diff --git a/chat/package.json b/chat/package.json
index 372bf4e71..4449067b1 100644
--- a/chat/package.json
+++ b/chat/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "chat",
-  "version": "0.1.26",
+  "version": "0.1.27",
   "main": "./src/index.tsx",
   "license": "MIT",
   "dependencies": {
diff --git a/chat/src/features/chat/ChatMessage.css b/chat/src/features/chat/ChatMessage.css
index db9b6b751..cd7fb423a 100644
--- a/chat/src/features/chat/ChatMessage.css
+++ b/chat/src/features/chat/ChatMessage.css
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@
   border-bottom: 1px dashed var(--primary);
 }
 
+.ChatMessage__isOptimistic {
+  opacity: 0.5;
+}
+
 .ChatMessage p {
   margin: 0;
 }
diff --git a/chat/src/features/chat/ChatMessage.tsx b/chat/src/features/chat/ChatMessage.tsx
index 2170d9786..5a172e798 100644
--- a/chat/src/features/chat/ChatMessage.tsx
+++ b/chat/src/features/chat/ChatMessage.tsx
@@ -11,7 +11,12 @@ import key from "weak-key";
 import humanizeDuration from "humanize-duration";
 import cloneDeep from "lodash.clonedeep";
 import { Username } from "./Username";
-import { useChat, useRootContext } from "../../hooks";
+import {
+  DIRECT_MESSAGE_ID,
+  OPTIMISTIC_MESSAGE_ID,
+  useChat,
+  useRootContext,
+} from "../../hooks";
 import { QuotedMessageLink } from "./QuotedMessageLink";
 import "./ChatMessage.css";
 
@@ -34,6 +39,7 @@ export function ChatMessage({
 }: ChatMessageProps) {
   const {
     id,
+    user_id,
     avatar,
     namecolor,
     username,
@@ -68,6 +74,8 @@ export function ChatMessage({
     (text_html.includes(`/id/${userId}`) &&
       userUsername &&
       username !== userUsername);
+  const isDirect = id === DIRECT_MESSAGE_ID;
+  const isOptimistic = id === OPTIMISTIC_MESSAGE_ID;
   const timestamp = useMemo(
     () => formatTimeAgo(time),
     [time, timestampUpdates]
@@ -116,6 +124,7 @@ export function ChatMessage({
     <div
       className={cx("ChatMessage", {
         ChatMessage__isDm: dm,
+        ChatMessage__isOptimistic: isOptimistic,
       })}
       id={id}
       style={
@@ -127,19 +136,8 @@ export function ChatMessage({
           : {}
       }
     >
-      {!actionsOpen && (
+      {!isDirect && !isOptimistic && !actionsOpen && (
         <div className="ChatMessage-actions-button">
-          <button
-            className="btn btn-secondary"
-            style={{
-              position: "relative",
-              top: 2,
-              left: -12,
-            }}
-            onClick={() => handleDirectMessage()}
-          >
-            📨
-          </button>
           <button
             className="btn btn-secondary"
             onClick={() => {
@@ -157,14 +155,16 @@ export function ChatMessage({
           </button>
         </div>
       )}
-      {actionsOpen && (
+      {!isDirect && !isOptimistic && actionsOpen && (
         <div className="ChatMessage-actions">
-          <button
-            className="btn btn-secondary ChatMessage-button"
-            onClick={() => handleDirectMessage(true)}
-          >
-            📨 DM @{message.username}
-          </button>
+          {userId && parseInt(userId) !== parseInt(user_id) && (
+            <button
+              className="btn btn-secondary ChatMessage-button"
+              onClick={() => handleDirectMessage(true)}
+            >
+              📨 DM @{message.username}
+            </button>
+          )}
           <button
             className="btn btn-secondary ChatMessage-button"
             onClick={handleQuoteMessageAction}
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ export function ChatMessage({
           <QuotedMessageLink message={quotedMessage} />
         </div>
       )}
-      {dm && (
+      {!isDirect && dm && (
         <small className="ChatMessage-quoted-link text-primary">
           <em>(Sent only to you)</em>
         </small>
diff --git a/chat/src/hooks/useChat.tsx b/chat/src/hooks/useChat.tsx
index d0fe06a67..2cffc187e 100644
--- a/chat/src/hooks/useChat.tsx
+++ b/chat/src/hooks/useChat.tsx
@@ -58,9 +58,11 @@ const ChatContext = createContext<ChatProviderContext>({
 });
 
 const MINIMUM_TYPING_UPDATE_INTERVAL = 250;
+export const DIRECT_MESSAGE_ID = "DIRECT_MESSAGE";
+export const OPTIMISTIC_MESSAGE_ID = "OPTIMISTIC";
 
