diff --git a/src/app/features/room/RoomTimeline.tsx b/src/app/features/room/RoomTimeline.tsx
index 39d7e50a6..80a5e2e72 100644
--- a/src/app/features/room/RoomTimeline.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/room/RoomTimeline.tsx
@@ -436,6 +436,7 @@ export function RoomTimeline({ room, eventId, roomInputRef, editor }: RoomTimeli
   const useAuthentication = useMediaAuthentication();
   const [hideActivity] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'hideActivity');
   const [messageLayout] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'messageLayout');
+  const [perMessageProfiles] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'perMessageProfiles');
   const [messageSpacing] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'messageSpacing');
   const [legacyUsernameColor] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'legacyUsernameColor');
   const direct = useIsDirectRoom();
@@ -1649,6 +1650,7 @@ export function RoomTimeline({ room, eventId, roomInputRef, editor }: RoomTimeli
     }
 
     const collapsed =
+      !perMessageProfiles &&
       isPrevRendered &&
       !dayDivider &&
       (!newDivider || eventSender === mx.getUserId()) &&
diff --git a/src/app/features/room/RoomView.tsx b/src/app/features/room/RoomView.tsx
index a4f0d7af6..d96c9df02 100644
--- a/src/app/features/room/RoomView.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/room/RoomView.tsx
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ import { RoomTombstone } from './RoomTombstone';
 import { RoomInput } from './RoomInput';
 import { RoomViewFollowing, RoomViewFollowingPlaceholder } from './RoomViewFollowing';
 import { Page } from '../../components/page';
+import { useSetting } from '../../state/hooks/settings';
+import { settingsAtom, ChatBackground } from '../../state/settings';
 import { useKeyDown } from '../../hooks/useKeyDown';
 import { editableActiveElement } from '../../utils/dom';
 import { settingsAtom } from '../../state/settings';
@@ -54,9 +56,31 @@ const shouldFocusMessageField = (evt: KeyboardEvent): boolean => {
   return true;
 };
 
+
+const CHAT_BG: Record<ChatBackground, React.CSSProperties> = {
+  none: {},
+  dots: {
+    backgroundImage: 'radial-gradient(circle, rgba(152,0,0,0.18) 1px, transparent 1px)',
+    backgroundSize: '22px 22px',
+  },
+  grid: {
+    backgroundImage:
+      'linear-gradient(rgba(152,0,0,0.09) 1px, transparent 1px),' +
+      'linear-gradient(90deg, rgba(152,0,0,0.09) 1px, transparent 1px)',
+    backgroundSize: '28px 28px',
+  },
+  diagonal: {
+    backgroundImage:
+      'repeating-linear-gradient(45deg, rgba(152,0,0,0.07) 0px, rgba(152,0,0,0.07) 1px, transparent 1px, transparent 16px)',
+  },
+  'solid-navy': { backgroundColor: '#0a0e1a' },
+  'solid-void': { backgroundColor: '#070709' },
+};
+
 export function RoomView({ eventId }: { eventId?: string }) {
   const roomInputRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const roomViewRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
+  const [chatBackground] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'chatBackground');
 
   const [hideActivity] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'hideActivity');
 
@@ -91,7 +115,7 @@ export function RoomView({ eventId }: { eventId?: string }) {
   );
 
   return (
-    <Page ref={roomViewRef}>
+    <Page ref={roomViewRef} style={CHAT_BG[chatBackground]}>
       <Box grow="Yes" direction="Column">
         <RoomTimeline
           key={roomId}
diff --git a/src/app/features/settings/general/General.tsx b/src/app/features/settings/general/General.tsx
index b861a060b..1cda4b1e5 100644
--- a/src/app/features/settings/general/General.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/settings/general/General.tsx
@@ -307,6 +307,7 @@ function Appearance() {
   const [systemTheme, setSystemTheme] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'useSystemTheme');
   const [monochromeMode, setMonochromeMode] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'monochromeMode');
   const [twitterEmoji, setTwitterEmoji] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'twitterEmoji');
+  const [perMessageProfiles, setPerMessageProfiles] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'perMessageProfiles');
 
   return (
     <Box direction="Column" gap="100">
@@ -350,6 +351,22 @@ function Appearance() {
       <SequenceCard className={SequenceCardStyle} variant="SurfaceVariant" direction="Column">
         <SettingTile title="Page Zoom" after={<PageZoomInput />} />
       </SequenceCard>
+
+      <SequenceCard className={SequenceCardStyle} variant="SurfaceVariant" direction="Column">
+        <SettingTile
+          title="Chat Background"
+          description="Pattern applied behind the message timeline."
+          after={<SelectChatBackground />}
+        />
+      </SequenceCard>
+
+      <SequenceCard className={SequenceCardStyle} variant="SurfaceVariant" direction="Column">
+        <SettingTile
+          title="Show Profile on Every Message"
+          description="Display avatar and name on each message instead of grouping consecutive messages."
+          after={<Switch variant="Primary" value={perMessageProfiles} onChange={setPerMessageProfiles} />}
+        />
+      </SequenceCard>
     </Box>
   );
 }
@@ -741,6 +758,84 @@ function Editor() {
   );
 }
 
