diff --git a/frontend/src/App.tsx b/frontend/src/App.tsx
index e6b3729..8127713 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -19,11 +19,17 @@ export function App({ socket }: AppProps) {
   const [roomID, setRoomID] = useState<string>("");
   const [rooms, setRooms] = useState<RoomSummary[]>([]);
   const [joinedRooms, setJoinedRooms] = useState<Set<string>>(new Set());
+// <<<<<< codex/update-chat-bubble-alignment
+  const [messagesByRoom, setMessagesByRoom] = useState<Record<string, Chat[]>>({});
+  const [userName] = useState(() => createGuestName());
+  const [userToken] = useState(() => crypto.randomUUID());
+// =======
   const [messagesByRoom, setMessagesByRoom] = useState<Record<string, ChatMessage[]>>({});
   const [isConnected, setIsConnected] = useState(false);
   const hasSentConnect = useRef(false);
   const pendingTimers = useRef<Map<string, number>>(new Map());
   const identity = useMemo(() => createIdentity(), []);
+// >>>>>>> main
 
   const handleListRooms = useCallback((response: Response) => {
     if (response.type === "list_rooms") {
@@ -146,8 +152,22 @@ export function App({ socket }: AppProps) {
   }, []);
 
   const sendMessageRequest = useWsRequest(socket, undefined);
+  const connectRequest = useWsRequest(socket, undefined);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!socket) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    connectRequest({ type: "connect", token: userToken, name: userName });
+  }, [connectRequest, socket, userName, userToken]);
 
   const onMessageSent = (content: string) => {
+// <<<<<< codex/update-chat-bubble-alignment
+    const chat: Chat = { content, user: { name: userName } };
+
+// =======
+// >>>>>>> main
     if (!roomID) {
       return;
     }
@@ -215,12 +235,29 @@ export function App({ socket }: AppProps) {
 
   return (
     <>
-      {roomID ? <ChatPanel messages={messagesByRoom[roomID] ?? []} onMessageSent={onMessageSent} /> : <EmptyChat />}
+      {roomID ? (
+        <ChatPanel
+          currentUserName={userName}
+          messages={messagesByRoom[roomID] ?? []}
+          onMessageSent={onMessageSent}
+        />
+      ) : (
+        <EmptyChat />
+      )}
       <Rooms roomID={roomID} rooms={rooms} joinedRooms={joinedRooms} setRoomID={setRoomID} joinRoom={joinRoom} />
     </>
   );
 }
 
+// <<<<<< codex/update-chat-bubble-alignment
+function createGuestName(): string {
+  const adjectives = ["Amber", "Brisk", "Golden", "Quiet", "Sandy", "Silver", "Sunny", "Velvet"];
+  const nouns = ["Comet", "Dawn", "Drift", "Ember", "Harbor", "Horizon", "Lumen", "Spark"];
+  const adjective = adjectives[Math.floor(Math.random() * adjectives.length)];
+  const noun = nouns[Math.floor(Math.random() * nouns.length)];
+  const suffix = Math.floor(100 + Math.random() * 900);
+  return `${adjective}${noun}${suffix}`;
+// ======
 function createIdentity(): Identity {
   const token = typeof crypto !== "undefined" && crypto.randomUUID ? crypto.randomUUID() : fallbackId();
   return {
@@ -238,4 +275,5 @@ function createMessageId(): string {
 
 function fallbackId(): string {
   return Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 10);
+// >>>>>> main
 }
diff --git a/frontend/src/ChatPanel.tsx b/frontend/src/ChatPanel.tsx
index 8e5f726..05b1b41 100644
--- a/frontend/src/ChatPanel.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/ChatPanel.tsx
@@ -9,11 +9,16 @@ export type ChatMessage = {
 };
 
 type ChatPanelProps = {
+// <<<<< codex/update-chat-bubble-alignment
+  currentUserName: string;
+  messages: Chat[];
+//=======
   messages: ChatMessage[];
+// >>>>>>> main
   onMessageSent: (message: string) => void;
 };
 
-export function ChatPanel({ messages, onMessageSent }: ChatPanelProps) {
+export function ChatPanel({ currentUserName, messages, onMessageSent }: ChatPanelProps) {
   const [draft, setDraft] = useState("");
 
   return (
@@ -21,6 +26,22 @@ export function ChatPanel({ messages, onMessageSent }: ChatPanelProps) {
       <div className="h-full w-full p-4 flex flex-col">
         <h2 className="text-lg font-semibold">Chat</h2>
         <div className="space-y-3 overflow-y-auto flex-1">
+// <<<<< codex/update-chat-bubble-alignment
+          {messages.map((message, index) => {
+            const isOwnMessage = message.user.name === currentUserName;
+            const chatAlignment = isOwnMessage ? "chat-end" : "chat-start";
+            const bubbleTone = isOwnMessage ? "chat-bubble-primary" : "chat-bubble-secondary";
+            const footerText = isOwnMessage ? "Sent" : "Delivered";
+
+            return (
+              <div className={`chat ${chatAlignment}`} key={`${message.user.name ?? "unknown"}-${index}`}>
+                <div className="chat-header">
+                  {isOwnMessage ? "You" : (message.user.name ?? "Anonymous")}
+                  <time className="text-xs opacity-50">{isOwnMessage ? "Just now" : "Moments ago"}</time>
+                </div>
+                <div className={`chat-bubble ${bubbleTone}`}>{message.content}</div>
+                <div className="chat-footer opacity-50">{footerText}</div>
+// =======
           {messages.map((message) => {
             const bubbleClass =
               message.status === "pending"
@@ -39,6 +60,7 @@ export function ChatPanel({ messages, onMessageSent }: ChatPanelProps) {
                 {message.status === "error" ? (
                   <div className="text-xs text-error mt-1">Delivery failed</div>
                 ) : null}
+// >>>>>> main
               </div>
             );
           })}