diff --git a/conversations.php b/conversations.php
index 29eb982..5e5f38f 100644
--- a/conversations.php
+++ b/conversations.php
@@ -2353,6 +2353,16 @@
                 const container = document.getElementById('chat-conversations');
                 if (!container) return;
 
+                // Safety: remove any empty text-only messages that may have slipped into the model
+                try {
+                    const before = this.conversations ? this.conversations.length : 0;
+                    if (Array.isArray(this.conversations) && this.conversations.length > 0) {
+                        this.conversations = this.conversations.filter(m => !this.isEmptyMessage(m));
+                        const removed = before - this.conversations.length;
+                        if (removed > 0 && console && console.info) console.info('Removed', removed, 'empty messages before render');
+                    }
+                } catch (e) { console.warn('Failed to trim empty messages before render', e); }
+
                 if (initial) {
                     container.innerHTML = '';
                 }
@@ -2372,6 +2382,16 @@
                     const mid = String(msg.message_id || msg.id || ('local_' + i));
                     const existingEl = existing.get(mid);
 
+                    // Skip truly empty messages (safety net) and remove any existing placeholder nodes
+                    if (this.isEmptyMessage(msg)) {
+                        if (existingEl && existingEl.parentNode) {
+                            existingEl.parentNode.removeChild(existingEl);
+                            existing.delete(mid);
+                            if (console && console.info) console.info('Removed empty DOM message', mid);
+                        }
+                        continue;
+                    }
+
                     if (existingEl) {
                         // update in place
                         try {
@@ -2552,6 +2572,16 @@
                 return `${m.direction||'?'}|${m.message_type||m.media_type||'text'}|${partMedia}|${ts}`;
             }
 
+            // Helper: determine if a message is effectively empty (no text, no media, and is text type)
+            isEmptyMessage(m) {
+                if (!m) return true;
+                const content = (typeof m.content !== 'undefined' && m.content !== null) ? String(m.content).trim() : '';
+                const hasContent = content.length > 0;
+                const hasMedia = !!(m.local_thumb || m.local_file || m.media_url_external || m.media_url);
+                const nonText = m.message_type && m.message_type !== 'text';
+                return !(hasContent || hasMedia || nonText);
+            }
+
             // Initialize recording handlers (so mic works before openConversation) and helper to manage recording state
             initRecordingHandlers() {
                 if (this._recordingHandlersInitialized) return;