diff --git a/src/app/components/VideoCallContent.svelte b/src/app/components/VideoCallContent.svelte
index 35217cb7..7a50bdcf 100644
--- a/src/app/components/VideoCallContent.svelte
+++ b/src/app/components/VideoCallContent.svelte
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
     currentVoiceSession,
     currentVoiceRoom,
     VideoCallLayout,
-    videoCallLayoutRevision,
     videoPrimaryTileKey,
     toggleVideoPrimaryTile,
     pubkeyFromLiveKitIdentity,
@@ -42,29 +41,27 @@
     $currentVoiceRoom?.url === url && $currentVoiceRoom?.h === h,
   )
 
-  const showPanel = $derived(
+  const showVideoContent = $derived(
     isViewingCurrentCallRoom &&
       (mobile
         ? layout === VideoCallLayout.Video
         : layout === VideoCallLayout.Split || layout === VideoCallLayout.Video),
   )
 
-  const tiles = $derived.by(() => {
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-expressions -- re-run when remote video subscribes
-    $videoCallLayoutRevision
+  const videoTiles = $derived.by(() => {
     const session = $currentVoiceSession
     if (!session || $currentVoiceRoom?.url !== url || $currentVoiceRoom?.h !== h) {
       return []
     }
 
     const room = session.room
-    const out: VideoTile[] = []
-    const lp = room.localParticipant
+    const videoTiles: VideoTile[] = []
+    const user = room.localParticipant
 
     if (session.cameraOn) {
-      const localPub = lp.getTrackPublication(Track.Source.Camera)
-      out.push({
-        identity: lp.identity,
+      const localPub = user.getTrackPublication(Track.Source.Camera)
+      videoTiles.push({
+        identity: user.identity,
         isLocal: true,
         trackSid: localPub?.trackSid ?? "local-camera",
         attachable: localPub?.track,
@@ -73,9 +70,9 @@
     }
 
     if (session.screenShareOn) {
-      const localPub = lp.getTrackPublication(Track.Source.ScreenShare)
-      out.push({
-        identity: lp.identity,
+      const localPub = user.getTrackPublication(Track.Source.ScreenShare)
+      videoTiles.push({
+        identity: user.identity,
         isLocal: true,
         trackSid: localPub?.trackSid ?? "local-screen",
         attachable: localPub?.track,
@@ -86,7 +83,7 @@
     for (const rp of room.remoteParticipants.values()) {
       const camPub = rp.getTrackPublication(Track.Source.Camera)
       if (camPub?.isSubscribed && camPub.track) {
-        out.push({
+        videoTiles.push({
           identity: rp.identity,
           isLocal: false,
           trackSid: camPub.trackSid,
@@ -96,7 +93,7 @@
       }
       const screenPub = rp.getTrackPublication(Track.Source.ScreenShare)
       if (screenPub?.isSubscribed && screenPub.track) {
-        out.push({
+        videoTiles.push({
           identity: rp.identity,
           isLocal: false,
           trackSid: screenPub.trackSid,
@@ -106,7 +103,7 @@
       }
     }
 
-    return out
+    return videoTiles
   })
 
   /** Identity + source only — LiveKit can change trackSid after publish, which broke spotlight + stale-key effect. */
@@ -115,29 +112,29 @@
   const primaryTile = $derived.by(() => {
     const k = $videoPrimaryTileKey
     if (k === undefined) return undefined
-    return tiles.find(t => tileKey(t) === k)
+    return videoTiles.find(t => tileKey(t) === k)
   })
 
   const secondaryTiles = $derived.by(() => {
     const p = primaryTile
-    if (p === undefined) return tiles
+    if (p === undefined) return videoTiles
     const pk = tileKey(p)
-    return tiles.filter(t => tileKey(t) !== pk)
+    return videoTiles.filter(t => tileKey(t) !== pk)
   })
 
   const useSpotlightLayout = $derived(primaryTile !== undefined)
-  const useMultiGrid = $derived(!useSpotlightLayout && tiles.length > 2)
+  const useMultiGrid = $derived(!useSpotlightLayout && videoTiles.length > 2)
 
