diff --git a/src/App.jsx b/src/App.jsx
index 4a6beba..ec59370 100644
--- a/src/App.jsx
+++ b/src/App.jsx
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ export default function App() {
     setEditingMessageIndex(index);
     setEditText(content || '');
   }
+
   function cancelEditMessage() {
     setEditingMessageIndex(null);
     setEditText('');
@@ -153,11 +154,21 @@ export default function App() {
 
   async function commitEditMessage(index) {
     const original = (messages[index]?.content || '').trim();
-    const next = (editText || '').trim();
+    const nextRaw = editText ?? '';
+    const next = nextRaw.trim();
+
+    // NEW: If empty after trimming, cancel edit (revert to original)
+    if (next.length === 0) {
+      cancelEditMessage();
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // If nothing changed, cancel edit
     if (next === original) {
       cancelEditMessage();
       return;
     }
+
     const sessionId = activeSessionId;
     if (!sessionId) return;
 
@@ -166,7 +177,6 @@ export default function App() {
       prev.map(s => {
         if (s.session_id !== sessionId) return s;
         const old = s.messages || [];
-        // keep up to index (inclusive) and update that item
         const updated = old.slice(0, index + 1).map((m, j) =>
           j === index ? { ...m, content: next } : m
         );
@@ -174,11 +184,12 @@ export default function App() {
       })
     );
 
+    // Exit edit mode immediately
     setEditingMessageIndex(null);
     setEditText('');
 
     // ⬇️ Scroll the chat frame to the bottom after the DOM updates
-    requestAnimationFrame(() => scrollToBottom('auto', sessionId)); // use 'smooth' if you prefer
+    requestAnimationFrame(() => scrollToBottom('auto', sessionId));
 
     try {
       const resp = await fetch(`${ollamaApiUrl}/sessions/${sessionId}/messages/${index}`, {
@@ -1140,54 +1151,73 @@ export default function App() {
             </div>
 
