diff --git a/SVSim.Database/Repositories/Guild/GuildChatMessageRepository.cs b/SVSim.Database/Repositories/Guild/GuildChatMessageRepository.cs
index 5b427a3e..1338baf3 100644
--- a/SVSim.Database/Repositories/Guild/GuildChatMessageRepository.cs
+++ b/SVSim.Database/Repositories/Guild/GuildChatMessageRepository.cs
@@ -102,9 +102,9 @@ public sealed class GuildChatMessageRepository : IGuildChatMessageRepository
                     .OrderBy(m => m.MessageId)
                     .ToListAsync(ct);
 
-            case 2: // NEW — messages newer than (and including) start
+            case 2: // NEW: strictly newer than start (exclusive)
                 return await baseQ
-                    .Where(m => m.MessageId >= start)
+                    .Where(m => m.MessageId > start)
                     .OrderBy(m => m.MessageId)
                     .Take(limit)
                     .ToListAsync(ct);
diff --git a/SVSim.Database/Repositories/Viewer/IViewerRepository.cs b/SVSim.Database/Repositories/Viewer/IViewerRepository.cs
index 492939ef..7c186028 100644
--- a/SVSim.Database/Repositories/Viewer/IViewerRepository.cs
+++ b/SVSim.Database/Repositories/Viewer/IViewerRepository.cs
@@ -2,6 +2,17 @@ using SVSim.Database.Enums;
 
 namespace SVSim.Database.Repositories.Viewer;
 
+/// <summary>
+/// Lightweight profile shape used by chat surfaces (guild_chat, gathering_chat).
+/// Fields match the ChatUserDto wire shape.
+/// </summary>
+public record ChatUserProfile(
+    string Name,
+    long   EmblemId,
+    string CountryCode,
+    int    Rank,
+    int    DegreeId);
+
 public interface IViewerRepository
 {
     Task<Models.Viewer?> GetViewerBySocialConnection(SocialAccountType accountType, ulong socialId);
@@ -39,4 +50,11 @@ public interface IViewerRepository
     /// ids with no matching row are absent from the result. Read-only (AsNoTracking).
     /// </summary>
     Task<Dictionary<long, string>> LoadDisplayNamesAsync(IReadOnlyCollection<long> viewerIds, CancellationToken ct = default);
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Batch-loads the <see cref="ChatUserProfile"/> fields for a set of viewer ids. Used by chat
+    /// surfaces (guild_chat, gathering_chat) to populate <c>users[]</c> without a direct DB context
+    /// in the controller. Ids with no matching row are absent from the result. Read-only (AsNoTracking).
+    /// </summary>
+    Task<IReadOnlyDictionary<long, ChatUserProfile>> LoadChatProfilesAsync(IReadOnlyCollection<long> viewerIds, CancellationToken ct = default);
 }
diff --git a/SVSim.Database/Repositories/Viewer/ViewerRepository.cs b/SVSim.Database/Repositories/Viewer/ViewerRepository.cs
index fb0feb55..44731c5b 100644
--- a/SVSim.Database/Repositories/Viewer/ViewerRepository.cs
+++ b/SVSim.Database/Repositories/Viewer/ViewerRepository.cs
@@ -296,6 +296,33 @@ public class ViewerRepository : IViewerRepository
             .ToDictionaryAsync(v => v.Id, v => v.DisplayName, ct);
     }
 
+    public async Task<IReadOnlyDictionary<long, ChatUserProfile>> LoadChatProfilesAsync(IReadOnlyCollection<long> viewerIds, CancellationToken ct = default)
+    {
+        if (viewerIds.Count == 0) return new Dictionary<long, ChatUserProfile>();
+        var rows = await _dbContext.Set<Models.Viewer>()
+            .AsNoTracking()
+            .Include(v => v.Info.SelectedEmblem)
+            .Include(v => v.Info.SelectedDegree)
+            .Where(v => viewerIds.Contains(v.Id))
+            .Select(v => new
+            {
+                v.Id,
+                v.DisplayName,
+                EmblemId    = v.Info.SelectedEmblem != null ? v.Info.SelectedEmblem.Id : 100_000_000L,
+                CountryCode = v.Info.CountryCode ?? "",
+                DegreeId    = v.Info.SelectedDegree != null ? (int)v.Info.SelectedDegree.Id : 0,
+            })
+            .ToListAsync(ct);
+        return rows.ToDictionary(
+            r => r.Id,
+            r => new ChatUserProfile(
+                Name:        r.DisplayName,
+                EmblemId:    r.EmblemId,
+                CountryCode: r.CountryCode,
+                Rank:        1, // TODO: real rank when rank tracking lands
+                DegreeId:    r.DegreeId));
+    }
+
     private async Task<Models.Viewer> BuildDefaultViewer(string displayName, int initialTutorialState = 1)
     {
         Models.Viewer viewer = new Models.Viewer
diff --git a/SVSim.EmulatedEntrypoint/Controllers/GuildChatController.cs b/SVSim.EmulatedEntrypoint/Controllers/GuildChatController.cs
index 5043f904..794e7ee7 100644
--- a/SVSim.EmulatedEntrypoint/Controllers/GuildChatController.cs
+++ b/SVSim.EmulatedEntrypoint/Controllers/GuildChatController.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
-using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
-using SVSim.Database;
+using SVSim.Database.Repositories.Viewer;
 using SVSim.Database.Services.Guild;
 using SVSim.EmulatedEntrypoint.Models.Dtos.Common;
 using SVSim.EmulatedEntrypoint.Models.Dtos.Common.Guild;
@@ -14,12 +13,12 @@ namespace SVSim.EmulatedEntrypoint.Controllers;
 public sealed class GuildChatController : SVSimController
 {
     private readonly IGuildChatService _chat;
-    private readonly SVSimDbContext _db;
+    private readonly IViewerRepository _viewers;
 
