diff --git a/src/app/components/RoomChat.svelte b/src/app/components/RoomChat.svelte
index 486b25b5..72410045 100644
--- a/src/app/components/RoomChat.svelte
+++ b/src/app/components/RoomChat.svelte
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
   import type {Readable} from "svelte/store"
   import {debounce} from "throttle-debounce"
   import cx from "classnames"
-  import {now, ifLet, ago, MINUTE} from "@welshman/lib"
+  import {now, ifLet, ago, spec, MINUTE} from "@welshman/lib"
   import type {Maybe} from "@welshman/lib"
   import type {TrustedEvent, EventContent} from "@welshman/util"
   import {relay, stamp, MESSAGE, RELAY_ADD_MEMBER, ROOM_ADD_MEMBER} from "@welshman/util"
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
   import {isFeedLoading, makeFeed, makeFeedContext, makeScrollLoader} from "@app/feeds"
   import {pageLoading} from "@app/loading"
   import {checked, deferredRoomPath, setChecked} from "@app/notifications"
-  import {highlightedEvent, makeRoomPath} from "@app/routes"
+  import {getPermalinkTarget, highlightedEvent, makeRoomPath} from "@app/routes"
   import {pendingShare, type Share} from "@app/share"
   import {pushToast} from "@app/toast"
 
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@
     : readable(MembershipStatus.Granted)
   const at = $derived(parseInt($page.url.searchParams.get("at")!))
   const inviteCode = $derived($page.url.searchParams.get("code") || "")
+  const target = $derived(getPermalinkTarget($page.url))
 
   const join = async () => {
     if (h) {
@@ -334,7 +335,9 @@
     }
 
     if (!released && !pinned && !isNaN(at)) {
-      const targetEvent = $events.find(event => event.created_at >= at)
+      // The pointer only helps once that message has arrived, so the anchor still carries the jump.
+      const pointedAt = target ? $events.find(spec({id: target})) : undefined
+      const targetEvent = pointedAt ?? $events.find(event => event.created_at >= at)
 
       if (targetEvent) {
         scrollToRow(targetEvent.id, {highlight: true, pin: true})
@@ -697,6 +700,8 @@
           <p class="flex h-10 items-center justify-center py-20">
             {#if reachedStartOfHistory}
               End of message history
+            {:else}
+              <Spinner loading>Looking for messages...</Spinner>
             {/if}
           </p>
         {/if}
diff --git a/src/app/routes.ts b/src/app/routes.ts
index 70815960..05d6af41 100644
--- a/src/app/routes.ts
+++ b/src/app/routes.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import {get, writable} from "svelte/store"
 import * as nip19 from "nostr-tools/nip19"
 import {page} from "$app/stores"
-import {identity} from "@welshman/lib"
+import {identity, tryCatch} from "@welshman/lib"
 import type {TrustedEvent} from "@welshman/util"
 import {
   CLASSIFIED,
@@ -32,8 +32,7 @@ export let lastChatUrl: string | undefined = undefined
 
 export const lastPageBySpaceUrl = new Map<string, string>()
 
-// The event a link pointed at. A store rather than a class set on the node, because each row owns
-// its own class attribute and drops anything written behind its back on the next render.
+// A store rather than a class on the node, which each row's class attribute would overwrite.
 export const highlightedEvent = writable<string | undefined>(undefined)
 
 // The space the user was in most recently, so the space menu can be opened from a page that isn't
@@ -237,7 +236,16 @@ export const makeEventPermalink = (event: TrustedEvent, url?: string) => {
     return path
   }
 
-  return `${PLATFORM_URL}${path}#${nip19.neventEncode({id: event.id, relays: urls})}`
+  const pointer = nip19.neventEncode({id: event.id, relays: urls})
+
+  return `${PLATFORM_URL}${path}${path.includes("?") ? "&" : "?"}event=${pointer}`
+}
+
+export const getPermalinkTarget = (url: URL) => {
+  const pointer = url.searchParams.get("event")
+  const decoded = pointer ? tryCatch(() => nip19.decode(pointer)) : undefined
+
+  return decoded?.type === "nevent" ? decoded.data.id : undefined
 }
 
 export const scrollToEvent = (id: string) => {
diff --git a/src/lib/components/base.css b/src/lib/components/base.css
index ace68fe5..89d496c1 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/base.css
+++ b/src/lib/components/base.css
@@ -129,9 +129,7 @@
     width: var(--rule-bleed-r, 100vw);
   }
 }
-/* Marks the event a link pointed at. The mark stays until another link is followed, so the reader
-   can scroll away and still find their place. The wash is a spread inset shadow rather than a
-   background because a row's hover rule sets its own background and would paint over it. */
+/* The wash is an inset shadow because a row's hover rule sets a background that would cover it. */
 @utility highlight-target {
   box-shadow:
     inset 3px 0 0 var(--primary),
diff --git a/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/[h]/+layout.svelte b/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/[h]/+layout.svelte
index bc9b64e1..ed3c3159 100644
--- a/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/[h]/+layout.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/[h]/+layout.svelte
@@ -9,6 +9,6 @@
   const {children}: Props = $props()
 </script>
 
-{#key $page.url.searchParams.get("at")}
+{#key [$page.url.searchParams.get("at"), $page.url.searchParams.get("event")].join()}
   {@render children?.()}
 {/key}
diff --git a/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/threads/[id]/+page.svelte b/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/threads/[id]/+page.svelte
index 3388bb3d..0fcec8be 100644
--- a/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/threads/[id]/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/threads/[id]/+page.svelte
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <script lang="ts">
   import {onDestroy} from "svelte"
-  import * as nip19 from "nostr-tools/nip19"
-  import {call, sleep, spec, tryCatch} from "@welshman/lib"
+  import {page} from "$app/state"
+  import {sleep, spec} from "@welshman/lib"
   import type {TrustedEvent} from "@welshman/util"
   import {deriveEventsAsc} from "@welshman/store"
   import {getCommentFiltersForRoot, tagValue, tagSpec} from "@welshman/util"
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
   import {network} from "@app/core"
   import {makeFeedContext} from "@app/feeds"
   import {decodeRelay} from "@app/relays"
-  import {makeSpacePath, scrollToEvent} from "@app/routes"
+  import {getPermalinkTarget, makeSpacePath, scrollToEvent} from "@app/routes"
   import type {PageProps} from "./$types"
 
   const REPLY_BATCH_SIZE = 20
@@ -42,19 +42,7 @@
   // A permalink's target. Replies stream in newest first, so the post it names is usually here
   // long before the ones above it — its position is only right once the thread has finished
   // arriving, so this is kept and re-read rather than acted on the first time it shows up.
-  let target: string | undefined = $state(
-    call(() => {
-      const hash = window.location.hash.replace(/^#/, "")
-
-      if (hash.startsWith("nevent1")) {
-        const decoded = tryCatch(() => nip19.decode(hash))
-
-        if (decoded?.type === "nevent") {
-          return decoded.data.id
-        }
-      }
-    }),
-  )
+  let target: string | undefined = $state(getPermalinkTarget(page.url))
 
   let revealed = $state(REPLY_BATCH_SIZE)