diff --git a/soulseek-rs-lib/src/message/server/join_room.rs b/soulseek-rs-lib/src/message/server/join_room.rs
index f31071a..67e31e0 100644
--- a/soulseek-rs-lib/src/message/server/join_room.rs
+++ b/soulseek-rs-lib/src/message/server/join_room.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ impl MessageHandler<ServerMessage> for JoinRoomHandler {
         let user_count = message.read_int32();
         let mut users = Vec::new();
         for _ in 0..user_count {
+            // Guard against a hostile user_count outrunning the payload; each
+            // username is a length-prefixed string (>= 4 bytes).
+            if message.get_pointer() + 4 > message.get_size() {
+                break;
+            }
             users.push(message.read_string());
         }
         let _ = sender.send(ServerMessage::RoomJoined { room, users });
@@ -29,6 +34,26 @@ impl MessageHandler<ServerMessage> for JoinRoomHandler {
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
+    #[test]
+    fn hostile_user_count_does_not_hang() {
+        // room="" then user_count=u32::MAX with no usernames: must return
+        // promptly instead of looping ~4 billion times.
+        let (tx, rx) = std::sync::mpsc::channel();
+        let mut message = Message::new();
+        message.write_raw_bytes(vec![0u8; 8]);
+        message.write_string("");
+        message.write_int32(u32::MAX);
+        message.set_pointer(8);
+
+        JoinRoomHandler.handle(&mut message, tx);
+        match rx.try_recv() {
+            Ok(ServerMessage::RoomJoined { users, .. }) => {
+                assert!(users.is_empty());
+            }
+            other => panic!("unexpected: {other:?}"),
+        }
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn forwards_room_and_member_list() {
         let (tx, rx) = std::sync::mpsc::channel();
diff --git a/soulseek-rs-lib/src/message/server/room_list.rs b/soulseek-rs-lib/src/message/server/room_list.rs
index e102578..5e779d8 100644
--- a/soulseek-rs-lib/src/message/server/room_list.rs
+++ b/soulseek-rs-lib/src/message/server/room_list.rs
@@ -27,11 +27,20 @@ pub fn parse_room_list(message: &mut Message) -> Vec<RoomInfo> {
     let name_count = message.read_int32();
     let mut names = Vec::new();
     for _ in 0..name_count {
+        // Stop once the payload can't hold another field: a bogus (possibly
+        // hostile) count must not spin us into an OOM allocation loop. A
+        // 4-byte floor also avoids read_int32 stalling on a 1-3 byte tail.
+        if message.get_pointer() + 4 > message.get_size() {
+            break;
+        }
         names.push(message.read_string());
     }
     let count_count = message.read_int32();
     let mut counts = Vec::new();
     for _ in 0..count_count {
+        if message.get_pointer() + 4 > message.get_size() {
+            break;
+        }
         counts.push(message.read_int32());
     }
     names
@@ -90,6 +99,17 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(parse_room_list(&mut message).is_empty());
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn hostile_counts_do_not_hang_or_overallocate() {
+        // A tiny frame claiming ~4 billion names/counts must return promptly
+        // (bounded by the payload) rather than looping into an OOM.
+        let mut message = framed(|m| {
+            m.write_int32(u32::MAX);
+        });
+        let rooms = parse_room_list(&mut message);
+        assert!(rooms.is_empty());
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn handler_forwards_parsed_rooms() {
         let (tx, rx) = std::sync::mpsc::channel();
diff --git a/soulseek-rs/src/models/rooms.rs b/soulseek-rs/src/models/rooms.rs
index 2e1196a..1b8ecae 100644
--- a/soulseek-rs/src/models/rooms.rs
+++ b/soulseek-rs/src/models/rooms.rs
@@ -155,6 +155,9 @@ impl RoomsState {
         }
         if self.open.is_empty() {
             self.view = RoomsView::List;
+        } else {
+            // The tab we land on is now being viewed; clear its stale badge.
+            self.mark_active_read();
         }
         Some(room.name)
     }
@@ -192,9 +195,18 @@ impl RoomsState {
     pub fn apply_event(&mut self, event: RoomEvent, viewing: Option<&str>) {
         match event {
             RoomEvent::List(rooms) => {
+                // Keep the highlight on the same room across a re-sort, since
+                // list_selected is a positional index into the sorted list.
+                let selected_name = self.selected_room_name();
                 self.available = rooms;
-                let max = self.filtered_rooms().len().saturating_sub(1);
-                self.list_selected = self.list_selected.min(max);
+                let filtered = self.filtered_rooms();
+                self.list_selected = selected_name
+                    .and_then(|name| {
+                        filtered.iter().position(|r| r.name == name)
+                    })
+                    .unwrap_or_else(|| {
+                        self.list_selected.min(filtered.len().saturating_sub(1))
+                    });
             }
             RoomEvent::Joined { room, users } => {
                 let idx = self.ensure_open(&room);
@@ -215,10 +227,15 @@ impl RoomsState {
                 username,
                 message,
             } => {
-                let idx = self.ensure_open(&room);
-                self.open[idx].lines.push(RoomLine::chat(username, message));
-                if viewing != Some(room.as_str()) {
-                    self.open[idx].unread += 1;
+                // Only record messages for rooms we currently have open; a
+                // message for a room we just left must not resurrect its tab.
