diff --git a/src/app/components/RenderMessageContent.tsx b/src/app/components/RenderMessageContent.tsx
index 38ece5a44..e57053278 100644
--- a/src/app/components/RenderMessageContent.tsx
+++ b/src/app/components/RenderMessageContent.tsx
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ type RenderMessageContentProps = {
   linkifyOpts: Opts;
   outlineAttachment?: boolean;
   eventId?: string;
+  /** [Gitea #219] Open the room's shared media lightbox at this event. */
+  onOpenImageViewer?: () => void;
 };
 export function RenderMessageContent({
   displayName,
@@ -85,6 +87,7 @@ export function RenderMessageContent({
   linkifyOpts,
   outlineAttachment,
   eventId,
+  onOpenImageViewer,
 }: RenderMessageContentProps) {
   const renderUrlsPreview = (urls: string[]) => {
     // Cap previews per message so a link-dump doesn't spawn dozens of preview
@@ -241,6 +244,7 @@ export function RenderMessageContent({
               autoPlay={mediaAutoLoad}
               renderImage={(p) => <Image {...p} loading="lazy" />}
               renderViewer={(p) => <ImageViewer {...p} />}
+              onOpenViewer={onOpenImageViewer}
             />
           )}
           outlined={outlineAttachment}
diff --git a/src/app/components/message/content/ImageContent.tsx b/src/app/components/message/content/ImageContent.tsx
index 65ab4655c..98aa00a67 100644
--- a/src/app/components/message/content/ImageContent.tsx
+++ b/src/app/components/message/content/ImageContent.tsx
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ export type ImageContentProps = {
   spoilerReason?: string;
   renderViewer: (props: RenderViewerProps) => ReactNode;
   renderImage: (props: RenderImageProps) => ReactNode;
+  // [Gitea #219] When given, a click opens THIS instead of the built-in
+  // viewer — the room timeline hands it to the shared media lightbox.
+  onOpenViewer?: () => void;
 };
 export const ImageContent = as<'div', ImageContentProps>(
   (
@@ -74,6 +77,7 @@ export const ImageContent = as<'div', ImageContentProps>(
       spoilerReason,
       renderViewer,
       renderImage,
+      onOpenViewer,
       ...props
     },
     ref,
@@ -182,7 +186,7 @@ export const ImageContent = as<'div', ImageContentProps>(
               src: srcState.data,
               onLoad: handleLoad,
               onError: handleError,
-              onClick: () => setViewer(true),
+              onClick: () => (onOpenViewer ? onOpenViewer() : setViewer(true)),
               tabIndex: 0,
             })}
           </Box>
diff --git a/src/app/features/room/MediaGallery.tsx b/src/app/features/room/MediaGallery.tsx
index e1ee9e3c8..06fab5a0b 100644
--- a/src/app/features/room/MediaGallery.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/room/MediaGallery.tsx
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ function getThumbMxc(mEvent: MatrixEvent): string | undefined {
 
 // ── Lightbox ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-type LightboxItem = {
+export type LightboxItem = {
   mxcUrl: string;
   encInfo?: IEncryptedFile;
   mimeType?: string;
@@ -184,6 +184,35 @@ type LightboxItem = {
   eventId: string;
 };
 
+/**
+ * Images + videos of a media timeline as lightbox slots. Shared with the
+ * timeline's viewer (#219) so both open the same items in the same order.
+ */
+export function toLightboxItems(room: Room, events: MatrixEvent[]): LightboxItem[] {
+  return events
+    .filter((ev) => {
+      const c = ev.getContent();
+      if (c.msgtype !== MsgType.Image && c.msgtype !== MsgType.Video) return false;
+      // Match the grid's guard exactly: tiles without a thumb are not rendered,
+      // so they must not occupy a lightbox slot either.
+      return !!getThumbMxc(ev);
+    })
+    .map((ev) => {
+      const c = ev.getContent();
+      const isEnc = !!c.file;
+      return {
+        mxcUrl: c.file?.url ?? c.url ?? '',
+        encInfo: isEnc ? c.file : undefined,
+        mimeType: c.info?.mimetype,
+        msgtype: c.msgtype as MsgType.Image | MsgType.Video,
+        body: c.body ?? '',
+        sender: getSenderName(room, ev.getSender() ?? ''),
+        ts: ev.getTs(),
+        eventId: ev.getId() ?? '',
+      };
+    });
+}
+
 function LightboxMedia({
   item,
   useAuthentication,
@@ -280,7 +309,7 @@ function LightboxMedia({
   );
 }
 
-function Lightbox({
+export function Lightbox({
   items,
   initialIndex,
   useAuthentication,
@@ -765,28 +794,7 @@ export function MediaGallery({ room, onClose }: MediaGalleryProps) {
   }, [canLoadMore, loading, handleLoadMore]);
 
