diff --git a/bitchat/Services/MeshPlaintextNoticeSettings.swift b/bitchat/Services/MeshPlaintextNoticeSettings.swift
index 8988e65d..43aca303 100644
--- a/bitchat/Services/MeshPlaintextNoticeSettings.swift
+++ b/bitchat/Services/MeshPlaintextNoticeSettings.swift
@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@ enum MeshPlaintextNoticeSettings {
         defaults.removeObject(forKey: dismissedKey)
         NotificationCenter.default.post(name: .meshPlaintextNoticeSettingsChanged, object: nil)
     }
+
+    /// Visible on the public mesh composer once there is a live timeline.
+    /// An empty mesh already has the empty-state hint; don't stack both.
+    static func shouldShow(dismissed: Bool, isPublicMesh: Bool, timelineEmpty: Bool) -> Bool {
+        !dismissed && isPublicMesh && !timelineEmpty
+    }
 }
 
 extension Notification.Name {
diff --git a/bitchat/Views/ContentComposerView.swift b/bitchat/Views/ContentComposerView.swift
index 6157457c..aa340032 100644
--- a/bitchat/Views/ContentComposerView.swift
+++ b/bitchat/Views/ContentComposerView.swift
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ struct ContentComposerView: View {
     @EnvironmentObject private var conversationUIModel: ConversationUIModel
     @EnvironmentObject private var privateConversationModel: PrivateConversationModel
     @EnvironmentObject private var locationChannelsModel: LocationChannelsModel
+    @EnvironmentObject private var publicChatModel: PublicChatModel
     @ObservedObject private var bridgeService = BridgeService.shared
     @Environment(\.appTheme) private var theme
     @ThemedPalette private var palette
@@ -162,12 +163,18 @@ struct ContentComposerView: View {
 
 private extension ContentComposerView {
     var showsMeshPlaintextNotice: Bool {
-        guard !meshPlaintextNoticeDismissed,
-              privateConversationModel.selectedHeaderState == nil,
-              case .mesh = locationChannelsModel.selectedChannel else {
-            return false
+        let onPublicMesh: Bool
+        if privateConversationModel.selectedHeaderState == nil,
+           case .mesh = locationChannelsModel.selectedChannel {
+            onPublicMesh = true
+        } else {
+            onPublicMesh = false
         }
-        return true
+        return MeshPlaintextNoticeSettings.shouldShow(
+            dismissed: meshPlaintextNoticeDismissed,
+            isPublicMesh: onPublicMesh,
+            timelineEmpty: publicChatModel.messages.isEmpty
+        )
     }
 
     /// The nearby-only scope toggle appears only where it means something:
diff --git a/bitchatTests/Services/MeshPlaintextNoticeSettingsTests.swift b/bitchatTests/Services/MeshPlaintextNoticeSettingsTests.swift
index bf44682e..e4fd57ea 100644
--- a/bitchatTests/Services/MeshPlaintextNoticeSettingsTests.swift
+++ b/bitchatTests/Services/MeshPlaintextNoticeSettingsTests.swift
@@ -42,4 +42,11 @@ struct MeshPlaintextNoticeSettingsTests {
         #expect(received)
         #expect(!MeshPlaintextNoticeSettings.isDismissed(in: defaults))
     }
+
+    @Test func hiddenOnAnEmptyMeshTimeline() {
+        #expect(MeshPlaintextNoticeSettings.shouldShow(dismissed: false, isPublicMesh: true, timelineEmpty: true) == false)
+        #expect(MeshPlaintextNoticeSettings.shouldShow(dismissed: false, isPublicMesh: true, timelineEmpty: false) == true)
+        #expect(MeshPlaintextNoticeSettings.shouldShow(dismissed: true, isPublicMesh: true, timelineEmpty: false) == false)
+        #expect(MeshPlaintextNoticeSettings.shouldShow(dismissed: false, isPublicMesh: false, timelineEmpty: false) == false)
+    }
 }