From 8319602f28510888df53bdc97af8e46a3849329c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: morgmart <98432065+morgmart@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:32:27 -0700
Subject: [PATCH 1/2] Give messages more breathing room

Signed-off-by: morgmart <98432065+morgmart@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 scripts/design-system/check-type.mjs           |  1 +
 src/features/messages/Messages.module.css      | 14 +++++---------
 src/shared/design-system/DESIGN.md             |  4 ++++
 src/shared/design-system/styles/typography.css |  5 +++++
 src/shared/design-system/tokens/registry.ts    | 12 +++++++++++-
 5 files changed, 26 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)

diff --git a/scripts/design-system/check-type.mjs b/scripts/design-system/check-type.mjs
index 0f04f5560..1cf362653 100644
--- a/scripts/design-system/check-type.mjs
+++ b/scripts/design-system/check-type.mjs
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ const SIZE_ROLES = [
   "body-lg",
   "body-sm",
   "body",
+  "message",
   "mono-lg",
   "mono-sm",
   "mono",
diff --git a/src/features/messages/Messages.module.css b/src/features/messages/Messages.module.css
index e4f9df6e4..aaf26f7cc 100644
--- a/src/features/messages/Messages.module.css
+++ b/src/features/messages/Messages.module.css
@@ -145,12 +145,7 @@
   min-width: 0;
 }
 .text {
-  margin: var(--space-1) 0 0;
-  font-size: var(--text-body-sm);
-  line-height: var(--text-body-sm--line-height);
-  letter-spacing: var(--text-body-sm--letter-spacing);
   white-space: normal;
-  overflow-wrap: anywhere;
 }
 .text[data-single-emoji] {
   --inline-emoji-size: var(--size-emoji-display);
@@ -1301,9 +1296,10 @@ button.mediaPreview {
 .text,
 .plainText {
   margin: var(--space-1) 0 0;
-  font-size: var(--text-body-sm);
-  line-height: var(--text-body-sm--line-height);
-  letter-spacing: var(--text-body-sm--letter-spacing);
+  font-size: var(--text-message);
+  line-height: var(--text-message--line-height);
+  letter-spacing: var(--text-message--letter-spacing);
+  font-weight: var(--text-message--font-weight);
   overflow-wrap: anywhere;
 }
 .plainText {
@@ -1323,7 +1319,7 @@ button.mediaPreview {
   margin-bottom: 0;
 }
 .text :where(p, ul, ol, blockquote, pre, table, hr) {
-  margin: var(--space-3) 0;
+  margin: var(--space-4) 0;
 }
 .text :where(h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6) {
   margin: var(--space-4) 0 var(--space-1h);
diff --git a/src/shared/design-system/DESIGN.md b/src/shared/design-system/DESIGN.md
index 7032e3579..888b05b53 100644
--- a/src/shared/design-system/DESIGN.md
+++ b/src/shared/design-system/DESIGN.md
@@ -1122,6 +1122,10 @@ Values scale with the host interface-size preference.
   independent from caption even though their sizes currently match. `text-mono-lg` and
   `text-mono-sm` are compatibility aliases for this same setting, not extra sizes.
 - Caption uses 12/16 and 0.0133em tracking. Buzz’s `text-body` uses 14/20; `text-label` uses 16/24 and `text-body-lg` uses 20/28.
+- Message prose uses `text-message`: 14px with 1.625 leading (22.75px at
+  default), matching Berd’s relaxed reply rhythm for both sent and received
+  messages. The message renderer uses `space-4` between prose blocks; labels,
+  controls, code, tables and headings retain their existing type roles.
 - Preserve text preferences and browser zoom. Author values in scaled rem and
   keep layout geometry independent of text scaling.
 
diff --git a/src/shared/design-system/styles/typography.css b/src/shared/design-system/styles/typography.css
index 48d8d558c..26682079d 100644
--- a/src/shared/design-system/styles/typography.css
+++ b/src/shared/design-system/styles/typography.css
@@ -64,6 +64,11 @@
   --text-body-sm--line-height: 1.4285714285714286;
   --text-body-sm--letter-spacing: -0.0025em;
   --text-body-sm--font-weight: var(--type-weight-normal);
+  /* Message prose keeps interface sizing with Berd's relaxed reading rhythm. */
+  --text-message: var(--type-size-14);
+  --text-message--line-height: 1.625;
+  --text-message--letter-spacing: -0.0025em;
+  --text-message--font-weight: var(--type-weight-normal);
   --text-label: var(--type-size-16);
   --text-label--line-height: 1.5;
   --text-label--letter-spacing: 0em;
diff --git a/src/shared/design-system/tokens/registry.ts b/src/shared/design-system/tokens/registry.ts
index bc9056bf8..5a64b5444 100644
--- a/src/shared/design-system/tokens/registry.ts
+++ b/src/shared/design-system/tokens/registry.ts
@@ -1035,7 +1035,7 @@ export const TYPE_ROLES: TypeRole[] = [
     lineHeight: "20px",
     tracking: "-0.005em",
     weight: "400",
-    use: "Reading text and messages.",
+    use: "Interface reading text.",
     status: "core",
   },
   {
@@ -1048,6 +1048,16 @@ export const TYPE_ROLES: TypeRole[] = [
     use: "Supporting or dense reading text.",
     status: "core",
   },
+  {
+    token: "text-message",
+    pointsAt: "body/message",
+    size: "14px",
+    lineHeight: "1.625 (22.75px at default)",
+    tracking: "-0.0025em",
+    weight: "400",
+    use: "Sent and received message prose, with relaxed line spacing.",
+    status: "core",
+  },
   {
     token: "text-label",
     pointsAt: "body/label-medium",