+
+const BG_OPTIONS: { value: ChatBackground; label: string }[] = [
+  { value: 'none', label: 'None' },
+  { value: 'dots', label: 'Dots' },
+  { value: 'grid', label: 'Grid' },
+  { value: 'diagonal', label: 'Diagonal' },
+  { value: 'solid-navy', label: 'Navy' },
+  { value: 'solid-void', label: 'Void' },
+];
+
+function SelectChatBackground() {
+  const [menuCords, setMenuCords] = useState<RectCords>();
+  const [chatBackground, setChatBackground] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'chatBackground');
+
+  const handleMenu: MouseEventHandler<HTMLButtonElement> = (evt) => {
+    setMenuCords(evt.currentTarget.getBoundingClientRect());
+  };
+
+  const handleSelect = (value: ChatBackground) => {
+    setChatBackground(value);
+    setMenuCords(undefined);
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <>
+      <Button
+        size="300"
+        variant="Secondary"
+        outlined
+        fill="Soft"
+        radii="300"
+        after={<Icon size="300" src={Icons.ChevronBottom} />}
+        onClick={handleMenu}
+      >
+        <Text size="T300">
+          {BG_OPTIONS.find((o) => o.value === chatBackground)?.label ?? 'None'}
+        </Text>
+      </Button>
+      <PopOut
+        anchor={menuCords}
+        offset={5}
+        position="Bottom"
+        align="End"
+        content={
+          <FocusTrap
+            focusTrapOptions={{
+              initialFocus: false,
+              onDeactivate: () => setMenuCords(undefined),
+              clickOutsideDeactivates: true,
+              isKeyForward: (evt: KeyboardEvent) =>
+                evt.key === 'ArrowDown' || evt.key === 'ArrowRight',
+              isKeyBackward: (evt: KeyboardEvent) =>
+                evt.key === 'ArrowUp' || evt.key === 'ArrowLeft',
+              escapeDeactivates: stopPropagation,
+            }}
+          >
+            <Menu>
+              <Box direction="Column" gap="100" style={{ padding: config.space.S100 }}>
+                {BG_OPTIONS.map((opt) => (
+                  <MenuItem
+                    key={opt.value}
+                    size="300"
+                    variant={chatBackground === opt.value ? 'Primary' : 'Surface'}
+                    radii="300"
+                    onClick={() => handleSelect(opt.value)}
+                  >
+                    <Text size="T300">{opt.label}</Text>
+                  </MenuItem>
+                ))}
+              </Box>
+            </Menu>
+          </FocusTrap>
+        }
+      />
+    </>
+  );
+}
+
 function SelectMessageLayout() {
   const [menuCords, setMenuCords] = useState<RectCords>();
   const [messageLayout, setMessageLayout] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'messageLayout');
diff --git a/src/app/state/settings.ts b/src/app/state/settings.ts
index 31ee6ccb9..a15d5ba8a 100644
--- a/src/app/state/settings.ts
+++ b/src/app/state/settings.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { atom } from 'jotai';
 const STORAGE_KEY = 'settings';
 export type DateFormat = 'D MMM YYYY' | 'DD/MM/YYYY' | 'MM/DD/YYYY' | 'YYYY/MM/DD' | '';
 export type MessageSpacing = '0' | '100' | '200' | '300' | '400' | '500';
+export type ChatBackground = 'none' | 'dots' | 'grid' | 'diagonal' | 'solid-navy' | 'solid-void';
 export enum MessageLayout {
   Modern = 0,
   Compact = 1,
@@ -41,6 +42,9 @@ export interface Settings {
   dateFormatString: string;
 
   developerTools: boolean;
+
+  chatBackground: ChatBackground;
+  perMessageProfiles: boolean;
 }
 
 const defaultSettings: Settings = {
@@ -75,6 +79,9 @@ const defaultSettings: Settings = {
   dateFormatString: 'D MMM YYYY',
 
   developerTools: false,
+
+  chatBackground: 'none',
+  perMessageProfiles: false,
 };
 
 export const getSettings = () => {