifier = Modifier.padding(top = 8.dp),
                 ) {