diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/useAnchoredScroll.lifecycle.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/useAnchoredScroll.lifecycle.test.mjs
index d829717709f..519ff3a30ea 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/useAnchoredScroll.lifecycle.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/useAnchoredScroll.lifecycle.test.mjs
@@ -800,11 +800,21 @@ async function renderHeldTarget() {
       ),
     );
   };
+  let viewportWidth = 800;
   const resizeViewport = async () => {
+    viewportWidth -= 10;
     await act(async () => {
       for (const observer of resizeObservers) {
-        if (observer.targets.includes(scroller)) observer.callback();
+        if (observer.targets.includes(scroller)) {
+          observer.callback([
+            {
+              target: scroller,
+              contentRect: { width: viewportWidth, height: 600 },
+            },
+          ]);
+        }
       }
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 0));
     });
   };
 
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/useVirtualizedViewportResize.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/useVirtualizedViewportResize.test.mjs
index cabc5dccb55..9a736663a80 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/useVirtualizedViewportResize.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/useVirtualizedViewportResize.test.mjs
@@ -1,22 +1,207 @@
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import test from "node:test";
 
-import { shouldSettleVirtualizedViewportResize } from "./useVirtualizedViewportResize.ts";
+import {
+  createVirtualizedViewportResizeHandler,
+  readObservedViewportSize,
+  shouldSettleVirtualizedViewportResize,
+} from "./useVirtualizedViewportResize.ts";
 
