diff --git a/app.py b/app.py
index e8d8e407..2a8297ca 100644
--- a/app.py
+++ b/app.py
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
     "channels": ["general"],
     "history_limit": "all",
     "contrast": "normal",
+    "show_msg_numbers": False,
     "custom_roles": [],
 }
 
@@ -1251,6 +1252,8 @@ async def websocket_endpoint(websocket: WebSocket):
                         pass
                 if "contrast" in new and new["contrast"] in ("normal", "high"):
                     room_settings["contrast"] = new["contrast"]
+                if "show_msg_numbers" in new:
+                    room_settings["show_msg_numbers"] = bool(new["show_msg_numbers"])
                 if "rules_refresh_interval" in new:
                     try:
                         ri = int(new["rules_refresh_interval"])
diff --git a/static/chat.js b/static/chat.js
index 94c5c373..b47342b5 100644
--- a/static/chat.js
+++ b/static/chat.js
@@ -810,7 +810,7 @@ function appendMessage(msg) {
                 ).join('') + '</div>';
             }
         }
-        el.innerHTML = `<div class="todo-strip"></div>${isSelf ? '' : avatarHtml}<div class="chat-bubble" style="--bubble-color: ${senderColor}">${replyHtml}<div class="bubble-header"><span class="msg-sender" style="color: ${senderColor}">${escapeHtml(msg.sender)}</span>${rolePillHtml}<span class="msg-time">${msg.time || ''}</span></div><div class="msg-text">${textHtml}</div>${choicesHtml}${attachmentsHtml}<button class="convert-job-pill" onclick="startJobFromMessage(${msg.id}); event.stopPropagation();" title="Convert to job">convert to job</button><button class="bubble-copy" onclick="copyMessage(${msg.id}, event)" title="Copy message"><svg width="14" height="14" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><rect x="9" y="9" width="13" height="13" rx="2"/><path d="M5 15H4a2 2 0 0 1-2-2V4a2 2 0 0 1 2-2h9a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v1"/></svg></button></div><div class="msg-actions"><button class="reply-btn" onclick="startReply(${msg.id}, event)">reply</button><button class="todo-hint" onclick="todoCycle(${msg.id}); event.stopPropagation();">${statusLabel}</button><button class="delete-btn" onclick="deleteClick(${msg.id}, event)" title="Delete">del</button></div>`;
+        el.innerHTML = `<div class="todo-strip"></div>${isSelf ? '' : avatarHtml}<div class="chat-bubble" style="--bubble-color: ${senderColor}">${replyHtml}<div class="bubble-header"><span class="msg-sender" style="color: ${senderColor}">${escapeHtml(msg.sender)}</span>${rolePillHtml}<span class="msg-time">${msg.time || ''}</span><span class="msg-num">#${msg.id}</span></div><div class="msg-text">${textHtml}</div>${choicesHtml}${attachmentsHtml}<button class="convert-job-pill" onclick="startJobFromMessage(${msg.id}); event.stopPropagation();" title="Convert to job">convert to job</button><button class="bubble-copy" onclick="copyMessage(${msg.id}, event)" title="Copy message"><svg width="14" height="14" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><rect x="9" y="9" width="13" height="13" rx="2"/><path d="M5 15H4a2 2 0 0 1-2-2V4a2 2 0 0 1 2-2h9a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v1"/></svg></button></div><div class="msg-actions"><button class="reply-btn" onclick="startReply(${msg.id}, event)">reply</button><button class="todo-hint" onclick="todoCycle(${msg.id}); event.stopPropagation();">${statusLabel}</button><button class="delete-btn" onclick="deleteClick(${msg.id}, event)" title="Delete">del</button></div>`;
         if (todoStatus) el.classList.add('msg-todo', `msg-todo-${todoStatus}`);
         if (msg.metadata?.session_output) el.classList.add('session-output');
 
