diff --git a/tui/tui.go b/tui/tui.go
index 979ce2e..feea193 100644
--- a/tui/tui.go
+++ b/tui/tui.go
@@ -2933,7 +2933,7 @@ func (m model) chatDetailLines(item Item, width int) []string {
 	if thread := m.threadLines(item, width); len(thread) > 0 {
 		lines = append(lines, "", dim(tuiRule(width)), bold("Thread"))
 		lines = append(lines, thread...)
-	} else if message := strings.TrimSpace(firstNonEmpty(item.Text, item.Detail, item.Title)); message != "" {
+	} else if message := chatBodyText(item); message != "" {
 		lines = append(lines, "", dim(tuiRule(width)), bold("Message"))
 		lines = append(lines, chatBubbleLines(item, message, true, width)...)
 	}
@@ -3138,7 +3138,7 @@ func (m model) threadLines(selected Item, width int) []string {
 		if threadKey(item) != key {
 			continue
 		}
-		text := firstNonEmpty(item.Text, item.Detail, item.Title)
+		text := chatBodyText(item)
 		lines = append(lines, chatBubbleLines(item, text, item.ID == selected.ID, width)...)
 	}
 	if len(lines) <= 1 {
@@ -3165,6 +3165,10 @@ func chatBubbleLines(item Item, text string, selected bool, width int) []string
 	return lines
 }
 
+func chatBodyText(item Item) string {
+	return strings.TrimSpace(firstNonEmpty(item.Detail, item.Text, item.Title))
+}
+
 func chatPropertyLines(item Item) []string {
 	return compactNonEmpty([]string{
 		fieldLine("channel", item.Container),
diff --git a/tui/tui_test.go b/tui/tui_test.go
index 5371c64..daea92d 100644
--- a/tui/tui_test.go
+++ b/tui/tui_test.go
@@ -425,6 +425,20 @@ func TestChatDetailDoesNotTreatMetadataAsMessageBody(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestChatDetailPrefersExplicitReadableDetail(t *testing.T) {
+	m := newModel(Options{
+		Title:  "slacrawl archive",
+		Layout: LayoutChat,
+		Items: []Item{
+			Row{Kind: "message", ID: "m1", Container: "general", Author: "alice", Title: "raw", Text: "<@U1> raw body", Detail: "Alice readable body"}.ItemForLayout(LayoutChat),
+		},
+	})
+	joined := stripANSI(strings.Join(m.detailLinesForWidth(m.items[0], 60), "\n"))
+	if !strings.Contains(joined, "Alice readable body") || strings.Contains(joined, "<@U1> raw body") {
+		t.Fatalf("chat detail should prefer readable explicit detail:\n%s", joined)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestDetailModeToggleUsesCompactReadableDetail(t *testing.T) {
 	m := newModel(Options{
 		Title:  "discrawl archive",