   // Lightbox items (images + videos, flat)
-  const lightboxItems: LightboxItem[] = events
-    .filter((ev) => {
-      const c = ev.getContent();
-      if (c.msgtype !== MsgType.Image && c.msgtype !== MsgType.Video) return false;
-      // Match the grid's guard exactly: tiles without a thumb are not rendered,
-      // so they must not occupy a lightbox slot either.
-      return !!getThumbMxc(ev);
-    })
-    .map((ev) => {
-      const c = ev.getContent();
-      const isEnc = !!c.file;
-      return {
-        mxcUrl: c.file?.url ?? c.url ?? '',
-        encInfo: isEnc ? c.file : undefined,
-        mimeType: c.info?.mimetype,
-        msgtype: c.msgtype as MsgType.Image | MsgType.Video,
-        body: c.body ?? '',
-        sender: getSenderName(room, ev.getSender() ?? ''),
-        ts: ev.getTs(),
-        eventId: ev.getId() ?? '',
-      };
-    });
+  const lightboxItems: LightboxItem[] = toLightboxItems(room, events);
 
   // Per-tab counts for the tab labels (single pass over the loaded media)
   const tabCounts = useMemo(() => {
diff --git a/src/app/features/room/RoomMediaLightbox.tsx b/src/app/features/room/RoomMediaLightbox.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6f6511fd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/features/room/RoomMediaLightbox.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+import React, { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef } from 'react';
+import { MatrixEvent, Room } from 'matrix-js-sdk';
+import { useMatrixClient } from '../../hooks/useMatrixClient';
+import { useMediaAuthentication } from '../../hooks/useMediaAuthentication';
+import { useRoomMediaTimeline } from '../../hooks/useRoomMediaTimeline';
+import { useRoomNavigate } from '../../hooks/useRoomNavigate';
+import { Lightbox, toLightboxItems } from './MediaGallery';
+
+// How many media pages to walk back looking for the clicked event before
+// settling for a single-item viewer.
+const MAX_SEARCH_PAGES = 6;
+
+type RoomMediaLightboxProps = {
+  room: Room;
+  eventId: string;
+  onClose: () => void;
+};
+
+/**
+ * [Gitea #219] The room timeline's image viewer is the gallery lightbox,
+ * opened at the clicked event: same dark backdrop, sender + date, 1/N counter,
+ * ←/→ across the room's media, zoom keys, download and "jump to message".
+ *
+ * Items come from the same detached media timeline the gallery uses (#163).
+ * It starts at the live end, so an older image may not be loaded yet: we page
+ * back a bounded number of times looking for it and meanwhile show the clicked
+ * image on its own, so the viewer never waits on the network to open.
+ */
+export function RoomMediaLightbox({ room, eventId, onClose }: RoomMediaLightboxProps) {
+  const mx = useMatrixClient();
+  const useAuthentication = useMediaAuthentication();
+  const { navigateRoom } = useRoomNavigate();
+  const { events, loadMore, loading, canLoadMore } = useRoomMediaTimeline(mx, room);
+
+  const items = useMemo(() => toLightboxItems(room, events), [room, events]);
+  const index = items.findIndex((it) => it.eventId === eventId);
+
+  const pagesRef = useRef(0);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (index !== -1 || loading || !canLoadMore || pagesRef.current >= MAX_SEARCH_PAGES) return;
+    pagesRef.current += 1;
+    loadMore();
+  }, [index, loading, canLoadMore, loadMore]);
+
+  // Until the event is in the loaded window, show just the clicked media.
+  const fallbackItems = useMemo(() => {
+    const ev: MatrixEvent | undefined = room.findEventById(eventId) ?? undefined;
+    return ev ? toLightboxItems(room, [ev]) : [];
+  }, [room, eventId]);
+
+  const handleJump = useCallback(
+    (id: string) => {
+      onClose();
+      navigateRoom(room.roomId, id);
+    },
+    [onClose, navigateRoom, room.roomId],
+  );
+
+  const found = index !== -1;
+  const shownItems = found ? items : fallbackItems;
+  if (shownItems.length === 0) return null;
+  return (
+    <Lightbox
+      // Remount when the full list arrives so the index and zoom reset cleanly.
+      key={found ? 'room' : 'single'}
+      items={shownItems}
+      initialIndex={found ? index : 0}
+      useAuthentication={useAuthentication}
+      onClose={onClose}
+      onJump={handleJump}
+    />
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/app/features/room/RoomTimeline.tsx b/src/app/features/room/RoomTimeline.tsx
index 1336b45f4..1da3c02b8 100644
--- a/src/app/features/room/RoomTimeline.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/room/RoomTimeline.tsx
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ import { RetentionContent, isExpired } from '../../utils/retention';
 import { useKeyDown } from '../../hooks/useKeyDown';
 import { useDocumentFocusChange } from '../../hooks/useDocumentFocusChange';
 import { RenderMessageContent } from '../../components/RenderMessageContent';
+import { RoomMediaLightbox } from './RoomMediaLightbox';
 import { Image } from '../../components/media';
 import { ImageViewer } from '../../components/image-viewer';
 import { roomToParentsAtom } from '../../state/room/roomToParents';
@@ -523,6 +524,8 @@ export function RoomTimeline({ room, eventId, roomInputRef, editor }: RoomTimeli
   const canPinEvent = permissions.stateEvent(StateEvent.RoomPinnedEvents, mx.getSafeUserId());
   const [editId, setEditId] = useState<string>();
   const [editHistoryEvent, setEditHistoryEvent] = useState<MatrixEvent | undefined>();
+  // [Gitea #219] Timeline images open the shared media lightbox at that event.
+  const [lightboxEventId, setLightboxEventId] = useState<string | undefined>();
 
