diff --git a/.changeset/feat-dm-message-preview.md b/.changeset/feat-dm-message-preview.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ab8e37801
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/feat-dm-message-preview.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@sable/client': minor
+---
+
+feat(dm-list): show last-message preview below DM room name
diff --git a/src/app/features/room-nav/RoomNavItem.tsx b/src/app/features/room-nav/RoomNavItem.tsx
index 15e615720..2093cfd2d 100644
--- a/src/app/features/room-nav/RoomNavItem.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/room-nav/RoomNavItem.tsx
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ import { CallControlState } from '$plugins/call/CallControlState';
 import { useAutoDiscoveryInfo } from '$hooks/useAutoDiscoveryInfo';
 import { livekitSupport } from '$hooks/useLivekitSupport';
 import { Presence, useUserPresence } from '$hooks/useUserPresence';
+import { useRoomLastMessage } from '$hooks/useRoomLastMessage';
 import { StateEvent } from '$types/matrix/room';
 import { AvatarPresence, PresenceBadge } from '$components/presence';
 import { RoomNavUser } from './RoomNavUser';
@@ -264,6 +265,7 @@ type RoomNavItemProps = {
   showAvatar?: boolean;
   direct?: boolean;
   customDMCards?: boolean;
+  dmMessagePreview?: boolean;
 };
 
 export function RoomNavItem({
@@ -272,6 +274,7 @@ export function RoomNavItem({
   showAvatar,
   direct,
   customDMCards,
+  dmMessagePreview = true,
   notificationMode,
   linkPath,
 }: RoomNavItemProps) {
@@ -293,12 +296,13 @@ export function RoomNavItem({
   const matrixRoomName = useRoomName(room);
   const roomName = (dmUserId && nicknames[dmUserId]) || matrixRoomName;
   const presence = useUserPresence(dmUserId ?? '');
+  const lastMessage = useRoomLastMessage(direct && dmMessagePreview ? room : undefined, mx);
   const [topicEvent, setTopicEvent] = useState(getStateEvent(room, StateEvent.RoomTopic));
 
   // Ensures that the description does not stick to the position the room is in the row
   useEffect(() => setTopicEvent(getStateEvent(room, StateEvent.RoomTopic)), [room, setTopicEvent]);
   const roomDescription = direct
-    ? (customDMCards && (topicEvent?.getContent().topic as string)) || presence?.status
+    ? (customDMCards && (topicEvent?.getContent().topic as string)) || lastMessage
     : undefined;
 
   const { navigateRoom } = useRoomNavigate();
diff --git a/src/app/features/settings/cosmetics/Themes.tsx b/src/app/features/settings/cosmetics/Themes.tsx
index f543a19ea..c48896651 100644
--- a/src/app/features/settings/cosmetics/Themes.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/settings/cosmetics/Themes.tsx
@@ -482,6 +482,7 @@ function PageZoomInput() {
 export function Appearance() {
   const [twitterEmoji, setTwitterEmoji] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'twitterEmoji');
   const [customDMCards, setCustomDMCards] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'customDMCards');
+  const [dmMessagePreview, setDmMessagePreview] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'dmMessagePreview');
   const [showEasterEggs, setShowEasterEggs] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'showEasterEggs');
   const [closeFoldersByDefault, setCloseFoldersByDefault] = useSetting(
     settingsAtom,
@@ -529,6 +530,17 @@ export function Appearance() {
           />
         </SequenceCard>
 
