diff --git a/freedata_gui/src/components/chat_conversations.vue b/freedata_gui/src/components/chat_conversations.vue
index 4e6d7111..146dd68d 100644
--- a/freedata_gui/src/components/chat_conversations.vue
+++ b/freedata_gui/src/components/chat_conversations.vue
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ function newChat() {
   if (callsign === "") return;
   this.newChatCall.value = "";
 }
+
 </script>
 
 <template>
diff --git a/freedata_gui/src/js/messagesHandler.ts b/freedata_gui/src/js/messagesHandler.ts
index 6651c487..e1171c7b 100644
--- a/freedata_gui/src/js/messagesHandler.ts
+++ b/freedata_gui/src/js/messagesHandler.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,12 @@ export async function processFreedataMessages(data) {
   ) {
     chatStore.callsign_list = createCallsignListFromAPI(data);
     chatStore.sorted_chat_list = createSortedMessagesList(data);
+
+    // also update the selectedCallsign - if its undefined, then we select the first available callsign
+    if (typeof chatStore.selectedCallsign == "undefined"){
+        chatStore.selectedCallsign = Object.keys(chatStore.sorted_chat_list)[0]
+    }
+
   }
 }