diff --git a/packages/client/src/components/App.tsx b/packages/client/src/components/App.tsx
index e162521..4a7d188 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/components/App.tsx
+++ b/packages/client/src/components/App.tsx
@@ -1,22 +1,128 @@
 import { Header } from "./Header";
-import { AppContext } from "../contexts/AppContext";
+import { AppContext, useAppContext } from "../contexts/AppContext";
 import { CanvasWrapper } from "./CanvasWrapper";
 import { TemplateContext } from "../contexts/TemplateContext";
 import { SettingsSidebar } from "./Settings/SettingsSidebar";
 import { DebugModal } from "./Debug/DebugModal";
 import { ToolbarWrapper } from "./Toolbar/ToolbarWrapper";
+import React, { lazy, useEffect } from "react";
+import { ChatContext } from "../contexts/ChatContext";
+
+const Chat = lazy(() => import("./Chat/Chat"));
+
+const DynamicallyLoadChat = () => {
+  const { loadChat } = useAppContext();
+
+  return <React.Suspense>{loadChat && <Chat />}</React.Suspense>;
+};
 
 const App = () => {
+  useEffect(() => {
+    // detect auth callback for chat, regardless of it being loaded
+    // callback token expires quickly, so we should exchange it as quick as possible
+    (async () => {
+      const params = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
+      if (params.has("loginToken")) {
+        // login button opens a new tab that redirects here
+        // if we're that tab, we should try to close this tab when we're done
+        // should work because this tab is opened by JS
+        const shouldCloseWindow =
+          window.location.pathname.startsWith("/chat_callback");
+
+        // token provided by matrix's /sso/redirect
+        const token = params.get("loginToken")!;
+
+        // immediately remove from url to prevent reloading
+        window.history.replaceState({}, "", "/");
+
+        const loginReq = await fetch(
+          `https://${import.meta.env.VITE_MATRIX_HOST}/_matrix/client/v3/login`,
+          {
+            method: "POST",
+            headers: {
+              "Content-Type": "application/json",
+            },
+            body: JSON.stringify({
+              type: "m.login.token",
+              token,
+            }),
+          }
+        );
+
+        const loginRes = await loginReq.json();
+
+        console.log("[Chat] Matrix login", loginReq.status);
+
+        switch (loginReq.status) {
+          case 200: {
+            // success
+            console.log("[Chat] Logged in successfully", loginRes);
+
+            localStorage.setItem(
+              "matrix.access_token",
+              loginRes.access_token + ""
+            );
+            localStorage.setItem("matrix.device_id", loginRes.device_id + "");
+            localStorage.setItem("matrix.user_id", loginRes.user_id + "");
+
+            if (shouldCloseWindow) {
+              console.log(
+                "[Chat] Path matches autoclose, attempting to close window..."
+              );
+              window.close();
+              alert("You can close this window and return to the other tab :)");
+            } else {
+              console.log(
+                "[Chat] Path doesn't match autoclose, not doing anything"
+              );
+            }
+            break;
+          }
+          case 400:
+          case 403:
+            console.log("[Chat] Matrix login", loginRes);
+            alert(
+              "[Chat] Failed to login\n" +
+                loginRes.errcode +
+                " " +
+                loginRes.error
+            );
+            break;
+          case 429:
+            alert(
+              "[Chat] Failed to login, ratelimited.\nTry again in " +
+                Math.floor(loginRes.retry_after_ms / 1000) +
+                "s\n" +
+                loginRes.errcode +
+                " " +
+                loginRes.error
+            );
+            break;
+          default:
+            alert(
+              "Error " +
+                loginReq.status +
+                " returned when trying to login to chat"
+            );
+        }
+      }
+    })();
+  }, []);
+
   return (
     <AppContext>
-      <TemplateContext>
-        <Header />
-        <CanvasWrapper />
-        <ToolbarWrapper />
+      <ChatContext>
+        <TemplateContext>
+          <Header />
+          <CanvasWrapper />
+          <ToolbarWrapper />
 
