diff --git a/crates/tui/src/chatwidget/render.rs b/crates/tui/src/chatwidget/render.rs
index 27c7dbb4..610c92a7 100644
--- a/crates/tui/src/chatwidget/render.rs
+++ b/crates/tui/src/chatwidget/render.rs
@@ -119,7 +119,6 @@ impl Renderable for ChatWidget {
         history_height
             .saturating_add(self.subagent_live_list_desired_height())
             .saturating_add(self.bottom_pane.desired_height(width))
-            .saturating_add(2)
     }
 
     fn cursor_pos(&self, area: Rect) -> Option<(u16, u16)> {
@@ -136,15 +135,19 @@ impl Renderable for ChatWidget {
 
 impl ChatWidget {
     fn chat_layout_areas(&self, area: Rect) -> (Rect, Rect, Rect) {
-        let bottom_height = self
-            .bottom_pane
-            .desired_height(area.width)
-            .min(area.height.saturating_sub(1).max(3));
+        let bottom_height = self.bottom_pane.desired_height(area.width).min(area.height);
         let subagent_height = self
             .subagent_live_list_desired_height()
-            .min(area.height.saturating_sub(bottom_height).saturating_sub(1));
+            .min(area.height.saturating_sub(bottom_height));
+        let history_height = u16::try_from(self.active_viewport_lines(area.width.max(1)).len())
+            .unwrap_or(u16::MAX)
+            .min(
+                area.height
+                    .saturating_sub(bottom_height)
+                    .saturating_sub(subagent_height),
+            );
         let [history_area, subagent_area, bottom_area] = Layout::vertical([
-            Constraint::Min(1),
+            Constraint::Length(history_height),
             Constraint::Length(subagent_height),
             Constraint::Length(bottom_height),
         ])