diff --git a/code/modules/modular_computers/computers/item/computer.dm b/code/modules/modular_computers/computers/item/computer.dm
index 74001a885246c..4923479d71def 100644
--- a/code/modules/modular_computers/computers/item/computer.dm
+++ b/code/modules/modular_computers/computers/item/computer.dm
@@ -610,14 +610,14 @@
 		if(NTNET_ETHERNET_SIGNAL)
 			data["PC_ntneticon"] = "sig_lan.gif"
 
+	var/list/program_headers = list()
 	if(length(idle_threads))
-		var/list/program_headers = list()
 		for(var/datum/computer_file/program/idle_programs as anything in idle_threads)
 			if(!idle_programs.ui_header)
 				continue
 			program_headers.Add(list(list("icon" = idle_programs.ui_header)))
 
-		data["PC_programheaders"] = program_headers
+	data["PC_programheaders"] = program_headers
 
 	data["PC_stationtime"] = station_time_timestamp()
 	data["PC_stationdate"] = "[time2text(world.realtime, "DDD, Month DD")], [CURRENT_STATION_YEAR]"
diff --git a/code/modules/modular_computers/file_system/programs/chatroom/conversation.dm b/code/modules/modular_computers/file_system/programs/chatroom/conversation.dm
index fcfa41e3c90ac..1c3c7e95f10e7 100644
--- a/code/modules/modular_computers/file_system/programs/chatroom/conversation.dm
+++ b/code/modules/modular_computers/file_system/programs/chatroom/conversation.dm
@@ -13,8 +13,10 @@
 	///ID using the UID.
 	var/id
 
-	///List of all messages sent in the conversation.
+	///Associative list of all messages sent in the conversation. id > message
 	var/list/messages = list()
+	///ID used for next message, increments each use. Convert to string before use.
+	var/next_message_id = 0
 
 	///The "Administrator" of the channel, the creator starts as channel's operator by default.
 	var/datum/computer_file/program/chatclient/channel_operator
@@ -45,11 +47,16 @@
 
 /datum/ntnet_conversation/proc/add_message(message, username)
 	message = "[station_time_timestamp(format = "hh:mm")] [username]: [message]"
-	messages.Add(message)
+	var/message_id = "[next_message_id]"
+	next_message_id++
+	messages[message_id] = message
 	trim_message_list()
 
 /datum/ntnet_conversation/proc/add_status_message(message)
-	messages.Add("[station_time_timestamp(format = "hh:mm")] -!- [message]")
+	message = "[station_time_timestamp(format = "hh:mm")] -!- [message]"
+	var/message_id = "[next_message_id]"
+	next_message_id++
+	messages[message_id] = message
 	trim_message_list()
 
 /datum/ntnet_conversation/proc/trim_message_list()
diff --git a/code/modules/modular_computers/file_system/programs/chatroom/ntnrc_client.dm b/code/modules/modular_computers/file_system/programs/chatroom/ntnrc_client.dm
index 9e7385c0b6540..e38a47ac8627f 100644
--- a/code/modules/modular_computers/file_system/programs/chatroom/ntnrc_client.dm
+++ b/code/modules/modular_computers/file_system/programs/chatroom/ntnrc_client.dm
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@
 
 	///The user's screen name.
 	var/username
-	///The last message you sent in a channel, used to tell if someone has sent a new message yet.
-	var/last_message
+	///The id of the last message sent in a channel, used to tell if someone has sent a new message yet.
+	var/last_message_id
 	///The channel currently active in.
 	var/active_channel
 	///If the tablet is in Admin mode, you bypass Passwords and aren't announced when entering a channel.
@@ -133,8 +133,8 @@
 			// Now we will generate HTML-compliant file that can actually be viewed/printed.
 			logfile.filename = logname
 			logfile.stored_text = "\[b\]Logfile dump from NTNRC channel [channel.title]\[/b\]\[BR\]"
-			for(var/logstring in channel.messages)
-				logfile.stored_text = "[logfile.stored_text][logstring]\[BR\]"
+			for(var/message_id in channel.messages)
+				logfile.stored_text = "[logfile.stored_text][channel.messages[message_id]]\[BR\]"
 			logfile.stored_text = "[logfile.stored_text]\[b\]Logfile dump completed.\[/b\]"
 			logfile.calculate_size()
 			if(!computer || !computer.store_file(logfile))
@@ -183,19 +183,23 @@
 