From 47791c78b630bf14b6be4995d5b85462a933b91f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: morgmart <98432065+morgmart@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2026 12:57:21 -0700
Subject: [PATCH 2/2] Keep message timestamps aligned and preserve overlay
 coverage

Signed-off-by: morgmart <98432065+morgmart@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 src/features/messages/Messages.module.css |  7 ++++++-
 tests/browser/message-actions.spec.mjs    | 25 +++++++++++++++++++++++
 tests/browser/message-overlays.spec.mjs   | 12 +++++++----
 3 files changed, 39 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/features/messages/Messages.module.css b/src/features/messages/Messages.module.css
index aaf26f7cc..30c3154e9 100644
--- a/src/features/messages/Messages.module.css
+++ b/src/features/messages/Messages.module.css
@@ -1804,9 +1804,14 @@ html[data-keyboard-input] .quickReactionGlyph {
   z-index: 1;
   background: var(--surface-panel);
   color: var(--text-subtle);
+  /* Align the caption within the prose's first line without changing its type. */
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  block-size: calc(var(--text-message) * var(--text-message--line-height));
   font-size: var(--text-caption);
-  line-height: calc(var(--text-body-sm) * var(--text-body-sm--line-height));
+  line-height: var(--text-caption--line-height);
   letter-spacing: var(--text-caption--letter-spacing);
+  font-weight: var(--text-caption--font-weight);
   font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
   white-space: nowrap;
 }
diff --git a/tests/browser/message-actions.spec.mjs b/tests/browser/message-actions.spec.mjs
index 398bc060f..155bd5040 100644
--- a/tests/browser/message-actions.spec.mjs
+++ b/tests/browser/message-actions.spec.mjs
@@ -468,6 +468,24 @@ test("narrow timeline continuation actions never cover prose or move adjacent ro
   await page.mouse.move(0, 0);
   await expect(actions).toHaveCSS("opacity", "0");
   await settle(page);
+  const expectClockAligned = async () => {
+    // The caption-sized clock is centered beside the first prose line, including
+    // when interface scaling changes their independently owned type roles.
+    await expect
+      .poll(() =>
+        row.evaluate((element) => {
+          const clock = element
+            .querySelector('time > span[aria-hidden="true"]')
+            .getBoundingClientRect();
+          const prose = element.querySelector("p");
+          const firstLineCenter =
+            prose.getBoundingClientRect().top +
+            Number.parseFloat(getComputedStyle(prose).lineHeight) / 2;
+          return Math.abs(clock.top + clock.height / 2 - firstLineCenter);
+        }),
+      )
+      .toBeLessThan(0.5);
+  };
   const baseline = await following.boundingBox();
   for (const mode of ["hover", "focus"]) {
     if (mode === "hover") await row.hover();
@@ -481,6 +499,7 @@ test("narrow timeline continuation actions never cover prose or move adjacent ro
     expect(toolbar.y + toolbar.height).toBeLessThanOrEqual(prose.y);
     await expect(actions).toHaveCSS("position", "fixed");
     expect((await following.boundingBox()).y).toBe(baseline.y);
+    await expectClockAligned();
     await expect
       .poll(() =>
         link.evaluate((node) => {
@@ -495,6 +514,12 @@ test("narrow timeline continuation actions never cover prose or move adjacent ro
       )
       .toBe(true);
   }
+  await page.evaluate(() =>
+    document.documentElement.style.setProperty("--buzz-text-scale", "2"),
+  );
+  await row.scrollIntoViewIfNeeded();
+  await settle(page);
+  await expectClockAligned();
 });
 
 test("historical single-day DMs and their threads expose dates without hover", async ({
diff --git a/tests/browser/message-overlays.spec.mjs b/tests/browser/message-overlays.spec.mjs
index e0ac1bd9c..45169558c 100644
--- a/tests/browser/message-overlays.spec.mjs
+++ b/tests/browser/message-overlays.spec.mjs
@@ -70,10 +70,14 @@ test("video speed options escape the thread and restore focus after selection an
     });
   await trigger.evaluate((button) => {
     const scroller = button.closest("[data-message-scroller]");
-    scroller.scrollTop +=
-      button.getBoundingClientRect().top -
-      scroller.getBoundingClientRect().top -
-      40;
+    // WebKit truncates fractional scroll requests. Round the final position so
+    // fractional message heights still reach the same constrained-menu setup.
+    scroller.scrollTop = Math.round(
+      scroller.scrollTop +
+        button.getBoundingClientRect().top -
+        scroller.getBoundingClientRect().top -
+        40,
+    );
   });
   await expect
     .poll(() =>