diff --git a/pkg/tui/shared/shared.go b/pkg/tui/shared/shared.go
index 1909bb6..72a579b 100644
--- a/pkg/tui/shared/shared.go
+++ b/pkg/tui/shared/shared.go
@@ -12,17 +12,14 @@ type Values struct {
 type State struct {
 	Ctx    *lmcli.Context
 	Values *Values
-	Views  *Views
 	Width  int
 	Height int
 	Err    error
 }
 
-// this struct holds the final rendered content of various UI components, and
-// gets populated in the application's Update() method. View() simply composes
-// these elements into the final output
-// TODO: consider removing this, let each view be responsible
-type Views struct {
+// a convenience struct for holding rendered content for indiviudal UI
+// elements
+type Sections struct {
 	Header  string
 	Content string
 	Error   string
diff --git a/pkg/tui/tui.go b/pkg/tui/tui.go
index e3cc93f..6517521 100644
--- a/pkg/tui/tui.go
+++ b/pkg/tui/tui.go
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import (
 	"git.mlow.ca/mlow/lmcli/pkg/tui/views/chat"
 	"git.mlow.ca/mlow/lmcli/pkg/tui/views/conversations"
 	tea "github.com/charmbracelet/bubbletea"
-	"github.com/charmbracelet/lipgloss"
 )
 
 // Application model
@@ -31,7 +30,6 @@ func initialModel(ctx *lmcli.Context, values shared.Values) Model {
 		State: shared.State{
 			Ctx: ctx,
 			Values: &values,
-			Views: &shared.Views{},
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -126,36 +124,17 @@ func (m Model) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 
 func (m Model) View() string {
 	if m.State.Width == 0 {
-		// this is the case upon initial startup, but it's also a safe bet that
-		// we can just skip rendering if the terminal is really 0 width...
-		// without this, the m.*View() functions may crash
 		return ""
 	}
-	sections := make([]string, 0, 6)
-
-	if m.State.Views.Header != "" {
-		sections = append(sections, m.State.Views.Header)
-	}
 
 	switch m.state {
 	case shared.StateConversations:
-		sections = append(sections, m.State.Views.Content)
-		if m.State.Views.Error != "" {
-			sections = append(sections, m.State.Views.Error)
-		}
+		return m.conversations.View()
 	case shared.StateChat:
-		sections = append(sections, m.State.Views.Content)
-		if m.State.Views.Error != "" {
-			sections = append(sections, m.State.Views.Error)
-		}
-		sections = append(sections, m.State.Views.Input)
+		return m.chat.View()
+	default:
+		return ""
 	}
-
-	if m.State.Views.Footer != "" {
-		sections = append(sections, m.State.Views.Footer)
-	}
-
-	return lipgloss.JoinVertical(lipgloss.Left, sections...)
 }
 
 func Launch(ctx *lmcli.Context, convShortname string) error {
diff --git a/pkg/tui/views/chat/chat.go b/pkg/tui/views/chat/chat.go
index e72055d..2323d7b 100644
--- a/pkg/tui/views/chat/chat.go
+++ b/pkg/tui/views/chat/chat.go
@@ -57,8 +57,7 @@ type (
 
 type Model struct {
 	shared.State
-	width  int
-	height int
+	shared.Sections
 
 	// app state
 	conversation    *models.Conversation
@@ -72,10 +71,6 @@ type Model struct {
 	replyChunkChan  chan string
 	persistence     bool // whether we will save new messages in the conversation
 
-	tokenCount uint
-	startTime  time.Time
-	elapsed    time.Duration
-
 	// ui state
 	focus           focusState
 	wrap            bool     // whether message content is wrapped to viewport width
@@ -84,6 +79,10 @@ type Model struct {
 	messageCache    []string // cache of syntax highlighted and wrapped message content
 	messageOffsets  []int
 
+	tokenCount uint
+	startTime  time.Time
+	elapsed    time.Duration
+
 	// ui elements
 	content     viewport.Model
 	input       textarea.Model
@@ -228,7 +227,7 @@ func (m Model) Init() tea.Cmd {
 }
 
 func (m *Model) HandleResize(width, height int) {
-	m.width, m.height = width, height
+	m.Width, m.Height = width, height
 	m.content.Width = width
 	m.input.SetWidth(width - m.input.FocusedStyle.Base.GetHorizontalFrameSize())
 	if len(m.messages) > 0 {
@@ -390,21 +389,21 @@ func (m Model) Update(msg tea.Msg) (Model, tea.Cmd) {
 	}
 
 	// update views once window dimensions are known
-	if m.width > 0 {
-		m.State.Views.Header = m.headerView()
-		m.State.Views.Footer = m.footerView()
-		m.State.Views.Error = tuiutil.ErrorBanner(m.State.Err, m.width)
-		fixedHeight := tuiutil.Height(m.State.Views.Header) + tuiutil.Height(m.State.Views.Error) + tuiutil.Height(m.State.Views.Footer)
+	if m.Width > 0 {
+		m.Header = m.headerView()
+		m.Footer = m.footerView()
+		m.Error = tuiutil.ErrorBanner(m.Err, m.Width)
+		fixedHeight := tuiutil.Height(m.Header) + tuiutil.Height(m.Error) + tuiutil.Height(m.Footer)
 
