diff --git a/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift b/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift
index fd4fe434..c8be5787 100644
--- a/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift
+++ b/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift
@@ -1473,6 +1473,17 @@ class ChatViewModel: ObservableObject, BitchatDelegate {
 
     // MARK: - Public helpers (iOS)
     #if os(iOS)
+    /// Return the current, pruned, sorted people list for the active geohash without mutating state.
+    @MainActor
+    func visibleGeohashPeople() -> [GeoPerson] {
+        guard let gh = currentGeohash else { return [] }
+        let cutoff = Date().addingTimeInterval(-5 * 60)
+        let map = (geoParticipants[gh] ?? [:]).filter { $0.value >= cutoff }
+        let people = map
+            .map { (pub, seen) in GeoPerson(id: pub, displayName: displayNameForNostrPubkey(pub), lastSeen: seen) }
+            .sorted { $0.lastSeen > $1.lastSeen }
+        return people
+    }
     /// Returns the current participant count for a specific geohash, using the 5-minute activity window.
     @MainActor
     func geohashParticipantCount(for geohash: String) -> Int {
diff --git a/bitchat/Views/ContentView.swift b/bitchat/Views/ContentView.swift
index caa276a8..3590202f 100644
--- a/bitchat/Views/ContentView.swift
+++ b/bitchat/Views/ContentView.swift
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ struct ContentView: View {
     @State private var selectedMessageSender: String?
     @State private var selectedMessageSenderID: String?
     @FocusState private var isNicknameFieldFocused: Bool
+    @State private var isAtBottomPublic: Bool = true
+    @State private var isAtBottomPrivate: Bool = true
     @State private var lastScrollTime: Date = .distantPast
     @State private var scrollThrottleTimer: Timer?
     @State private var autocompleteDebounceTimer: Timer?
@@ -273,9 +275,8 @@ struct ContentView: View {
     
     // MARK: - Message List View
     
-    private func messagesView(privatePeer: String?) -> some View {
+    private func messagesView(privatePeer: String?, isAtBottom: Binding<Bool>) -> some View {
         ScrollViewReader { proxy in
-            @State var isAtBottom: Bool = true
             ScrollView {
                 LazyVStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 0) {
                     // Extract messages based on context (private or public chat)
@@ -337,12 +338,12 @@ struct ContentView: View {
                         .onAppear {
                             // Track if last item is visible to enable auto-scroll only when near bottom
                             if message.id == windowedMessages.last?.id {
-                                isAtBottom = true
+                                isAtBottom.wrappedValue = true
                             }
                         }
                         .onDisappear {
                             if message.id == windowedMessages.last?.id {
-                                isAtBottom = false
+                                isAtBottom.wrappedValue = false
                             }
                         }
                         .contentShape(Rectangle())
@@ -379,7 +380,7 @@ struct ContentView: View {
             .onChange(of: viewModel.messages.count) { _ in
                 if privatePeer == nil && !viewModel.messages.isEmpty {
                     // Only autoscroll when user is at/near bottom
-                    guard isAtBottom else { return }
+                    guard isAtBottom.wrappedValue else { return }
                     // Throttle scroll animations to prevent excessive UI updates
                     let now = Date()
                     if now.timeIntervalSince(lastScrollTime) > 0.5 {
@@ -401,7 +402,7 @@ struct ContentView: View {
                    let messages = viewModel.privateChats[peerID],
                    !messages.isEmpty {
                     // Only autoscroll when user is at/near bottom
-                    guard isAtBottom else { return }
+                    guard isAtBottom.wrappedValue else { return }
                     // Same throttling for private chats
                     let now = Date()
                     if now.timeIntervalSince(lastScrollTime) > 0.5 {
@@ -727,7 +728,7 @@ struct ContentView: View {
         VStack(spacing: 0) {
             mainHeaderView
             Divider()
-            messagesView(privatePeer: nil)
+            messagesView(privatePeer: nil, isAtBottom: $isAtBottomPublic)
             Divider()
             inputView
         }
@@ -777,7 +778,7 @@ struct ContentView: View {
             VStack(spacing: 0) {
                 privateHeaderView
                 Divider()
-                messagesView(privatePeer: viewModel.selectedPrivateChatPeer)
+                messagesView(privatePeer: viewModel.selectedPrivateChatPeer, isAtBottom: $isAtBottomPrivate)
                 Divider()
                 inputView
             }
@@ -867,24 +868,31 @@ struct ContentView: View {
             Spacer()
             
