diff --git a/webroot/js/components/chat/chat-message-view.js b/webroot/js/components/chat/chat-message-view.js
index 67c636240..df7c39f12 100644
--- a/webroot/js/components/chat/chat-message-view.js
+++ b/webroot/js/components/chat/chat-message-view.js
@@ -11,26 +11,39 @@ import { convertToText } from '../../utils/chat.js';
 import { SOCKET_MESSAGE_TYPES } from '../../utils/websocket.js';
 
 export default class ChatMessageView extends Component {
-  async componentDidUpdate(prevProps) {
-    const { message, username } = this.props;
-    if (prevProps.message === message && this.state.formattedMessage) {
-      return;
-    }
-    const { body } = message;
-
-    const formattedMessage = await formatMessageText(body, username);
-    this.setState({
-      formattedMessage
-    });
-
+  constructor(props) {
+    super(props);
+    this.state = {
+      formattedMessage: '',
+    };
   }
+
+  shouldComponentUpdate(nextProps, nextState) {
+    const { formattedMessage } = this.state;
+    const { formattedMessage: nextFormattedMessage } = nextState;
+
+    return (formattedMessage !== nextFormattedMessage);
+  }
+
+  async componentDidMount() {
+    const { message, username } = this.props;
+    if (message && username) {
+      const { body } = message;
+      const formattedMessage = await formatMessageText(body, username);
+      this.setState({
+        formattedMessage,
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
+
   render() {
     const { message } = this.props;
     const { author, timestamp } = message;
 
     const { formattedMessage } = this.state;
     if (!formattedMessage) {
-      return;
+      return null;
     }
     const formattedTimestamp = formatTimestamp(timestamp);
 
diff --git a/webroot/js/components/chat/chat.js b/webroot/js/components/chat/chat.js
index f88f39849..eae3fc7cd 100644
--- a/webroot/js/components/chat/chat.js
+++ b/webroot/js/components/chat/chat.js
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ export default class Chat extends Component {
       webSocketConnected: true,
       messages: [],
       chatUserNames: [],
+      newMessagesReceived: false,
     };
 
     this.scrollableMessagesContainer = createRef();
@@ -34,19 +35,37 @@ export default class Chat extends Component {
     this.submitChat = this.submitChat.bind(this);
     this.scrollToBottom = this.scrollToBottom.bind(this);
     this.handleWindowResize = debounce(this.handleWindowResize.bind(this), 500);
-
+    this.handleNetworkingError = this.handleNetworkingError.bind(this);
     this.messageListCallback = this.messageListCallback.bind(this);
   }
 
   componentDidMount() {
    this.setupWebSocketCallbacks();
    this.getChatHistory();
+
    window.addEventListener('resize', this.handleWindowResize);
 
    this.messageListObserver = new MutationObserver(this.messageListCallback);
    this.messageListObserver.observe(this.scrollableMessagesContainer.current, { childList: true });
   }
 
+  shouldComponentUpdate(nextProps, nextState) {
+    const { username, chatInputEnabled } = this.props;
+    const { username: nextUserName, chatInputEnabled: nextChatEnabled } = nextProps;
+
+    const { webSocketConnected, messages, chatUserNames, newMessagesReceived } = this.state;
+    const {webSocketConnected: nextSocket, messages: nextMessages, chatUserNames: nextUserNames, newMessagesReceived: nextMessagesReceived } = nextState;
+
+    return (
+      username !== nextUserName ||
+      chatInputEnabled !== nextChatEnabled ||
+      webSocketConnected !== nextSocket ||
+      messages.length !== nextMessages.length ||
+      chatUserNames.length !== nextUserNames.length || newMessagesReceived !== nextMessagesReceived
+    );
+  }
+
+
   componentDidUpdate(prevProps, prevState) {
     const { username: prevName } = prevProps;
     const { username } = this.props;
@@ -61,7 +80,9 @@ export default class Chat extends Component {
 
