diff --git a/webroot/js/chat/chat-input.js b/webroot/js/chat/chat-input.js
index aedfdcba4..6d0085d92 100644
--- a/webroot/js/chat/chat-input.js
+++ b/webroot/js/chat/chat-input.js
@@ -228,7 +228,6 @@ export default class ChatInput extends Component {
     };
 
     const placeholderText = generatePlaceholderText(inputEnabled, hasSentFirstChatMessage);
-
     return (
       html`
         <div id="message-input-container" class="shadow-md bg-gray-900 border-t border-gray-700 border-solid">
diff --git a/webroot/js/chat/chat.js b/webroot/js/chat/chat.js
index 4302897aa..bfc6eb3e7 100644
--- a/webroot/js/chat/chat.js
+++ b/webroot/js/chat/chat.js
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@ import htm from 'https://unpkg.com/htm?module';
 // Initialize htm with Preact
 const html = htm.bind(h);
 
-import { getLocalStorage, setLocalStorage } from '../utils.js';
-import { KEY_CHAT_FIRST_MESSAGE_SENT } from '../utils/chat.js';
+
 import SOCKET_MESSAGE_TYPES from '../utils/socket-message-types.js';
 import Message from './message.js';
 import ChatInput from './chat-input.js';
@@ -12,6 +11,7 @@ import { CALLBACKS } from '../websocket.js';
 
 
 import { URL_CHAT_HISTORY, setVHvar, hasTouchScreen } from '../utils.js';
+import { extraUserNamesFromMessageHistory } from '../utils/chat.js';
 
 export default class Chat extends Component {
   constructor(props, context) {
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ export default class Chat extends Component {
       this.websocket.addListener(CALLBACKS.RAW_WEBSOCKET_MESSAGE_RECEIVED, this.receivedWebsocketMessage);
       this.websocket.addListener(CALLBACKS.WEBSOCKET_DISCONNECTED, this.websocketDisconnected);
     }
-
   }
 
   // fetch chat history
@@ -72,22 +71,18 @@ export default class Chat extends Component {
       return response.json();
     })
     .then(data => {
-      console.log("=====chat history data",data)
+      // extra user names
+      const chatUserNames = extraUserNamesFromMessageHistory(data);
       this.setState({
         messages: data,
+        chatUserNames,
       });
-      // const formattedMessages = data.map(function (message) {
-      //   return new Message(message);
-      // })
-      // this.vueApp.messages = formattedMessages.concat(this.vueApp.messages);
     })
     .catch(error => {
       // this.handleNetworkingError(`Fetch getChatHistory: ${error}`);
     });
   }
 
-
-
   sendUsernameChange(oldName, newName, image) {
 		const nameChange = {
 			type: SOCKET_MESSAGE_TYPES.NAME_CHANGE,
@@ -98,8 +93,6 @@ export default class Chat extends Component {
 		this.websocket.send(nameChange);
   }
 
-
-
   receivedWebsocketMessage(message) {
     this.addMessage(message);
     // if (model.type === SOCKET_MESSAGE_TYPES.CHAT) {
@@ -158,40 +151,13 @@ export default class Chat extends Component {
 			image: userAvatarImage,
 			type: SOCKET_MESSAGE_TYPES.CHAT,
     };
-		// var message = new Message({
-		// 	body: content,
-		// 	author: username,
-		// 	image: userAvatarImage,
-		// 	type: SOCKET_MESSAGE_TYPES.CHAT,
-		// });
 		this.websocket.send(message);
-
-    // clear out things.
-    // const newStates = {
-    //   inputValue: '',
-    //   inputWarning: '',
-    // };
-		// this.formMessageInput.innerHTML = '';
-		// this.tagMessageFormWarning.innerText = '';
-
-		// const hasSentFirstChatMessage = getLocalStorage(KEY_CHAT_FIRST_MESSAGE_SENT);
-		// if (!this.state.hasSentFirstChatMessage) {
-    //   newStates.hasSentFirstChatMessage = true;
-    //   setLocalStorage(KEY_CHAT_FIRST_MESSAGE_SENT, true);
-		// 	// this.setChatPlaceholderText();
-    // }
-    // this.setState(newStates);
   }
 
   disableChat() {
     this.setState({
       inputEnabled: false,
     });
-		// if (this.formMessageInput) {
-		// 	this.formMessageInput.contentEditable = false;
-		// 	this.formMessageInput.innerHTML = '';
-		// 	this.formMessageInput.setAttribute("placeholder", CHAT_PLACEHOLDER_OFFLINE);
-		// }
 	}
 
 	enableChat() {
@@ -219,7 +185,6 @@ export default class Chat extends Component {
   }
 
 
-
   render(props, state) {
     const { username } = props;
     const { messages, inputEnabled, chatUserNames } = state;
diff --git a/webroot/js/utils/chat.js b/webroot/js/utils/chat.js
index 37d75a7b8..45fd2be0b 100644
--- a/webroot/js/utils/chat.js
+++ b/webroot/js/utils/chat.js
@@ -181,3 +181,15 @@ export function generatePlaceholderText(isEnabled, hasSentFirstChatMessage) {
   }
   return CHAT_PLACEHOLDER_OFFLINE;
 }
+
+export function extraUserNamesFromMessageHistory(messages) {
+  const list = [];
+  if (messages) {
+    messages.forEach(function(message) {
+      if (!list.includes(message.author)) {
+        list.push(message.author);
+      }
+    });
+  }
+  return list;
+}