diff --git a/server/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/web/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/src/components/lib/Chat.tsx b/server/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/web/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/src/components/lib/Chat.tsx
index 948005a4b8d..b6e5df23e1d 100644
--- a/server/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/web/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/src/components/lib/Chat.tsx
+++ b/server/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/web/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/src/components/lib/Chat.tsx
@@ -2,21 +2,11 @@ import type {
   ChatMessage,
   ReceivedChatMessage,
 } from '@livekit/components-core';
-import { setupChat } from '@livekit/components-core';
-import {
-  ChatEntry,
-  MessageFormatter,
-  useRoomContext,
-} from '@livekit/components-react';
+import { ChatEntry, MessageFormatter } from '@livekit/components-react';
 import * as React from 'react';
 import { Translate } from '../../translate';
 import { cloneSingleChild } from '../../utils/common';
-import { useObservableState } from '../../utils/useObservableState';
-// import { useRoomContext } from '../context';
-// import { useObservableState } from '../hooks/internal/useObservableState';
-// import { cloneSingleChild } from '../utils';
-// import type { MessageFormatter } from '../components/ChatEntry';
-// import { ChatEntry } from '../components/ChatEntry';
+import { useChatContext } from './ChatContext';
 
 export type { ChatMessage, ReceivedChatMessage };
 
@@ -25,22 +15,6 @@ export interface ChatProps extends React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement> {
   messageFormatter?: MessageFormatter;
 }
 
-/** @public */
-export function useChat() {
-  const room = useRoomContext();
-  const [setup, setSetup] = React.useState<ReturnType<typeof setupChat>>();
-  const isSending = useObservableState(setup?.isSendingObservable, false);
-  const chatMessages = useObservableState(setup?.messageObservable, []);
-
-  React.useEffect(() => {
-    const setupChatReturn = setupChat(room);
-    setSetup(setupChatReturn);
-    return setupChatReturn.destroy;
-  }, [room]);
-
-  return { send: setup?.send, chatMessages, isSending };
-}
-
 /**
  * The Chat component adds a basis chat functionality to the LiveKit room. The messages are distributed to all participants
  * in the room. Only users who are in the room at the time of dispatch will receive the message.
@@ -56,7 +30,7 @@ export function useChat() {
 export function Chat({ messageFormatter, ...props }: ChatProps) {
   const inputRef = React.useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
   const ulRef = React.useRef<HTMLUListElement>(null);
-  const { send, chatMessages, isSending } = useChat();
+  const { send, chatMessages, isSending } = useChatContext();
 
   async function handleSubmit(event: React.FormEvent) {
     event.preventDefault();
diff --git a/server/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/web/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/src/components/lib/ChatContext.tsx b/server/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/web/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/src/components/lib/ChatContext.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..965d4f8bca5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/web/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/src/components/lib/ChatContext.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import { useRoomContext } from '@livekit/components-react';
+import React, { useContext, useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+import { ReceivedChatMessage, setupChat } from '@livekit/components-core';
+import { useObservableState } from '../../utils/useObservableState';
+
+const ChatContext = React.createContext({
+  send: async (message: string) => {},
+  chatMessages: [] as ReceivedChatMessage[],
+  isSending: false,
+});
+ChatContext.displayName = 'ChatContext';
+
+export const ChatProvider: React.FC<React.PropsWithChildren> = React.memo(
+  (props) => {
+    const chatContext = useSetupChat();
+
+    return (
+      <ChatContext.Provider value={chatContext}>
+        {props.children}
+      </ChatContext.Provider>
+    );
+  }
+);
+ChatProvider.displayName = 'ChatProvider';
+
+function useSetupChat() {
+  const room = useRoomContext();
+  const [setup, setSetup] = useState<ReturnType<typeof setupChat>>();
+  const isSending = useObservableState(setup?.isSendingObservable, false);
+  const chatMessages = useObservableState<ReceivedChatMessage[]>(
+    setup?.messageObservable,
+    []
+  );
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const setupChatReturn = setupChat(room);
+    setSetup(setupChatReturn);
+
+    return setupChatReturn.destroy;
+  }, [room]);
+
+  return { send: setup?.send, chatMessages, isSending };
+}
+
+export function useChatContext() {
+  return useContext(ChatContext);
+}
diff --git a/server/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/web/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/src/components/lib/ControlBar.tsx b/server/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/web/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/src/components/lib/ControlBar.tsx
index cb1f8722bc1..ea2a52b2c98 100644
--- a/server/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/web/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/src/components/lib/ControlBar.tsx
+++ b/server/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/web/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/src/components/lib/ControlBar.tsx
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { Translate } from '../../translate';
 import { useMediaQuery } from '../../utils/useMediaQuery';
 import { ChatIcon } from './icons/ChatIcon';
 import { LeaveIcon } from './icons/LeaveIcon';
+import { useChatContext } from './ChatContext';
 
