diff --git a/src/platform/web/ui/css/themes/element/theme.css b/src/platform/web/ui/css/themes/element/theme.css
index c6c18445..ac197f1d 100644
--- a/src/platform/web/ui/css/themes/element/theme.css
+++ b/src/platform/web/ui/css/themes/element/theme.css
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 */
 
 @import url('inter.css');
+@import url('timeline.css');
 
 :root {
     font-size: 10px;
@@ -508,168 +509,6 @@ a {
     background-color: #E3E8F0;
 }
 
-ul.Timeline > li:not(.continuation) {
-    margin-top: 7px;
-}
-
-ul.Timeline > li.continuation .profile {
-    display: none;
-}
-
-ul.Timeline > li.continuation time {
-    display: none;
-}
-
-ul.Timeline > li.messageStatus .message-container > p {
-    font-style: italic;
-    color: #777;
-}
-
-.message-container {
-    padding: 1px 10px 0px 10px;
-    margin: 5px 10px 0 10px;
-    /* so the .media can grow horizontally and its spacer can grow vertically */
-    width: 100%;
-}
-
-.message-container .profile {
-    display: flex;
-    align-items: center;
-}
-
-.TextMessageView {
-    width: 100%;
-}
-
-.TextMessageView.continuation .message-container {
-    margin-top: 0;
-    margin-bottom: 0;
-}
-
-.message-container .sender {
-    margin: 6px 0;
-    margin-left: 6px;
-    font-weight: bold;
-    line-height: 1.7rem;
-}
-
-.hydrogen .sender.usercolor1 { color: var(--usercolor1); }
-.hydrogen .sender.usercolor2 { color: var(--usercolor2); }
-.hydrogen .sender.usercolor3 { color: var(--usercolor3); }
-.hydrogen .sender.usercolor4 { color: var(--usercolor4); }
-.hydrogen .sender.usercolor5 { color: var(--usercolor5); }
-.hydrogen .sender.usercolor6 { color: var(--usercolor6); }
-.hydrogen .sender.usercolor7 { color: var(--usercolor7); }
-.hydrogen .sender.usercolor8 { color: var(--usercolor8); }
-
-.message-container time {
-    padding: 2px 0 0px 10px;
-    font-size: 0.8em;
-    line-height: normal;
-    color: #aaa;
-}
-
-
-.message-container .media {
-    display: grid;
-    margin-top: 4px;
-    width: 100%;
-}
-
-
-.message-container .media > a {
-    text-decoration: none;
-    width: 100%;
-    display: block;
-}
-
-/* .spacer grows with an inline padding-top to the size of the image,
-so the timeline doesn't jump when the image loads */
-.message-container .media > * {
-    grid-row: 1;
-    grid-column: 1;
-}
-
-.message-container .media img, .message-container .media video {
-    width: 100%;
-    height: auto;
-    /* for IE11 to still scale even though the spacer is too tall */
-    align-self: start;
-    border-radius: 4px;
-    display: block;
-}
-/* stretch the image (to the spacer) on platforms
-where we can trust the spacer to always have the correct height,
-otherwise the image starts with  height 0 and with loading=lazy
-only loads when the top comes into view*/
-.hydrogen:not(.legacy) .message-container .media img,
-.hydrogen:not(.legacy) .message-container .media video {
-    align-self: stretch;
-}
-
-.message-container .media > .sendStatus {
-    align-self: end;
-    justify-self: start;
-    font-size: 0.8em;
-}
-
-.message-container .media > progress {
-    align-self: center;
-    justify-self: center;
-    width: 75%;
-}
-
-.message-container .media > time {
-    align-self: end;
-    justify-self: end;
-}
-
-.message-container .media > time,
-.message-container .media > .sendStatus {
-    color: #2e2f32;
-    display: block;
-    padding: 2px;
