diff --git a/plugins/chat/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/chat-side-panel.gjs b/plugins/chat/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/chat-side-panel.gjs
index 978fd535a5d..f8478a1bb8e 100644
--- a/plugins/chat/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/chat-side-panel.gjs
+++ b/plugins/chat/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/chat-side-panel.gjs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export default class ChatSidePanel extends Component {
     }
 
     const validWidth = Math.min(
-      this.store.getObject("width"),
+      this.store.getObject("width") ?? MIN_PANEL_WIDTH,
       this.mainContainerWidth - MIN_PANEL_WIDTH
     );
 
diff --git a/plugins/chat/assets/stylesheets/common/chat-navbar.scss b/plugins/chat/assets/stylesheets/common/chat-navbar.scss
index 7e69ad14752..668bdd66c79 100644
--- a/plugins/chat/assets/stylesheets/common/chat-navbar.scss
+++ b/plugins/chat/assets/stylesheets/common/chat-navbar.scss
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
   background: var(--secondary);
   box-sizing: border-box;
   display: flex;
-  z-index: z("composer", "content") - 1;
   padding: 0 0.67em;
 
   &.-clickable {
diff --git a/plugins/chat/assets/stylesheets/common/chat-side-panel-resizer.scss b/plugins/chat/assets/stylesheets/common/chat-side-panel-resizer.scss
index f5f6bffd629..f6e3135e0f6 100644
--- a/plugins/chat/assets/stylesheets/common/chat-side-panel-resizer.scss
+++ b/plugins/chat/assets/stylesheets/common/chat-side-panel-resizer.scss
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   top: 0;
   bottom: 0;
   position: absolute;
-  z-index: z("composer", "content") - 1;
+  z-index: 1;
   transition: background-color 0.15s 0.15s;
   background-color: transparent;
 
diff --git a/plugins/chat/assets/stylesheets/desktop/chat-side-panel.scss b/plugins/chat/assets/stylesheets/desktop/chat-side-panel.scss
index 54fbb98d08d..e8051066232 100644
--- a/plugins/chat/assets/stylesheets/desktop/chat-side-panel.scss
+++ b/plugins/chat/assets/stylesheets/desktop/chat-side-panel.scss
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
   box-sizing: border-box;
   border-left: 1px solid var(--primary-low);
   position: relative;
-  min-width: 150px;
+  min-width: 250px;
 
   &__list {
     flex-grow: 1;