-    public GuildChatController(IGuildChatService chat, SVSimDbContext db)
+    public GuildChatController(IGuildChatService chat, IViewerRepository viewers)
     {
-        _chat = chat;
-        _db   = db;
+        _chat    = chat;
+        _viewers = viewers;
     }
 
     [HttpPost("messages")]
@@ -53,26 +52,19 @@ public sealed class GuildChatController : SVSimController
             .Distinct()
             .ToList();
 
-        var viewers = authorIds.Count == 0
-            ? new Dictionary<long, SVSim.Database.Models.Viewer>()
-            : await _db.Viewers
-                .AsNoTracking()
-                .Include(v => v.Info.SelectedEmblem)
-                .Include(v => v.Info.SelectedDegree)
-                .Where(v => authorIds.Contains(v.Id))
-                .ToDictionaryAsync(v => v.Id, ct);
+        var profiles = await _viewers.LoadChatProfilesAsync(authorIds, ct);
 
         var users = authorIds.Select(vid =>
         {
-            viewers.TryGetValue(vid, out var v);
+            profiles.TryGetValue(vid, out var p);
             return new ChatUserDto
             {
                 ViewerId    = vid,
-                Name        = v?.DisplayName ?? "",
-                EmblemId    = v?.Info?.SelectedEmblem?.Id is > 0 ? v.Info.SelectedEmblem.Id : 100_000_000L,
-                CountryCode = v?.Info?.CountryCode ?? "",
-                Rank        = 1, // TODO: real rank when rank tracking lands
-                DegreeId    = v?.Info?.SelectedDegree?.Id ?? 0,
+                Name        = p?.Name        ?? "",
+                EmblemId    = p?.EmblemId    ?? 100_000_000L,
+                CountryCode = p?.CountryCode ?? "",
+                Rank        = p?.Rank        ?? 1,
+                DegreeId    = p?.DegreeId    ?? 0,
             };
         }).ToList();
 
diff --git a/SVSim.UnitTests/Integration/Guild/GuildChatPollTests.cs b/SVSim.UnitTests/Integration/Guild/GuildChatPollTests.cs
index 9aad4adc..b94ea242 100644
--- a/SVSim.UnitTests/Integration/Guild/GuildChatPollTests.cs
+++ b/SVSim.UnitTests/Integration/Guild/GuildChatPollTests.cs
@@ -193,24 +193,32 @@ public class GuildChatPollTests
                 viewer_id = Vid, steam_id = Sid, steam_session_ticket = Stk
             }));
 
-        // Poll NEW from createGuildMsgId — should return only the Join message
+        // Poll NEW from createGuildMsgId — should return only the Join message (exclusive: > start)
         var newPoll = await PollAsync(leaderClient, startMessageId: createGuildMsgId, direction: 2 /* NEW */);
         var newMsgs = newPoll.GetProperty("chat_message");
 
-        // direction=NEW returns messages with message_id >= start, but since we want > start
-        // the repository uses ">= start" for NEW. In practice the first NEW msg returned includes
-        // the start message itself if it exists, plus newer ones. Let's verify Join is present.
+        // direction=NEW uses strict > (exclusive): the CreateGuild message at message_id=createGuildMsgId
+        // must NOT appear; only messages with message_id strictly greater than start are returned.
+        bool hasCreateGuild = false;
         bool hasJoin = false;
         for (int i = 0; i < newMsgs.GetArrayLength(); i++)
         {
-            if (GetStringifiedInt(newMsgs[i], "message_type") == (int)GuildChatMessageType.Join)
+            int msgType = GetStringifiedInt(newMsgs[i], "message_type");
+            long msgId  = GetStringifiedLong(newMsgs[i], "message_id");
+            if (msgType == (int)GuildChatMessageType.CreateGuild)
+                hasCreateGuild = true;
+            if (msgType == (int)GuildChatMessageType.Join)
             {
                 hasJoin = true;
-                // Its message_id must be > createGuildMsgId
-                Assert.That(GetStringifiedLong(newMsgs[i], "message_id"), Is.GreaterThan(createGuildMsgId),
+                Assert.That(msgId, Is.GreaterThan(createGuildMsgId),
                     "Join message_id must be greater than the CreateGuild id");
             }
+            // Every returned message must have message_id strictly > start (exclusive semantics)
+            Assert.That(msgId, Is.GreaterThan(createGuildMsgId),
+                $"direction=NEW must be exclusive: message_id {msgId} must be > start {createGuildMsgId}");
         }
+        Assert.That(hasCreateGuild, Is.False,
+            "direction=NEW (exclusive) must NOT include the message at start itself");
         Assert.That(hasJoin, Is.True, "direction=NEW poll must include the Join message");
     }