-        <DebugModal />
-        <SettingsSidebar />
-      </TemplateContext>
+          {/* <DynamicallyLoadChat /> */}
+
+          <DebugModal />
+          <SettingsSidebar />
+        </TemplateContext>
+      </ChatContext>
     </AppContext>
   );
 };
diff --git a/packages/client/src/components/Chat/Chat.tsx b/packages/client/src/components/Chat/Chat.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d270935
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/client/src/components/Chat/Chat.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+
+const Chat = () => {
+  const ref = useRef<HTMLDivElement | null>(null);
+
+  return (
+    <div ref={ref} style={{ position: "fixed", top: 0, left: 0, zIndex: 999 }}>
+      chat
+    </div>
+  );
+};
+
+export default Chat;
diff --git a/packages/client/src/components/Chat/InnerChatSettings.tsx b/packages/client/src/components/Chat/InnerChatSettings.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..090f6e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/client/src/components/Chat/InnerChatSettings.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import { Button } from "@nextui-org/react";
+import { useChatContext } from "../../contexts/ChatContext";
+
+const InnerChatSettings = () => {
+  const { user, doLogin, doLogout } = useChatContext();
+
+  return (
+    <>
+      {!user && <Button onClick={doLogin}>Login</Button>}
+      {user && (
+        <>
+          <div className="flex gap-1">
+            <div className="flex-grow">{user.userId}</div>
+            <Button onClick={doLogout}>Logout</Button>
+          </div>
+        </>
+      )}
+    </>
+  );
+};
+
+export default InnerChatSettings;
diff --git a/packages/client/src/components/Chat/OpenChatButton.tsx b/packages/client/src/components/Chat/OpenChatButton.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0d41b76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/client/src/components/Chat/OpenChatButton.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import { Badge, Button } from "@nextui-org/react";
+import { useChatContext } from "../../contexts/ChatContext";
+
+const OpenChatButton = () => {
+  const { notificationCount } = useChatContext();
+
+  return (
+    <Badge
+      content={notificationCount}
+      isInvisible={notificationCount === 0}
+      color="danger"
+      size="sm"
+    >
+      <Button>Chat</Button>
+    </Badge>
+  );
+};
+
+export default OpenChatButton;
diff --git a/packages/client/src/components/Header.tsx b/packages/client/src/components/Header.tsx
index 2f2788e..aed29a4 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/components/Header.tsx
+++ b/packages/client/src/components/Header.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,15 @@ import { Button } from "@nextui-org/react";
 import { useAppContext } from "../contexts/AppContext";
 import { User } from "./Header/User";
 import { Debug } from "@sc07-canvas/lib/src/debug";
+import React, { lazy } from "react";
+
+const OpenChatButton = lazy(() => import("./Chat/OpenChatButton"));
+
+const DynamicChat = () => {
+  const { loadChat } = useAppContext();
+
+  return <React.Suspense>{loadChat && <OpenChatButton />}</React.Suspense>;
+};
 
 export const Header = () => {
   const { setSettingsSidebar } = useAppContext();
@@ -14,6 +23,7 @@ export const Header = () => {
         <User />
         <Button onClick={() => setSettingsSidebar(true)}>Settings</Button>
         <Button onClick={() => Debug.openDebugTools()}>debug</Button>
+        <DynamicChat />
       </div>
     </header>
   );
diff --git a/packages/client/src/components/Settings/ChatSettings.tsx b/packages/client/src/components/Settings/ChatSettings.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..da65f53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/client/src/components/Settings/ChatSettings.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import { Switch } from "@nextui-org/react";
+import { useAppContext } from "../../contexts/AppContext";
+import React, { lazy } from "react";
+
+const InnerChatSettings = lazy(() => import("../Chat/InnerChatSettings"));
+
+export const ChatSettings = () => {
+  const { loadChat, setLoadChat } = useAppContext();
+
+  return (
+    <>
+      <header>
+        <Switch size="sm" isSelected={loadChat} onValueChange={setLoadChat} />
+        <h2>Chat</h2>
+      </header>
+      <section>
+        <React.Suspense>{loadChat && <InnerChatSettings />}</React.Suspense>
+      </section>
+    </>
+  );
+};
diff --git a/packages/client/src/components/Settings/SettingsSidebar.tsx b/packages/client/src/components/Settings/SettingsSidebar.tsx
index 09cdf3a..adbfd76 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/components/Settings/SettingsSidebar.tsx
+++ b/packages/client/src/components/Settings/SettingsSidebar.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { useAppContext } from "../../contexts/AppContext";
 import { TemplateSettings } from "./TemplateSettings";
 import { FontAwesomeIcon } from "@fortawesome/react-fontawesome";
 import { faXmark } from "@fortawesome/free-solid-svg-icons/faXmark";
+import { ChatSettings } from "./ChatSettings";
 
 export const SettingsSidebar = () => {
   const { settingsSidebar, setSettingsSidebar } = useAppContext();
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ export const SettingsSidebar = () => {
       </header>
       <section>abc</section>
       <TemplateSettings />
+      <ChatSettings />
     </div>
   );
 };
diff --git a/packages/client/src/contexts/AppContext.tsx b/packages/client/src/contexts/AppContext.tsx
index 1f4b590..e14b9c5 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/contexts/AppContext.tsx
+++ b/packages/client/src/contexts/AppContext.tsx
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ export const AppContext = ({ children }: PropsWithChildren) => {
   const [canvasPosition, setCanvasPosition] = useState<ICanvasPosition>();
   const [cursorPosition, setCursorPosition] = useState<IPosition>();
 
+  // --- settings ---
+  const [loadChat, _setLoadChat] = useState(false);
+
   const [pixels, setPixels] = useState({ available: 0 });
   const [undo, setUndo] = useState<{ available: true; expireAt: number }>();
 
@@ -31,6 +34,10 @@ export const AppContext = ({ children }: PropsWithChildren) => {
   const [settingsSidebar, setSettingsSidebar] = useState(false);
 
   useEffect(() => {
+    function loadSettings() {
+      setLoadChat(localStorage.getItem("matrix.enable") === "true");
+    }
+
     function handleConfig(config: ClientConfig) {
       console.info("Server sent config", config);
       setConfig(config);
@@ -62,6 +69,8 @@ export const AppContext = ({ children }: PropsWithChildren) => {
 
