diff --git a/lib/pages/chat/events/message.dart b/lib/pages/chat/events/message.dart
index 6a4ec3f2e..5f1e7dc35 100644
--- a/lib/pages/chat/events/message.dart
+++ b/lib/pages/chat/events/message.dart
@@ -435,22 +435,20 @@ class Message extends StatelessWidget {
                   ? const EdgeInsets.symmetric(vertical: 8.0)
                   : EdgeInsets.zero,
               child: Center(
-                child: Material(
-                  color: displayTime
-                      ? Theme.of(context).colorScheme.surface
-                      : Theme.of(context).colorScheme.surface.withOpacity(0.33),
-                  borderRadius:
-                      BorderRadius.circular(AppConfig.borderRadius / 2),
-                  clipBehavior: Clip.antiAlias,
-                  child: Padding(
-                    padding: const EdgeInsets.only(top: 4.0),
-                    child: Text(
-                      event.originServerTs.localizedTime(context),
-                      style: TextStyle(
-                        fontWeight: FontWeight.bold,
-                        fontSize: 12 * AppConfig.fontSizeFactor,
-                        color: Theme.of(context).colorScheme.secondary,
-                      ),
+                child: Padding(
+                  padding: const EdgeInsets.only(top: 4.0),
+                  child: Text(
+                    event.originServerTs.localizedTime(context),
+                    style: TextStyle(
+                      fontWeight: FontWeight.bold,
+                      fontSize: 12 * AppConfig.fontSizeFactor,
+                      color: Theme.of(context).colorScheme.secondary,
+                      shadows: [
+                        Shadow(
+                          color: Theme.of(context).colorScheme.surface,
+                          blurRadius: 3,
+                        ),
+                      ],
                     ),
                   ),
                 ),
diff --git a/lib/pages/chat/events/state_message.dart b/lib/pages/chat/events/state_message.dart
index 0aa5d9dc2..ebd6f7373 100644
--- a/lib/pages/chat/events/state_message.dart
+++ b/lib/pages/chat/events/state_message.dart
@@ -17,10 +17,6 @@ class StateMessage extends StatelessWidget {
       child: Center(
         child: Container(
           padding: const EdgeInsets.all(8),
-          decoration: BoxDecoration(
-            color: Theme.of(context).colorScheme.surface,
-            borderRadius: BorderRadius.circular(AppConfig.borderRadius / 2),
-          ),
           child: Text(
             event.calcLocalizedBodyFallback(
               MatrixLocals(L10n.of(context)!),
@@ -29,6 +25,12 @@ class StateMessage extends StatelessWidget {
             style: TextStyle(
               fontSize: 12 * AppConfig.fontSizeFactor,
               decoration: event.redacted ? TextDecoration.lineThrough : null,
+              shadows: [
+                Shadow(
+                  color: Theme.of(context).colorScheme.surface,
+                  blurRadius: 3,
+                ),
+              ],
             ),
           ),
         ),
diff --git a/lib/widgets/layouts/two_column_layout.dart b/lib/widgets/layouts/two_column_layout.dart
index 33003472e..cf1083a3f 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/layouts/two_column_layout.dart
+++ b/lib/widgets/layouts/two_column_layout.dart
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
-import 'package:fluffychat/config/themes.dart';
 import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
 
+import 'package:fluffychat/config/themes.dart';
+
 class TwoColumnLayout extends StatelessWidget {
   final Widget mainView;
   final Widget sideView;