   $effect(() => {
     const k = $videoPrimaryTileKey
     if (k === undefined) return
-    if (!tiles.some(t => tileKey(t) === k)) {
+    if (!videoTiles.some(t => tileKey(t) === k)) {
       videoPrimaryTileKey.set(undefined)
     }
   })
 
   $effect(() => {
-    for (const t of tiles) {
+    for (const t of videoTiles) {
       const pk = pubkeyFromLiveKitIdentity(t.identity)
       if (pk) loadProfile(pk)
     }
@@ -149,7 +146,7 @@
     return source === Track.Source.ScreenShare ? `${name} · screen` : name
   }
 
-  const showTileGrid = $derived(tiles.length > 0)
+  const showTileGrid = $derived(videoTiles.length > 0)
 
   const spotlightHandlerFor = (key: string) => () => {
     toggleVideoPrimaryTile(key)
@@ -190,7 +187,7 @@
       class="pointer-events-none absolute bottom-1 left-1 max-w-[calc(100%-0.5rem)] truncate rounded bg-base-100/80 px-1.5 py-0.5 text-xs">
       {labelFor(tile.identity, tile.source)}{tile.isLocal ? " (you)" : ""}
     </span>
-    {#if tiles.length > 1}
+    {#if videoTiles.length > 1}
       {@const pinned = $videoPrimaryTileKey === tileKey(tile)}
       <Button
         data-tip={pinned ? "Exit spotlight" : "Spotlight"}
@@ -223,13 +220,13 @@
     {:else if useMultiGrid}
       <div
         class="grid min-h-0 flex-1 grid-cols-1 content-start gap-2 overflow-y-auto sm:grid-cols-2">
-        {#each tiles as tile (tileKey(tile))}
+        {#each videoTiles as tile (tileKey(tile))}
           {@render videoTile(tile, "default")}
         {/each}
       </div>
     {:else}
       <div class="flex min-h-0 flex-1 flex-col gap-2 overflow-y-auto">
-        {#each tiles as tile (tileKey(tile))}
+        {#each videoTiles as tile (tileKey(tile))}
           {@render videoTile(tile, "default")}
         {/each}
       </div>
@@ -243,7 +240,7 @@
   {/if}
 {/snippet}
 
-{#if showPanel}
+{#if showVideoContent}
   <div class={panelChrome}>
     {#if mobile}
       <div class="flex min-h-0 flex-1 flex-col gap-2">
diff --git a/src/app/voice.ts b/src/app/voice.ts
index 6e86db9a..ff84c8d0 100644
--- a/src/app/voice.ts
+++ b/src/app/voice.ts
@@ -102,9 +102,6 @@ const resetVideoCallLayout = () => {
 
 export const participantPubkeyMap = writable<Map<string, Pubkey>>(new Map())
 
-/** Bumps when remote video is subscribed/unsubscribed so layout/video UI can react. */
-export const videoCallLayoutRevision = writable(0)
-
 /** Spotlight tile id — must match VideoCallContent `tileKey` (identity + source, not trackSid). */
 export const videoPrimaryTileKey = writable<string | undefined>(undefined)
 
@@ -112,7 +109,9 @@ export const toggleVideoPrimaryTile = (key: string) => {
   videoPrimaryTileKey.update(k => (k === key ? undefined : key))
 }
 
