diff --git a/cairde.go b/cairde.go
index b5e77ca..b4ecf7e 100644
--- a/cairde.go
+++ b/cairde.go
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ type model struct {
 	input       textinput.Model
 	hiddenInput string
 
-	statusMsgs *[]string
+	statusBuffer chan string
 }
 
 func newModel(username, homeDir string) model {
@@ -144,11 +144,11 @@ func newModel(username, homeDir string) model {
 	input.Focus()
 
 	return model{
-		username:   username,
-		userDir:    path.Join(homeDir, "/.cairde/"),
-		connState:  offline,
-		input:      input,
-		statusMsgs: new([]string),
+		username:     username,
+		userDir:      path.Join(homeDir, "/.cairde/"),
+		connState:    offline,
+		input:        input,
+		statusBuffer: make(chan string),
 	}
 }
 
@@ -163,82 +163,89 @@ type appInitialisedMsg struct {
 	acn connectivity.ACN
 }
 
-func (m model) statusInfo(msg string) {
-	*m.statusMsgs = append(*m.statusMsgs, msg)
+func (m model) initApp() tea.Cmd {
+	return func() tea.Msg {
+		mrand.Seed(int64(time.Now().Nanosecond()))
+		port := mrand.Intn(1000) + 9600
+		controlPort := port + 1
+
+		key := make([]byte, 64)
+		_, err := rand.Read(key)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errMsg{Err: fmt.Errorf("unable to generate control port password: %s", err)}
+		}
+
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(path.Join(m.userDir, "/.tor", "tor"), 0700); err != nil {
+			return errMsg{Err: fmt.Errorf("unable to create tor directory: %s", err)}
+		}
+
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(path.Join(m.userDir, "profiles"), 0700); err != nil {
+			return errMsg{Err: fmt.Errorf("unable to create profiles directory: %s", err)}
+		}
+
+		if err := tor.NewTorrc().
+			WithSocksPort(port).
+			WithOnionTrafficOnly().
+			WithControlPort(controlPort).
+			WithHashedPassword(base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(key)).
+			Build(filepath.Join(m.userDir, ".tor", "tor", "torrc")); err != nil {
+			return errMsg{Err: fmt.Errorf("unable to initialise torrc builder: %s", err)}
+		}
+
+		m.statusBuffer <- "initialising Tor ACN..."
+		acn, err := tor.NewTorACNWithAuth(
+			path.Join(m.userDir, "/.tor"),
+			"",
+			path.Join(m.userDir, "/.tor", "data"),
+			controlPort,
+			tor.HashedPasswordAuthenticator{
+				Password: base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(key),
+			},
+		)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errMsg{Err: fmt.Errorf("unable to bootstrap tor: %s", err)}
+		}
+
+		m.statusBuffer <- "waiting for Tor ACN to bootstrap..."
+		if err := acn.WaitTillBootstrapped(); err != nil {
+			return errMsg{Err: fmt.Errorf("unable to initialise tor: %s", err)}
+		}
+
+		settingsFile, err := settings.InitGlobalSettingsFile(m.userDir, "")
+		if err != nil {
+			return errMsg{Err: fmt.Errorf("unable to initialise settings: %s", err)}
+		}
+		gSettings := settingsFile.ReadGlobalSettings()
+		gSettings.ExperimentsEnabled = false
+		gSettings.DownloadPath = "./"
+		settingsFile.WriteGlobalSettings(gSettings)
+
+		app := app.NewApp(acn, m.userDir, settingsFile)
+
+		engineHooks := connections.DefaultEngineHooks{}
+		app.InstallEngineHooks(engineHooks)
+
+		m.statusBuffer <- "the Tor ACN is up"
+
+		return appInitialisedMsg{
+			app: app,
+			acn: acn,
+		}
+	}
 }
 
-func (m model) initApp() tea.Msg {
-	mrand.Seed(int64(time.Now().Nanosecond()))
-	port := mrand.Intn(1000) + 9600
-	controlPort := port + 1
+type statusMsg struct{ msg string }
 
-	key := make([]byte, 64)
-	_, err := rand.Read(key)
-	if err != nil {
-		return errMsg{Err: fmt.Errorf("unable to generate control port password: %s", err)}
-	}
-
-	if err := os.MkdirAll(path.Join(m.userDir, "/.tor", "tor"), 0700); err != nil {
-		return errMsg{Err: fmt.Errorf("unable to create tor directory: %s", err)}
-	}
-
-	if err := os.MkdirAll(path.Join(m.userDir, "profiles"), 0700); err != nil {
-		return errMsg{Err: fmt.Errorf("unable to create profiles directory: %s", err)}
-	}
-
-	if err := tor.NewTorrc().
-		WithSocksPort(port).
-		WithOnionTrafficOnly().
-		WithControlPort(controlPort).
-		WithHashedPassword(base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(key)).
-		Build(filepath.Join(m.userDir, ".tor", "tor", "torrc")); err != nil {
-		return errMsg{Err: fmt.Errorf("unable to initialise torrc builder: %s", err)}
-	}
-
-	m.statusInfo("initialising Tor ACN...")
-	acn, err := tor.NewTorACNWithAuth(
-		path.Join(m.userDir, "/.tor"),
-		"",
-		path.Join(m.userDir, "/.tor", "data"),
-		controlPort,
-		tor.HashedPasswordAuthenticator{
-			Password: base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(key),
-		},
-	)
-	if err != nil {
-		return errMsg{Err: fmt.Errorf("unable to bootstrap tor: %s", err)}
-	}
-
-	m.statusInfo("waiting for Tor ACN to bootstrap...")
-	if err := acn.WaitTillBootstrapped(); err != nil {
-		return errMsg{Err: fmt.Errorf("unable to initialise tor: %s", err)}
-	}
-
-	settingsFile, err := settings.InitGlobalSettingsFile(m.userDir, "")
-	if err != nil {
-		return errMsg{Err: fmt.Errorf("unable to initialise settings: %s", err)}
-	}
-	gSettings := settingsFile.ReadGlobalSettings()
-	gSettings.ExperimentsEnabled = false
-	gSettings.DownloadPath = "./"
-	settingsFile.WriteGlobalSettings(gSettings)
-
-	app := app.NewApp(acn, m.userDir, settingsFile)
-
-	engineHooks := connections.DefaultEngineHooks{}
-	app.InstallEngineHooks(engineHooks)
-
-	m.statusInfo("the Tor ACN is up")
-
-	return appInitialisedMsg{
-		app: app,
-		acn: acn,
+func (m model) handleStatusMessage() tea.Cmd {
+	return func() tea.Msg {
+		return statusMsg{msg: <-m.statusBuffer}
 	}
 }
 
