diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageDepthGuides.tsx b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageDepthGuides.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..976ab09ddf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageDepthGuides.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+import * as React from "react";
+
+import {
+  threadReplyLength,
+  THREAD_REPLY_LINE_WIDTH_REM,
+} from "@/features/messages/lib/threadTreeLayout";
+import type { TimelineMessage } from "@/features/messages/types";
+import { cn } from "@/shared/lib/cn";
+
+type DepthGuideAction = {
+  active?: boolean;
+  depth: number;
+  label: string;
+  message: TimelineMessage;
+};
+
+export function MessageDepthGuides({
+  collapseDepthGuideActionsByDepth,
+  depthGuideItems,
+  guideBleedRem,
+  highlightThreadLineDepths,
+  messageId,
+  onCollapse,
+  onHoverChange,
+}: {
+  collapseDepthGuideActionsByDepth: ReadonlyMap<number, DepthGuideAction>;
+  depthGuideItems: ReadonlyArray<{ depth: number; offset: number }>;
+  guideBleedRem: number;
+  highlightThreadLineDepths?: ReadonlyArray<number>;
+  messageId: string;
+  onCollapse: (
+    event: React.MouseEvent<HTMLButtonElement>,
+    message: TimelineMessage,
+  ) => void;
+  onHoverChange: (message: TimelineMessage, active: boolean) => void;
+}) {
+  return (
+    <div
+      aria-hidden={collapseDepthGuideActionsByDepth.size > 0 ? undefined : true}
+      className={cn(
+        "absolute left-0",
+        collapseDepthGuideActionsByDepth.size === 0 && "pointer-events-none",
+      )}
+      style={{
+        bottom: threadReplyLength(-guideBleedRem),
+        top: threadReplyLength(-guideBleedRem),
+      }}
+    >
+      {depthGuideItems.map(({ depth, offset }) => {
+        const collapseAction = collapseDepthGuideActionsByDepth.get(depth);
+        const isHighlighted =
+          Boolean(collapseAction?.active) ||
+          Boolean(highlightThreadLineDepths?.includes(depth));
+        if (collapseAction) {
+          return (
+            <React.Fragment key={`${messageId}-depth-guide-${offset}`}>
+              <div
+                aria-hidden
+                className={cn(
+                  "pointer-events-none absolute bottom-0 top-0 border-l transition-[border-color]",
+                  isHighlighted ? "border-primary" : "border-border/45",
+                )}
+                style={{
+                  borderLeftWidth: threadReplyLength(
+                    THREAD_REPLY_LINE_WIDTH_REM,
+                  ),
+                  left: threadReplyLength(offset),
+                }}
+              />
+              <button
+                aria-label={collapseAction.label}
+                className="absolute bottom-0 top-0 z-20 w-5 -translate-x-1/2 cursor-pointer rounded-full focus-visible:outline-hidden"
+                data-thread-head-id={collapseAction.message.id}
+                data-testid="thread-collapse-guide"
+                onBlur={() => onHoverChange(collapseAction.message, false)}
+                onClick={(event) => onCollapse(event, collapseAction.message)}
+                onFocus={() => onHoverChange(collapseAction.message, true)}
+                onMouseEnter={() => onHoverChange(collapseAction.message, true)}
+                onMouseLeave={() =>
+                  onHoverChange(collapseAction.message, false)
+                }
+                style={{ left: threadReplyLength(offset) }}
+                type="button"
+              />
+            </React.Fragment>
+          );
+        }
+
+        return (
+          <div
+            aria-hidden
+            className={cn(
+              "pointer-events-none absolute bottom-0 top-0 border-l transition-[border-color]",
+              isHighlighted ? "border-primary" : "border-border/45",
+            )}
+            key={`${messageId}-depth-guide-${offset}`}
+            style={{
+              borderLeftWidth: threadReplyLength(THREAD_REPLY_LINE_WIDTH_REM),
+              left: threadReplyLength(offset),
+            }}
+          />
+        );
+      })}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageRow.tsx b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageRow.tsx
index 2593846193..4c40c58cee 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageRow.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageRow.tsx
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ import { hasLinkPreviewSuppression } from "@/features/messages/lib/formatTimelin
 import { toast } from "sonner";
 import { MessageAgentOwner } from "./MessageAgentOwner";
 import { MessageAuthorText, MessageHeaderRow } from "./MessageHeader";
+import { MessageDepthGuides } from "./MessageDepthGuides";