 export function ChatProvider({ children }: PropsWithChildren) {
-  const { username, siteName } = useRootContext();
+  const { username, id, siteName, hat, avatar, nameColor } = useRootContext();
   const socket = useRef<null | Socket>(null);
   const [online, setOnline] = useState<string[]>([]);
   const [typing, setTyping] = useState<string[]>([]);
@@ -73,13 +75,69 @@ export function ChatProvider({ children }: PropsWithChildren) {
   const [notifications, setNotifications] = useState<number>(0);
   const [messageLookup, setMessageLookup] = useState({});
   const addMessage = useCallback((message: IChatMessage) => {
-    setMessages((prev) => [...prev.slice(-99), message]);
+    if (message.id === OPTIMISTIC_MESSAGE_ID) {
+      setMessages((prev) => prev.concat(message));
+    } else {
+      // Are there any optimistic messages that have the same text?
+      setMessages((prev) => {
+        const matchingOptimisticMessage = prev.findIndex(
+          (prevMessage) =>
+            prevMessage.id === OPTIMISTIC_MESSAGE_ID &&
+            prevMessage.text.trim() === message.text.trim()
+        );
+
+        if (matchingOptimisticMessage === -1) {
+          return prev.slice(-99).concat(message);
+        } else {
+          const before = prev.slice(0, matchingOptimisticMessage);
+          const after = prev.slice(matchingOptimisticMessage + 1);
+
+          return [...before, message, ...after];
+        }
+      });
+    }
 
     if (message.username !== username && !document.hasFocus()) {
       setNotifications((prev) => prev + 1);
     }
   }, []);
   const sendMessage = useCallback(() => {
+    if (userToDm) {
+      const directMessage = `<small class="text-primary"><em>(Sent to @${userToDm.username}):</em></small> ${draft}`;
+
+      addMessage({
+        id: DIRECT_MESSAGE_ID,
+        username,
+        user_id: id,
+        avatar,
+        hat,
+        namecolor: nameColor,
+        text: directMessage,
+        base_text_censored: directMessage,
+        text_censored: directMessage,
+        text_html: directMessage,
+        time: new Date().getTime() / 1000,
+        quotes: null,
+        dm: true,
+      });
+    } else {
+      addMessage({
+        id: OPTIMISTIC_MESSAGE_ID,
+        username,
+        user_id: id,
+        avatar,
+        hat,
+        namecolor: nameColor,
+        text: draft,
+        base_text_censored: draft,
+        text_censored: draft,
+        text_html: draft,
+        time: new Date().getTime() / 1000,
+        quotes: null,
+        dm: false,
+      });
+    }
+
     socket.current?.emit(ChatHandlers.SPEAK, {
       message: draft,
       quotes: quote?.id ?? null,
diff --git a/chat/src/hooks/useRootContext.ts b/chat/src/hooks/useRootContext.ts
index 81c3409d6..c12a9909a 100644
--- a/chat/src/hooks/useRootContext.ts
+++ b/chat/src/hooks/useRootContext.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,30 @@
 import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
 
 export function useRootContext() {
-  const [{ admin, id, username, censored, themeColor, siteName }, setContext] =
-    useState({
-      id: "",
-      username: "",
-      admin: false,
-      censored: true,
-      themeColor: "#ff66ac",
-      siteName: "",
-    });
+  const [
+    {
+      admin,
+      id,
+      username,
+      censored,
+      themeColor,
+      siteName,
+      nameColor,
+      avatar,
+      hat,
+    },
+    setContext,
+  ] = useState({
+    id: "",
+    username: "",
+    admin: false,
+    censored: true,
+    themeColor: "#ff66ac",
+    siteName: "",
+    nameColor: "",
+    avatar: "",
+    hat: "",
+  });
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const root = document.getElementById("root");
@@ -21,8 +36,21 @@ export function useRootContext() {
       censored: root.dataset.censored === "True",
       themeColor: root.dataset.themecolor,
       siteName: root.dataset.sitename,
+      nameColor: root.dataset.namecolor,
+      avatar: root.dataset.avatar,
+      hat: root.dataset.hat,
     });
   }, []);
 
-  return { id, admin, username, censored, themeColor, siteName };
+  return {
+    id,
+    admin,
+    username,
+    censored,
+    themeColor,
+    siteName,
+    nameColor,
+    avatar,
+    hat,
+  };
 }
diff --git a/files/templates/chat.html b/files/templates/chat.html
index 013b84bf3..6e716725c 100644
--- a/files/templates/chat.html
+++ b/files/templates/chat.html
@@ -35,7 +35,10 @@
 		data-admin="{{v.admin_level > 1}}"
 		data-censored="{{v.slurreplacer}}"
 		data-sitename="{{SITE_NAME}}"
-		data-themecolor="{{v.themecolor}}">
+		data-themecolor="{{v.themecolor}}"
+		data-namecolor="{{v.namecolor}}"
+		data-avatar="{{v.profile_url}}"
+		data-hat="{{v.hat_active}}">
 	</div>
 	<script>window.global = window</script>
 	<script defer src="{{'js/chat_done.js' | asset}}"></script>