diff --git a/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelPane.tsx b/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelPane.tsx
index 965f1e3b3a..c41ada17d1 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelPane.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelPane.tsx
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ export const ChannelPane = React.memo(function ChannelPane({
   useComposerHeightPadding(
     timelineScrollRef,
     composerWrapperRef,
-    `${isSinglePanelView}:${hasMainComposerOverlay}`,
+    `${activeChannelId}:${isSinglePanelView}:${hasMainComposerOverlay}`,
   );
 
   const clearWelcomeComposerDismissTimer = React.useCallback(() => {
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageTimeline.tsx b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageTimeline.tsx
index e53fbdcd50..19a37ddf80 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageTimeline.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageTimeline.tsx
@@ -205,6 +205,12 @@ const MessageTimelineBase = React.forwardRef<
   const scrollRestorationId = targetMessageId
     ? `message-timeline:${channelId ?? "none"}:target:${targetMessageId}`
     : `message-timeline:${channelId ?? "none"}`;
+  // Keep the scroll node's DOM lifetime scoped to a channel. TanStack Router's
+  // scroll-restoration listener runs outside React and may write a saved
+  // scrollTop into the current scroll element during navigation; reusing the
+  // same node across channel routes can leave the newly-loaded message list
+  // painted at a stale offset until the user's next scroll event forces layout.
+  const scrollContainerDomKey = channelId ?? "none";
 
   const timelineBodySurface = selectTimelineBodySurface({
     deferredCount: deferredMessages.length,
@@ -339,6 +345,7 @@ const MessageTimelineBase = React.forwardRef<
           )}
           data-scroll-restoration-id={scrollRestorationId}
           data-testid="message-timeline"
+          key={scrollContainerDomKey}
           onScroll={onScroll}
           ref={scrollContainerRef}
         >