diff --git a/webui/src/components/thread/ThreadViewport.tsx b/webui/src/components/thread/ThreadViewport.tsx
index 62667d3b..bfd9bf81 100644
--- a/webui/src/components/thread/ThreadViewport.tsx
+++ b/webui/src/components/thread/ThreadViewport.tsx
@@ -442,7 +442,10 @@ export const ThreadViewport = forwardRef<ThreadViewportHandle, ThreadViewportPro
       >
         {hasMessages ? (
           <div ref={contentRef} className="mx-auto flex min-h-full w-full max-w-[64rem] flex-col">
-            <div className="flex-1 px-3 pb-[calc(5rem+env(safe-area-inset-bottom))] pt-4 sm:px-4">
+            <div
+              data-testid="thread-message-region"
+              className="flex min-h-0 flex-1 flex-col justify-end px-3 pb-4 pt-4 sm:px-4"
+            >
               <div className="mx-auto w-full max-w-[49.5rem]">
                 <ThreadMessages
                   messages={visibleMessages}
diff --git a/webui/src/tests/thread-viewport.test.tsx b/webui/src/tests/thread-viewport.test.tsx
index 6607d951..03108939 100644
--- a/webui/src/tests/thread-viewport.test.tsx
+++ b/webui/src/tests/thread-viewport.test.tsx
@@ -110,6 +110,21 @@ function ViewportWithPromptNavigator({ messages }: { messages: UIMessage[] }) {
 }
 
 describe("ThreadViewport", () => {
+  it("bottom-aligns short history near the composer", () => {
+    render(
+      <ThreadViewport
+        messages={messages}
+        isStreaming={false}
+        composer={<div>composer</div>}
+      />,
+    );
+
+    const messageRegion = screen.getByTestId("thread-message-region");
+    expect(messageRegion).toHaveClass("justify-end");
+    expect(messageRegion).toHaveClass("pb-4");
+    expect(messageRegion.className).not.toContain("5rem");
+  });
+
   it("keeps the scroll-to-bottom button above a growing composer", () => {
     const originalResizeObserver = globalThis.ResizeObserver;
     const resizeObservers: ResizeObserverInstance[] = [];