 test("viewport resize follows the virtualizer's explicit bottom state", () => {
-  for (const [virtualizerAtBottom, targetHeld, expected] of [
-    [true, false, true],
-    [false, false, false],
-    // A held navigation target keeps the viewport even at the floor.
-    [true, true, false],
-  ]) {
-    assert.equal(
-      shouldSettleVirtualizedViewportResize({
-        targetHeld,
-        virtualizerAtBottom,
-      }),
-      expected,
-      JSON.stringify({ targetHeld, virtualizerAtBottom }),
-    );
-  }
+  assert.equal(
+    shouldSettleVirtualizedViewportResize({
+      virtualizerAtBottom: true,
+      targetHeld: false,
+    }),
+    true,
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    shouldSettleVirtualizedViewportResize({
+      virtualizerAtBottom: false,
+      targetHeld: false,
+    }),
+    false,
+  );
+});
+
+test("a resize that does not change geometry does not settle", () => {
+  const size = { width: 800, height: 600 };
+  assert.equal(
+    shouldSettleVirtualizedViewportResize({
+      virtualizerAtBottom: true,
+      targetHeld: false,
+      previousSize: size,
+      nextSize: { ...size },
+    }),
+    false,
+  );
+});
+
+test("a real geometry change still settles", () => {
+  const previousSize = { width: 800, height: 600 };
+  assert.equal(
+    shouldSettleVirtualizedViewportResize({
+      virtualizerAtBottom: true,
+      targetHeld: false,
+      previousSize,
+      nextSize: { width: 800, height: 540 },
+    }),
+    true,
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    shouldSettleVirtualizedViewportResize({
+      virtualizerAtBottom: true,
+      targetHeld: false,
+      previousSize,
+      nextSize: { width: 783, height: 600 },
+    }),
+    true,
+  );
+});
+
+test("the first delivery settles because there is no baseline to compare", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    shouldSettleVirtualizedViewportResize({
+      virtualizerAtBottom: true,
+      targetHeld: false,
+      previousSize: null,
+      nextSize: { width: 800, height: 600 },
+    }),
+    true,
+  );
+});
+
+test("the observed content box takes precedence over the border box", () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    readObservedViewportSize({
+      borderBoxSize: [{ inlineSize: 800, blockSize: 600 }],
+      contentRect: { width: 1, height: 2 },
+    }),
+    { width: 1, height: 2 },
+  );
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    readObservedViewportSize({ contentRect: { width: 640, height: 480 } }),
+    { width: 640, height: 480 },
+  );
+  assert.equal(readObservedViewportSize({}), null);
+});
+
+// ── Observer wiring ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+function harness({ atBottom = true } = {}) {
+  const frames = [];
+  const cancelled = [];
+  let settles = 0;
+  let reanchors = 0;
+  const virtualizerAtBottomRef = { current: atBottom };
+  const targetHoldRef = { current: false };
+  const handler = createVirtualizedViewportResizeHandler({
+    virtualizerAtBottomRef,
+    targetHoldRef,
+    settleAtBottom: () => {
+      settles += 1;
+    },
+    reanchorHeldTarget: () => {
+      reanchors += 1;
+    },
+    requestFrame: (cb) => {
+      frames.push(cb);
+      return frames.length;
+    },
+    cancelFrame: (handle) => cancelled.push(handle),
+  });
+  return {
+    handler,
+    cancelled,
+    virtualizerAtBottomRef,
+    targetHoldRef,
+    reanchors: () => reanchors,
+    settles: () => settles,
+    pendingFrames: () => frames.length,
+    runFrames: () => {
+      const queued = frames.splice(0);
+      for (const cb of queued) cb();
+    },
+    deliver: (width, height) =>
+      handler.handleEntries([
+        { borderBoxSize: [{ inlineSize: width, blockSize: height }] },
+      ]),
+  };
+}
+
+test("the settle write is deferred out of the delivery pass", () => {
+  const h = harness();
+  h.deliver(800, 600);
+  // Nothing may run synchronously — a scroll write here resizes the observed
+  // element inside the pass that is delivering to us.
+  assert.equal(h.settles(), 0);
+  assert.equal(h.pendingFrames(), 1);
+  h.runFrames();
+  assert.equal(h.settles(), 1);
+});
+
+test("a re-entrant delivery does not queue a second frame", () => {
+  const h = harness();
+  h.deliver(800, 600);
+  h.deliver(800, 540);
+  assert.equal(h.pendingFrames(), 1);
+  h.runFrames();
+  assert.equal(h.settles(), 1);
+});
+
+test("a resize back to the same geometry settles nothing", () => {
+  const h = harness();
+  h.deliver(800, 600);
+  h.runFrames();
+  assert.equal(h.settles(), 1);
+
+  h.deliver(800, 600);
+  assert.equal(h.pendingFrames(), 0);
+  h.runFrames();
+  assert.equal(h.settles(), 1, "identical geometry must not re-settle");
+});
+
+test("geometry is tracked even while the virtualizer is not at bottom", () => {
+  const h = harness({ atBottom: false });
+  h.deliver(800, 600);
+  h.runFrames();
+  assert.equal(h.settles(), 0);
+});
+
+test("cancel releases a pending frame", () => {
+  const h = harness();
+  h.deliver(800, 600);
+  h.handler.cancel();
+  assert.deepEqual(h.cancelled, [1]);
+  // A second cancel is a no-op rather than a double free.
+  h.handler.cancel();
+  assert.deepEqual(h.cancelled, [1]);
+});
+
+test("a newly held target wins over a queued bottom settle", () => {
+  const h = harness();
+  h.deliver(800, 600);
+  h.targetHoldRef.current = true;
+  h.runFrames();
+  assert.equal(h.reanchors(), 1);
+  assert.equal(h.settles(), 0);
+});
+
+test("a held target re-anchors after viewport reflow away from the floor", () => {
+  const h = harness({ atBottom: false });
+  h.targetHoldRef.current = true;
+  h.deliver(800, 600);
+  assert.equal(h.reanchors(), 0);
+  h.runFrames();
+  assert.equal(h.reanchors(), 1);
+  assert.equal(h.settles(), 0);
+});
+
+test("reader scroll away from bottom cancels a pending settle", () => {
+  const h = harness();
+  h.deliver(800, 600);
+  h.virtualizerAtBottomRef.current = false;
+  h.runFrames();
+  assert.equal(h.reanchors(), 0);
+  assert.equal(h.settles(), 0);
 });
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/useVirtualizedViewportResize.ts b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/useVirtualizedViewportResize.ts
index e8d63c55343..07bcacc8a51 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/useVirtualizedViewportResize.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/useVirtualizedViewportResize.ts
@@ -1,18 +1,104 @@
 import * as React from "react";
 
