diff --git a/src/client/controllers/welcome-chat-controller.ts b/src/client/controllers/welcome-chat-controller.ts
index 203cc14..3c0bfe0 100644
--- a/src/client/controllers/welcome-chat-controller.ts
+++ b/src/client/controllers/welcome-chat-controller.ts
@@ -6,10 +6,14 @@ import { WELCOME_CHAT, WELCOME_CHAT_MESSAGE } from "shared/welcome-chat";
 @Controller()
 export class WelcomeChatController implements OnStart {
   public onStart(): void {
-    task.delay(WELCOME_CHAT.delaySeconds, () => this.displayWelcome());
+    task.spawn(() => this.displayWelcome());
   }
 
   private displayWelcome(): void {
+    if (!game.IsLoaded()) {
+      game.Loaded.Wait();
+    }
+
     const deadline = os.clock() + WELCOME_CHAT.channelTimeoutSeconds;
     const channels = TextChatService.WaitForChild(
       "TextChannels",
@@ -22,6 +26,26 @@ export class WelcomeChatController implements OnStart {
       return;
     }
 
+    // Channels can exist before the chat UI subscribes to system messages.
+    const window = TextChatService.WaitForChild(
+      "ChatWindowConfiguration",
+      math.max(deadline - os.clock(), 0),
+    );
+    if (!window?.IsA("ChatWindowConfiguration")) {
+      Log.Warn("Welcome chat unavailable: the chat window configuration is missing");
+      return;
+    }
+    while (window.AbsoluteSize.X <= 0 || window.AbsoluteSize.Y <= 0) {
+      if (os.clock() >= deadline) {
+        Log.Warn(
+          "Welcome chat unavailable: the chat window did not become ready before the timeout",
+        );
+        return;
+      }
+      task.wait(0.1);
+    }
+
+    task.wait(WELCOME_CHAT.delaySeconds);
     channel.DisplaySystemMessage(WELCOME_CHAT_MESSAGE);
   }
 }