             <div key={activeSessionId} className="chat" ref={chatRef} onClick={handleChatFrameClick}>
-              {messages.map((m, i) => (
-  <div key={m.id || i} id={m.id} className={'msg ' + (m.role === 'user' ? 'user' : 'assistant')}>
-    {m.role === 'assistant' ? (
-      <div className="assistant-message-wrapper">
-        <AssistantMessageContent content={m.content} streamOutput={streamOutput} />
-        {!isSending && (
-          <div className="message-options-bar assistant-options">
-            <button className="icon-button" title="Copy message" onClick={() => handleCopyMessage(m)}>
-              <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round"><rect x="9" y="9" width="13" height="13" rx="2" ry="2"></rect><path d="M5 15H4a2 2 0 0 1-2-2V4a2 2 0 0 1 2-2h9a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v1"></path></svg>
-            </button>
-            <button className="icon-button" title="Regenerate response" onClick={() => regenerateFromIndex(i)}>
-              <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round"><path d="M21.5 2v6h-6M2.5 22v-6h6M2 11.5a10 10 0 0 1 18.8-4.3M22 12.5a10 10 0 0 1-18.8 4.3"></path></svg>
-            </button>
-          </div>
-        )}
-      </div>
-    ) : (
-      <div className="user-message-wrapper">
-        {editingMessageIndex === i ? (
-          <TextareaAutosize
-            className="edit-message-input"
-            value={editText}
-            onChange={(e) => setEditText(e.target.value)}
-            onBlur={cancelEditMessage}
-            onKeyDown={(e) => {
-              if (e.key === 'Escape') { e.preventDefault(); cancelEditMessage(); }
-              if (e.key === 'Enter' && !e.shiftKey) { e.preventDefault(); commitEditMessage(i); }
-            }}
-            autoFocus
-            maxRows={13}
-          />
-        ) : (
-          <div className="msg-content msg-content--user">{m.content}</div>
-        )}
-        {!isSending && (
-          <div className="message-options-bar user-options">
-            <button className="icon-button" title="Edit message" onClick={() => startEditMessage(i, m.content)}>
-              <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round"><path d="M12 20h9"></path><path d="M16.5 3.5a2.121 2.121 0 0 1 3 3L7 19l-4 1 1-4L16.5 3.5z"></path></svg>
-            </button>
-            <button className="icon-button" title="Copy message" onClick={() => handleCopyMessage(m)}>
-              <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round"><rect x="9" y="9" width="13" height="13" rx="2" ry="2"></rect><path d="M5 15H4a2 2 0 0 1-2-2V4a2 2 0 0 1 2-2h9a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v1"></path></svg>
-            </button>
-          </div>
-        )}
-      </div>
-    )}
-  </div>
-))}
+              {messages.map((m, i) => {
+                const isEditingThis = m.role === 'user' && editingMessageIndex === i;
+                return (
+                  <div
+                    key={m.id || i}
+                    id={m.id}
+                    className={
+                      'msg ' +
+                      (m.role === 'user' ? 'user' : 'assistant') +
+                      (isEditingThis ? ' editing' : '')
+                    }
+                  >
+                    {m.role === 'assistant' ? (
+                      <div className="assistant-message-wrapper">
+                        <AssistantMessageContent content={m.content} streamOutput={streamOutput} />
+                        {!isSending && (
+                          <div className="message-options-bar assistant-options">
+                            <button className="icon-button" title="Copy message" onClick={() => handleCopyMessage(m)}>
+                              <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round"><rect x="9" y="9" width="13" height="13" rx="2" ry="2"></rect><path d="M5 15H4a2 2 0 0 1-2-2V4a2 2 0 0 1 2-2h9a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v1"></path></svg>
+                            </button>
+                            <button className="icon-button" title="Regenerate response" onClick={() => regenerateFromIndex(i)}>
+                              <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round"><path d="M21.5 2v6h-6M2.5 22v-6h6M2 11.5a10 10 0 0 1 18.8-4.3M22 12.5a10 10 0 0 1-18.8 4.3"></path></svg>
+                            </button>
+                          </div>
+                        )}
+                      </div>
+                    ) : (
+                      <div className="user-message-wrapper">
+                        {isEditingThis ? (
+                          <div className="msg-content msg-content--user editing">
+                            {/* Shadow defines bubble width/height based on current text */}
+                            <div className="user-edit-shadow" aria-hidden="true">
+                              {editText}
+                            </div>
+
+                            {/* Overlay textarea fills the bubble exactly */}
+                            <TextareaAutosize
+                              className="edit-message-input edit-overlay"
+                              value={editText}
+                              onChange={(e) => setEditText(e.target.value)}
+                              onBlur={cancelEditMessage}
+                              onKeyDown={(e) => {
+                                if (e.key === 'Escape') { e.preventDefault(); cancelEditMessage(); }
+                                if (e.key === 'Enter' && !e.shiftKey) { e.preventDefault(); commitEditMessage(i); }
+                              }}
+                              autoFocus
+                              minRows={1}
+                            />
+                          </div>
+                        ) : (
+                          <div className="msg-content msg-content--user">{m.content}</div>
+                        )}
+                        {!isSending && !isEditingThis && (
+                          <div className="message-options-bar user-options">
+                            <button className="icon-button" title="Edit message" onClick={() => startEditMessage(i, m.content)}>
+                              <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round"><path d="M12 20h9"></path><path d="M16.5 3.5a2.121 2.121 0 0 1 3 3L7 19l-4 1 1-4L16.5 3.5z"></path></svg>
+                            </button>
+                            <button className="icon-button" title="Copy message" onClick={() => handleCopyMessage(m)}>
+                              <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round"><rect x="9" y="9" width="13" height="13" rx="2" ry="2"></rect><path d="M5 15H4a2 2 0 0 1-2-2V4a2 2 0 0 1 2-2h9a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v1"></path></svg>
+                            </button>
+                          </div>
+                        )}
+                      </div>
+                    )}
+                  </div>
+                );
+              })}
             </div>
 
             {/* New message tip (active chat only) */}
diff --git a/src/styles.css b/src/styles.css
index f1740c4..d8767c2 100644
--- a/src/styles.css
+++ b/src/styles.css
@@ -320,18 +320,46 @@ textarea.input {
   flex-grow: 1; /* Allow textarea to take up available space */
 }
 