+        <SequenceCard className={SequenceCardStyle} variant="SurfaceVariant" direction="Column">
+          <SettingTile
+            title="DM Message Preview"
+            focusId="dm-message-preview"
+            description="Show a preview of the last message below DM room names."
+            after={
+              <Switch variant="Primary" value={dmMessagePreview} onChange={setDmMessagePreview} />
+            }
+          />
+        </SequenceCard>
+
         <SequenceCard className={SequenceCardStyle} variant="SurfaceVariant" direction="Column">
           <SettingTile
             title="Show Easter Eggs"
diff --git a/src/app/hooks/useRoomLastMessage.ts b/src/app/hooks/useRoomLastMessage.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..145ff1d64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/hooks/useRoomLastMessage.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+import {
+  MatrixClient,
+  MatrixEvent,
+  MatrixEventEvent,
+  MsgType,
+  Room,
+  RoomEvent as RoomEventEnum,
+} from '$types/matrix-sdk';
+import { MessageEvent } from '$types/matrix/room';
+
+function eventToPreviewText(ev: MatrixEvent): string | undefined {
+  if (ev.isRedacted()) return undefined;
+
+  const type = ev.getType();
+
+  if (type === MessageEvent.RoomMessageEncrypted) return '🔒 Encrypted message';
+
+  if (type === MessageEvent.RoomMessage) {
+    const content = ev.getContent();
+    const { msgtype } = content;
+    if (msgtype === MsgType.Text || msgtype === MsgType.Emote || msgtype === MsgType.Notice) {
+      return content.body;
+    }
+    if (msgtype === MsgType.Image) return '📷 Image';
+    if (msgtype === MsgType.Video) return '📹 Video';
+    if (msgtype === MsgType.Audio) return '🎵 Audio';
+    if (msgtype === MsgType.File) return '📎 File';
+  }
+
+  if (type === MessageEvent.Sticker) {
+    return `🎉 ${ev.getContent().body ?? 'Sticker'}`;
+  }
+
+  return undefined;
+}
+
+function getLastMessageText(room: Room, mx: MatrixClient): string | undefined {
+  const events = room.getLiveTimeline().getEvents();
+  const match = [...events].reverse().find((ev) => eventToPreviewText(ev) !== undefined);
+  if (!match) return undefined;
+  const text = eventToPreviewText(match);
+  if (!text) return undefined;
+
+  const senderId = match.getSender();
+  let prefix: string;
+  if (senderId === mx.getUserId()) {
+    prefix = 'You';
+  } else {
+    prefix = room.getMember(senderId ?? '')?.name ?? senderId ?? 'Unknown';
+  }
+  return `${prefix}: ${text}`;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Reactively returns a human-readable preview of the last message in a room's
+ * live timeline, prefixed with "You:" or the sender's display name.
+ * Listens to Timeline events so the preview updates as messages arrive.
+ * Pass `undefined` for room to disable (returns `undefined`).
+ */
+export function useRoomLastMessage(
+  room: Room | undefined,
+  mx: MatrixClient | undefined
+): string | undefined {
+  const [text, setText] = useState<string | undefined>(() =>
+    room && mx ? getLastMessageText(room, mx) : undefined
+  );
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!room || !mx) {
+      setText(undefined);
+      return undefined;
+    }
+    setText(getLastMessageText(room, mx));
+
+    const update = () => setText(getLastMessageText(room, mx));
+    room.on(RoomEventEnum.Timeline, update);
+    room.on(RoomEventEnum.LocalEchoUpdated, update);
+
+    // Re-check when any event in this room is decrypted (encrypted → plaintext).
+    const onDecrypted = (ev: MatrixEvent) => {
+      if (ev.getRoomId() === room.roomId) update();
+    };
+    mx.on(MatrixEventEvent.Decrypted, onDecrypted);
+
+    return () => {
+      room.off(RoomEventEnum.Timeline, update);
+      room.off(RoomEventEnum.LocalEchoUpdated, update);
+      mx.off(MatrixEventEvent.Decrypted, onDecrypted);
+    };
+  }, [room, mx]);
+
+  return text;
+}
diff --git a/src/app/pages/client/direct/Direct.tsx b/src/app/pages/client/direct/Direct.tsx
index 11eae40c3..3b78f43aa 100644
--- a/src/app/pages/client/direct/Direct.tsx
+++ b/src/app/pages/client/direct/Direct.tsx
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ export function Direct() {
   const roomToUnread = useAtomValue(roomToUnreadAtom);
   const navigate = useNavigate();
   const [customDMCards] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'customDMCards');
+  const [dmMessagePreview] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'dmMessagePreview');
 
   const createDirectSelected = useDirectCreateSelected();
 
@@ -296,6 +297,7 @@ export function Direct() {
                         showAvatar
                         direct
                         customDMCards={customDMCards}
+                        dmMessagePreview={dmMessagePreview}
                         linkPath={getDirectRoomPath(getCanonicalAliasOrRoomId(mx, roomId))}
                         notificationMode={getRoomNotificationMode(
                           notificationPreferences,
diff --git a/src/app/state/settings.ts b/src/app/state/settings.ts
index 05bb8e0fb..aeda68b45 100644
--- a/src/app/state/settings.ts
+++ b/src/app/state/settings.ts
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ export interface Settings {
   mentionInReplies: boolean;
   showPersonaSetting: boolean;
   closeFoldersByDefault: boolean;
+  dmMessagePreview: boolean;
 
   // furry stuff
   renderAnimals: boolean;
@@ -219,6 +220,7 @@ const defaultSettings: Settings = {
   mentionInReplies: true,
   showPersonaSetting: false,
   closeFoldersByDefault: false,
+  dmMessagePreview: true,
 
   // furry stuff
   renderAnimals: true,