+                if let Some(idx) = self.open_index(&room) {
+                    self.open[idx]
+                        .lines
+                        .push(RoomLine::chat(username, message));
+                    if viewing != Some(room.as_str()) {
+                        self.open[idx].unread += 1;
+                    }
                 }
             }
             RoomEvent::UserJoined { room, username } => {
@@ -377,6 +394,81 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(state.active, 1);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn message_for_unopened_room_is_dropped() {
+        let mut state = RoomsState::new();
+        state.apply_event(
+            RoomEvent::Message {
+                room: "jazz".to_string(),
+                username: "bob".to_string(),
+                message: "hi".to_string(),
+            },
+            None,
+        );
+        assert!(
+            state.open.is_empty(),
+            "a message must not fabricate a tab for an unjoined room"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn message_does_not_resurrect_a_closed_room() {
+        let mut state = RoomsState::new();
+        state.focus_or_open("jazz");
+        assert_eq!(state.close_active().as_deref(), Some("jazz"));
+        // A straggler message arrives after we left.
+        state.apply_event(
+            RoomEvent::Message {
+                room: "jazz".to_string(),
+                username: "bob".to_string(),
+                message: "bye".to_string(),
+            },
+            None,
+        );
+        assert!(state.open.is_empty(), "left room must stay closed");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn list_refresh_keeps_highlight_on_the_same_room() {
+        let mut state = RoomsState::new();
+        state.apply_event(
+            RoomEvent::List(vec![
+                room("jazz", 5),
+                room("blues", 3),
+                room("ambient", 1),
+            ]),
+            None,
+        );
+        // Highlight "ambient" (index 2 in busiest-first order).
+        state.list_selected = 2;
+        assert_eq!(state.selected_room_name().as_deref(), Some("ambient"));
+        // A refresh reorders ambient to the top; the highlight should follow.
+        state.apply_event(
+            RoomEvent::List(vec![
+                room("jazz", 5),
+                room("blues", 3),
+                room("ambient", 50),
+            ]),
+            None,
+        );
+        assert_eq!(state.selected_room_name().as_deref(), Some("ambient"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn closing_a_tab_clears_unread_on_the_newly_active_room() {
+        let mut state = RoomsState::new();
+        state.focus_or_open("a");
+        state.focus_or_open("b"); // active = 1
+        state.open[0].unread = 3; // unread accrued on "a" while viewing "b"
+        assert_eq!(state.close_active().as_deref(), Some("b"));
+        assert_eq!(state.active, 0);
+        assert_eq!(
+            state.open[0].unread, 0,
+            "landing on room a should clear its badge"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(state.total_unread(), 0);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn user_joined_and_left_update_membership() {
         let mut state = RoomsState::new();
diff --git a/soulseek-rs/src/ui/main_tui.rs b/soulseek-rs/src/ui/main_tui.rs
index 365ea61..1bade8a 100644
--- a/soulseek-rs/src/ui/main_tui.rs
+++ b/soulseek-rs/src/ui/main_tui.rs
@@ -777,6 +777,12 @@ impl MainTui {
     fn handle_rooms_list_input(&mut self, key: KeyEvent) {
         let len = self.state.rooms.filtered_rooms().len();
         match key.code {
+            // Esc peels back one level: clear a lingering filter first (as the
+            // title's "Esc: clear" promises), otherwise close the popup.
+            KeyCode::Esc if !self.state.rooms.list_filter.is_empty() => {
+                self.state.rooms.list_filter.clear();
+                self.state.rooms.list_selected = 0;
+            }
             KeyCode::Esc | KeyCode::Char('q') => {
                 self.state.show_rooms = false;
             }
diff --git a/soulseek-rs/src/ui/panes/rooms_pane.rs b/soulseek-rs/src/ui/panes/rooms_pane.rs
index 9da220e..74a15ca 100644
--- a/soulseek-rs/src/ui/panes/rooms_pane.rs
+++ b/soulseek-rs/src/ui/panes/rooms_pane.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ use ratatui::{
     text::{Line, Span},
     widgets::{
         Block, Borders, Cell, HighlightSpacing, Paragraph, Row, Table,
-        TableState, Wrap,
+        TableState,
     },
 };
 
@@ -181,7 +181,10 @@ fn render_messages(
     area: Rect,
     lines: &[crate::models::RoomLine],
 ) {
-    // Auto-scroll: keep the most recent lines that fit the height.
+    // Auto-scroll: show the most recent lines. Each RoomLine renders as exactly
+    // one row (no wrapping) so the tail count is exact and the newest message
+    // is always visible; over-long lines are clipped at the right edge rather
+    // than wrapping and pushing newer lines off the bottom.
     let height = area.height as usize;
     let start = lines.len().saturating_sub(height.max(1));
     let rendered: Vec<Line> = lines[start..]
@@ -194,10 +197,7 @@ fn render_messages(
             None => Line::from(Span::styled(l.text.clone(), dimmed_style())),
         })
         .collect();
-    frame.render_widget(
-        Paragraph::new(rendered).wrap(Wrap { trim: false }),
-        area,
-    );
+    frame.render_widget(Paragraph::new(rendered), area);
 }
 
 fn render_users(frame: &mut Frame, area: Rect, users: &[String]) {