+/* /Users/giers/Heimgeist/src/styles.css */
+/* User message bubble */
 .msg.user {
   background: var(--user-msg-bg);
-  margin-left: auto; /* Right-align user messages */
+  margin-left: auto;            /* Right-align user messages */
   max-width: 80%;
   border: 1px solid var(--border);
   margin-right: 5px;
   margin-bottom: 15px;
+  transition: border-color .15s ease, box-shadow .15s ease; /* NEW */
 }
+
+.msg.user.editing {
+  border-color: var(--accent);
+  box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px color-mix(in srgb, var(--accent) 35%, transparent);
+}
+
+/* Render user messages as plain text (no markdown), preserving line breaks and wrapping */
 .msg.user .msg-content--user {
   white-space: pre-wrap;        /* keep newlines */
   overflow-wrap: anywhere;      /* wrap long tokens/URLs */
   word-break: break-word;       /* fallback */
+  position: relative;
+}
+
+/* Expand link inside the user bubble */
+.msg.user .user-msg-expand {
+  margin-top: 8px;
+  padding: 0;
+  background: transparent;
+  border: none;
+  color: var(--accent);
+  font-weight: 700;             /* bold as requested */
+  cursor: pointer;
+  text-align: left;             /* align with text content */
+}
+
+.msg.user .user-msg-expand:hover {
+  opacity: .9;
+  text-decoration: underline;
 }
 
 .msg.assistant {
@@ -793,22 +821,71 @@ input:checked + .slider:before {
 .msg-content { /* container for assistant/user rendered markdown */
 }
 
+.msg.user .msg-content--user.editing {
+  /* Bubble (.msg.user) already provides padding/border/max-width/rounded corners. */
+  /* Keep this wrapper neutral — no extra padding or borders here. */
+}
 
 /* Editing textarea styled like user bubble */
+/* Editing textarea should be visually indistinguishable from the user bubble */
 .edit-message-input {
-  background: var(--user-msg-bg);
-  border: 1px solid var(--border);
-  padding: 12px 14px;
-  border-radius: 12px;
-  margin-left: auto;
-  margin-right: 5px;
-  margin-bottom: 15px;
-  max-width: 80%;
-  width: 100%;
-  color: var(--text);
-  font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Roboto, Inter, Helvetica, Arial;
-  line-height: 1.5;
-  resize: none;
-  overflow-y: auto;
   display: block;
+  width: 100%;
+  height: 100%;            /* autosize will override with inline height; harmless */
+  background: transparent; /* let the bubble show through */
+  border: 0;               /* bubble has the border */
+  padding: 0;              /* bubble provides padding */
+  margin: 0;
+
+  color: inherit;
+  font: inherit;
+  line-height: inherit;
+  letter-spacing: inherit;
+
+  white-space: pre-wrap;   /* keep newlines like the view mode */
+  overflow-wrap: anywhere; /* wrap long tokens/URLs */
+  word-break: break-word;
+
+  resize: none;            /* autosize controls height */
+  overflow: hidden;        /* smooth growth */
+  outline: none;
+}
+.edit-message-input:focus {
+  border-color: var(--accent);
+  box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px color-mix(in srgb, var(--accent) 35%, transparent);
+}
+
+/* Shadow stays in flow to set the bubble's width & height, but remains invisible */
+.user-edit-shadow {
+  visibility: hidden;
+  white-space: pre-wrap;
+  overflow-wrap: anywhere;
+  word-break: break-word;
+}
+
+/* Overlayed textarea fills exactly the content box of the bubble */
+.edit-message-input.edit-overlay {
+  position: absolute;
+  inset: 0;
+  width: 100%;
+  height: 100%;
+
+  background: transparent;  /* bubble provides bg */
+  border: 0;                /* bubble provides border */
+  padding: 0;               /* bubble provides padding */
+  margin: 0;
+
+  color: inherit;
+  font: inherit;
+  line-height: inherit;
+  letter-spacing: inherit;
+
+  white-space: pre-wrap;
+  overflow-wrap: anywhere;
+  word-break: break-word;
+
+  resize: none;             /* autosize controls height if needed */
+  overflow: hidden;
+  outline: none;
+  box-shadow: none;
 }