diff --git a/mitra_app/lib/features/chat/screens/mitra_chat_screen.dart b/mitra_app/lib/features/chat/screens/mitra_chat_screen.dart
index f9d95d8..8e8edc2 100644
--- a/mitra_app/lib/features/chat/screens/mitra_chat_screen.dart
+++ b/mitra_app/lib/features/chat/screens/mitra_chat_screen.dart
@@ -742,6 +742,11 @@ class _MitraChatBodyContentState extends ConsumerState<_MitraChatBodyContent> {
               Expanded(
                 child: Container(
                   height: 44,
+                  // alignment.center positions the TextField on the vertical
+                  // midline of the 44dp container. Without this, isDense's
+                  // small intrinsic height docks to the top of the parent
+                  // (no implicit vertical centering for Container children).
+                  alignment: Alignment.center,
                   padding: const EdgeInsets.symmetric(horizontal: 16),
                   decoration: const BoxDecoration(
                     // White bg so the pill stands out against the cream page
@@ -756,29 +761,37 @@ class _MitraChatBodyContentState extends ConsumerState<_MitraChatBodyContent> {
                       BorderSide(color: HaloTokens.border),
                     ),
                   ),
-                  // Center wrapper makes the TextField sit on the vertical
-                  // midline of the 44dp pill. `textAlignVertical: center`
-                  // + `isCollapsed: true` alone don't center against the
-                  // parent height — they only center within the field's
-                  // own intrinsic line-box, which then docks to the top of
-                  // the parent. Wrapping in Center delegates the vertical
-                  // alignment to the container's stack.
-                  child: Center(
-                    child: TextField(
-                      controller: widget.messageController,
-                      onChanged: widget.onTextChanged,
-                      textInputAction: TextInputAction.send,
-                      onSubmitted: (_) => widget.onSend(),
-                      style: const TextStyle(fontSize: 13.5, color: HaloTokens.ink),
-                      decoration: const InputDecoration(
-                        hintText: 'ketik balasan...',
-                        hintStyle: TextStyle(color: HaloTokens.inkMuted, fontSize: 13.5),
-                        isCollapsed: true,
-                        border: InputBorder.none,
-                        enabledBorder: InputBorder.none,
-                        focusedBorder: InputBorder.none,
-                        disabledBorder: InputBorder.none,
-                      ),
+                  // Vertical centering recipe: Container.alignment.center
+                  // positions the TextField on the midline; textAlignVertical
+                  // with a positive y (~0.4) nudges the baseline down so the
+                  // optical center of Latin lowercase glyphs lines up with
+                  // the pill midline, not just the baseline. With y=0 (true
+                  // center), the field's line-box centers but Latin text
+                  // bodies sit in the upper half because the baseline is at
+                  // ~75% of line height — leaving descender space empty
+                  // below. y=0.4 shifts down to match the visual midline.
+                  child: TextField(
+                    controller: widget.messageController,
+                    onChanged: widget.onTextChanged,
+                    textInputAction: TextInputAction.send,
+                    onSubmitted: (_) => widget.onSend(),
+                    maxLines: 1,
+                    textAlignVertical: const TextAlignVertical(y: 0.4),
+                    style: const TextStyle(
+                      fontSize: 13.5,
+                      color: HaloTokens.ink,
+                    ),
+                    decoration: const InputDecoration(
+                      hintText: 'ketik balasan...',
+                      hintStyle: TextStyle(color: HaloTokens.inkMuted, fontSize: 13.5),
+                      isDense: true,
+                      contentPadding: EdgeInsets.zero,
+                      border: InputBorder.none,
+                      enabledBorder: InputBorder.none,
+                      focusedBorder: InputBorder.none,
+                      disabledBorder: InputBorder.none,
+                      errorBorder: InputBorder.none,
+                      focusedErrorBorder: InputBorder.none,
                     ),
                   ),
                 ),