diff --git a/builtin/settingtypes.txt b/builtin/settingtypes.txt
index 982fe55ef72ce..7ebee9424c40b 100644
--- a/builtin/settingtypes.txt
+++ b/builtin/settingtypes.txt
@@ -634,8 +634,8 @@ crosshair_color (Crosshair color) string (255,255,255)
 #    Crosshair alpha (opaqueness, between 0 and 255).
 crosshair_alpha (Crosshair alpha) int 255 0 255
 
-#    Maximum number of recent chat items to show
-recent_chat_size (Recent Chat Messages) int 6 3 99
+#    Maximum number of recent chat messages to show
+recent_chat_messages (Recent Chat Messages) int 6 2 20
 
 #    Whether node texture animations should be desynchronized per mapblock.
 desynchronize_mapblock_texture_animation (Desynchronize block animation) bool true
diff --git a/minetest.conf.example b/minetest.conf.example
index 0677026aacdda..b4121eb9bffb9 100644
--- a/minetest.conf.example
+++ b/minetest.conf.example
@@ -747,9 +747,9 @@
 #    type: int min: 0 max: 255
 # crosshair_alpha = 255
 
-#    Maximum number of recent chat items to show
-#    type: int min: 3 max: 99
-# recent_chat_size = 6
+#    Maximum number of recent chat messages to show
+#    type: int min: 2 max: 20
+# recent_chat_messages = 6
 
 #    Whether node texture animations should be desynchronized per mapblock.
 #    type: bool
diff --git a/src/chat.cpp b/src/chat.cpp
index 967e159f8a7ac..a5d82a6494289 100644
--- a/src/chat.cpp
+++ b/src/chat.cpp
@@ -369,12 +369,11 @@ s32 ChatBuffer::getBottomScrollPos() const
 	return formatted_count - rows;
 }
 
-void ChatBuffer::resize(u32 scrollback) {
+void ChatBuffer::resize(u32 scrollback)
+{
 	m_scrollback = scrollback;
 	if (m_unformatted.size() > m_scrollback)
-	{
 		deleteOldest(m_unformatted.size() - m_scrollback);
-	}	
 }
 
 
@@ -739,8 +738,11 @@ void ChatBackend::clearRecentChat()
 }
 
 
-void ChatBackend::applySettings(Settings* settings) {
-	m_recent_buffer.resize(settings->getU32("recent_chat_size"));
+void ChatBackend::applySettings()
+{
+	u32 recent_lines = g_settings->getU32("recent_chat_messages");
+	recent_lines = rangelim(recent_lines, 2, 20);
+	m_recent_buffer.resize(recent_lines);
 }
 
 void ChatBackend::step(float dtime)
diff --git a/src/chat.h b/src/chat.h
index b1b3edcb09300..40d9b771de7b8 100644
--- a/src/chat.h
+++ b/src/chat.h
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ class ChatBuffer
 	u32 formatChatLine(const ChatLine& line, u32 cols,
 			std::vector<ChatFormattedLine>& destination) const;
 
-    void resize(u32 scrollback);
+	void resize(u32 scrollback);
 protected:
 	s32 getTopScrollPos() const;
 	s32 getBottomScrollPos() const;
@@ -283,8 +283,8 @@ class ChatBackend
 	void scrollPageDown();
 	void scrollPageUp();
 
-    // Resize recent buffer based on settings
-    void applySettings(Settings* settings);
+	// Resize recent buffer based on settings
+	void applySettings();
     
 private:
 	ChatBuffer m_console_buffer;
diff --git a/src/defaultsettings.cpp b/src/defaultsettings.cpp
index e2a7ea562c37c..1a2656f0e6f24 100644
--- a/src/defaultsettings.cpp
+++ b/src/defaultsettings.cpp
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ void set_default_settings(Settings *settings)
 	settings->setDefault("node_highlighting", "box");
 	settings->setDefault("crosshair_color", "(255,255,255)");
 	settings->setDefault("crosshair_alpha", "255");
-	settings->setDefault("recent_chat_size", "6");
+	settings->setDefault("recent_chat_messages", "6");
 	settings->setDefault("hud_scaling", "1.0");
 	settings->setDefault("gui_scaling", "1.0");
 	settings->setDefault("gui_scaling_filter", "false");
diff --git a/src/game.cpp b/src/game.cpp
index 7f717cb5f04e9..cd4650baf0712 100644
--- a/src/game.cpp
+++ b/src/game.cpp
@@ -2051,8 +2051,8 @@ bool Game::initGui()
 	// Remove stale "recent" chat messages from previous connections
 	chat_backend->clearRecentChat();
 
-    // Make sure the size of the recent messages buffer is right
-    chat_backend->applySettings(g_settings);
+	// Make sure the size of the recent messages buffer is right
+	chat_backend->applySettings();
     
 	// Chat backend and console
 	gui_chat_console = new GUIChatConsole(guienv, guienv->getRootGUIElement(),
diff --git a/src/settings_translation_file.cpp b/src/settings_translation_file.cpp
index b7c80e79bf79c..bd8447c4b8fd5 100644
--- a/src/settings_translation_file.cpp
+++ b/src/settings_translation_file.cpp
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ fake_function() {
 	gettext("Crosshair alpha");
 	gettext("Crosshair alpha (opaqueness, between 0 and 255).");
 	gettext("Recent Chat Messages");
-	gettext("Maximum number of recent chat items to show");
+	gettext("Maximum number of recent chat lines to show");
 	gettext("Desynchronize block animation");
 	gettext("Whether node texture animations should be desynchronized per mapblock.");
 	gettext("Maximum hotbar width");