+export type VirtualizedViewportSize = { width: number; height: number };
+
 export function shouldSettleVirtualizedViewportResize({
-  targetHeld,
   virtualizerAtBottom,
+  targetHeld,
+  previousSize,
+  nextSize,
 }: {
-  targetHeld: boolean;
   virtualizerAtBottom: boolean;
+  targetHeld: boolean;
+  /** Last size delivered to this observer, or null before the first delivery. */
+  previousSize?: VirtualizedViewportSize | null;
+  nextSize?: VirtualizedViewportSize | null;
 }): boolean {
-  return virtualizerAtBottom && !targetHeld;
+  if (!virtualizerAtBottom || targetHeld) return false;
+  // No baseline yet (or no readable box): the first delivery still settles, as
+  // it always has.
+  if (!previousSize || !nextSize) return true;
+  // A resize that round-trips to the same geometry has nothing to settle, and
+  // settling anyway is what keeps re-entering the observation pass.
+  return (
+    previousSize.width !== nextSize.width ||
+    previousSize.height !== nextSize.height
+  );
+}
+
+export function readObservedViewportSize(
+  entry: ResizeObserverEntry,
+): VirtualizedViewportSize | null {
+  // observe() uses the content box, which can change when a scrollbar appears.
+  const rect = entry.contentRect;
+  if (rect) return { width: rect.width, height: rect.height };
+  const borderBox = entry.borderBoxSize?.[0];
+  return borderBox
+    ? { width: borderBox.inlineSize, height: borderBox.blockSize }
+    : null;
 }
 
-/** Re-settles a bottom-pinned virtualized timeline after viewport reflow.
- *  While an accepted navigation target holds the viewport, it re-anchors
- *  that target instead. */
+/**
+ * The ResizeObserver callback, lifted out of the hook so it can be driven
+ * without a DOM.
+ *
+ * `settleAtBottom` scrolls, which re-measures rows and can toggle the
+ * scrollbar — resizing the observed element at a deeper depth of the pass that
+ * is delivering to us. Running the write on the next frame keeps it out of that
+ * pass, so the browser stops reporting "ResizeObserver loop completed with
+ * undelivered notifications". This mirrors the rAF defer the sibling observer in
+ * `useVirtualizedBottomSettle` already uses.
+ */
+export function createVirtualizedViewportResizeHandler({
+  virtualizerAtBottomRef,
+  targetHoldRef,
+  settleAtBottom,
+  reanchorHeldTarget,
+  requestFrame,
+  cancelFrame,
+}: {
+  virtualizerAtBottomRef: { current: boolean };
+  targetHoldRef: { current: boolean };
+  settleAtBottom: () => void;
+  reanchorHeldTarget?: () => void;
+  requestFrame: (cb: () => void) => number;
+  cancelFrame: (handle: number) => void;
+}) {
+  let previousSize: VirtualizedViewportSize | null = null;
+  let frame: number | null = null;
+
+  return {
+    handleEntries(entries: readonly ResizeObserverEntry[]) {
+      const entry = entries.at(-1);
+      const nextSize = entry ? readObservedViewportSize(entry) : null;
+      const settle = shouldSettleVirtualizedViewportResize({
+        virtualizerAtBottom: virtualizerAtBottomRef.current,
+        targetHeld: targetHoldRef.current,
+        previousSize,
+        nextSize,
+      });
+      if (nextSize) previousSize = nextSize;
+      if (frame !== null || (!settle && !targetHoldRef.current)) return;
+      frame = requestFrame(() => {
+        frame = null;
+        // Navigation and reader scroll can change which position we own.
+        if (targetHoldRef.current) {
+          reanchorHeldTarget?.();
+        } else if (virtualizerAtBottomRef.current) {
+          settleAtBottom();
+        }
+      });
+    },
+    cancel() {
+      if (frame !== null) {
+        cancelFrame(frame);
+        frame = null;
+      }
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+/** Re-anchors a held navigation target or bottom-pinned timeline after reflow. */
 export function useVirtualizedViewportResize(
   scrollContainerRef: React.RefObject<HTMLDivElement | null>,
   virtualizerAtBottomRef: React.RefObject<boolean>,
@@ -30,20 +116,20 @@ export function useVirtualizedViewportResize(
       return;
     }
 
-    const observer = new ResizeObserver(() => {
-      if (
-        shouldSettleVirtualizedViewportResize({
-          targetHeld: targetHoldRef.current,
-          virtualizerAtBottom: virtualizerAtBottomRef.current,
-        })
-      ) {
-        settleAtBottom();
-      } else if (targetHoldRef.current) {
-        reanchorHeldTarget?.();
-      }
+    const handler = createVirtualizedViewportResizeHandler({
+      virtualizerAtBottomRef,
+      targetHoldRef,
+      settleAtBottom,
+      reanchorHeldTarget,
+      requestFrame: requestAnimationFrame,
+      cancelFrame: cancelAnimationFrame,
     });
+    const observer = new ResizeObserver(handler.handleEntries);
     observer.observe(container);
-    return () => observer.disconnect();
+    return () => {
+      observer.disconnect();
+      handler.cancel();
+    };
   }, [
     reanchorHeldTarget,
     scrollContainerRef,