diff --git a/pkg/interface/.eslintrc.js b/pkg/interface/.eslintrc.js
index 2527b85cf1..09212671c9 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/.eslintrc.js
+++ b/pkg/interface/.eslintrc.js
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ module.exports = {
     'jest': true
   },
   rules: {
+    // Because we use styled system, and use
+    // the convention of each prop on a new line
+    // we probably shouldn't keep this on
     'max-lines-per-function': ['off', {}]
   }
 };
diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatEditor.tsx b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatEditor.tsx
index d80dfb10c6..d23bd458b3 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatEditor.tsx
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatEditor.tsx
@@ -113,7 +113,6 @@ interface ChatEditorProps {
   inCodeMode: boolean;
   placeholder: string;
   submit: (message: string) => void;
-  onUnmount: (message: string) => void;
   onPaste: (codemirrorInstance, event: ClipboardEvent) => void;
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatInput.tsx b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatInput.tsx
index c53ecb667f..d602977e0f 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatInput.tsx
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatInput.tsx
@@ -5,18 +5,16 @@ import tokenizeMessage from '~/logic/lib/tokenizeMessage';
 import useStorage, { IuseStorage } from '~/logic/lib/useStorage';
 import { MOBILE_BROWSER_REGEX } from '~/logic/lib/util';
 import { withLocalState } from '~/logic/state/local';
-import withStorage from '~/views/components/withStorage';
 import ChatEditor, { CodeMirrorShim } from './ChatEditor';
 import airlock from '~/logic/api';
 import { ChatAvatar } from './ChatAvatar';
 import { useChatStore } from './ChatPane';
+import { useImperativeHandle } from 'react';
 
 type ChatInputProps = PropsWithChildren<IuseStorage & {
   hideAvatars: boolean;
   ourContact?: Contact;
   placeholder: string;
-  onUnmount(msg: string): void;
-  deleteMessage(): void;
   onSubmit: (contents: Content[]) => void;
 }>;
 
@@ -69,8 +67,9 @@ const MobileSubmitButton = ({ enabled, onSubmit }) => (
   </Box>
 );
 
-export function ChatInput({ ourContact, hideAvatars, placeholder, onSubmit, onUnmount }: ChatInputProps) {
+export const ChatInput = React.forwardRef(({ ourContact, hideAvatars, placeholder, onSubmit }: ChatInputProps, ref) => {
   const chatEditor = useRef<CodeMirrorShim>(null);
+  useImperativeHandle(ref, () => ({ uploadFiles }));
   const {
     message,
     setMessage
@@ -104,15 +103,6 @@ export function ChatInput({ ourContact, hideAvatars, placeholder, onSubmit, onUn
     chatEditor.current.focus();
   }
 
-  function uploadSuccess(url: string) {
-    if (uploadingPaste) {
-      chatEditor.current.setValue(url);
-      setUploadingPaste(false);
-    } else {
-      onSubmit([{ url }]);
-    }
-  }
-
   function onPaste(codemirrorInstance, event: React.ClipboardEvent<HTMLTextAreaElement>) {
     if (!event.clipboardData || !event.clipboardData.files.length) {
       return;
@@ -130,11 +120,24 @@ export function ChatInput({ ourContact, hideAvatars, placeholder, onSubmit, onUn
     }
     Array.from(files).forEach((file) => {
       uploadDefault(file)
-        .then(this.uploadSuccess)
-        .catch(this.uploadError);
+        .then(uploadSuccess)
+        .catch(uploadError);
     });
   }
 
+  function uploadSuccess(url: string) {
+    if (uploadingPaste) {
+      chatEditor.current.setValue(url);
+      setUploadingPaste(false);
+    } else {
+      onSubmit([{ url }]);
+    }
+  }
+
+  function uploadError(error: Error) {
+    console.log(error);
+  }
+
   return (
     <InputBox>
       <Row p='12px 4px 12px 12px' flexShrink={0} alignItems='center'>
@@ -144,7 +147,6 @@ export function ChatInput({ ourContact, hideAvatars, placeholder, onSubmit, onUn
         ref={chatEditor}
         inCodeMode={inCodeMode}
         submit={submit}
-        onUnmount={onUnmount}
         onPaste={onPaste}
         placeholder={placeholder}
       />
@@ -181,11 +183,10 @@ export function ChatInput({ ourContact, hideAvatars, placeholder, onSubmit, onUn
       )}
     </InputBox>
   );
-}
+});
 