-    margin: 4px;
-    background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.75);
-    border-radius: 4px;
-}
-.message-container .media > .spacer {
-    /* TODO: can we implement this with a pseudo element? or perhaps they are not grid items? */
-    width: 100%;
-    /* don't stretch height as it is a spacer, just in case it doesn't match with image height */
-    align-self: start;
-}
-
-.TextMessageView.unsent .message-container {
-    color: #ccc;
-}
-
-.TextMessageView.unverified .message-container {
-    color: #ff4b55;
-}
-
-.message-container p {
-    margin: 3px 0;
-    line-height: 2.2rem;
-}
-
-.AnnouncementView {
-    margin: 5px 0;
-    padding: 5px 10%;
-}
-
-.AnnouncementView > div {
-    margin: 0 auto;
-    padding: 10px 20px;
-    background-color: rgba(245, 245, 245, 0.90);
-    text-align: center;
-    border-radius: 10px;
-}
-
-.GapView > :not(:first-child) {
-    margin-left: 12px;
-}
-
 .SettingsBody {
     padding: 0px 16px;
 }
diff --git a/src/platform/web/ui/css/themes/element/timeline.css b/src/platform/web/ui/css/themes/element/timeline.css
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..666e0ecd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/platform/web/ui/css/themes/element/timeline.css
@@ -0,0 +1,218 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2020 Bruno Windels <bruno@windels.cloud>
+Copyright 2020 The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+ul.Timeline > li.messageStatus .Timeline_messageBody > p {
+    font-style: italic;
+    color: #777;
+}
+
+.Timeline_message {
+    display: grid;
+    grid-template:
+        "avatar sender" auto
+        "avatar body" auto
+        "time   body" 1fr /
+         30px   1fr;
+    column-gap: 8px;
+    padding: 4px;
+    margin: 0 12px;
+    /* TODO: check whether this is needed for .media to maintain aspect ratio (on IE11) like the 100% above */
+    /* width: 100%; */
+    box-sizing: border-box;
+}
+
+.Timeline_message:not(.continuation) {
+    margin-top: 4px;
+}
+
+@media screen and (max-width: 800px) {
+    .Timeline_message {
+        grid-template:
+            "avatar sender" auto
+            "body body" 1fr
+            "time time" auto /
+             30px 1fr;
+    }
+
+    .Timeline_messageSender {
+        margin-top: 0 !important;
+        align-self: center;
+    }
+}
+
+.Timeline_message:hover, .Timeline_message.selected {
+    background-color: rgba(141, 151, 165, 0.1);
+    border-radius: 4px;
+}
+
+.Timeline_message:hover > .Timeline_messageOptions {
+    display: block;
+}
+
+.Timeline_messageAvatar {
+    grid-area: avatar;
+}
+
+.Timeline_messageSender {
+    grid-area: sender;
+    font-weight: bold;
+    line-height: 1.7rem;
+}
+
+.Timeline_messageSender, .Timeline_messageBody {
+    /* reset body margin */
+    margin: 0;
+}
+
+.Timeline_message:not(.continuation) .Timeline_messageSender,
+.Timeline_message:not(.continuation) .Timeline_messageBody {
+    margin-top: 4px;
+}
+
+.Timeline_messageOptions {
+    display: none;
+    grid-area: body;
+    align-self: start;
+    justify-self: right;
+    margin-top: -12px;
+    margin-right: 4px;
+}
+
+.Timeline_messageTime {
+    grid-area: time;
+}
+
+.Timeline_messageBody time {
+    padding: 2px 0 0px 10px;
+}
+
+.Timeline_messageBody time, .Timeline_messageTime {
+    font-size: 0.8em;
+    line-height: normal;
+    color: #aaa;
+}
+
+.Timeline_messageBody {
