diff --git a/src/components/ChatViewer.tsx b/src/components/ChatViewer.tsx
index 41dac26..b816d90 100644
--- a/src/components/ChatViewer.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ChatViewer.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { useMemo, useState, memo, useCallback, useRef } from "react";
 import { use$ } from "applesauce-react/hooks";
 import { from } from "rxjs";
 import { Virtuoso, VirtuosoHandle } from "react-virtuoso";
-import { Reply, Zap } from "lucide-react";
+import { Loader2, Reply, Zap } from "lucide-react";
 import { getZapRequest } from "applesauce-common/helpers/zap";
 import accountManager from "@/services/accounts";
 import eventStore from "@/services/event-store";
@@ -358,6 +358,10 @@ export function ChatViewer({
   // Track reply context (which message is being replied to)
   const [replyTo, setReplyTo] = useState<string | undefined>();
 
+  // State for loading older messages
+  const [isLoadingOlder, setIsLoadingOlder] = useState(false);
+  const [hasMore, setHasMore] = useState(true);
+
   // Ref to Virtuoso for programmatic scrolling
   const virtuosoRef = useRef<VirtuosoHandle>(null);
 
@@ -399,6 +403,32 @@ export function ChatViewer({
     [messages],
   );
 
+  // Handle loading older messages
+  const handleLoadOlder = useCallback(async () => {
+    if (!conversation || !messages || messages.length === 0 || isLoadingOlder) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    setIsLoadingOlder(true);
+    try {
+      // Get the timestamp of the oldest message
+      const oldestMessage = messages[0];
+      const olderMessages = await adapter.loadMoreMessages(
+        conversation,
+        oldestMessage.timestamp,
+      );
+
+      // If we got fewer messages than expected, there might be no more
+      if (olderMessages.length < 50) {
+        setHasMore(false);
+      }
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.error("Failed to load older messages:", error);
+    } finally {
+      setIsLoadingOlder(false);
+    }
+  }, [conversation, messages, adapter, isLoadingOlder]);
+
   // Handle NIP badge click
   const handleNipClick = useCallback(() => {
     if (conversation?.protocol === "nip-29") {
@@ -564,6 +594,27 @@ export function ChatViewer({
             data={messagesWithMarkers}
             initialTopMostItemIndex={messagesWithMarkers.length - 1}
             followOutput="smooth"
+            components={{
+              Header: () =>
+                hasMore ? (
+                  <div className="flex justify-center py-2">
+                    <button
+                      onClick={handleLoadOlder}
+                      disabled={isLoadingOlder}
+                      className="text-xs text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground disabled:opacity-50 flex items-center gap-1"
+                    >
+                      {isLoadingOlder ? (
+                        <>
+                          <Loader2 className="size-3 animate-spin" />
+                          Loading...
+                        </>
+                      ) : (
+                        "Load older messages"
+                      )}
+                    </button>
+                  </div>
+                ) : null,
+            }}
             itemContent={(_index, item) => {
               if (item.type === "day-marker") {
                 return (
diff --git a/src/lib/chat/adapters/nip-29-adapter.ts b/src/lib/chat/adapters/nip-29-adapter.ts
index 663523b..6536b30 100644
--- a/src/lib/chat/adapters/nip-29-adapter.ts
+++ b/src/lib/chat/adapters/nip-29-adapter.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-import { Observable } from "rxjs";
-import { map, first } from "rxjs/operators";
+import { Observable, firstValueFrom } from "rxjs";
+import { map, first, toArray } from "rxjs/operators";
 import type { Filter } from "nostr-tools";
 import { nip19 } from "nostr-tools";
 import { ChatProtocolAdapter, type SendMessageOptions } from "./base-adapter";
@@ -369,11 +369,44 @@ export class Nip29Adapter extends ChatProtocolAdapter {
    * Load more historical messages (pagination)
