diff --git a/xmpp.view.ts b/xmpp.view.ts
index 440f080..53285bc 100644
--- a/xmpp.view.ts
+++ b/xmpp.view.ts
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@
 		on_marker: ((kind: 'received' | 'displayed' | 'acknowledged', msg_id: string, from: string) => void) | null = null
 		on_avatar_meta: ((from: string, info: { id: string; mime: string } | null) => void) | null = null
 		on_presence: ((jid: string, show: string, status: string) => void) | null = null
+		on_muc_presence: ((room_jid: string, nick: string, real_bare?: string) => void) | null = null
 		on_error: ((err: string) => void) | null = null
 		on_room_error: ((err: string) => void) | null = null
 		on_close: (() => void) | null = null
@@ -693,7 +694,17 @@ private _handle_message(el: Element) {
 
 			// MUC room presence — from contains resource (nick)
 			const slash = from_full.indexOf('/')
-			if (slash >= 0) return // ignore occupant presence updates for now
+			if (slash >= 0) {
+				const room_jid = from_full.slice(0, slash)
+				const nick = from_full.slice(slash + 1)
+				// Extract real JID from MUC presence
+				const muc_x = el.querySelector('x[xmlns="http://jabber.org/protocol/muc#user"]')
+				const item = muc_x?.querySelector('item')
+				const real_jid_full = item?.getAttribute('jid') || ''
+				const real_bare = real_jid_full.split('/')[0]
+				this.on_muc_presence?.(room_jid, nick, real_bare || undefined)
+				return
+			}
 
 			const from = from_full || ''
 			if (!from) return
@@ -717,6 +728,7 @@ private _handle_message(el: Element) {
 		private _fin_count       = new Map<string, number>()
 		private _scroll_setup    = new Set<string>()           // scroll listener installed
 		private _rooms           = new Map<string, Xmpp_room>()
+		private _room_occupants  = new Map<string, Map<string, string>>() // room_jid → nick → real_bare_jid
 		private _oldest_time     = new Map<string, number>()  // room_jid → oldest msg timestamp
 		private _poll_timer: number | null = null
 		private _poll_count: number = 0
@@ -809,8 +821,10 @@ private _handle_message(el: Element) {
 
 		contact_avatar_uri(jid: string) {
 			const room = this._rooms.get(jid)
+			const avatar = this.avatar_uri(jid)
+			if (avatar) return avatar
 			if (room) return this._default_avatar(jid, room.name || jid.split('@')[0])
-			return this.avatar_uri(jid) || this._default_avatar(jid)
+			return this._default_avatar(jid)
 		}
 
 		chat_avatar_uri(jid: string) { return this.contact_avatar_uri(jid) }
@@ -819,7 +833,18 @@ private _handle_message(el: Element) {
 		msg_avatar_uri(id: string) {
 			const msg = this._msg_by_id.get(id)
 			if (!msg) return ''
-			if (msg.nick !== undefined) return this._default_avatar(`${ msg.from }/${ msg.nick }`, msg.nick)
+			if (msg.nick !== undefined) {
+				const room = this._rooms.get(msg.from)
+				if (room?.nick === msg.nick) return this.my_avatar_uri()
+				// Try to get real JID for the nick
+				const occupants = this._room_occupants.get(msg.from)
+				const real_bare = occupants?.get(msg.nick)
+				if (real_bare) {
+					const avatar = this.avatar_uri(real_bare)
+					if (avatar) return avatar
+				}
+				return this._default_avatar(`${ msg.from }/${ msg.nick }`, msg.nick)
+			}
 			return this.avatar_uri(msg.from) || this._default_avatar(msg.from)
 		}
 
@@ -1242,6 +1267,7 @@ private _handle_message(el: Element) {
 					const nick = b.nick || my_nick
 					const room: Xmpp_room = { jid: b.jid, name: b.name || b.jid.split('@')[0], nick }
 					this._rooms.set(b.jid, room)
+					void this._load_avatar(b.jid)
 					if (b.autojoin) this._conn?.join_room(b.jid, nick)
 				}
 				this.rooms([ ...this._rooms.values() ])
@@ -1259,6 +1285,17 @@ private _handle_message(el: Element) {
 				}
 				void this._fetch_avatar_with(from, info.id, info.mime)
 			}
+			conn.on_muc_presence = (room_jid, nick, real_bare) => {
+				if (real_bare) {
+					let occupants = this._room_occupants.get(room_jid)
+					if (!occupants) {
+						occupants = new Map()
+						this._room_occupants.set(room_jid, occupants)
+					}
+					occupants.set(nick, real_bare)
+					void this._load_avatar(real_bare)
+				}
+			}
 			conn.on_message  = msg => {
 				if (this._msg_by_id.has(msg.id)) return  // ← FIX: skip duplicates
 				this._add_message(msg)
@@ -1431,6 +1468,7 @@ private _handle_message(el: Element) {
 			this._conn.join_room(jid, nick)
 			const room: Xmpp_room = { jid, name: jid.split('@')[0], nick }
 			this._rooms.set(jid, room)
+			void this._load_avatar(jid)
 			this.rooms([ ...this._rooms.values() ])
 			this.search_query('')
 			this.$.$mol_state_arg.value('chat', jid)
@@ -1466,6 +1504,7 @@ private _handle_message(el: Element) {
 			this._conn.join_room(jid, nick)
 			const room: Xmpp_room = { jid, name: jid.split('@')[0], nick }
 			this._rooms.set(jid, room)
+			void this._load_avatar(jid)
 			this.rooms([ ...this._rooms.values() ])
 			this.room_jid('')
 			this.$.$mol_state_arg.value('chat', jid)
@@ -1476,6 +1515,7 @@ private _handle_message(el: Element) {
 			if (!room) return
 			this._conn?.leave_room(jid, room.nick)
 			this._rooms.delete(jid)
+			this._room_occupants.delete(jid)
 			this.rooms([ ...this._rooms.values() ])
 			this._msgs = this._msgs.filter(m => m.from !== jid && m.to !== jid)
 			this._msg_by_id.forEach((m, k) => { if (m.from === jid || m.to === jid) this._msg_by_id.delete(k) })
@@ -1629,9 +1669,9 @@ private _handle_message(el: Element) {
 
 			if (this._rooms.has(jid)) {
 				this.compose(jid, '')
-				this._conn.send_groupchat(jid, text)
-				this._scroll_to_bottom(jid)
-				return
+			const id = `l${ Date.now() }_${ Math.random().toString(36).slice(2) }`
+			this._conn.send_groupchat(jid, text, id)
+			this._add_message({ id, from: this.my_jid().split('/')[0], to: jid, body: text, time: Date.now() })
 			}
 
 			this.compose(jid, '')