 /datum/computer_file/program/chatclient/process_tick(seconds_per_tick)
 	. = ..()
-	var/datum/ntnet_conversation/channel = SSmodular_computers.get_chat_channel_by_id(active_channel)
-	if(src in computer.idle_threads)
+
+	if(!(src in computer.idle_threads))
+		return
+
+	var/datum/ntnet_conversation/watched_channel = SSmodular_computers.get_chat_channel_by_id(active_channel)
+	if(isnull(watched_channel)) // If we're not in a channel, no need for a message notification header.
+		ui_header = null
+		return
+	if(!length(watched_channel.messages)) // But if there's no messages, we do still wait for a message.
 		ui_header = "ntnrc_idle.gif"
-		if(channel)
-			// Remember the last message. If there is no message in the channel remember null.
-			last_message = length(channel.messages) ? channel.messages[length(channel.messages)] : null
-		else
-			last_message = null
-		return TRUE
-	if(channel?.messages?.len)
-		ui_header = (last_message == channel.messages[length(channel.messages)] ? "ntnrc_idle.gif" : "ntnrc_new.gif")
-	else
+		return
+
+	var/last_message_id_found = watched_channel.messages[length(watched_channel.messages)]
+	if(last_message_id_found == last_message_id)
 		ui_header = "ntnrc_idle.gif"
+		return
+	ui_header = "ntnrc_new.gif"
 
 /datum/computer_file/program/chatclient/on_start(mob/living/user)
 	. = ..()
@@ -220,6 +224,17 @@
 		return STATUS_AWAY
 	return STATUS_OFFLINE
 
+/datum/computer_file/program/chatclient/background_program(mob/user)
+	. = ..()
+	var/datum/ntnet_conversation/open_channel = SSmodular_computers.get_chat_channel_by_id(active_channel)
+	if(isnull(open_channel) || !length(open_channel.messages))
+		last_message_id = null
+		ui_header = null
+		return
+
+	last_message_id = open_channel.messages[length(open_channel.messages)]
+	ui_header = "ntnrc_idle.gif"
+
 /datum/computer_file/program/chatclient/ui_static_data(mob/user)
 	var/list/data = list()
 	data["selfref"] = REF(src) //used to verify who is you, as usernames can be copied.
@@ -265,8 +280,10 @@
 			data["clients"] = clients
 			var/list/messages = list()
 			for(var/i=channel.messages.len to 1 step -1)
+				var/message_id = channel.messages[i]
 				messages.Add(list(list(
-					"msg" = channel.messages[i],
+					"key" = message_id,
+					"msg" = channel.messages[message_id],
 				)))
 			data["messages"] = messages
 			data["is_operator"] = (channel.channel_operator == src) || netadmin_mode
diff --git a/tgui/packages/tgui/interfaces/NtosNetChat.jsx b/tgui/packages/tgui/interfaces/NtosNetChat.jsx
index 61f4a7998ccfe..0bfa826847f95 100644
--- a/tgui/packages/tgui/interfaces/NtosNetChat.jsx
+++ b/tgui/packages/tgui/interfaces/NtosNetChat.jsx
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ export const NtosNetChat = (props) => {
                   {(in_channel &&
                     (authorized ? (
                       messages.map((message) => (
-                        <Box key={message.msg}>{message.msg}</Box>
+                        <Box key={message.key}>{message.msg}</Box>
                       ))
                     ) : (
                       <Box textAlign="center">