diff --git a/FEEDBACK.md b/FEEDBACK.md
index 5adc68e..4864a0a 100644
--- a/FEEDBACK.md
+++ b/FEEDBACK.md
@@ -664,3 +664,10 @@
 - **Status:** done
 - **Completed:** 2026-02-13 — commit `cbb4611`
 - **Description:** Markdown unordered lists (- item, * item) are not rendered properly in chat messages. They appear as raw text instead of formatted bullet points. Need to verify remarkGfm/ReactMarkdown config handles list rendering correctly, and ensure CSS styles are applied for ul/ol elements in the markdown-body class.
+
+## Item #62
+- **Date:** 2026-02-13
+- **Priority:** high
+- **Status:** done
+- **Completed:** 2026-02-13 — commit `2f25c45`
+- **Description:** Textarea has an ugly/thick accent-colored border (cyan) visible in the screenshot. The border around the chat input textarea looks bad — it should be more subtle (thin border, muted color, or no visible border at all). The input area should blend cleanly with its container, not have a glowing cyan outline.
diff --git a/src/components/Chat.tsx b/src/components/Chat.tsx
index 888ab59..db63393 100644
--- a/src/components/Chat.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Chat.tsx
@@ -119,10 +119,14 @@ export function Chat({ messages, isGenerating, isLoadingHistory, status, session
 
   const visibleMessages = useMemo(() => {
     const filtered = messages.filter(hasVisibleContent);
-    return filtered.reduce<Array<{ msg: ChatMessage; showSep: boolean }>>((acc, msg) => {
+    const GROUP_GAP_MS = 2 * 60 * 1000; // 2 minutes
+    return filtered.reduce<Array<{ msg: ChatMessage; showSep: boolean; isFirstInGroup: boolean }>>((acc, msg) => {
       const dk = getDateKey(msg.timestamp);
       const prevDk = acc.length > 0 ? getDateKey(acc[acc.length - 1].msg.timestamp) : '';
-      acc.push({ msg, showSep: dk !== prevDk });
+      const showSep = dk !== prevDk;
+      const prev = acc.length > 0 ? acc[acc.length - 1] : null;
+      const isFirstInGroup = showSep || !prev || prev.msg.role !== msg.role || prev.msg.isSystemEvent !== msg.isSystemEvent || (msg.timestamp - prev.msg.timestamp > GROUP_GAP_MS);
+      acc.push({ msg, showSep, isFirstInGroup });
       return acc;
     }, []);
   }, [messages]);
@@ -207,7 +211,7 @@ export function Chat({ messages, isGenerating, isLoadingHistory, status, session
               <div className="text-sm mt-1 text-pc-text-muted">{t('chat.welcomeSub')}</div>
             </div>
           )}
-          {visibleMessages.map(({ msg, showSep }) => {
+          {visibleMessages.map(({ msg, showSep, isFirstInGroup }) => {
             const isActiveMatch = searchMatches.length > 0 && searchMatches[searchActiveIndex] === msg.id;
             return (
                 <div key={msg.id} data-msg-id={msg.id}>
@@ -219,7 +223,7 @@ export function Chat({ messages, isGenerating, isLoadingHistory, status, session
                     </div>
                   )}
                   <div className={isActiveMatch ? 'ring-1 ring-pc-accent-light/40 rounded-lg' : ''}>
-                    <ChatMessageComponent message={msg} onRetry={!isGenerating ? handleSend : undefined} agentAvatarUrl={agentAvatarUrl} />
+                    <ChatMessageComponent message={msg} onRetry={!isGenerating ? handleSend : undefined} agentAvatarUrl={agentAvatarUrl} isFirstInGroup={isFirstInGroup} />
                   </div>
                 </div>
             );
diff --git a/src/components/ChatMessage.tsx b/src/components/ChatMessage.tsx
index a57912b..dfa1dcf 100644
--- a/src/components/ChatMessage.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ChatMessage.tsx
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ function SystemEventMessage({ message }: { message: ChatMessageType }) {
   );
 }
 
-export const ChatMessageComponent = memo(function ChatMessageComponent({ message: rawMessage, onRetry, agentAvatarUrl }: { message: ChatMessageType; onRetry?: (text: string) => void; agentAvatarUrl?: string }) {
+export const ChatMessageComponent = memo(function ChatMessageComponent({ message: rawMessage, onRetry, agentAvatarUrl, isFirstInGroup = true }: { message: ChatMessageType; onRetry?: (text: string) => void; agentAvatarUrl?: string; isFirstInGroup?: boolean }) {
   useLocale(); // re-render on locale change
   const { resolvedTheme } = useTheme();
   const isLight = resolvedTheme === 'light';
@@ -458,15 +458,16 @@ export const ChatMessageComponent = memo(function ChatMessageComponent({ message
   }
 
   return (
-    <div className={`animate-fade-in flex gap-3 px-4 py-2 ${isUser ? 'flex-row-reverse' : ''} ${message.sendStatus === 'sending' ? 'opacity-70' : ''} ${message.sendStatus === 'error' ? 'opacity-60' : ''}`}>
-      {/* Avatar */}
-      <div className="shrink-0 mt-1 flex h-9 w-9 items-center justify-center rounded-2xl border border-pc-border bg-pc-elevated/40 overflow-hidden">
-        {isUser
-          ? <User className="h-4 w-4 text-pc-accent-light" />
-          : agentAvatarUrl
-            ? <img src={agentAvatarUrl} alt="Agent" className="h-full w-full object-cover" />
-            : <Bot className="h-4 w-4 text-pc-accent-light" />
-        }
+    <div className={`animate-fade-in flex gap-3 px-4 ${isFirstInGroup ? 'py-2' : 'py-0.5'} ${isUser ? 'flex-row-reverse' : ''} ${message.sendStatus === 'sending' ? 'opacity-70' : ''} ${message.sendStatus === 'error' ? 'opacity-60' : ''}`}>
+      {/* Avatar — hidden for grouped messages, but keep width for alignment */}
+      <div className={`shrink-0 mt-1 flex h-9 w-9 items-center justify-center rounded-2xl overflow-hidden ${isFirstInGroup ? 'border border-pc-border bg-pc-elevated/40' : ''}`}>
+        {isFirstInGroup ? (
+          isUser
+            ? <User className="h-4 w-4 text-pc-accent-light" />
+            : agentAvatarUrl
+              ? <img src={agentAvatarUrl} alt="Agent" className="h-full w-full object-cover" />
+              : <Bot className="h-4 w-4 text-pc-accent-light" />
+        ) : null}
       </div>
 
       {/* Bubble */}
diff --git a/src/index.css b/src/index.css
index 07e2786..11dd7d1 100644
--- a/src/index.css
+++ b/src/index.css
@@ -52,6 +52,14 @@
   outline-offset: 2px;
 }
 
+/* Chat textarea: no focus ring (container handles visual feedback) */
+.ht-textarea:focus-visible,
+.ht-textarea:focus,
+#chat-input:focus-visible,
+#chat-input:focus {
+  outline: none;
+}
+
 /* Remove default outline for mouse/touch users */
 :focus:not(:focus-visible) {
   outline: none;