diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/synapse/social/studioasinc/feature/inbox/inbox/ChatViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/synapse/social/studioasinc/feature/inbox/inbox/ChatViewModel.kt
index 9209f7e..a2eea14 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/synapse/social/studioasinc/feature/inbox/inbox/ChatViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/synapse/social/studioasinc/feature/inbox/inbox/ChatViewModel.kt
@@ -345,6 +345,8 @@ class ChatViewModel @Inject constructor(
                         (older + current).distinctBy { it.id }.sortedBy { it.createdAt }
                     }
                 }
+            }.onFailure { e ->
+                _error.value = "Failed to load older messages: ${e.message}"
             }
             _isLoadingMore.value = false
         }
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/synapse/social/studioasinc/feature/inbox/inbox/screens/ChatMessageList.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/synapse/social/studioasinc/feature/inbox/inbox/screens/ChatMessageList.kt
index adbc143..31fec78 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/synapse/social/studioasinc/feature/inbox/inbox/screens/ChatMessageList.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/synapse/social/studioasinc/feature/inbox/inbox/screens/ChatMessageList.kt
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ internal fun ChatMessageList(
         }
     }
     LaunchedEffect(shouldLoadMore.value) {
-        if (shouldLoadMore.value) onLoadMore()
+        if (shouldLoadMore.value && !isLoadingMore) onLoadMore()
     }
 
     LazyColumn(
@@ -84,13 +84,6 @@ internal fun ChatMessageList(
         ),
         reverseLayout = true
     ) {
-        if (isLoadingMore) {
-            item(key = "loading_more") {
-                Box(modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth().padding(Spacing.Small), contentAlignment = Alignment.Center) {
-                    CircularProgressIndicator()
-                }
-            }
-        }
         val reversedItems = chatItems.reversed()
         itemsIndexed(reversedItems, key = { index, item ->
             when (item) {
@@ -163,5 +156,13 @@ internal fun ChatMessageList(
                 )
             }
         }
+
+        if (isLoadingMore) {
+            item(key = "loading_more") {
+                Box(modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth().padding(Spacing.Small), contentAlignment = Alignment.Center) {
+                    CircularProgressIndicator()
+                }
+            }
+        }
     }
 }