     // scroll to bottom of messages list when new ones come in
     if (messages.length > prevMessages.length) {
-      this.newMessagesReceived = true;
+      this.setState({
+        newMessagesReceived: true,
+      });
     }
   }
   componentWillUnmount() {
@@ -96,7 +117,7 @@ export default class Chat extends Component {
       });
     })
     .catch(error => {
-      // this.handleNetworkingError(`Fetch getChatHistory: ${error}`);
+      this.handleNetworkingError(`Fetch getChatHistory: ${error}`);
     });
   }
 
@@ -113,6 +134,11 @@ export default class Chat extends Component {
     this.addMessage(message);
   }
 
+  handleNetworkingError(error) {
+    // todo: something more useful
+    console.log(error);
+  }
+
   addMessage(message) {
     const { messages: curMessages } = this.state;
 
@@ -196,14 +222,16 @@ export default class Chat extends Component {
     if (numMutations) {
       const item = mutations[numMutations - 1];
       if (item.type === 'childList' && item.addedNodes.length) {
-        if (this.newMessagesReceived) {
+        if (this.state.newMessagesReceived) {
           if (!this.receivedFirstMessages) {
             this.scrollToBottom();
             this.receivedFirstMessages = true;
           } else if (this.checkShouldScroll()) {
             this.scrollToBottom();
           }
-          this.newMessagesReceived = false;
+          this.setState({
+            newMessagesReceived: false,
+          });
         }
       }
     }
diff --git a/webroot/js/components/chat/message.js b/webroot/js/components/chat/message.js
index b3028e5dc..cbd118a8b 100644
--- a/webroot/js/components/chat/message.js
+++ b/webroot/js/components/chat/message.js
@@ -1,34 +1,31 @@
-import { h, Component } from '/js/web_modules/preact.js';
+import { h } from '/js/web_modules/preact.js';
 import htm from '/js/web_modules/htm.js';
 const html = htm.bind(h);
 
 import ChatMessageView from './chat-message-view.js';
 
-import { messageBubbleColorForString } from '../../utils/user-colors.js';
 import { SOCKET_MESSAGE_TYPES } from '../../utils/websocket.js';
 
-export default class Message extends Component {
-  render(props) {
-    const { message } = props;
-    const { type } = message;
-    if (type === SOCKET_MESSAGE_TYPES.CHAT || type === SOCKET_MESSAGE_TYPES.SYSTEM) {
-      return html`<${ChatMessageView} ...${props} />`;
-    } else if (type === SOCKET_MESSAGE_TYPES.NAME_CHANGE) {
-      const { oldName, newName } = message;
-      return (
-        html`
-          <div class="message message-name-change flex items-center justify-start p-3">
-            <div class="message-content flex flex-row items-center justify-center text-sm w-full">
-              <div class="text-white text-center opacity-50 overflow-hidden break-words">
-                <span class="font-bold">${oldName}</span> is now known as <span class="font-bold">${newName}</span>.
-              </div>
+export default function Message(props) {
+  const { message } = props;
+  const { type } = message;
+  if (type === SOCKET_MESSAGE_TYPES.CHAT || type === SOCKET_MESSAGE_TYPES.SYSTEM) {
+    return html`<${ChatMessageView} ...${props} />`;
+  } else if (type === SOCKET_MESSAGE_TYPES.NAME_CHANGE) {
+    const { oldName, newName } = message;
+    return (
+      html`
+        <div class="message message-name-change flex items-center justify-start p-3">
+          <div class="message-content flex flex-row items-center justify-center text-sm w-full">
+            <div class="text-white text-center opacity-50 overflow-hidden break-words">
+              <span class="font-bold">${oldName}</span> is now known as <span class="font-bold">${newName}</span>.
             </div>
           </div>
-        `
-      );
-    } else {
-      console.log("Unknown message type:", type);
-    }
+        </div>
+      `
+    );
+  } else {
+    console.log("Unknown message type:", type);
   }
 }