 // @ts-ignore withLocalState prop passing weirdness
 export default withLocalState<Omit<ChatInputProps, keyof IuseStorage>, 'hideAvatars', ChatInput>(
-  // @ts-ignore withLocalState prop passing weirdness
-  withStorage<ChatInputProps, ChatInput>(ChatInput, { accept: 'image/*' }),
+  ChatInput,
   ['hideAvatars']
 );
diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatPane.tsx b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatPane.tsx
index b71769f4d7..ec03898212 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatPane.tsx
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatPane.tsx
@@ -1,39 +1,40 @@
 import { Col } from '@tlon/indigo-react';
 import { Content, Graph, Post } from '@urbit/api';
 import bigInt, { BigInteger } from 'big-integer';
-import _ from 'lodash';
 import React, { ReactElement, useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import create from 'zustand';
 import { useFileDrag } from '~/logic/lib/useDrag';
-import { useLocalStorageState } from '~/logic/lib/useLocalStorageState';
+import { retrieve } from '~/logic/lib/useLocalStorageState';
 import { useOurContact } from '~/logic/state/contact';
 import { useGraphTimesent } from '~/logic/state/graph';
 import ShareProfile from '~/views/apps/chat/components/ShareProfile';
 import { Loading } from '~/views/components/Loading';
 import SubmitDragger from '~/views/components/SubmitDragger';
-import ChatInput, { ChatInput as NakedChatInput } from './ChatInput';
+import ChatInput from './ChatInput';
 import ChatWindow from './ChatWindow';
 
 interface useChatStoreType {
+  id: string;
   message: string;
+  messageStore: Record<string, string>;
   setMessage: (message: string) => void;
 }
 
-export const useChatStore = create<useChatStoreType>(set => ({
+const unsentKey = 'chat-unsent';
+
+export const useChatStore = create<useChatStoreType>((set, get) => ({
+  id: '',
   message: '',
-  setMessage: (message: string) => set({ message })
+  messageStore: retrieve(unsentKey, {}),
+  setMessage: (message: string) => {
+    const store = get().messageStore;
+    store[get().id] = message;
+
+    localStorage.setItem(unsentKey, JSON.stringify(store));
+    set({ message });
+  }
 }));
 
-// const unsentKey = 'chat-unsent';
-
-// export const useChatStore = create<useChatStoreType>(set => ({
-//   message: retrieve(unsentKey, ''),
-//   setMessage: (message: string) => {
-//     set({ message });
-//     localStorage.setItem(unsentKey, message);
-//   }
-// }));
-
 interface ChatPaneProps {
   /**
    * A key to uniquely identify a ChatPane instance. Should be either the
@@ -100,7 +101,7 @@ export function ChatPane(props: ChatPaneProps): ReactElement {
   } = props;
   const graphTimesentMap = useGraphTimesent(id);
   const ourContact = useOurContact();
-  const chatInput = useRef<NakedChatInput>();
+  const chatInput = useRef<{ uploadFiles: (files: FileList | File[]) => void }>();
   const setMessage = useChatStore(s => s.setMessage);
 
   const onFileDrag = useCallback(
@@ -108,29 +109,19 @@ export function ChatPane(props: ChatPaneProps): ReactElement {
       if (!chatInput.current) {
         return;
       }
-      (chatInput.current as NakedChatInput)?.uploadFiles(files);
+      chatInput.current?.uploadFiles(files);
     },
     [chatInput]
   );
 
   const { bind, dragging } = useFileDrag(onFileDrag);
 
-  const [, setUnsent] = useLocalStorageState<Record<string, string>>(
-    'chat-unsent',
-    {}
-  );
-
-  const appendUnsent = useCallback(
-    (u: string) => setUnsent(s => ({ ...s, [id]: u })),
-    [id]
-  );
-
-  const clearUnsent = useCallback(() => {
-    setUnsent((s) => {
-      if (id in s) {
-        return _.omit(s, id);
-      }
-      return s;
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const messageStore = retrieve(unsentKey, {});
+    useChatStore.setState({
+      id,
+      messageStore,
+      message: messageStore[id] || ''
     });
   }, [id]);
 
@@ -145,8 +136,6 @@ export function ChatPane(props: ChatPaneProps): ReactElement {
   const onReply = useCallback(
     (msg: Post) => {
       const message = props.onReply(msg);
-      console.log(message);
-      // setUnsent(s => ({ ...s, [id]: message }));
       setMessage(message);
     },
     [id, props.onReply]
@@ -185,9 +174,7 @@ export function ChatPane(props: ChatPaneProps): ReactElement {
           ref={chatInput}
           onSubmit={onSubmit}
           ourContact={(promptShare.length === 0 && ourContact) || undefined}
-          onUnmount={appendUnsent}
           placeholder="Message..."
-          deleteMessage={clearUnsent}
         />
       )}
     </Col>