 import { MessageStatusMetadata } from "./MessageStatusMetadata";
 import { MessageTimestamp } from "./MessageTimestamp";
 import { SentFromThreadLine } from "./SentFromThreadLine";
@@ -730,99 +731,15 @@ export const MessageRow = React.memo(
         }
       >
         {showDepthGuides && depthGuideItems.length > 0 ? (
-          <div
-            aria-hidden={
-              collapseDepthGuideActionsByDepth.size > 0 ? undefined : true
-            }
-            className={cn(
-              "absolute left-0",
-              collapseDepthGuideActionsByDepth.size === 0 &&
-                "pointer-events-none",
-            )}
-            style={{
-              bottom: threadReplyLength(-guideBleedRem),
-              top: threadReplyLength(-guideBleedRem),
-            }}
-          >
-            {depthGuideItems.map(({ depth, offset }) => {
-              const collapseAction =
-                collapseDepthGuideActionsByDepth.get(depth);
-              const isHighlighted =
-                Boolean(collapseAction?.active) ||
-                Boolean(highlightThreadLineDepths?.includes(depth));
-              if (collapseAction) {
-                return (
-                  <React.Fragment key={`${message.id}-depth-guide-${offset}`}>
-                    <div
-                      aria-hidden
-                      className={cn(
-                        "pointer-events-none absolute bottom-0 top-0 border-l transition-[border-color]",
-                        isHighlighted ? "border-primary" : "border-border/45",
-                      )}
-                      style={{
-                        borderLeftWidth: threadReplyLength(
-                          THREAD_REPLY_LINE_WIDTH_REM,
-                        ),
-                        left: threadReplyLength(offset),
-                      }}
-                    />
-                    <button
-                      aria-label={collapseAction.label}
-                      className="absolute bottom-0 top-0 z-20 w-5 -translate-x-1/2 cursor-pointer rounded-full focus-visible:outline-hidden"
-                      data-thread-head-id={collapseAction.message.id}
-                      data-testid="thread-collapse-guide"
-                      onBlur={() =>
-                        handleCollapseDepthGuideHoverChange(
-                          collapseAction.message,
-                          false,
-                        )
-                      }
-                      onClick={(event) =>
-                        handleCollapseDepthGuide(event, collapseAction.message)
-                      }
-                      onFocus={() =>
-                        handleCollapseDepthGuideHoverChange(
-                          collapseAction.message,
-                          true,
-                        )
-                      }
-                      onMouseEnter={() =>
-                        handleCollapseDepthGuideHoverChange(
-                          collapseAction.message,
-                          true,
-                        )
-                      }
-                      onMouseLeave={() =>
-                        handleCollapseDepthGuideHoverChange(
-                          collapseAction.message,
-                          false,
-                        )
-                      }
-                      style={{ left: threadReplyLength(offset) }}
-                      type="button"
-                    />
-                  </React.Fragment>
-                );
-              }
-
-              return (
-                <div
-                  aria-hidden
-                  className={cn(
-                    "pointer-events-none absolute bottom-0 top-0 border-l transition-[border-color]",
-                    isHighlighted ? "border-primary" : "border-border/45",
-                  )}
-                  key={`${message.id}-depth-guide-${offset}`}
-                  style={{
-                    borderLeftWidth: threadReplyLength(
-                      THREAD_REPLY_LINE_WIDTH_REM,
-                    ),
-                    left: threadReplyLength(offset),
-                  }}
-                />
-              );
-            })}
-          </div>
+          <MessageDepthGuides
+            collapseDepthGuideActionsByDepth={collapseDepthGuideActionsByDepth}
+            depthGuideItems={depthGuideItems}
+            guideBleedRem={guideBleedRem}
+            highlightThreadLineDepths={highlightThreadLineDepths}
+            messageId={message.id}
+            onCollapse={handleCollapseDepthGuide}
+            onHoverChange={handleCollapseDepthGuideHoverChange}
+          />
         ) : null}
         {showDepthGuides && descendantGuideOffsetRem !== null ? (
           <>