 /** @public */
 export type ControlBarControls = {
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ export function ControlBar({ variation, controls, ...props }: ControlBarProps) {
   const isTooLittleSpace = useMediaQuery(
     `(max-width: ${isChatOpen ? 1000 : 760}px)`
   );
+  const { chatMessages } = useChatContext();
 
   const defaultVariation = isTooLittleSpace ? 'minimal' : 'verbose';
   variation ??= defaultVariation;
@@ -137,6 +139,9 @@ export function ControlBar({ variation, controls, ...props }: ControlBarProps) {
         <ChatToggle>
           {showIcon && <ChatIcon />}
           {showText && Translate.chat}
+          {Array.isArray(chatMessages) && chatMessages.length > 0 && (
+            <span>({chatMessages.length})</span>
+          )}
         </ChatToggle>
       )}
 
diff --git a/server/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/web/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/src/components/lib/VideoConference.tsx b/server/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/web/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/src/components/lib/VideoConference.tsx
index 692c345512c..6f00a795a6d 100644
--- a/server/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/web/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/src/components/lib/VideoConference.tsx
+++ b/server/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/web/plugins/com.msgbyte.livekit/src/components/lib/VideoConference.tsx
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import { CarouselLayout } from './CarouselLayout';
 import { ControlBar } from './ControlBar';
 import { Chat } from './Chat';
 import { FocusLayout } from './FocusLayout';
+import { ChatProvider } from './ChatContext';
 
 /**
  * @public
@@ -124,32 +125,34 @@ export const VideoConference: React.FC<VideoConferenceProps> = React.memo(
             // onPinChange={handleFocusStateChange}
             onWidgetChange={widgetUpdate}
           >
-            <div className="lk-video-conference-inner">
-              {!focusTrack ? (
-                <div className="lk-grid-layout-wrapper">
-                  <GridLayout tracks={tracks}>
-                    <ParticipantTile />
-                  </GridLayout>
-                </div>
-              ) : (
-                <div className="lk-focus-layout-wrapper">
-                  <FocusLayoutContainer>
-                    <CarouselLayout tracks={carouselTracks}>
+            <ChatProvider>
+              <div className="lk-video-conference-inner">
+                {!focusTrack ? (
+                  <div className="lk-grid-layout-wrapper">
+                    <GridLayout tracks={tracks}>
                       <ParticipantTile />
-                    </CarouselLayout>
+                    </GridLayout>
+                  </div>
+                ) : (
+                  <div className="lk-focus-layout-wrapper">
+                    <FocusLayoutContainer>
+                      <CarouselLayout tracks={carouselTracks}>
+                        <ParticipantTile />
+                      </CarouselLayout>
 
-                    {focusTrack && <FocusLayout track={focusTrack} />}
-                  </FocusLayoutContainer>
-                </div>
-              )}
+                      {focusTrack && <FocusLayout track={focusTrack} />}
+                    </FocusLayoutContainer>
+                  </div>
+                )}
 
-              <ControlBar controls={{ chat: true }} />
-            </div>
+                <ControlBar controls={{ chat: true }} />
+              </div>
 
-            <Chat
-              style={{ display: widgetState.showChat ? 'flex' : 'none' }}
-              messageFormatter={chatMessageFormatter}
-            />
+              <Chat
+                style={{ display: widgetState.showChat ? 'flex' : 'none' }}
+                messageFormatter={chatMessageFormatter}
+              />
+            </ChatProvider>
           </LayoutContextProvider>
         )}