diff --git a/packages/app/package.json b/packages/app/package.json
index a7da454a..94cf7fb5 100644
--- a/packages/app/package.json
+++ b/packages/app/package.json
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@aiui/core": "workspace:*",
+    "@tanstack/vue-virtual": "^3.13.19",
     "markdown-it": "^14.1.1",
     "pinia": "^3.0.4",
     "plyr": "^3.8.4",
diff --git a/packages/app/src/components/chat/ChatWindow.vue b/packages/app/src/components/chat/ChatWindow.vue
index a4167635..599b6332 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/components/chat/ChatWindow.vue
+++ b/packages/app/src/components/chat/ChatWindow.vue
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@
       @select="handlePromptSelect"
     />
 
-    <!-- Expanded: full message list -->
+    <!-- Expanded: full message list (virtualized) -->
     <div
       v-else
       ref="messageListRef"
-      class="relative z-0 flex-1 min-h-0 overflow-y-auto scrollbar-hide p-4 space-y-3"
+      class="relative z-0 flex-1 min-h-0 overflow-y-auto scrollbar-hide"
     >
-      <div v-if="messages.length === 0" class="flex items-center justify-center h-full">
+      <div v-if="messages.length === 0" class="flex items-center justify-center h-full p-4">
         <div class="text-center space-y-3 animate-fade-up">
           <div class="empty-state-icon w-16 h-16 rounded-2xl path-glass-icon flex items-center justify-center mx-auto overflow-hidden">
             <span class="text-2xl" :class="isDark ? 'text-[#fafafa]' : 'text-gray-800'">✦</span>
@@ -34,19 +34,37 @@
         </div>
       </div>
 
-      <ErrorBoundary
-        v-for="(msg, i) in messages"
-        :key="msg.id"
-        title="Message failed to render"
+      <div
+        v-else
+        :style="{ height: `${virtualizer.getTotalSize()}px`, width: '100%', position: 'relative' }"
       >
-        <ChatMessage
-          :message="msg"
-          :index="i"
-          :triggering-query="getTriggeringQuery(messages, i)"
-        />
-      </ErrorBoundary>
+        <div
+          v-for="virtualRow in virtualizer.getVirtualItems()"
+          :key="messages[virtualRow.index].id"
+          :ref="(el) => el && virtualizer.measureElement(el as Element)"
+          :data-index="virtualRow.index"
+          :style="{
+            position: 'absolute',
+            top: 0,
+            left: 0,
+            width: '100%',
+            transform: `translateY(${virtualRow.start}px)`,
+          }"
+          class="px-4 py-1.5"
+        >
+          <ErrorBoundary title="Message failed to render">
+            <ChatMessage
+              :message="messages[virtualRow.index]"
+              :index="virtualRow.index"
+              :triggering-query="getTriggeringQuery(messages, virtualRow.index)"
+            />
+          </ErrorBoundary>
+        </div>
+      </div>
 
-      <StreamingDots v-if="isStreaming && lastMessageEmpty" />
+      <div v-if="isStreaming && lastMessageEmpty" class="px-4 pb-4">
+        <StreamingDots />
+      </div>
     </div>
 
     <ChatInput
@@ -62,6 +80,7 @@
 
 <script setup lang="ts">
 import { computed, ref, watch, nextTick } from 'vue'
+import { useVirtualizer } from '@tanstack/vue-virtual'
 import { useChatStore } from '@/stores/chat'
 import { useAI } from '@/composables/useAI'
 import { useTheme } from '@/composables/useTheme'
@@ -101,6 +120,16 @@ const codeContext = useCodeContext()
 const messageListRef = ref<HTMLElement | null>(null)
 
 const messages = computed(() => chatStore.messages)
+
+const virtualizer = useVirtualizer(computed(() => ({
+  count: messages.value.length,
+  getScrollElement: () => messageListRef.value,
+  estimateSize: (index: number) => {
+    // User messages are typically shorter
+    return messages.value[index]?.role === 'user' ? 60 : 200
+  },
+  overscan: 5,
+})))
 const isStreaming = computed(() => chatStore.isStreaming)
 const chatCollapsed = computed(() => chatStore.chatCollapsed)
 
@@ -216,14 +245,22 @@ function handlePromptSelect(_userMsg: Message, assistantMsg: Message | null) {
   }
 }
 
-watch(
-  () => messages.value.length,
-  () => {
+function scrollToBottom() {
+  nextTick(() => {
+    if (messages.value.length > 0) {
+      virtualizer.value.scrollToIndex(messages.value.length - 1, { align: 'end' })
+    }
+    // Fallback: also scroll the container directly for streaming updates
     nextTick(() => {
       const el = messageListRef.value
       if (el) el.scrollTop = el.scrollHeight
     })
-  }
+  })
+}
+
+watch(
+  () => messages.value.length,
+  () => scrollToBottom()
 )
 
 watch(
@@ -233,10 +270,7 @@ watch(
     return last ? { content: last.content, webResults: last.webResults } : null
   },
   (val) => {
-    nextTick(() => {
-      const el = messageListRef.value
-      if (el) el.scrollTop = el.scrollHeight
-    })
+    scrollToBottom()
     if (val?.content) {
       const msgs = messages.value
       const lastMsg = msgs[msgs.length - 1]
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 33dfadb4..14e55265 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ importers:
       '@aiui/core':
         specifier: workspace:*
         version: link:../core
+      '@tanstack/vue-virtual':
+        specifier: ^3.13.19
+        version: 3.13.19(vue@3.5.29(typescript@5.8.3))
       markdown-it:
         specifier: ^14.1.1
         version: 14.1.1
@@ -1159,6 +1162,14 @@ packages:
     peerDependencies:
       vite: ^5.2.0 || ^6 || ^7
 
+  '@tanstack/virtual-core@3.13.19':
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-/BMP7kNhzKOd7wnDeB8NrIRNLwkf5AhCYCvtfZV2GXWbBieFm/el0n6LOAXlTi6ZwHICSNnQcIxRCWHrLzDY+g==}
+
+  '@tanstack/vue-virtual@3.13.19':
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-07Fp1TYuIziB4zIDA/moeDKHODePy3K1fN4c4VIAGnkxo1+uOvBJP7m54CoxKiQX6Q9a1dZnznrwOg9C86yvvA==}
+    peerDependencies:
+      vue: ^2.7.0 || ^3.0.0
+
   '@types/chai@5.2.3':
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-Mw558oeA9fFbv65/y4mHtXDs9bPnFMZAL/jxdPFUpOHHIXX91mcgEHbS5Lahr+pwZFR8A7GQleRWeI6cGFC2UA==}
 
@@ -4047,6 +4058,13 @@ snapshots:
       tailwindcss: 4.2.1
       vite: 7.3.1(@types/node@25.3.3)(jiti@2.6.1)(lightningcss@1.31.1)(terser@5.46.0)(tsx@4.21.0)(yaml@2.8.2)
 
+  '@tanstack/virtual-core@3.13.19': {}
+
+  '@tanstack/vue-virtual@3.13.19(vue@3.5.29(typescript@5.8.3))':
+    dependencies:
+      '@tanstack/virtual-core': 3.13.19
+      vue: 3.5.29(typescript@5.8.3)
+
   '@types/chai@5.2.3':
     dependencies:
       '@types/deep-eql': 4.0.2