             // Channel badge + dynamic spacing + people counter
+            // Precompute header count and color outside the ViewBuilder expressions
+            #if os(iOS)
+            let cc = channelPeopleCountAndColor()
+            let headerCountColor: Color = cc.1
+            let headerOtherPeersCount: Int = {
+                if case .location = locationManager.selectedChannel {
+                    return viewModel.visibleGeohashPeople().count
+                }
+                return cc.0
+            }()
+            #else
+            let peerCounts = viewModel.allPeers.reduce(into: (others: 0, mesh: 0)) { counts, peer in
+                guard peer.id != viewModel.meshService.myPeerID else { return }
+                let isMeshConnected = peer.isConnected
+                if isMeshConnected { counts.mesh += 1; counts.others += 1 }
+                else if peer.isMutualFavorite { counts.others += 1 }
+            }
+            let headerOtherPeersCount = peerCounts.others
+            // Darker, more neutral blue (less purple hue)
+            let meshBlue = Color(hue: 0.60, saturation: 0.85, brightness: 0.82)
+            let headerCountColor: Color = (peerCounts.mesh > 0) ? meshBlue : Color.secondary
+            #endif
+
             HStack(spacing: 10) {
                 // Unread icon immediately to the left of the channel badge (independent from channel button)
-                #if os(iOS)
-                let cc = channelPeopleCountAndColor()
-                let otherPeersCount = cc.0
-                let countColor = cc.1
-                #else
-                let peerCounts = viewModel.allPeers.reduce(into: (others: 0, mesh: 0)) { counts, peer in
-                    guard peer.id != viewModel.meshService.myPeerID else { return }
-                    let isMeshConnected = peer.isConnected
-                    if isMeshConnected { counts.mesh += 1; counts.others += 1 }
-                    else if peer.isMutualFavorite { counts.others += 1 }
-                }
-                let otherPeersCount = peerCounts.others
-                // Darker, more neutral blue (less purple hue)
-                let meshBlue = Color(hue: 0.60, saturation: 0.85, brightness: 0.82)
-                let countColor: Color = (peerCounts.mesh > 0) ? meshBlue : Color.secondary
-                #endif
                 
                 // Unread indicator
                 #if os(iOS)
@@ -928,12 +936,12 @@ struct ContentView: View {
                     // People icon with count
                     Image(systemName: "person.2.fill")
                         .font(.system(size: 11))
-                        .accessibilityLabel("\(otherPeersCount) \(otherPeersCount == 1 ? "person" : "people")")
-                    Text("\(otherPeersCount)")
+                        .accessibilityLabel("\(headerOtherPeersCount) people")
+                    Text("\(headerOtherPeersCount)")
                         .font(.system(size: 12, design: .monospaced))
                         .accessibilityHidden(true)
                 }
-                .foregroundColor(countColor)
+                .foregroundColor(headerCountColor)
             }
             .onTapGesture {
                 withAnimation(.easeInOut(duration: 0.2)) {
diff --git a/bitchat/Views/GeohashPeopleList.swift b/bitchat/Views/GeohashPeopleList.swift
index 69528c61..2227a78b 100644
--- a/bitchat/Views/GeohashPeopleList.swift
+++ b/bitchat/Views/GeohashPeopleList.swift
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ struct GeohashPeopleList: View {
 
     var body: some View {
         Group {
-            if viewModel.geohashPeople.isEmpty {
+            if viewModel.visibleGeohashPeople().isEmpty {
                 Text("nobody around...")
                     .font(.system(size: 14, design: .monospaced))
                     .foregroundColor(secondaryTextColor)
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ struct GeohashPeopleList: View {
                     }
                     return nil
                 }()
-                let ordered = viewModel.geohashPeople.sorted { a, b in
+                let ordered = viewModel.visibleGeohashPeople().sorted { a, b in
                     if let me = myHex {
                         if a.id == me && b.id != me { return true }
                         if b.id == me && a.id != me { return false }