diff --git a/src/components/messageStream/MessageStream.tsx b/src/components/messageStream/MessageStream.tsx
index 9a7163f..8d38fef 100644
--- a/src/components/messageStream/MessageStream.tsx
+++ b/src/components/messageStream/MessageStream.tsx
@@ -86,6 +86,11 @@ export function MessageStream({ scope }: MessageStreamProps) {
   const handledTargetRef = useRef<string>("");
   const targetScrollTimersRef = useRef<number[]>([]);
   const targetScrollFrameRef = useRef<number | null>(null);
+  // Timestamp (perf clock) when the first batch of real items became visible
+  // for this target. Used to delay the deep-link smooth scroll until the
+  // initial Reveal in-view animations have had a moment to play, so the user
+  // sees content before the page starts moving.
+  const firstContentAtRef = useRef<number | null>(null);
 
   const clearTargetScrollTimers = () => {
     for (const timer of targetScrollTimersRef.current) {
@@ -100,10 +105,19 @@ export function MessageStream({ scope }: MessageStreamProps) {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     handledTargetRef.current = "";
+    firstContentAtRef.current = null;
     clearTargetScrollTimers();
     setIsAligningQueryTarget(false);
   }, [queryTargetPostId, targetPostId]);
 
+  // Mark when first real content becomes visible (skeletons gone, items in).
+  // Captured per-target via the reset above so a later navigation re-measures.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (items.length > 0 && !isLoading && firstContentAtRef.current === null) {
+      firstContentAtRef.current = performance.now();
+    }
+  }, [items.length, isLoading]);
+
   // Banner / deep-link arrivals (`?post=<id>`) should always begin the
   // smooth-scroll positioning from the top of the stream, so the user sees a
   // clear, satisfying journey to the target post instead of a tiny nudge when
@@ -190,17 +204,31 @@ export function MessageStream({ scope }: MessageStreamProps) {
         // duration of the animation so the page never feels frozen. Quiet
         // re-alignments run inside the lock window to absorb late image-shift
         // above the target; nothing nudges the user after the lock releases.
+        //
+        // Hold the animation until the page has had ~300ms after the first
+        // content paint, so the in-view Reveal staggers on the top bubbles
+        // have time to fade in. Otherwise the smooth scroll starts before the
+        // user can see anything, and the journey reads as "blank flash".
+        const REVEAL_SETTLE_MS = 300;
+        const elapsed =
+          firstContentAtRef.current !== null
+            ? performance.now() - firstContentAtRef.current
+            : 0;
+        const settle = Math.max(0, REVEAL_SETTLE_MS - elapsed);
+
         setIsAligningQueryTarget(true);
-        window.requestAnimationFrame(() =>
-          scrollToTarget(prefersReducedMotion ? "auto" : "smooth"),
-        );
         targetScrollTimersRef.current = [
-          window.setTimeout(() => scrollToTarget("auto"), 450),
-          window.setTimeout(() => scrollToTarget("auto"), 750),
+          window.setTimeout(() => {
+            window.requestAnimationFrame(() =>
+              scrollToTarget(prefersReducedMotion ? "auto" : "smooth"),
+            );
+          }, settle),
+          window.setTimeout(() => scrollToTarget("auto"), settle + 450),
+          window.setTimeout(() => scrollToTarget("auto"), settle + 750),
           window.setTimeout(() => {
             scrollToTarget("auto");
             setIsAligningQueryTarget(false);
-          }, 950),
+          }, settle + 950),
         ];
       } else {
         window.requestAnimationFrame(() =>