diff --git a/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/main/content/common_chat/CommonChatView.java b/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/main/content/common_chat/CommonChatView.java
index b86e388fb2..64471c59ff 100644
--- a/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/main/content/common_chat/CommonChatView.java
+++ b/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/main/content/common_chat/CommonChatView.java
@@ -19,12 +19,15 @@
 
 import bisq.desktop.common.Layout;
 import bisq.desktop.main.content.chat.ChatView;
+import javafx.geometry.Insets;
 import javafx.geometry.Pos;
 import javafx.scene.layout.*;
 import lombok.extern.slf4j.Slf4j;
 
 @Slf4j
 public class CommonChatView extends ChatView {
+    public static final double SIDE_PADDING = 40;
+
     public CommonChatView(CommonChatModel model,
                           CommonChatController controller,
                           Pane chatMessagesComponent,
@@ -52,7 +55,12 @@ protected void configSideBarVBox() {
     protected void configContainerHBox() {
         containerHBox.setFillHeight(true);
         Layout.pinToAnchorPane(containerHBox, 0, 0, 0, 0);
-        root.setContent(containerHBox);
+
+        AnchorPane wrapper = new AnchorPane();
+        wrapper.setPadding(new Insets(0, SIDE_PADDING, 0, SIDE_PADDING));
+        wrapper.getChildren().add(containerHBox);
+
+        root.setContent(wrapper);
 
         HBox.setHgrow(centerVBox, Priority.ALWAYS);
         HBox.setHgrow(sideBar, Priority.NEVER);
diff --git a/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/main/content/common_chat/PrivateChatView.java b/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/main/content/common_chat/PrivateChatView.java
index ec9ee4caa8..d50dbd1e20 100644
--- a/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/main/content/common_chat/PrivateChatView.java
+++ b/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/main/content/common_chat/PrivateChatView.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 import bisq.desktop.common.Layout;
 import bisq.desktop.components.containers.Spacer;
+import javafx.geometry.Insets;
 import javafx.scene.layout.*;
 import lombok.extern.slf4j.Slf4j;
 
@@ -43,7 +44,12 @@ public PrivateChatView(PrivateChatModel model,
     protected void configContainerHBox() {
         containerHBox.setFillHeight(true);
         Layout.pinToAnchorPane(containerHBox, 0, 0, 0, 0);
-        root.setContent(containerHBox);
+
+        AnchorPane wrapper = new AnchorPane();
+        wrapper.setPadding(new Insets(0, SIDE_PADDING, 0, SIDE_PADDING));
+        wrapper.getChildren().add(containerHBox);
+
+        root.setContent(wrapper);
 
         left = new VBox();
         HBox.setHgrow(left, Priority.NEVER);
diff --git a/desktop/src/main/resources/css/chat.css b/desktop/src/main/resources/css/chat.css
index df5676241a..1a6c912ec5 100644
--- a/desktop/src/main/resources/css/chat.css
+++ b/desktop/src/main/resources/css/chat.css
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@
 }
 
 .channel-selection-list-view .list-cell:selected {
-    -fx-background-color: -bisq-dark-grey-mid;
+    -fx-background-color: -bisq-dark-grey-dim;
     -fx-fill: -fx-dark-text-color;
     -fx-text-fill: -fx-dark-text-color;
 }