diff --git a/app/soapbox/components/ui/input/input.tsx b/app/soapbox/components/ui/input/input.tsx
index 6be89c2d4..30ffb6070 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/components/ui/input/input.tsx
+++ b/app/soapbox/components/ui/input/input.tsx
@@ -61,9 +61,11 @@ const Input = React.forwardRef<HTMLInputElement, IInput>(
     return (
       <div
         className={
-          classNames('mt-1 relative shadow-sm', outerClassName, {
+          classNames('relative shadow-sm', {
             'rounded-md': theme !== 'search',
             'rounded-full': theme === 'search',
+            'mt-1': !String(outerClassName).includes('mt-'),
+            [String(outerClassName)]: typeof outerClassName !== 'undefined',
           })
         }
       >
@@ -83,12 +85,12 @@ const Input = React.forwardRef<HTMLInputElement, IInput>(
           {...filteredProps}
           type={revealed ? 'text' : type}
           ref={ref}
-          className={classNames({
-            'text-gray-900 dark:text-gray-100 placeholder:text-gray-600 dark:placeholder:text-gray-600 block w-full sm:text-sm dark:ring-1 dark:ring-gray-800 focus:ring-primary-500 focus:border-primary-500 dark:focus:ring-primary-500 dark:focus:border-primary-500':
+          className={classNames('text-base placeholder:text-gray-600 dark:placeholder:text-gray-600', {
+            'text-gray-900 dark:text-gray-100 block w-full sm:text-sm dark:ring-1 dark:ring-gray-800 focus:ring-primary-500 focus:border-primary-500 dark:focus:ring-primary-500 dark:focus:border-primary-500':
               ['normal', 'search'].includes(theme),
             'rounded-md bg-white dark:bg-gray-900 border-gray-400 dark:border-gray-800': theme === 'normal',
             'rounded-full bg-gray-200 border-gray-200 dark:bg-gray-800 dark:border-gray-800 focus:bg-white': theme === 'search',
-            'bg-transparent border-none': theme === 'transparent',
+            'bg-transparent border-none focus:shadow-none dark:focus:shadow-none focus:border-transparent focus:ring-0 p-0': theme === 'transparent',
             'pr-7': isPassword || append,
             'text-red-600 border-red-600': hasError,
             'pl-8': typeof icon !== 'undefined',
diff --git a/app/soapbox/features/chats/components/chat-message-list.tsx b/app/soapbox/features/chats/components/chat-message-list.tsx
index 789e0ad3d..d1cfe838e 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/features/chats/components/chat-message-list.tsx
+++ b/app/soapbox/features/chats/components/chat-message-list.tsx
@@ -387,6 +387,20 @@ const ChatMessageList: React.FC<IChatMessageList> = ({ chat, autosize }) => {
     );
   }
 
+  if (isLoading) {
+    return (
+      <div className='flex-grow flex flex-col justify-end'>
+        <div className='px-4'>
+          <PlaceholderChatMessage isMyMessage />
+          <PlaceholderChatMessage />
+          <PlaceholderChatMessage isMyMessage />
+          <PlaceholderChatMessage isMyMessage />
+          <PlaceholderChatMessage />
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+
   return (
     <div className='h-full flex flex-col flex-grow overflow-y-scroll space-y-6'>
       <div className='flex-grow flex flex-col justify-end'>
@@ -419,21 +433,6 @@ const ChatMessageList: React.FC<IChatMessageList> = ({ chat, autosize }) => {
                 return <ChatMessageListIntro />;
               }
 
-              return null;
-            },
-            EmptyPlaceholder: () => {
-              if (isFetching) {
-                return (
-                  <div className='px-4'>
-                    <PlaceholderChatMessage isMyMessage />
-                    <PlaceholderChatMessage />
-                    <PlaceholderChatMessage isMyMessage />
-                    <PlaceholderChatMessage isMyMessage />
-                    <PlaceholderChatMessage />
-                  </div>
-                );
-              }
-
               return null;
             },
           }}
diff --git a/app/soapbox/features/chats/components/chat-page/components/chat-page-new.tsx b/app/soapbox/features/chats/components/chat-page/components/chat-page-new.tsx
index f07a123b0..29d8a40c4 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/features/chats/components/chat-page/components/chat-page-new.tsx
+++ b/app/soapbox/features/chats/components/chat-page/components/chat-page-new.tsx
@@ -36,18 +36,13 @@ const ChatPageNew: React.FC<IChatPageNew> = () => {
 
           <AccountSearch
             onSelected={handleAccountSelected}
+            placeholder='Type a name'
             theme='transparent'
             showButtons={false}
             autoFocus
           />
         </HStack>
       </Stack>
-
-      <ChatComposer
-        value=''
-        onSubmit={() => {}}
-        disabled
-      />
     </Stack>
   );
 };