    */
   async loadMoreMessages(
-    _conversation: Conversation,
-    _before: number,
+    conversation: Conversation,
+    before: number,
   ): Promise<Message[]> {
-    // For now, return empty - pagination to be implemented in Phase 6
-    return [];
+    const groupId = conversation.metadata?.groupId;
+    const relayUrl = conversation.metadata?.relayUrl;
+
+    if (!groupId || !relayUrl) {
+      throw new Error("Group ID and relay URL required");
+    }
+
+    console.log(
+      `[NIP-29] Loading older messages for ${groupId} before ${before}`,
+    );
+
+    // Same filter as loadMessages but with until for pagination
+    const filter: Filter = {
+      kinds: [9, 9000, 9001, 9321],
+      "#h": [groupId],
+      until: before,
+      limit: 50,
+    };
+
+    // One-shot request to fetch older messages
+    const events = await firstValueFrom(
+      pool.request([relayUrl], [filter], { eventStore }).pipe(toArray()),
+    );
+
+    console.log(`[NIP-29] Loaded ${events.length} older events`);
+
+    // Convert events to messages
+    const messages = events.map((event) => {
+      if (event.kind === 9321) {
+        return this.nutzapToMessage(event, conversation.id);
+      }
+      return this.eventToMessage(event, conversation.id);
+    });
+
+    return messages.sort((a, b) => a.timestamp - b.timestamp);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/lib/chat/adapters/nip-53-adapter.ts b/src/lib/chat/adapters/nip-53-adapter.ts
index 9d05b40..20a8ee7 100644
--- a/src/lib/chat/adapters/nip-53-adapter.ts
+++ b/src/lib/chat/adapters/nip-53-adapter.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-import { Observable } from "rxjs";
-import { map, first } from "rxjs/operators";
+import { Observable, firstValueFrom } from "rxjs";
+import { map, first, toArray } from "rxjs/operators";
 import type { Filter } from "nostr-tools";
 import { nip19 } from "nostr-tools";
 import { ChatProtocolAdapter, type SendMessageOptions } from "./base-adapter";
@@ -311,11 +311,64 @@ export class Nip53Adapter extends ChatProtocolAdapter {
    * Load more historical messages (pagination)
    */
   async loadMoreMessages(
-    _conversation: Conversation,
-    _before: number,
+    conversation: Conversation,
+    before: number,
   ): Promise<Message[]> {
-    // Pagination to be implemented later
-    return [];
+    const activityAddress = conversation.metadata?.activityAddress;
+    const liveActivity = conversation.metadata?.liveActivity as
+      | {
+          relays?: string[];
+        }
+      | undefined;
+
+    if (!activityAddress) {
+      throw new Error("Activity address required");
+    }
+
+    const { pubkey, identifier } = activityAddress;
+    const aTagValue = `30311:${pubkey}:${identifier}`;
+
+    // Get relays from live activity metadata or fall back to relayUrl
+    const relays = liveActivity?.relays || [];
+    if (relays.length === 0 && conversation.metadata?.relayUrl) {
+      relays.push(conversation.metadata.relayUrl);
+    }
+
+    if (relays.length === 0) {
+      throw new Error("No relays available for live chat");
+    }
+
+    console.log(
+      `[NIP-53] Loading older messages for ${aTagValue} before ${before}`,
+    );
+
+    // Same filter as loadMessages but with until for pagination
+    const filter: Filter = {
+      kinds: [1311, 9735],
+      "#a": [aTagValue],
+      until: before,
+      limit: 50,
+    };
+
+    // One-shot request to fetch older messages
+    const events = await firstValueFrom(
+      pool.request(relays, [filter], { eventStore }).pipe(toArray()),
+    );
+
+    console.log(`[NIP-53] Loaded ${events.length} older events`);
+
+    // Convert events to messages
+    const messages = events
+      .map((event) => {
+        if (event.kind === 9735) {
+          if (!isValidZap(event)) return null;
+          return this.zapToMessage(event, conversation.id);
+        }
+        return this.eventToMessage(event, conversation.id);
+      })
+      .filter((msg): msg is Message => msg !== null);
+
+    return messages.sort((a, b) => a.timestamp - b.timestamp);
   }
 
   /**