diff --git a/stylesheets/_session.scss b/stylesheets/_session.scss
index 46695f5f9..9740dfedb 100644
--- a/stylesheets/_session.scss
+++ b/stylesheets/_session.scss
@@ -412,6 +412,7 @@ textarea {
   display: inline-flex;
   margin-inline-end: 20px;
   padding-top: 5px;
+  margin-bottom: auto;
 }
 
 .module-message__container {
diff --git a/stylesheets/_session_conversation.scss b/stylesheets/_session_conversation.scss
index 3d0c21afc..02624abe5 100644
--- a/stylesheets/_session_conversation.scss
+++ b/stylesheets/_session_conversation.scss
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@
   letter-spacing: 0.03em;
   margin-top: 3px;
   margin-bottom: 3px;
+  display: flex;
 }
 
 .composition-container {
diff --git a/ts/components/conversation/Message.tsx b/ts/components/conversation/Message.tsx
index 6f3650d0d..41d53d804 100644
--- a/ts/components/conversation/Message.tsx
+++ b/ts/components/conversation/Message.tsx
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ export interface Props {
   isKickedFromGroup: boolean;
   // whether or not to show check boxes
   multiSelectMode: boolean;
+  firstMessageOfSeries: boolean;
 
   onClickAttachment?: (attachment: AttachmentType) => void;
   onClickLinkPreview?: (url: string) => void;
@@ -709,6 +710,7 @@ export class Message extends React.PureComponent<Props, State> {
       conversationType,
       direction,
       onShowUserDetails,
+      firstMessageOfSeries,
     } = this.props;
 
     if (
@@ -720,6 +722,10 @@ export class Message extends React.PureComponent<Props, State> {
     }
     const userName = authorName || authorProfileName || authorPhoneNumber;
 
+    if (!firstMessageOfSeries) {
+      return <div style={{ marginInlineEnd: '60px' }} />;
+    }
+
     return (
       <div className="module-message__author-avatar">
         <Avatar
@@ -971,6 +977,7 @@ export class Message extends React.PureComponent<Props, State> {
       conversationType,
       isPublic,
       text,
+      firstMessageOfSeries,
     } = this.props;
     const { expired, expiring } = this.state;
 
diff --git a/ts/components/session/conversation/SessionConversation.tsx b/ts/components/session/conversation/SessionConversation.tsx
index 32f54a8e9..b8e2614e8 100644
--- a/ts/components/session/conversation/SessionConversation.tsx
+++ b/ts/components/session/conversation/SessionConversation.tsx
@@ -332,20 +332,11 @@ export class SessionConversation extends React.Component<Props, State> {
     // in the conversation model.
     // The only time we need to call getMessages() is to grab more messages on scroll.
     const { initialFetchComplete } = this.state;
-    const { conversationKey } = this.props;
     if (initialFetchComplete) {
       return;
     }
 
-    const messageSet = await window.Signal.Data.getMessagesByConversation(
-      conversationKey,
-      {
-        limit: Constants.CONVERSATION.DEFAULT_MESSAGE_FETCH_COUNT,
-        MessageCollection: window.Whisper.MessageCollection,
-      }
-    );
-
-    this.setState({ messages: messageSet.models });
+    return this.getMessages(Constants.CONVERSATION.DEFAULT_MESSAGE_FETCH_COUNT);
   }
 
   public async getMessages(numMessages?: number) {
@@ -372,16 +363,27 @@ export class SessionConversation extends React.Component<Props, State> {
     const messageModels = messageSet.models;
 
     const messages = [];
-    let previousSender;
+    // no need to do that `firstMessageOfSeries` on a private chat
+    if (this.props.conversation.type === 'direct') {
+      this.setState({ messages: messageSet.models });
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // messages are got from the more recent to the oldest, so we need to check if
+    // the next messages in the list is still the same author.
+    // The message is the first of the series if the next message is not from the same authori
     for (let i = 0; i < messageModels.length; i++) {
       // Handle firstMessageOfSeries for conditional avatar rendering
       let firstMessageOfSeries = true;
-      if (i > 0 && previousSender === messageModels[i].authorPhoneNumber) {
+      const currentSender = messageModels[i].propsForMessage?.authorPhoneNumber;
+      const nextSender =
+        i < messageModels.length - 1
+          ? messageModels[i + 1].propsForMessage?.authorPhoneNumber
+          : undefined;
+      if (i > 0 && currentSender === nextSender) {
         firstMessageOfSeries = false;
       }
-
       messages.push({ ...messageModels[i], firstMessageOfSeries });
-      previousSender = messageModels[i].authorPhoneNumber;
     }
 
     this.setState({ messages });