diff --git a/web/src/components/MessageList.tsx b/web/src/components/MessageList.tsx
index 5dcd3a4..5d77118 100644
--- a/web/src/components/MessageList.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/MessageList.tsx
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ export function MessageList() {
   const activeChatId = useChatStore((s) => s.activeChatId);
   const messagesByChat = useChatStore((s) => s.messagesByChat);
   const typingByChat = useChatStore((s) => s.typingByChat);
+  const hasMoreByChat = useChatStore((s) => s.hasMoreByChat);
+  const loadingMoreByChat = useChatStore((s) => s.loadingMoreByChat);
+  const loadMoreMessages = useChatStore((s) => s.loadMoreMessages);
   const unreadBoundaryByChat = useChatStore((s) => s.unreadBoundaryByChat);
   const chats = useChatStore((s) => s.chats);
   const setReplyToMessage = useChatStore((s) => s.setReplyToMessage);
@@ -61,6 +64,8 @@ export function MessageList() {
   }, [chats, forwardQuery]);
   const unreadBoundaryCount = activeChatId ? (unreadBoundaryByChat[activeChatId] ?? 0) : 0;
   const unreadBoundaryIndex = unreadBoundaryCount > 0 ? Math.max(0, messages.length - unreadBoundaryCount) : -1;
+  const hasMore = Boolean(activeChatId && hasMoreByChat[activeChatId]);
+  const isLoadingMore = Boolean(activeChatId && loadingMoreByChat[activeChatId]);
   const selectedMessages = useMemo(
     () => messages.filter((m) => selectedIds.has(m.id)),
     [messages, selectedIds]
@@ -254,6 +259,17 @@ export function MessageList() {
         </div>
       ) : null}
       <div className="tg-scrollbar flex-1 overflow-auto px-3 py-4 md:px-6">
+        {hasMore ? (
+          <div className="mb-3 flex justify-center">
+            <button
+              className="rounded-full border border-slate-700/80 bg-slate-900/70 px-3 py-1 text-xs text-slate-300 hover:bg-slate-800 disabled:opacity-60"
+              disabled={isLoadingMore}
+              onClick={() => void loadMoreMessages(chatId)}
+            >
+              {isLoadingMore ? "Loading..." : "Load older messages"}
+            </button>
+          </div>
+        ) : null}
         {messages.map((message, messageIndex) => {
           const own = message.sender_id === me?.id;
           const replySource = message.reply_to_message_id ? messagesMap.get(message.reply_to_message_id) : null;
diff --git a/web/src/store/chatStore.ts b/web/src/store/chatStore.ts
index 8a261bf..e22f902 100644
--- a/web/src/store/chatStore.ts
+++ b/web/src/store/chatStore.ts
@@ -7,12 +7,15 @@ interface ChatState {
   activeChatId: number | null;
   messagesByChat: Record<number, Message[]>;
   draftsByChat: Record<number, string>;
+  hasMoreByChat: Record<number, boolean>;
+  loadingMoreByChat: Record<number, boolean>;
   typingByChat: Record<number, number[]>;
   replyToByChat: Record<number, Message | null>;
   unreadBoundaryByChat: Record<number, number>;
   loadChats: (query?: string) => Promise<void>;
   setActiveChatId: (chatId: number | null) => void;
   loadMessages: (chatId: number) => Promise<void>;
+  loadMoreMessages: (chatId: number) => Promise<void>;
   prependMessage: (chatId: number, message: Message) => boolean;
   addOptimisticMessage: (params: {
     chatId: number;
@@ -48,6 +51,8 @@ export const useChatStore = create<ChatState>((set, get) => ({
   activeChatId: null,
   messagesByChat: {},
   draftsByChat: {},
+  hasMoreByChat: {},
+  loadingMoreByChat: {},
   typingByChat: {},
   replyToByChat: {},
   unreadBoundaryByChat: {},
@@ -71,6 +76,14 @@ export const useChatStore = create<ChatState>((set, get) => ({
         ...state.unreadBoundaryByChat,
         [chatId]: unreadCount
       },
+      hasMoreByChat: {
+        ...state.hasMoreByChat,
+        [chatId]: messages.length >= 50
+      },
+      loadingMoreByChat: {
+        ...state.loadingMoreByChat,
+        [chatId]: false
+      },
       chats: state.chats.map((chat) => (chat.id === chatId ? { ...chat, unread_count: 0 } : chat))
     }));
     const lastMessage = sorted[sorted.length - 1];
@@ -78,6 +91,43 @@ export const useChatStore = create<ChatState>((set, get) => ({
       void updateMessageStatus(chatId, lastMessage.id, "message_read");
     }
   },
+  loadMoreMessages: async (chatId) => {
+    if (get().loadingMoreByChat[chatId]) {
+      return;
+    }
+    const existing = get().messagesByChat[chatId] ?? [];
+    if (!existing.length) {
+      await get().loadMessages(chatId);
+      return;
+    }
+    const oldestId = existing[0]?.id;
+    if (!oldestId) {
+      return;
+    }
+    set((state) => ({
+      loadingMoreByChat: { ...state.loadingMoreByChat, [chatId]: true }
+    }));
+    try {
+      const older = await getMessages(chatId, oldestId);
+      const olderSorted = [...older].reverse();
+      const knownIds = new Set(existing.map((m) => m.id));
+      const merged = [...olderSorted.filter((m) => !knownIds.has(m.id)), ...existing];
+      set((state) => ({
+        messagesByChat: {
+          ...state.messagesByChat,
+          [chatId]: merged
+        },
+        hasMoreByChat: {
+          ...state.hasMoreByChat,
+          [chatId]: older.length >= 50
+        }
+      }));
+    } finally {
+      set((state) => ({
+        loadingMoreByChat: { ...state.loadingMoreByChat, [chatId]: false }
+      }));
+    }
+  },
   prependMessage: (chatId, message) => {
     const old = get().messagesByChat[chatId] ?? [];
     if (old.some((m) => m.id === message.id || (message.client_message_id && m.client_message_id === message.client_message_id))) {