diff --git a/interface/src/ui/ChatMessageArea.cpp b/interface/src/ui/ChatMessageArea.cpp
index f15b788990..929ad85d87 100644
--- a/interface/src/ui/ChatMessageArea.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/ui/ChatMessageArea.cpp
@@ -9,11 +9,12 @@
 //  See the accompanying file LICENSE or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html
 //
 
+#include "Application.h"
 #include "ChatMessageArea.h"
 #include <QAbstractTextDocumentLayout>
 #include <QWheelEvent>
 
-ChatMessageArea::ChatMessageArea() : QTextBrowser() {
+ChatMessageArea::ChatMessageArea(bool useFixedHeight) : QTextBrowser(), _useFixedHeight(useFixedHeight) {
     connect(document()->documentLayout(), &QAbstractTextDocumentLayout::documentSizeChanged,
             this, &ChatMessageArea::updateLayout);
 }
@@ -34,7 +35,15 @@ void ChatMessageArea::setHtml(const QString& html) {
 }
 
 void ChatMessageArea::updateLayout() {
-    setFixedHeight(document()->size().height());
+    if (_useFixedHeight) {
+        setFixedHeight(document()->size().height());
+        updateGeometry();
+        emit sizeChanged(size());
+    }
+}
+
+void ChatMessageArea::setSize(const QSize& size) {
+    setFixedHeight(size.height());
     updateGeometry();
 }
 
diff --git a/interface/src/ui/ChatMessageArea.h b/interface/src/ui/ChatMessageArea.h
index 1c49c60b08..48cfc01aec 100644
--- a/interface/src/ui/ChatMessageArea.h
+++ b/interface/src/ui/ChatMessageArea.h
@@ -19,14 +19,19 @@ const int CHAT_MESSAGE_LINE_HEIGHT = 130;
 class ChatMessageArea : public QTextBrowser {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
-    ChatMessageArea();
+    ChatMessageArea(bool useFixedHeight = true);
     virtual void setHtml(const QString& html);
 
 public slots:
     void updateLayout();
+    void setSize(const QSize& size);
+
+signals:
+    void sizeChanged(QSize newSize);
 
 protected:
     virtual void wheelEvent(QWheelEvent* event);
+    bool _useFixedHeight;
 
 };
 
diff --git a/interface/src/ui/ChatWindow.cpp b/interface/src/ui/ChatWindow.cpp
index 1f0f884f30..c194e35fc1 100644
--- a/interface/src/ui/ChatWindow.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/ui/ChatWindow.cpp
@@ -240,13 +240,32 @@ void ChatWindow::messageReceived(const QXmppMessage& message) {
         return;
     }
 
-    QLabel* userLabel = new QLabel(getParticipantName(message.from()));
-    userLabel->setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy::Expanding, QSizePolicy::Expanding);
-    userLabel->setStyleSheet("padding: 2px; font-weight: bold");
-    userLabel->setAlignment(Qt::AlignTop | Qt::AlignRight);
+    // Create username label
+    ChatMessageArea* userLabel = new ChatMessageArea(false);
+    userLabel->setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy::Expanding, QSizePolicy::Maximum);
+    userLabel->setWordWrapMode(QTextOption::NoWrap);
+    userLabel->setLineWrapMode(QTextEdit::NoWrap);
+    userLabel->setTextInteractionFlags(Qt::NoTextInteraction);
+    userLabel->setVerticalScrollBarPolicy(Qt::ScrollBarAlwaysOff);
+    userLabel->setHorizontalScrollBarPolicy(Qt::ScrollBarAlwaysOff);
+    userLabel->setReadOnly(true);
+    userLabel->setSizeAdjustPolicy(QAbstractScrollArea::AdjustToContents);
 
-    ChatMessageArea* messageArea = new ChatMessageArea();
+    userLabel->setStyleSheet("padding: 2px;"
+                             "font-weight: bold;"
+                             "background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0%);"
+                             "border: 0;");
 
+    QTextBlockFormat format;
+    format.setLineHeight(130, QTextBlockFormat::ProportionalHeight);
+    QTextCursor cursor = userLabel->textCursor();
+    cursor.setBlockFormat(format);
+    cursor.insertText(getParticipantName(message.from()));
+
+    userLabel->setAlignment(Qt::AlignRight);
+
+    // Create message area
+    ChatMessageArea* messageArea = new ChatMessageArea(true);
     messageArea->setOpenLinks(true);
     messageArea->setOpenExternalLinks(true);
     messageArea->setWordWrapMode(QTextOption::WrapAtWordBoundaryOrAnywhere);
@@ -262,10 +281,11 @@ void ChatWindow::messageReceived(const QXmppMessage& message) {
                                "background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0%);"
                                "border: 0;");
 
+    // Update background if this is a message from the current user
     bool fromSelf = getParticipantName(message.from()) == AccountManager::getInstance().getUsername();
     if (fromSelf) {
-        userLabel->setStyleSheet(userLabel->styleSheet() + "; background-color: #e1e8ea");
-        messageArea->setStyleSheet(messageArea->styleSheet() + "; background-color: #e1e8ea");
+        userLabel->setStyleSheet(userLabel->styleSheet() + "background-color: #e1e8ea");
+        messageArea->setStyleSheet(messageArea->styleSheet() + "background-color: #e1e8ea");
     }
 
     messageArea->setHtml(message.body().replace(regexLinks, "<a href=\"\\1\">\\1</a>"));
@@ -274,6 +294,12 @@ void ChatWindow::messageReceived(const QXmppMessage& message) {
     ui->messagesGridLayout->addWidget(userLabel, ui->messagesGridLayout->rowCount(), 0);
     ui->messagesGridLayout->addWidget(messageArea, ui->messagesGridLayout->rowCount() - 1, 1);
 
+    // Force the height of the username area to match the height of the message area
+    connect(messageArea, &ChatMessageArea::sizeChanged, userLabel, &ChatMessageArea::setSize);
+
+    // Force initial height to match message area
+    userLabel->setFixedHeight(messageArea->size().height());
+
     ui->messagesGridLayout->parentWidget()->updateGeometry();
     Application::processEvents();