diff --git a/lib/pages/chat/events/message_content.dart b/lib/pages/chat/events/message_content.dart
index 9866ddb2d..f04296d38 100644
--- a/lib/pages/chat/events/message_content.dart
+++ b/lib/pages/chat/events/message_content.dart
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ class MessageContent extends StatelessWidget {
   //further down in the chain is also using pangeaController so its not constant
   final bool immersionMode;
   final ToolbarDisplayController? toolbarController;
+  final bool isOverlay;
   // Pangea#
 
   const MessageContent(
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ class MessageContent extends StatelessWidget {
     this.pangeaMessageEvent,
     required this.immersionMode,
     required this.toolbarController,
+    this.isOverlay = false,
     // Pangea#
     required this.borderRadius,
   });
@@ -203,7 +205,8 @@ class MessageContent extends StatelessWidget {
                     &&
                     !(pangeaMessageEvent?.showRichText(
                           selected,
-                          toolbarController?.highlighted ?? false,
+                          isOverlay: isOverlay,
+                          highlighted: toolbarController?.highlighted ?? false,
                         ) ??
                         false)
                 // Pangea#
@@ -305,7 +308,8 @@ class MessageContent extends StatelessWidget {
             );
             if (pangeaMessageEvent?.showRichText(
                   selected,
-                  toolbarController?.highlighted ?? false,
+                  isOverlay: isOverlay,
+                  highlighted: toolbarController?.highlighted ?? false,
                 ) ??
                 false) {
               return PangeaRichText(
diff --git a/lib/pangea/matrix_event_wrappers/pangea_message_event.dart b/lib/pangea/matrix_event_wrappers/pangea_message_event.dart
index db5c7902a..91f19f6e7 100644
--- a/lib/pangea/matrix_event_wrappers/pangea_message_event.dart
+++ b/lib/pangea/matrix_event_wrappers/pangea_message_event.dart
@@ -80,18 +80,26 @@ class PangeaMessageEvent {
     return _latestEdit;
   }
 
-  bool showRichText(bool selected, bool highlighted) {
+  bool showRichText(
+    bool selected, {
+    bool highlighted = false,
+    bool isOverlay = false,
+  }) {
     if (!_isValidPangeaMessageEvent) {
       return false;
     }
-    // if (URLFinder.getMatches(event.body).isNotEmpty) {
-    //   return false;
-    // }
+
     if ([EventStatus.error, EventStatus.sending].contains(_event.status)) {
       return false;
     }
-    if (ownMessage && !selected && !highlighted) return false;
 
+    if (isOverlay) return true;
+
+    // if ownMessage, don't show rich text if not selected or highlighted
+    // and don't show is the message is not an overlay
+    if (ownMessage && ((!selected && !highlighted) || !isOverlay)) {
+      return false;
+    }
     return true;
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/pangea/widgets/chat/message_toolbar.dart b/lib/pangea/widgets/chat/message_toolbar.dart
index 81884ffca..2f6d82ef1 100644
--- a/lib/pangea/widgets/chat/message_toolbar.dart
+++ b/lib/pangea/widgets/chat/message_toolbar.dart
@@ -134,8 +134,11 @@ class ToolbarDisplayController {
     });
   }
 
-  bool get highlighted =>
-      MatrixState.pAnyState.overlay.hashCode.toString() == overlayId;
+  bool get highlighted {
+    if (overlayId == null) return false;
+    if (MatrixState.pAnyState.overlay == null) overlayId = null;
+    return MatrixState.pAnyState.overlay.hashCode.toString() == overlayId;
+  }
 }
 
 class MessageToolbar extends StatefulWidget {
diff --git a/lib/pangea/widgets/chat/overlay_message.dart b/lib/pangea/widgets/chat/overlay_message.dart
index 5c7ccdef0..e8143b376 100644
--- a/lib/pangea/widgets/chat/overlay_message.dart
+++ b/lib/pangea/widgets/chat/overlay_message.dart
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ class OverlayMessage extends StatelessWidget {
               pangeaMessageEvent: pangeaMessageEvent,
               immersionMode: immersionMode,
               toolbarController: toolbarController,
+              isOverlay: true,
             ),
             if (event.hasAggregatedEvents(
                       timeline,
diff --git a/lib/pangea/widgets/igc/pangea_rich_text.dart b/lib/pangea/widgets/igc/pangea_rich_text.dart
index 779955f82..43416e006 100644
--- a/lib/pangea/widgets/igc/pangea_rich_text.dart
+++ b/lib/pangea/widgets/igc/pangea_rich_text.dart
@@ -48,28 +48,33 @@ class PangeaRichTextState extends State<PangeaRichText> {
   @override
   void initState() {
     super.initState();
-    updateTextSpan();
-  }
-
-  void updateTextSpan() {
-    setState(() {
-      textSpan = getTextSpan();
-    });
+    setTextSpan();
   }
 
   @override
   void didUpdateWidget(PangeaRichText oldWidget) {
     super.didUpdateWidget(oldWidget);
-    updateTextSpan();
+    setTextSpan();
+  }
+
+  void _setTextSpan(String newTextSpan) {
+    widget.toolbarController?.toolbar?.textSelection.setMessageText(
+      newTextSpan,
+    );
+    setState(() {
+      textSpan = newTextSpan;
+    });
   }
 
-  String getTextSpan() {
+  void setTextSpan() {
     if (_fetchingRepresentation == true) {
-      return widget.pangeaMessageEvent.body;
+      _setTextSpan(textSpan = widget.pangeaMessageEvent.body);
+      return;
     }
 
     if (repEvent != null) {
-      return repEvent!.text;
+      _setTextSpan(repEvent!.text);
+      return;
     }
 
     if (widget.pangeaMessageEvent.eventId.contains("webdebug")) {
@@ -84,7 +89,6 @@ class PangeaRichTextState extends State<PangeaRichText> {
 
     if (repEvent == null) {
       setState(() => _fetchingRepresentation = true);
-
       widget.pangeaMessageEvent
           .representationByLanguageGlobal(
             langCode: widget.pangeaMessageEvent.messageDisplayLangCode,
@@ -95,23 +99,17 @@ class PangeaRichTextState extends State<PangeaRichText> {
           )
           .then((event) {
         repEvent = event;
-        widget.toolbarController?.toolbar?.textSelection.setMessageText(
-          repEvent?.text ?? widget.pangeaMessageEvent.body,
-        );
+        _setTextSpan(repEvent?.text ?? widget.pangeaMessageEvent.body);
       }).whenComplete(() {
         if (mounted) {
           setState(() => _fetchingRepresentation = false);
         }
       });
-      return widget.pangeaMessageEvent.body;
+
+      _setTextSpan(widget.pangeaMessageEvent.body);
     } else {
-      widget.toolbarController?.toolbar?.textSelection.setMessageText(
-        repEvent!.text,
-      );
-      setState(() {});
+      _setTextSpan(repEvent!.text);
     }
-
-    return repEvent!.text;
   }
 
   @override
@@ -190,7 +188,10 @@ class PangeaRichTextState extends State<PangeaRichText> {
 
     return blur > 0
         ? ImageFiltered(
-            imageFilter: ImageFilter.blur(sigmaX: blur, sigmaY: blur),
+            imageFilter: ImageFilter.blur(
+              sigmaX: blur,
+              sigmaY: blur,
+            ),
             child: richText,
           )
         : richText;