   const roomToParents = useAtomValue(roomToParentsAtom);
   const unread = useRoomUnread(room.roomId, roomToUnreadAtom);
@@ -1231,6 +1234,7 @@ export function RoomTimeline({ room, eventId, roomInputRef, editor }: RoomTimeli
                 linkifyOpts={linkifyOpts}
                 outlineAttachment={messageLayout === MessageLayout.Bubble}
                 eventId={mEventId}
+                onOpenImageViewer={() => setLightboxEventId(mEventId)}
               />
             )}
           </Message>
@@ -1360,6 +1364,7 @@ export function RoomTimeline({ room, eventId, roomInputRef, editor }: RoomTimeli
                       linkifyOpts={linkifyOpts}
                       outlineAttachment={messageLayout === MessageLayout.Bubble}
                       eventId={mEventId}
+                      onOpenImageViewer={() => setLightboxEventId(mEventId)}
                     />
                   );
                 }
@@ -2317,6 +2322,13 @@ export function RoomTimeline({ room, eventId, roomInputRef, editor }: RoomTimeli
           onClose={() => setEditHistoryEvent(undefined)}
         />
       )}
+      {lightboxEventId && (
+        <RoomMediaLightbox
+          room={room}
+          eventId={lightboxEventId}
+          onClose={() => setLightboxEventId(undefined)}
+        />
+      )}
     </>
   );
 }
diff --git a/src/app/features/room/thread/ThreadTimeline.tsx b/src/app/features/room/thread/ThreadTimeline.tsx
index bb67f3737..edc02499e 100644
--- a/src/app/features/room/thread/ThreadTimeline.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/room/thread/ThreadTimeline.tsx
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ import { useSetting } from '../../../state/hooks/settings';
 import { MessageLayout, settingsAtom } from '../../../state/settings';
 import { Message, Reactions, EncryptedContent } from '../message';
 import { RenderMessageContent } from '../../../components/RenderMessageContent';
+import { RoomMediaLightbox } from '../RoomMediaLightbox';
 import { Image } from '../../../components/media';
 import { ImageViewer } from '../../../components/image-viewer';
 import * as css from './ThreadTimeline.css';
@@ -309,6 +310,8 @@ export function ThreadTimeline({ room, thread, editor }: ThreadTimelineProps) {
 
   const [editId, setEditId] = useState<string>();
   const [editHistoryEvent, setEditHistoryEvent] = useState<MatrixEvent | undefined>();
+  // [Gitea #219] Thread images open the room's shared media lightbox too.
+  const [lightboxEventId, setLightboxEventId] = useState<string | undefined>();
 
   const linkifyOpts = useMemo<LinkifyOpts>(
     () => ({
@@ -711,6 +714,7 @@ export function ThreadTimeline({ room, thread, editor }: ThreadTimelineProps) {
             linkifyOpts={linkifyOpts}
             outlineAttachment={messageLayout === MessageLayout.Bubble}
             eventId={mEventId}
+            onOpenImageViewer={() => setLightboxEventId(mEventId)}
           />
         );
       };
@@ -1051,6 +1055,13 @@ export function ThreadTimeline({ room, thread, editor }: ThreadTimelineProps) {
           onClose={() => setEditHistoryEvent(undefined)}
         />
       )}
+      {lightboxEventId && (
+        <RoomMediaLightbox
+          room={room}
+          eventId={lightboxEventId}
+          onClose={() => setLightboxEventId(undefined)}
+        />
+      )}
     </Box>
   );
 }