 		// calculate clamped input height to accomodate input text
 		// minimum 4 lines, maximum half of content area
-		newHeight := max(4, min((m.height-fixedHeight-1)/2, m.input.LineCount()))
+		newHeight := max(4, min((m.Height-fixedHeight-1)/2, m.input.LineCount()))
 		m.input.SetHeight(newHeight)
-		m.State.Views.Input = m.input.View()
+		m.Input = m.input.View()
 
 		// remaining height towards content
-		m.content.Height = m.height - fixedHeight - tuiutil.Height(m.State.Views.Input)
-		m.State.Views.Content = m.content.View()
+		m.content.Height = m.Height - fixedHeight - tuiutil.Height(m.Input)
+		m.Content = m.content.View()
 	}
 
 	// this is a pretty nasty hack to ensure the input area viewport doesn't
@@ -630,6 +629,29 @@ func (m *Model) HandleInputKey(msg tea.KeyMsg) (bool, tea.Cmd) {
 	return false, nil
 }
 
+func (m Model) View() string {
+	if m.Width == 0 {
+		return ""
+	}
+	sections := make([]string, 0, 6)
+
+	if m.Header != "" {
+		sections = append(sections, m.Header)
+	}
+
+	sections = append(sections, m.Content)
+	if m.Error != "" {
+		sections = append(sections, m.Error)
+	}
+	sections = append(sections, m.Input)
+
+	if m.Footer != "" {
+		sections = append(sections, m.Footer)
+	}
+
+	return lipgloss.JoinVertical(lipgloss.Left, sections...)
+}
+
 func (m *Model) renderMessageHeading(i int, message *models.Message) string {
 	icon := ""
 	friendly := message.Role.FriendlyRole()
@@ -828,9 +850,9 @@ func (m *Model) headerView() string {
 	} else {
 		title = "Untitled"
 	}
-	title = tuiutil.TruncateToCellWidth(title, m.width-styles.Header.GetHorizontalPadding(), "...")
+	title = tuiutil.TruncateToCellWidth(title, m.Width-styles.Header.GetHorizontalPadding(), "...")
 	header := titleStyle.Render(title)
-	return styles.Header.Width(m.width).Render(header)
+	return styles.Header.Width(m.Width).Render(header)
 }
 
 func (m *Model) footerView() string {
@@ -868,7 +890,7 @@ func (m *Model) footerView() string {
 	right := strings.Join(rightSegments, segmentSeparator)
 
 	totalWidth := lipgloss.Width(left) + lipgloss.Width(right)
-	remaining := m.width - totalWidth
+	remaining := m.Width - totalWidth
 
 	var padding string
 	if remaining > 0 {
@@ -877,9 +899,9 @@ func (m *Model) footerView() string {
 
 	footer := left + padding + right
 	if remaining < 0 {
-		footer = tuiutil.TruncateToCellWidth(footer, m.width, "...")
+		footer = tuiutil.TruncateToCellWidth(footer, m.Width, "...")
 	}
-	return footerStyle.Width(m.width).Render(footer)
+	return footerStyle.Width(m.Width).Render(footer)
 }
 
 func (m *Model) setMessage(i int, msg models.Message) {
diff --git a/pkg/tui/views/conversations/conversations.go b/pkg/tui/views/conversations/conversations.go
index 997b323..52885e5 100644
--- a/pkg/tui/views/conversations/conversations.go
+++ b/pkg/tui/views/conversations/conversations.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ type (
 
 type Model struct {
 	shared.State
+	shared.Sections
 
 	conversations []loadedConversation
 	cursor        int   // index of the currently selected conversation
@@ -129,12 +130,12 @@ func (m Model) Update(msg tea.Msg) (Model, tea.Cmd) {
 	}
 
 	if m.Width > 0 {
-		m.Views.Header = m.headerView()
-		m.Views.Footer = "" // TODO: show /something/
-		m.Views.Error = tuiutil.ErrorBanner(m.Err, m.Width)
-		fixedHeight := tuiutil.Height(m.Views.Header) + tuiutil.Height(m.Views.Error) + tuiutil.Height(m.Views.Footer)
+		m.Header = m.headerView()
+		m.Footer = "" // TODO: show /something/
+		m.Error = tuiutil.ErrorBanner(m.Err, m.Width)
+		fixedHeight := tuiutil.Height(m.Header) + tuiutil.Height(m.Error) + tuiutil.Height(m.Footer)
 		m.content.Height = m.Height - fixedHeight
-		m.Views.Content = m.content.View()
+		m.Content = m.content.View()
 	}
 	return m, tea.Batch(cmds...)
 }
@@ -156,6 +157,28 @@ func (m *Model) loadConversations() tea.Cmd {
 	}
 }
 
+func (m Model) View() string {
+	if m.Width == 0 {
+		return ""
+	}
+	sections := make([]string, 0, 6)
+
+	if m.Header != "" {
+		sections = append(sections, m.Header)
+	}
+
+	sections = append(sections, m.Content)
+	if m.Error != "" {
+		sections = append(sections, m.Error)
+	}
+
+	if m.Footer != "" {
+		sections = append(sections, m.Footer)
+	}
+
+	return lipgloss.JoinVertical(lipgloss.Left, sections...)
+}
+
 func (m *Model) headerView() string {
 	titleStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Bold(true)
 	header := titleStyle.Render("Conversations")