diff --git a/webui-src/app/main.js b/webui-src/app/main.js
index 6804436..c6c12f8 100644
--- a/webui-src/app/main.js
+++ b/webui-src/app/main.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 const m = require('mithril');
 
 //  Bumped at every change of the web UI (two places used to carry it).
-const WEBUI_VERSION = 'v167';
+const WEBUI_VERSION = 'v168';
 
 const login = require('login');
 const rs = require('rswebui');
diff --git a/webui-src/app/people/people_state.js b/webui-src/app/people/people_state.js
index 9a85823..d319e30 100644
--- a/webui-src/app/people/people_state.js
+++ b/webui-src/app/people/people_state.js
@@ -407,14 +407,19 @@ function pollDistantChatStatus() {
       if (session) {
         session.status = detail.info;
 
+        //  A status line is a message like any other: when one really lands
+        //  (the helper drops what is already there) the pane has to follow it,
+        //  or "You can talk" sits below the fold and the tunnel looks stuck.
+        let statusLineAdded = false;
         if (detail.info.status === 2) {
-          addSessionSystemMessage(session, 'Tunnel is secured. You can talk!');
+          statusLineAdded = addSessionSystemMessage(session, 'Tunnel is secured. You can talk!');
           //  The tunnel just went up: anything the peer sent while it was still
           //  pending is waiting in the event buffer.
           drainBufferedChatMessages(session);
         } else if (detail.info.status === 3) {
-          addSessionSystemMessage(session, 'Your partner closed the conversation.');
+          statusLineAdded = addSessionSystemMessage(session, 'Your partner closed the conversation.');
         }
+        if (statusLineAdded && State.selectedId === askedFor) scrollChatToBottom();
       }
       m.redraw();
     }