+    grid-area: body;
+    line-height: 2.2rem;
+    /* so the .media can grow horizontally and its spacer can grow vertically */
+    width: 100%;
+}
+
+.hydrogen .Timeline_messageSender.usercolor1 { color: var(--usercolor1); }
+.hydrogen .Timeline_messageSender.usercolor2 { color: var(--usercolor2); }
+.hydrogen .Timeline_messageSender.usercolor3 { color: var(--usercolor3); }
+.hydrogen .Timeline_messageSender.usercolor4 { color: var(--usercolor4); }
+.hydrogen .Timeline_messageSender.usercolor5 { color: var(--usercolor5); }
+.hydrogen .Timeline_messageSender.usercolor6 { color: var(--usercolor6); }
+.hydrogen .Timeline_messageSender.usercolor7 { color: var(--usercolor7); }
+.hydrogen .Timeline_messageSender.usercolor8 { color: var(--usercolor8); }
+
+
+.Timeline_messageBody .media {
+    display: grid;
+    margin-top: 4px;
+    width: 100%;
+}
+
+.Timeline_messageBody .media > a {
+    text-decoration: none;
+    width: 100%;
+    display: block;
+}
+
+/* .spacer grows with an inline padding-top to the size of the image,
+so the timeline doesn't jump when the image loads */
+.Timeline_messageBody .media > * {
+    grid-row: 1;
+    grid-column: 1;
+}
+
+.Timeline_messageBody .media img, .Timeline_messageBody .media video {
+    width: 100%;
+    height: auto;
+    /* for IE11 to still scale even though the spacer is too tall */
+    align-self: start;
+    border-radius: 4px;
+    display: block;
+}
+/* stretch the image (to the spacer) on platforms
+where we can trust the spacer to always have the correct height,
+otherwise the image starts with  height 0 and with loading=lazy
+only loads when the top comes into view*/
+.hydrogen:not(.legacy) .Timeline_messageBody .media img,
+.hydrogen:not(.legacy) .Timeline_messageBody .media video {
+    align-self: stretch;
+}
+
+.Timeline_messageBody .media > .sendStatus {
+    align-self: end;
+    justify-self: start;
+    font-size: 0.8em;
+}
+
+.Timeline_messageBody .media > progress {
+    align-self: center;
+    justify-self: center;
+    width: 75%;
+}
+
+.Timeline_messageBody .media > time {
+    align-self: end;
+    justify-self: end;
+}
+
+.Timeline_messageBody .media > time,
+.Timeline_messageBody .media > .sendStatus {
+    color: #2e2f32;
+    display: block;
+    padding: 2px;
+    margin: 4px;
+    background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.75);
+    border-radius: 4px;
+}
+.Timeline_messageBody .media > .spacer {
+    /* TODO: can we implement this with a pseudo element? or perhaps they are not grid items? */
+    width: 100%;
+    /* don't stretch height as it is a spacer, just in case it doesn't match with image height */
+    align-self: start;
+}
+
+.Timeline_messageBody.unsent .Timeline_messageBody {
+    color: #ccc;
+}
+
+.Timeline_messageBody.unverified .Timeline_messageBody {
+    color: #ff4b55;
+}
+
+.AnnouncementView {
+    margin: 5px 0;
+    padding: 5px 10%;
+}
+
+.AnnouncementView > div {
+    margin: 0 auto;
+    padding: 10px 20px;
+    background-color: rgba(245, 245, 245, 0.90);
+    text-align: center;
+    border-radius: 10px;
+}
+
+.GapView > :not(:first-child) {
+    margin-left: 12px;
+}
diff --git a/src/platform/web/ui/css/timeline.css b/src/platform/web/ui/css/timeline.css
index 5d082c08..60af23d9 100644
--- a/src/platform/web/ui/css/timeline.css
+++ b/src/platform/web/ui/css/timeline.css
@@ -43,11 +43,6 @@ limitations under the License.
