diff --git a/FlipcashTests/Chat/ChatViewControllerTests.swift b/FlipcashTests/Chat/ChatViewControllerTests.swift
index 675eba8d6..a8d599ba5 100644
--- a/FlipcashTests/Chat/ChatViewControllerTests.swift
+++ b/FlipcashTests/Chat/ChatViewControllerTests.swift
@@ -183,6 +183,44 @@ struct ChatViewControllerTests {
         #expect(flashing.count == 1, "exactly one row should be flashing, not \(flashing.count)")
     }
 
+    @Test("A jump far up a transcript of tall rows lands with the target centred", arguments: [false, true])
+    func scrollToMessage_tallRows_landsCentred(animated: Bool) async {
+        let controller = ChatViewController()
+        let window = UIWindow(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 390, height: 844))
+        window.rootViewController = controller
+        window.makeKeyAndVisible()
+        // Every row is several times the layout's 56pt estimate, as a photo is, so rows that have
+        // never been on screen sit at estimated positions until something lays them out.
+        let tall = Array(repeating: "a line long enough to wrap across the bubble", count: 6).joined(separator: " ")
+        let items = (0..<60).map { i in
+            ChatItem.message(ChatMessage(id: "msg-\(i)", text: "\(i) \(tall)", sender: i.isMultiple(of: 2) ? .me : .other))
+        }
+        controller.update(items: items)
+        for _ in 0..<6 {
+            controller.view.layoutIfNeeded()
+            try? await Task.sleep(for: .milliseconds(40))
+        }
+
+        if animated {
+            controller.scrollToMessage(id: "msg-10")
+        } else {
+            // The deferred path: the page carrying the row arrives after the jump was asked for.
+            controller.update(items: Array(items.suffix(20)))
+            controller.scrollToMessage(id: "msg-10")
+            controller.update(items: items)
+        }
+        for _ in 0..<15 {
+            controller.view.layoutIfNeeded()
+            try? await Task.sleep(for: .milliseconds(40))
+        }
+
+        let collectionView = controller.collectionView!
+        let frame = collectionView.layoutAttributesForItem(at: IndexPath(item: 10, section: 0))!.frame
+        let visible = collectionView.bounds.inset(by: collectionView.adjustedContentInset)
+        #expect(visible.contains(frame), "target \(frame) should be on screen in \(visible)")
+        #expect(abs(frame.midY - visible.midY) < 2, "target centre \(frame.midY) vs visible centre \(visible.midY)")
+    }
+
     @Test("A row asked for before it is loaded flashes once the page carrying it arrives")
     func scrollToMessage_pendingTarget_flashesOnArrival() {
         let controller = ChatViewController()
diff --git a/FlipcashUI/Sources/FlipcashUI/Chat/ChatViewController.swift b/FlipcashUI/Sources/FlipcashUI/Chat/ChatViewController.swift
index 3c7a5128a..61953328f 100644
--- a/FlipcashUI/Sources/FlipcashUI/Chat/ChatViewController.swift
+++ b/FlipcashUI/Sources/FlipcashUI/Chat/ChatViewController.swift
@@ -1005,21 +1005,41 @@ public final class ChatViewController: UICollectionViewController {
 
     /// Centers a row that is already in `items` and flashes it, so the jump lands on a message the
     /// eye can pick out of the transcript rather than on an unmarked one in the middle of the screen.
+    ///
+    /// Rows that have never been on screen sit at the layout's 56pt estimate, so an offset worked out
+    /// before the jump lands short of a target far up a transcript of photos. The destination is
+    /// settled by re-anchoring on the target until the rows around it have self-sized, then the scroll
+    /// runs to that measured offset.
     private func scrollToRow(id: String, animated: Bool) {
         guard let index = items.firstIndex(where: { $0.messageID == id }) else { return }
         let indexPath = IndexPath(item: index, section: 0)
         positionClaim += 1
         let claim = positionClaim
         guard animated else {
-            collectionView.scrollToItem(at: indexPath, at: .centeredVertically, animated: false)
+            centerRow(at: indexPath)
             wasAtBottom = isNearBottomByGeometry
             flashAttention(forStableID: id)
+            // Re-anchor once the rows the jump brought on screen have self-sized.
+            DispatchQueue.main.async { [weak self] in
+                guard let self, positionClaim == claim else { return }
+                centerRow(at: indexPath)
+                wasAtBottom = isNearBottomByGeometry
+            }
             return
         }
+        // Measure the destination, then put the reader back where they were so the scroll starts
+        // from what is on screen. All of it runs before the next frame, so none of it is drawn.
+        let origin = chatLayout.getContentOffsetSnapshot(from: .bottom)
+        centerRow(at: indexPath)
+        centerRow(at: indexPath)
+        let destination = collectionView.contentOffset
+        if let origin { chatLayout.restoreContentOffset(with: origin) }
         ChatMotion.scroll.animate {
-            self.collectionView.scrollToItem(at: indexPath, at: .centeredVertically, animated: false)
+            self.collectionView.setContentOffset(destination, animated: false)
         } completion: { _ in
             guard self.positionClaim == claim else { return }
+            // Rows between the reader and the target self-size as the scroll passes them.
+            self.centerRow(at: indexPath)
             self.wasAtBottom = self.isNearBottomByGeometry
         }
         // Alongside the scroll rather than after it: the flash's rise is shorter than the scroll's
@@ -1028,6 +1048,16 @@ public final class ChatViewController: UICollectionViewController {
         flashAttention(forStableID: id)
     }
 
+    /// Puts the row at `indexPath` in the middle of the visible area by its current height, without
+    /// animating. A row taller than the visible area is top-aligned instead, so it reads from its start.
+    private func centerRow(at indexPath: IndexPath) {
+        guard let frame = chatLayout.layoutAttributesForItem(at: indexPath)?.frame else { return }
+        let inset = collectionView.adjustedContentInset
+        let visibleHeight = collectionView.bounds.height - inset.top - inset.bottom
+        let offset = max(0, (visibleHeight - frame.height) / 2) - chatLayout.settings.additionalInsets.top
+        chatLayout.restoreContentOffset(with: ChatLayoutPositionSnapshot(indexPath: indexPath, edge: .top, offset: offset))
+    }
+
     /// Puts the top of the row at `indexPath` at the top of the visible area, without animating. The
     /// top-aligned counterpart to ``scrollToRow(id:animated:)``'s centering, for a heading the reader
     /// should read down from.