@@ -1754,6 +1754,10 @@ function applySettings(data) {
         document.body.classList.toggle('high-contrast', data.contrast === 'high');
         document.getElementById('setting-contrast').value = data.contrast;
     }
+    if (data.show_msg_numbers !== undefined) {
+        document.body.classList.toggle('show-msg-numbers', !!data.show_msg_numbers);
+        document.getElementById('setting-msg-numbers').value = data.show_msg_numbers ? 'show' : 'hide';
+    }
     if (data.rules_refresh_interval !== undefined) {
         document.getElementById('setting-rules-refresh').value = String(data.rules_refresh_interval);
     }
@@ -1862,6 +1866,7 @@ function saveSettings() {
     const histVal = document.getElementById('setting-history').value;
     const newHistory = histVal === 'all' ? 'all' : (parseInt(histVal) || 50);
     const newContrast = document.getElementById('setting-contrast').value;
+    const newMsgNumbers = document.getElementById('setting-msg-numbers').value === 'show';
     const newRulesRefresh = document.getElementById('setting-rules-refresh').value;
 
     if (ws && ws.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
@@ -1873,6 +1878,7 @@ function saveSettings() {
                 max_agent_hops: parseInt(newHops) || 4,
                 history_limit: newHistory,
                 contrast: newContrast,
+                show_msg_numbers: newMsgNumbers,
                 rules_refresh_interval: parseInt(newRulesRefresh) || 0,
             }
         }));
@@ -1896,13 +1902,17 @@ function setupSettingsKeys() {
     }
 
     // Auto-save on change for selects, escape to close
-    for (const id of ['setting-font', 'setting-history', 'setting-contrast', 'setting-rules-refresh']) {
+    for (const id of ['setting-font', 'setting-history', 'setting-contrast', 'setting-msg-numbers', 'setting-rules-refresh']) {
         const el = document.getElementById(id);
         el.addEventListener('change', () => {
             // Apply contrast immediately (don't wait for server round-trip)
             if (id === 'setting-contrast') {
                 document.body.classList.toggle('high-contrast', el.value === 'high');
             }
+            // Apply msg-numbers immediately too
+            if (id === 'setting-msg-numbers') {
+                document.body.classList.toggle('show-msg-numbers', el.value === 'show');
+            }
             saveSettings();
         });
         el.addEventListener('keydown', (e) => {
diff --git a/static/index.html b/static/index.html
index 955feb87..2dea2fbc 100644
--- a/static/index.html
+++ b/static/index.html
@@ -98,6 +98,13 @@ <h1 id="room-title">agentchattr</h1>
                     <option value="high">High</option>
                 </select>
             </div>
+            <div class="settings-field">
+                <label for="setting-msg-numbers">Msg numbers</label>
+                <select id="setting-msg-numbers" title="Show each message's id (#id) in its header - the same number agents use to reference messages">
+                    <option value="hide">Hide</option>
+                    <option value="show">Show</option>
+                </select>
+            </div>
             <div class="settings-field">
                 <label for="setting-channel-sidebar">Channels</label>
                 <select id="setting-channel-sidebar" title="Show channels in a sidebar (Discord/Slack-style) instead of a top bar">
diff --git a/static/style.css b/static/style.css
index 0871d58c..4862aa60 100644
--- a/static/style.css
+++ b/static/style.css
@@ -2127,6 +2127,20 @@ body.channels-in-sidebar #channel-bar {
     color: var(--text-dim);
 }
 
+/* Message id badge (toggled via Settings -> "Msg numbers"). Always rendered so
+   the id stays in the DOM; visibility is gated by a body class. */
+.msg-num {
+    font-size: 11px;
+    color: var(--text-dim);
+    font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
+    opacity: 0.6;
+    display: none;
+}
+
+body.show-msg-numbers .msg-num {
+    display: inline;
+}
+
 .msg-sender {
     font-weight: 700;
     font-size: 13px;