     display: block;
 }
 
-.TextMessageView {
-    display: flex;
-    min-width: 0;
-}
-
 .AnnouncementView {
     display: flex;
     align-items: center;
diff --git a/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/BaseMediaView.js b/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/BaseMediaView.js
index b5b0ed4b..2b6b07e1 100644
--- a/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/BaseMediaView.js
+++ b/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/BaseMediaView.js
@@ -52,9 +52,9 @@ export class BaseMediaView extends TemplateView {
             });
             children.push(sendStatus, progress);
         }
-        return renderMessage(t, vm, [
+        return renderMessage(t, vm, t.div({className: "Timeline_messageBody"}, [
             t.div({className: "media", style: `max-width: ${vm.width}px`}, children),
             t.if(vm => vm.error, t => t.p({className: "error"}, vm.error))
-        ]);
+        ]));
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/FileView.js b/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/FileView.js
index 62760b3e..aecca858 100644
--- a/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/FileView.js
+++ b/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/FileView.js
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export class FileView extends TemplateView {
                 t.button({className: "link", onClick: () => vm.abortSending()}, vm.i18n`Cancel`),
             ]));
         } else {
-            return renderMessage(t, vm, t.p([
+            return renderMessage(t, vm, t.p({className: "Timeline_messageBody"}, [
                 t.button({className: "link", onClick: () => vm.download()}, vm => vm.label),
                 t.time(vm.date + " " + vm.time)
             ]));
diff --git a/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/MissingAttachmentView.js b/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/MissingAttachmentView.js
index 8df90131..8afdd6d4 100644
--- a/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/MissingAttachmentView.js
+++ b/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/MissingAttachmentView.js
@@ -20,6 +20,6 @@ import {renderMessage} from "./common.js";
 export class MissingAttachmentView extends TemplateView {
     render(t, vm) {
         const remove = t.button({className: "link", onClick: () => vm.abortSending()}, vm.i18n`Remove`);
-        return renderMessage(t, vm, t.p([vm.label, " ", remove]));
+        return renderMessage(t, vm, t.p({className: "Timeline_messageBody"}, [vm.label, " ", remove]));
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/RedactedView.js b/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/RedactedView.js
index 6e9bf105..cdc775b4 100644
--- a/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/RedactedView.js
+++ b/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/RedactedView.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export class RedactedView extends TemplateView {
     render(t, vm) {
         const cancelButton = t.if(vm => vm.isRedacting, t => t.button({onClick: () => vm.abortPendingRedaction()}, "Cancel"));
         return renderMessage(t, vm,
-            [t.p([vm => vm.description, " ", cancelButton, t.time({className: {hidden: !vm.date}}, vm.date + " " + vm.time)])]
+            t.p({className: "Timeline_messageBody"}, [vm => vm.description, " ", cancelButton])
         );
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/TextMessageView.js b/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/TextMessageView.js
index 6a3b8ed5..b1e7d13d 100644
--- a/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/TextMessageView.js
+++ b/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/TextMessageView.js
@@ -22,9 +22,8 @@ import {renderMessage} from "./common.js";
 export class TextMessageView extends TemplateView {
     render(t, vm) {
         const bodyView = t.mapView(vm => vm.body, body => new BodyView(body));
-        const redactButton = t.button({onClick: () => vm.redact()}, "Redact");
         return renderMessage(t, vm,
-            [t.p([bodyView, redactButton, t.time({className: {hidden: !vm.date}}, vm.date + " " + vm.time)])]
+            t.p({className: "Timeline_messageBody"}, [bodyView, t.time({className: {hidden: !vm.date}}, vm.date + " " + vm.time)])
         );
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/common.js b/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/common.js
index 3b53245e..e938eb63 100644
--- a/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/common.js
+++ b/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/common.js
@@ -17,23 +17,20 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 import {renderStaticAvatar} from "../../../avatar.js";
 
-export function renderMessage(t, vm, children) {
+export function renderMessage(t, vm, body) {
     const classes = {
-        "TextMessageView": true,
+        "Timeline_message": true,
         own: vm.isOwn,
         unsent: vm.isUnsent,
         unverified: vm.isUnverified,
         continuation: vm => vm.isContinuation,
         messageStatus: vm => vm.shape === "message-status" || vm.shape === "missing-attachment" || vm.shape === "file" || vm.shape === "redacted",
     };
-
-    const profile = t.div({className: "profile"}, [
-        renderStaticAvatar(vm, 30),
-        t.div({className: `sender usercolor${vm.avatarColorNumber}`}, vm.displayName)
+    return t.li({className: classes}, [
+        t.if(vm => !vm.isContinuation, t => renderStaticAvatar(vm, 30, "Timeline_messageAvatar")),
+        t.if(vm => !vm.isContinuation, t => t.div({className: `Timeline_messageSender usercolor${vm.avatarColorNumber}`}, vm.displayName)),
+        body,
+        // should be after body as it is overlayed on top
+        t.button({className: "Timeline_messageOptions"}, "⋮"),
     ]);
-    children = [profile].concat(children);
-    return t.li(
-        {className: classes},
-        t.div({className: "message-container"}, children)
-    );
 }