-const bumpVideoCallLayoutRevision = () => videoCallLayoutRevision.update(n => n + 1)
+const triggerVideoTileCount = () => {
+  currentVoiceSession.update(s => (s ? {...s} : s))
+}
 
 const addParticipant = (identity: string) => {
   participantPubkeyMap.update(m => {
@@ -239,7 +238,6 @@ const setUpMicrophone = async (
 }
 
 const onRoomDisconnected = (reason?: DisconnectReason) => {
-  videoCallLayoutRevision.set(0)
   videoPrimaryTileKey.set(undefined)
   currentVoiceSession.set(undefined)
   resetVideoCallLayout()
@@ -262,14 +260,14 @@ const onTrackSubscribed = (track: Track) => {
     document.body.appendChild(element)
     element.play().catch(() => {})
   } else if (track.kind === Track.Kind.Video) {
-    bumpVideoCallLayoutRevision()
+    triggerVideoTileCount()
   }
 }
 
 const onTrackUnsubscribed = (track: Track) => {
   track.detach().forEach(el => el.remove())
   if (track.kind === Track.Kind.Video) {
-    bumpVideoCallLayoutRevision()
+    triggerVideoTileCount()
   }
 }
 
@@ -300,7 +298,6 @@ const onLocalTrackUnpublished = (
   if (!session || participant.identity !== session.room.localParticipant.identity) return
   if (!session.screenShareOn) return
   currentVoiceSession.set({...session, screenShareOn: false})
-  bumpVideoCallLayoutRevision()
 }
 
 let joinAbortController: AbortController | undefined
@@ -407,7 +404,6 @@ export const leaveVoiceRoom = async () => {
   }
 
   voiceState.set(VoiceState.Disconnected)
-  videoCallLayoutRevision.set(0)
   videoPrimaryTileKey.set(undefined)
   currentVoiceSession.set(undefined)
   resetVideoCallLayout()
@@ -465,13 +461,10 @@ const countLiveVisualFeeds = (session: VoiceSession): number => {
   return n
 }
 
-export const videoTileCount = derived(
-  [currentVoiceSession, voiceState, videoCallLayoutRevision],
-  ([$session, $state, _rev]) => {
-    if ($state !== VoiceState.Connected || !$session) return 0
-    return countLiveVisualFeeds($session)
-  },
-)
+export const videoTileCount = derived([currentVoiceSession, voiceState], ([$session, $state]) => {
+  if ($state !== VoiceState.Connected || !$session) return 0
+  return countLiveVisualFeeds($session)
+})
 
 export const toggleCamera = async () => {
   const session = get(currentVoiceSession)
@@ -481,14 +474,12 @@ export const toggleCamera = async () => {
   if (!cameraOn) {
     session.room.localParticipant.setCameraEnabled(false)
     currentVoiceSession.set({...session, cameraOn})
-    bumpVideoCallLayoutRevision()
     return
   }
 
   try {
     await session.room.localParticipant.setCameraEnabled(true)
     currentVoiceSession.set({...session, cameraOn})
-    bumpVideoCallLayoutRevision()
   } catch (e) {
     pushToast({theme: "error", message: "Could not access camera"})
   }
@@ -502,14 +493,12 @@ export const toggleScreenShare = async () => {
   if (!screenShareOn) {
     session.room.localParticipant.setScreenShareEnabled(false)
     currentVoiceSession.set({...session, screenShareOn})
-    bumpVideoCallLayoutRevision()
     return
   }
 
   try {
     await session.room.localParticipant.setScreenShareEnabled(true)
     currentVoiceSession.set({...session, screenShareOn})
-    bumpVideoCallLayoutRevision()
   } catch (e) {
     pushToast({theme: "error", message: "Could not start screen sharing"})
   }
diff --git a/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/[h]/+page.svelte b/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/[h]/+page.svelte
index 75fc43df..7f067506 100644
--- a/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/[h]/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/[h]/+page.svelte
@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@
     if (prevVideoTileCount === 0 && n >= 1) {
       videoCallLayout.set(VideoCallLayout.Video)
     }
+    if (prevVideoTileCount >= 1 && n === 0 && $videoCallLayout === VideoCallLayout.Split) {
+      videoCallLayout.set(VideoCallLayout.Chat)
+    }
     prevVideoTileCount = n
   })
   const shouldProtect = canEnforceNip70(url)