diff --git a/app/src/main/java/io/xeres/app/configuration/WebSocketMessageBrokerConfiguration.java b/app/src/main/java/io/xeres/app/configuration/WebSocketMessageBrokerConfiguration.java
index 8b4b43a2..ca4dfa2f 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/io/xeres/app/configuration/WebSocketMessageBrokerConfiguration.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/io/xeres/app/configuration/WebSocketMessageBrokerConfiguration.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
 import org.springframework.context.event.EventListener;
 import org.springframework.messaging.simp.config.MessageBrokerRegistry;
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@
 import org.springframework.web.socket.messaging.SessionDisconnectEvent;
 import org.springframework.web.socket.messaging.SessionSubscribeEvent;
 import org.springframework.web.socket.messaging.SessionUnsubscribeEvent;
+import org.springframework.web.socket.server.standard.ServletServerContainerFactoryBean;
 
 import static io.xeres.common.message.MessagePath.APP_PREFIX;
 import static io.xeres.common.message.MessagePath.BROKER_PREFIX;
@@ -46,6 +48,16 @@ public class WebSocketMessageBrokerConfiguration implements WebSocketMessageBrok
 {
 	private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(WebSocketMessageBrokerConfiguration.class);
 
+	// See https://stackoverflow.com/questions/21730566/how-to-increase-output-buffer-for-spring-sockjs-websocket-server-implementation
+	@Bean
+	public ServletServerContainerFactoryBean createServletServerContainerFactoryBean()
+	{
+		var container = new ServletServerContainerFactoryBean();
+		container.setMaxTextMessageBufferSize(MAXIMUM_MESSAGE_SIZE);
+		container.setMaxBinaryMessageBufferSize(MAXIMUM_MESSAGE_SIZE);
+		return container;
+	}
+
 	@Override
 	public void registerStompEndpoints(StompEndpointRegistry registry)
 	{
diff --git a/ui/src/main/java/io/xeres/ui/client/message/MessageClient.java b/ui/src/main/java/io/xeres/ui/client/message/MessageClient.java
index 797f50a4..59f0e8e8 100644
--- a/ui/src/main/java/io/xeres/ui/client/message/MessageClient.java
+++ b/ui/src/main/java/io/xeres/ui/client/message/MessageClient.java
@@ -195,16 +195,14 @@ private void performPendingSubscriptions(StompSession session)
 	@EventListener
 	public void onApplicationEvent(ContextClosedEvent ignored) // we don't use @PreDestroy because the tomcat context is closed before that
 	{
-		// Only disconnects gracefully on the remote scenario because on the local
-		// one, the WebSocket will already be closed anyway.
-		if (future != null && RemoteUtils.isRemoteUiClient())
+		if (future != null)
 		{
 			try
 			{
-				subscriptions.forEach(StompSession.Subscription::unsubscribe); // if the connection is already closed (likely when running on the same host), we catch the MessageDeliveryException below
+				subscriptions.forEach(StompSession.Subscription::unsubscribe); // if the connection is already closed (likely when running on the same host), we catch the MessageDeliveryException below as well as IllegalStateException
 				future.get().disconnect();
 			}
-			catch (MessageDeliveryException | ExecutionException ignoredException)
+			catch (MessageDeliveryException | IllegalStateException | ExecutionException ignoredException)
 			{
 				// Nothing we can do
 			}
diff --git a/ui/src/main/java/io/xeres/ui/client/message/SessionHandler.java b/ui/src/main/java/io/xeres/ui/client/message/SessionHandler.java
index 87416631..66ec2ad9 100644
--- a/ui/src/main/java/io/xeres/ui/client/message/SessionHandler.java
+++ b/ui/src/main/java/io/xeres/ui/client/message/SessionHandler.java
@@ -19,7 +19,10 @@
 
 package io.xeres.ui.client.message;
 
+import io.xeres.ui.support.util.UiUtils;
 import jakarta.annotation.Nonnull;
+import javafx.application.Platform;
+import javafx.scene.control.Alert;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 import org.springframework.messaging.simp.stomp.*;
@@ -58,7 +61,8 @@ public void handleTransportError(@Nonnull StompSession session, @Nonnull Throwab
 	{
 		if (exception instanceof ConnectionLostException)
 		{
-			log.debug("Connection closed");
+			log.debug("Connection closed: {}", exception.getMessage());
+			Platform.runLater(() -> UiUtils.alert(Alert.AlertType.ERROR, "WebSocket connection lost. Chat messages won't work anymore. Relaunch to fix."));
 		}
 		else
 		{