diff --git a/LOTUS_FEATURES.md b/LOTUS_FEATURES.md
index aa239dfd7..1f528058c 100644
--- a/LOTUS_FEATURES.md
+++ b/LOTUS_FEATURES.md
@@ -686,7 +686,7 @@ Context menu → **Forward** allows forwarding a message to any room the user is
 - Composer drafts are stored in `localStorage` keyed by `roomId`
 - Draft is cleared on successful send
 - The Jotai atom is the primary source of truth; `localStorage` is only read on room mount
-- **Room-nav draft indicator**: a subtle chat-bubble icon (`Icons.Message`) appears on a room's nav item when it has an unsent message draft (and isn't the open room), so you can see at a glance where you left half-written messages. It reacts to the shared draft atom via a memoized `selectAtom(…, hasMsgDraft)` (re-renders only when the flag flips; the atom is written on room-leave, not per keystroke). `useHydrateMsgDrafts` (mounted in `ClientNonUIFeatures`) pre-fills the draft atoms from `draft-msg-*` localStorage on startup so indicators are correct after a reload. Emptiness check shared via the pure, unit-tested `hasMsgDraft` (`src/app/utils/draft.ts`), also used by the composer's `DraftIndicator`.
+- **Room-nav draft indicator**: a subtle green dot (the composer's shared `DraftDot`, `color.Success.Main`) appears on a room's nav item when it has an unsent message draft (and isn't the open room), so you can see at a glance where you left half-written messages. The dot reuses the composer draft affordance's vocabulary (`role="img"`, aria-label "Unsent draft"). It reacts to the shared draft atom via a memoized `selectAtom(…, hasMsgDraft)` (re-renders only when the flag flips; the atom is written on room-leave, not per keystroke). `useHydrateMsgDrafts` (mounted in `ClientNonUIFeatures`) pre-fills the draft atoms from `draft-msg-*` localStorage on startup so indicators are correct after a reload. Emptiness check shared via the pure, unit-tested `hasMsgDraft` (`src/app/utils/draft.ts`), also used by the composer's `DraftIndicator`.
 
 ### Message Search Date Range
 
diff --git a/src/app/features/room-nav/RoomNavItem.tsx b/src/app/features/room-nav/RoomNavItem.tsx
index b00874f41..bab6a5dee 100644
--- a/src/app/features/room-nav/RoomNavItem.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/room-nav/RoomNavItem.tsx
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ import { roomToUnreadAtom } from '../../state/room/roomToUnread';
 import { markedUnreadAtom, setMarkedUnread } from '../../state/room/markedUnread';
 import { roomIdToMsgDraftAtomFamily } from '../../state/room/roomInputDrafts';
 import { hasMsgDraft } from '../../utils/draft';
+import { DraftDot } from '../room/DraftIndicator.css';
 import { getPowersLevelFromMatrixEvent, usePowerLevels } from '../../hooks/usePowerLevels';
 import { markAsRead } from '../../utils/notifications';
 import { UseStateProvider } from '../../components/UseStateProvider';
@@ -833,12 +834,7 @@ function RoomNavItem_({
                   />
                 )}
                 {hasDraft && !selected && (
-                  <Icon
-                    size="50"
-                    src={Icons.Message}
-                    aria-label="Unsent draft"
-                    style={{ opacity: config.opacity.P300, flexShrink: 0 }}
-                  />
+                  <span className={DraftDot} role="img" aria-label="Unsent draft" />
                 )}
               </Box>
               {dmPreview && (
diff --git a/src/app/features/room/RoomInput.tsx b/src/app/features/room/RoomInput.tsx
index 6460080fc..ca6b3d1de 100644
--- a/src/app/features/room/RoomInput.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/room/RoomInput.tsx
@@ -602,6 +602,7 @@ export const RoomInput = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, RoomInputProps>(
       resetEditor(editor);
       resetEditorHistory(editor);
       setCharCount(0);
+      setMsgDraft([]);
       localStorage.removeItem(`draft-msg-${draftKey}`);
       setReplyDraft(undefined);
       sendTypingStatus(false);
@@ -614,6 +615,7 @@ export const RoomInput = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, RoomInputProps>(
       replyDraft,
       sendTypingStatus,
       setReplyDraft,
+      setMsgDraft,
       isMarkdown,
       commands,
       setToast,
@@ -687,11 +689,20 @@ export const RoomInput = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, RoomInputProps>(
         });
         resetEditor(editor);
         resetEditorHistory(editor);
+        setMsgDraft([]);
         localStorage.removeItem(`draft-msg-${draftKey}`);
         setReplyDraft(undefined);
         sendTypingStatus(false);
       },
-      [setScheduledMessages, roomId, draftKey, editor, setReplyDraft, sendTypingStatus],
+      [
+        setScheduledMessages,
+        roomId,
+        draftKey,
+        editor,
+        setReplyDraft,
+        setMsgDraft,
+        sendTypingStatus,
+      ],
     );
 
     const handleKeyDown: KeyboardEventHandler = useCallback(
diff --git a/src/app/hooks/useHydrateMsgDrafts.ts b/src/app/hooks/useHydrateMsgDrafts.ts
index bf6fee265..a67b6cb65 100644
--- a/src/app/hooks/useHydrateMsgDrafts.ts
+++ b/src/app/hooks/useHydrateMsgDrafts.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,10 @@ export function useHydrateMsgDrafts(): void {
     keys.forEach((key) => {
       if (!key.startsWith(DRAFT_MSG_KEY_PREFIX)) return;
       const draftKey = key.slice(DRAFT_MSG_KEY_PREFIX.length);
-      if (!draftKey || draftKey.includes('::')) return; // room-level drafts only
+      // Skip thread drafts (`<roomId>::<$threadRootEventId>`) — room-level only.
+      // Match `::$` specifically so an IPv6-literal server name (e.g. `[::1]`)
+      // in a roomId isn't mistaken for a thread key.
+      if (!draftKey || draftKey.includes('::$')) return;
       try {
         const stored = localStorage.getItem(key);
         if (!stored) return;
diff --git a/src/app/utils/draft.ts b/src/app/utils/draft.ts
index b0a53bf94..92d350024 100644
--- a/src/app/utils/draft.ts
+++ b/src/app/utils/draft.ts
@@ -10,5 +10,10 @@ export const DRAFT_MSG_KEY_PREFIX = 'draft-msg-';
  * by the composer's DraftIndicator and the room-nav draft indicator.
  */
 export function hasMsgDraft(draft: Descendant[]): boolean {
-  return toPlainText(draft, false).trim().length > 0;
+  try {
+    return toPlainText(draft, false).trim().length > 0;
+  } catch {
+    // A corrupted/foreign draft shape must never crash a render that calls this.
+    return false;
+  }
 }