diff --git a/briar-gtk/briar_gtk/containers/private_chat.py b/briar-gtk/briar_gtk/containers/private_chat.py
index 96cee01c4cf717e0ccf73b799fbbb1e85c6d585d..d0849510c0e9c3c25845ede5799f647c4eced058 100644
--- a/briar-gtk/briar_gtk/containers/private_chat.py
+++ b/briar-gtk/briar_gtk/containers/private_chat.py
@@ -71,7 +71,9 @@ class PrivateChatContainer(Container):
         private_chat = PrivateChat(APP().api, self._contact_id)
         messages_list = private_chat.get()
         for message in messages_list:
-            self._add_message(message)
+            # Abusing idle_add function here because otherwise the message box
+            # is too small and scrolling cuts out messages
+            GLib.idle_add(self._add_message, message)
         private_chat.watch_messages(self._add_message_async)
 
     def _add_message(self, message):
diff --git a/briar-gtk/briar_gtk/widgets/private_message.py b/briar-gtk/briar_gtk/widgets/private_message.py
index 9c665280b41d77ca4775aab4d106549a1c78e66e..72d3749bd6b41e2369c50787bfd6ce3ccb7595cd 100644
--- a/briar-gtk/briar_gtk/widgets/private_message.py
+++ b/briar-gtk/briar_gtk/widgets/private_message.py
@@ -74,7 +74,9 @@ class PrivateMessageWidget(Gtk.ListBoxRow):
     @staticmethod
     def _create_body_content(text):
         body_content = Gtk.Label.new(text)
+        body_content.set_line_wrap(True)
         body_content.set_halign(Gtk.Align.START)
+        body_content.set_xalign(0)
         return body_content
 
     @staticmethod