     Network.socket.connect();
 
+    loadSettings();
+
     return () => {
       Network.off("user", handleUser);
       Network.off("config", handleConfig);
@@ -69,6 +78,11 @@ export const AppContext = ({ children }: PropsWithChildren) => {
     };
   }, []);
 
+  const setLoadChat = (v: boolean) => {
+    _setLoadChat(v);
+    localStorage.setItem("matrix.enable", v ? "true" : "false");
+  };
+
   return (
     <appContext.Provider
       value={{
@@ -82,6 +96,8 @@ export const AppContext = ({ children }: PropsWithChildren) => {
         settingsSidebar,
         setSettingsSidebar,
         undo,
+        loadChat,
+        setLoadChat,
       }}
     >
       {config ? children : "Loading..."}
diff --git a/packages/client/src/contexts/ChatContext.tsx b/packages/client/src/contexts/ChatContext.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9e5adcf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/client/src/contexts/ChatContext.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+import {
+  PropsWithChildren,
+  createContext,
+  useContext,
+  useEffect,
+  useRef,
+  useState,
+} from "react";
+
+interface IMatrixUser {
+  userId: string;
+}
+
+export interface IChatContext {
+  user?: IMatrixUser;
+  notificationCount: number;
+
+  doLogin: () => void;
+  doLogout: () => Promise<void>;
+}
+
+const chatContext = createContext<IChatContext>({} as any);
+
+export const useChatContext = () => useContext(chatContext);
+
+export const ChatContext = ({ children }: PropsWithChildren) => {
+  const checkInterval = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setInterval>>();
+  const checkNotifs = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setInterval>>();
+
+  const [user, setUser] = useState<IMatrixUser>();
+  const [notifs, setNotifs] = useState(0);
+
+  const doLogin = () => {
+    const redirectUrl =
+      window.location.protocol + "//" + window.location.host + "/chat_callback";
+
+    window.addEventListener("focus", handleWindowFocus);
+    checkInterval.current = setInterval(checkForAccessToken, 500);
+
+    window.open(
+      `https://${import.meta.env.VITE_MATRIX_HOST}/_matrix/client/v3/login/sso/redirect?redirectUrl=${encodeURIComponent(redirectUrl)}`,
+      "_blank"
+    );
+  };
+
+  const doLogout = async () => {
+    await fetch(
+      `https://${import.meta.env.VITE_MATRIX_HOST}/_matrix/client/v3/logout`,
+      {
+        method: "POST",
+        headers: {
+          Authorization:
+            "Bearer " + localStorage.getItem("matrix.access_token"),
+        },
+      }
+    );
+
+    localStorage.removeItem("matrix.access_token");
+    localStorage.removeItem("matrix.device_id");
+    localStorage.removeItem("matrix.user_id");
+    setUser(undefined);
+  };
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    checkForAccessToken();
+    checkNotifs.current = setInterval(checkForNotifs, 1000);
+
+    return () => {
+      window.removeEventListener("focus", handleWindowFocus);
+      if (checkInterval.current) clearInterval(checkInterval.current);
+      if (checkNotifs.current) clearInterval(checkNotifs.current);
+    };
+  }, []);
+
+  const handleWindowFocus = () => {
+    console.log("[Chat] Window has gained focus");
+
+    checkForAccessToken();
+  };
+
+  const checkForAccessToken = () => {
+    const accessToken = localStorage.getItem("matrix.access_token");
+    const deviceId = localStorage.getItem("matrix.device_id");
+    const userId = localStorage.getItem("matrix.user_id");
+
+    if (!accessToken || !deviceId || !userId) return;
+
+    // access token acquired
+
+    window.removeEventListener("focus", handleWindowFocus);
+    if (checkInterval.current) clearInterval(checkInterval.current);
+
+    console.log("[Chat] access token has been acquired");
+    setUser({ userId });
+  };
+
+  const checkForNotifs = async () => {
+    const accessToken = localStorage.getItem("matrix.access_token");
+    if (!accessToken) return;
+
+    const notifReq = await fetch(
+      `https://${import.meta.env.VITE_MATRIX_HOST}/_matrix/client/v3/notifications?limit=10`,
+      {
+        headers: {
+          Authorization: "Bearer " + accessToken,
+        },
+      }
+    );
+
+    const notifRes = await notifReq.json();
+
+    const notificationCount =
+      notifRes?.notifications?.filter((n: any) => !n.read).length || 0;
+    setNotifs(notificationCount);
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <chatContext.Provider
+      value={{ user, notificationCount: notifs, doLogin, doLogout }}
+    >
+      {children}
+    </chatContext.Provider>
+  );
+};
diff --git a/packages/client/src/vite-env.d.ts b/packages/client/src/vite-env.d.ts
index 58fa559..ada34ba 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/vite-env.d.ts
+++ b/packages/client/src/vite-env.d.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 interface ImportMetaEnv {
   readonly VITE_API_HOST: string;
+  readonly VITE_MATRIX_HOST: string;
 }
 
 interface ImportMeta {