diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/MessagesFragment.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/MessagesFragment.kt
index e24a11d8..56a2b324 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/MessagesFragment.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/ui/MessagesFragment.kt
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import android.os.Bundle
 import android.view.LayoutInflater
 import android.view.View
 import android.view.ViewGroup
+import android.view.inputmethod.EditorInfo
+import android.widget.EditText
 import androidx.fragment.app.activityViewModels
 import androidx.lifecycle.Observer
 import androidx.recyclerview.widget.LinearLayoutManager
@@ -15,6 +17,17 @@ import com.geeksville.mesh.model.UIViewModel
 import kotlinx.android.synthetic.main.adapter_message_layout.view.*
 import kotlinx.android.synthetic.main.messages_fragment.*
 
+// Allows usage like email.on(EditorInfo.IME_ACTION_NEXT, { confirm() })
+fun EditText.on(actionId: Int, func: () -> Unit) {
+    setOnEditorActionListener { _, receivedActionId, _ ->
+
+        if (actionId == receivedActionId) {
+            func()
+        }
+
+        true
+    }
+}
 
 class MessagesFragment : ScreenFragment("Messages"), Logging {
 
@@ -116,6 +129,9 @@ class MessagesFragment : ScreenFragment("Messages"), Logging {
         fun onMessagesChanged(nodesIn: Collection<TextMessage>) {
             messages = nodesIn.toTypedArray()
             notifyDataSetChanged() // FIXME, this is super expensive and redraws all messages
+
+            // scroll to the last line
+            messageListView.scrollToPosition(this.itemCount - 1)
         }
     }
 
@@ -129,8 +145,18 @@ class MessagesFragment : ScreenFragment("Messages"), Logging {
     override fun onViewCreated(view: View, savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
         super.onViewCreated(view, savedInstanceState)
 
+        messageInputText.on(EditorInfo.IME_ACTION_DONE) {
+            debug("did IME action")
+
+            val str = messageInputText.text.toString()
+            model.messagesState.sendMessage(str)
+            messageInputText.setText("") // blow away the string the user just entered
+        }
+
         messageListView.adapter = messagesAdapter
-        messageListView.layoutManager = LinearLayoutManager(requireContext())
+        val layoutManager = LinearLayoutManager(requireContext())
+        layoutManager.stackFromEnd = true // We want the last rows to always be shown
+        messageListView.layoutManager = layoutManager
 
         model.messagesState.messages.observe(viewLifecycleOwner, Observer { it ->
             messagesAdapter.onMessagesChanged(it)
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/adapter_message_layout.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/adapter_message_layout.xml
index 4b5d90e9..1010e0dd 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/adapter_message_layout.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/adapter_message_layout.xml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
     xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
     android:layout_width="match_parent"
     android:layout_height="wrap_content"
-    android:layout_margin="8dp"
+    android:layout_margin="4dp"
     android:clipToPadding="false">
 
     <androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
             app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
             app:layout_constraintStart_toEndOf="@+id/username"
             app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />
+
     </androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>
 
 </LinearLayout>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/messages_fragment.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/messages_fragment.xml
index cd256986..33a271e3 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/messages_fragment.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/messages_fragment.xml
@@ -6,14 +6,35 @@
 
     <androidx.recyclerview.widget.RecyclerView
         android:id="@+id/messageListView"
-        android:layout_width="match_parent"
-        android:layout_height="match_parent"
+        android:layout_width="0dp"
+        android:layout_height="0dp"
         android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
         android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
         android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
         android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
-        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
+        app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@+id/textInputLayout"
         app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
         app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
         app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />
+
+    <com.google.android.material.textfield.TextInputLayout
+        android:id="@+id/textInputLayout"
+        android:layout_width="0dp"
+        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+        android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
+        android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
+        android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
+        android:hint="@string/send_text"
+        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
+        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
+        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent">
+
+        <com.google.android.material.textfield.TextInputEditText
+            android:id="@+id/messageInputText"
+            android:layout_width="match_parent"
+            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+            android:imeOptions="actionDone"
+            android:singleLine="true"
+            android:text="" />
+    </com.google.android.material.textfield.TextInputLayout>
 </androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index 1320300f..c506e4cc 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -13,4 +13,5 @@
     <string name="sample_distance">2.13 km</string>
     <string name="sample_message">hey I found the cache, it is over here next to the big tiger. I\'m kinda scared.</string>
     <string name="some_username">Some Username</string>
+    <string name="send_text">Send Text</string>
 </resources>