 func (m model) Init() tea.Cmd {
 	return tea.Batch(
 		textinput.Blink,
+		m.handleStatusMessage(),
 	)
 }
 
@@ -269,6 +276,7 @@ func (m model) shutdown() bool {
 
 	m.app.Shutdown()
 	m.acn.Close()
+	close(m.statusBuffer)
 
 	return true
 }
@@ -397,12 +405,6 @@ func (m model) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 		cmds []tea.Cmd
 	)
 
-	m.input, cmd = m.input.Update(msg)
-	cmds = append(cmds, cmd)
-
-	m.viewport, cmd = m.viewport.Update(msg)
-	cmds = append(cmds, cmd)
-
 	switch msg := msg.(type) {
 	case tea.WindowSizeMsg:
 		m.width = msg.Width - 2
@@ -452,7 +454,7 @@ func (m model) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 
 	case cmdMsg:
 		m.input.Reset()
-		m.statusInfo(msg.output)
+		m.statusBuffer <- msg.output
 
 	case shutdownMsg:
 		m.input.Reset()
@@ -465,7 +467,7 @@ func (m model) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 		m.input.Reset()
 
 		m.app.CreateProfile(msg.name, msg.password, false)
-		m.statusInfo(fmt.Sprintf("created new profile: %s", msg.name))
+		m.statusBuffer <- fmt.Sprintf("created new profile: %s", msg.name)
 
 		profiles := m.app.ListProfiles() // TODO
 		m.profiles = append(m.profiles, profile{
@@ -479,10 +481,10 @@ func (m model) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 
 		switch m.connState {
 		case offline:
-			m.statusInfo("offline, run /connect first?")
+			m.statusBuffer <- "offline, run /connect first?"
 			break
 		case connecting:
-			m.statusInfo("still connecting, hold on a sec...")
+			m.statusBuffer <- "still connecting, hold on a sec..."
 			break
 		}
 
@@ -500,7 +502,7 @@ func (m model) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 			for _, p := range unlocked {
 				names = append(names, p.name)
 			}
-			m.statusInfo(fmt.Sprintf("unlocked profile(s): %s", strings.Join(names, " ")))
+			m.statusBuffer <- fmt.Sprintf("unlocked profile(s): %s", strings.Join(names, " "))
 		}
 
 		m.profiles = unlocked
@@ -508,45 +510,54 @@ func (m model) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 	case profileInfoMsg:
 		m.input.Reset()
 		if m.connState != connected {
-			m.statusInfo("offline, run /connect first?")
+			m.statusBuffer <- "offline, run /connect first?"
 			break
 		}
 		if len(m.profiles) == 0 {
-			m.statusInfo("no profiles loaded")
+			m.statusBuffer <- "no profiles loaded"
 			break
 		}
 		profile := m.profiles[m.profileState]
-		m.statusInfo(fmt.Sprintf("profile onion: %s", profile.onion))
+		m.statusBuffer <- fmt.Sprintf("profile onion: %s", profile.onion)
+
+	case statusMsg:
+		existing := m.viewport.View()
+		m.viewport.SetContent(existing + "\n" + msg.msg)
+		m.viewport.GotoBottom()
+		cmds = append(cmds, m.handleStatusMessage())
 
 	case clearMsg:
 		m.input.Reset()
-		m.statusMsgs = new([]string)
+		m.viewport.SetContent("")
 		m.viewport.GotoBottom()
 
 	case connectMsg:
 		m.input.Reset()
-		cmds = append(cmds, m.initApp)
+		cmds = append(cmds, m.initApp())
 
 	case appInitialisedMsg:
 		m.app = msg.app
 		m.acn = msg.acn
 		m.connState = connected
-		m.statusInfo("create or unlock a profile to get started")
-		m.statusInfo("run /help to see the command listing")
+		m.statusBuffer <- "create or unlock a profile to get started"
+		m.statusBuffer <- "run /help to see the command listing"
 
 	case errMsg:
-		m.statusInfo(msg.Error())
+		m.statusBuffer <- msg.Error()
 	}
 
+	m.input, cmd = m.input.Update(msg)
+	cmds = append(cmds, cmd)
+
+	m.viewport, cmd = m.viewport.Update(msg)
+	cmds = append(cmds, cmd)
+
 	return m, tea.Batch(cmds...)
 }
 
 func (m model) View() string {
 	body := strings.Builder{}
 
-	// TODO: adjust when more panes are available
-	m.viewport.SetContent(strings.Join(*m.statusMsgs, "\n"))
-
 	channelBar := channelBarStyle.
 		Width(m.width).
 		AlignVertical(lipgloss.Center).