diff --git a/web/views/index.erb b/web/views/index.erb
index a6d40eb..9a444a4 100644
--- a/web/views/index.erb
+++ b/web/views/index.erb
@@ -377,8 +377,6 @@
     };
     let allNodes = [];
     let shortInfoAnchor = null;
-    const seenNodeIds = new Set();
-    const seenMessageIds = new Set();
     let lastChatDate;
     const NODE_LIMIT = 1000;
     const CHAT_LIMIT = 1000;
@@ -920,16 +918,8 @@
       requestAnimationFrame(positionShortInfoOverlay);
     }
 
-    function appendChatEntry(div) {
-      chatEl.appendChild(div);
-      while (chatEl.childElementCount > CHAT_LIMIT) {
-        chatEl.removeChild(chatEl.firstChild);
-      }
-      chatEl.scrollTop = chatEl.scrollHeight;
-    }
-
-    function maybeAddDateDivider(ts) {
-      if (!ts) return;
+    function maybeCreateDateDivider(ts) {
+      if (!ts) return null;
       const d = new Date(ts * 1000);
       const key = `${d.getFullYear()}-${pad(d.getMonth() + 1)}-${pad(d.getDate())}`;
       if (lastChatDate !== key) {
@@ -939,30 +929,60 @@
         const div = document.createElement('div');
         div.className = 'chat-entry-date';
         div.textContent = `-- ${formatDate(midnight)} --`;
-        appendChatEntry(div);
+        return div;
       }
+      return null;
     }
 
-    function addNewNodeChatEntry(n) {
-      maybeAddDateDivider(n.first_heard);
+    function createNodeChatEntry(n) {
       const div = document.createElement('div');
       const ts = formatTime(new Date(n.first_heard * 1000));
       div.className = 'chat-entry-node';
       const short = renderShortHtml(n.short_name, n.role, n.long_name, n);
       const longName = escapeHtml(n.long_name || '');
       div.innerHTML = `[${ts}] ${short} <em>New node: ${longName}</em>`;
-      appendChatEntry(div);
+      return div;
     }
 
-    function addNewMessageChatEntry(m) {
-      maybeAddDateDivider(m.rx_time);
+    function createMessageChatEntry(m) {
       const div = document.createElement('div');
       const ts = formatTime(new Date(m.rx_time * 1000));
       const short = renderShortHtml(m.node?.short_name, m.node?.role, m.node?.long_name, m.node);
       const text = escapeHtml(m.text || '');
       div.className = 'chat-entry-msg';
       div.innerHTML = `[${ts}] ${short} ${text}`;
-      appendChatEntry(div);
+      return div;
+    }
+
+    function renderChatLog(nodes, messages) {
+      if (!chatEl) return;
+      const entries = [];
+      for (const n of nodes || []) {
+        entries.push({ type: 'node', ts: n.first_heard ?? 0, item: n });
+      }
+      for (const m of messages || []) {
+        entries.push({ type: 'msg', ts: m.rx_time ?? 0, item: m });
+      }
+      entries.sort((a, b) => {
+        if (a.ts !== b.ts) return a.ts - b.ts;
+        return a.type === 'node' && b.type === 'msg' ? -1 : a.type === 'msg' && b.type === 'node' ? 1 : 0;
+      });
+      const frag = document.createDocumentFragment();
+      lastChatDate = null;
+      for (const entry of entries) {
+        const divider = maybeCreateDateDivider(entry.ts);
+        if (divider) frag.appendChild(divider);
+        if (entry.type === 'node') {
+          frag.appendChild(createNodeChatEntry(entry.item));
+        } else {
+          frag.appendChild(createMessageChatEntry(entry.item));
+        }
+      }
+      chatEl.replaceChildren(frag);
+      while (chatEl.childElementCount > CHAT_LIMIT) {
+        chatEl.removeChild(chatEl.firstChild);
+      }
+      chatEl.scrollTop = chatEl.scrollHeight;
     }
 
     function pad(n) { return String(n).padStart(2, "0"); }
@@ -1142,35 +1162,8 @@
         statusEl.textContent = 'refreshing…';
         const nodes = await fetchNodes();
         computeDistances(nodes);
-        const newNodes = [];
-        for (const n of nodes) {
-          if (n.node_id && !seenNodeIds.has(n.node_id)) {
-            newNodes.push(n);
-          }
-        }
         const messages = await fetchMessages();
-        const newMessages = [];
-        for (const m of messages) {
-          if (m.id && !seenMessageIds.has(m.id)) {
-            newMessages.push(m);
-          }
-        }
-        const entries = [];
-        for (const n of newNodes) entries.push({ type: 'node', ts: n.first_heard ?? 0, item: n });
-        for (const m of newMessages) entries.push({ type: 'msg', ts: m.rx_time ?? 0, item: m });
-        entries.sort((a, b) => {
-          if (a.ts !== b.ts) return a.ts - b.ts;
-          return a.type === 'node' && b.type === 'msg' ? -1 : a.type === 'msg' && b.type === 'node' ? 1 : 0;
-        });
-        for (const e of entries) {
-          if (e.type === 'node') {
-            addNewNodeChatEntry(e.item);
-            if (e.item.node_id) seenNodeIds.add(e.item.node_id);
-          } else {
-            addNewMessageChatEntry(e.item);
-            if (e.item.id) seenMessageIds.add(e.item.id);
-          }
-        }
+        renderChatLog(nodes, messages);
         allNodes = nodes;
         applyFilter();
         statusEl.textContent = 'updated ' + new Date().toLocaleTimeString();