diff --git a/osu.Game/Overlays/Chat/DrawableChannel.cs b/osu.Game/Overlays/Chat/DrawableChannel.cs
index 50c849f00e..0cd6b8dd3a 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Overlays/Chat/DrawableChannel.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Overlays/Chat/DrawableChannel.cs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq;
+using osu.Framework.Allocation;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics.Containers;
 using osu.Game.Online.Chat;
@@ -43,11 +44,15 @@ namespace osu.Game.Overlays.Chat
             channel.NewMessagesArrived += newMessagesArrived;
         }
 
+        [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
+        private void load()
+        {
+            newMessagesArrived(Channel.Messages);
+        }
+
         protected override void LoadComplete()
         {
             base.LoadComplete();
-
-            newMessagesArrived(Channel.Messages);
             scrollToEnd();
         }
 
@@ -59,13 +64,13 @@ namespace osu.Game.Overlays.Chat
 
         private void newMessagesArrived(IEnumerable<Message> newMessages)
         {
-            if (!IsLoaded) return;
-
             var displayMessages = newMessages.Skip(Math.Max(0, newMessages.Count() - Channel.MAX_HISTORY));
 
             //up to last Channel.MAX_HISTORY messages
             flow.Add(displayMessages.Select(m => new ChatLine(m)));
 
+            if (!IsLoaded) return;
+
             if (scroll.IsScrolledToEnd(10) || !flow.Children.Any())
                 scrollToEnd();
 
diff --git a/osu.Game/Overlays/ChatOverlay.cs b/osu.Game/Overlays/ChatOverlay.cs
index a9970e5e95..f81c0ea922 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Overlays/ChatOverlay.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Overlays/ChatOverlay.cs
@@ -266,20 +266,30 @@ namespace osu.Game.Overlays
 
                 if (channelTabs.ChannelSelectorActive) return;
 
-                if (currentChannel != null)
-                    currentChannelContainer.Clear(false);
-
                 currentChannel = value;
 
+                inputTextBox.Current.Disabled = currentChannel.ReadOnly;
+                channelTabs.Current.Value = value;
+
                 var loaded = loadedChannels.Find(d => d.Channel == value);
                 if (loaded == null)
-                    loadedChannels.Add(loaded = new DrawableChannel(currentChannel));
+                {
+                    currentChannelContainer.FadeOut(500, EasingTypes.OutQuint);
 
-                inputTextBox.Current.Disabled = currentChannel.ReadOnly;
-
-                currentChannelContainer.Add(loaded);
-
-                channelTabs.Current.Value = value;
+                    loaded = new DrawableChannel(currentChannel);
+                    loadedChannels.Add(loaded);
+                    LoadComponentAsync(loaded, l =>
+                    {
+                        currentChannelContainer.Clear(false);
+                        currentChannelContainer.Add(l);
+                        currentChannelContainer.FadeIn(500, EasingTypes.OutQuint);
+                    });
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    currentChannelContainer.Clear(false);
+                    currentChannelContainer.Add(loaded);
+                }
             }
         }