diff --git a/src/app/chat/view.nim b/src/app/chat/view.nim
index 9f5c3f7dac..c690af362c 100644
--- a/src/app/chat/view.nim
+++ b/src/app/chat/view.nim
@@ -167,17 +167,24 @@ QtObject:
       return self.communities.activeCommunity.chats.getChannel(index)
     else:
       return self.chats.getChannel(index)
+  
+  proc getCommunityChannelById(self: ChatsView, channel: string): Chat =
+    let index = self.communities.activeCommunity.chats.chats.findIndexById(channel)
+    if (index > -1):
+      return self.communities.activeCommunity.chats.getChannel(index)
+    let chan = self.communities.activeCommunity.chats.getChannelByName(channel)
+    if not chan.isNil:
+      return chan
 
   proc getChannelById*(self: ChatsView, channel: string): Chat =
-    if (self.communities.activeCommunity.active):
-      let index = self.communities.activeCommunity.chats.chats.findIndexById(channel)
-      if (index == -1):
-        return
-      return self.communities.activeCommunity.chats.getChannel(index)
-    else:
-      let index = self.chats.chats.findIndexById(channel)
-      if (index == -1):
-        return
+    if self.communities.activeCommunity.active:
+      result = self.getCommunityChannelById(channel)
+      if not result.isNil:
+        return result
+    # even if communities are active, if we don't find a chat, it's possibly
+    # because we are looking for a normal chat, so continue below
+    let index = self.chats.chats.findIndexById(channel)
+    if index > -1:
       return self.chats.getChannel(index)
 
   proc updateChannelInRightList*(self: ChatsView, channel: Chat) =
@@ -579,8 +586,13 @@ QtObject:
     self.getLinkPreviewData("linkPreviewDataReceived", link, uuid)
 
   proc joinChat*(self: ChatsView, channel: string, chatTypeInt: int): int {.slot.} =
-    self.status.chat.join(channel, ChatType(chatTypeInt))
+    var chatType = ChatType(chatTypeInt)
+    let selectedChannel = self.getChannelById(channel)
+    if not selectedChannel.isNil:
+      chatType = selectedChannel.chatType
+    self.status.chat.join(channel, chatType)
     self.setActiveChannel(channel)
+    chatType.int
 
   proc joinChatWithENS*(self: ChatsView, channel: string, ensName: string): int {.slot.} =
     self.status.chat.join(channel, ChatType.OneToOne, ensName=status_ens.addDomain(ensName))
diff --git a/src/status/signals/messages.nim b/src/status/signals/messages.nim
index 39101cab59..f9a08e3de0 100644
--- a/src/status/signals/messages.nim
+++ b/src/status/signals/messages.nim
@@ -197,10 +197,12 @@ proc toCommunity*(jsonCommunity: JsonNode): Community =
     for chatId, chat in jsonCommunity{"chats"}:
       result.chats.add(Chat(
         id: result.id & chatId,
+        communityId: result.id,
         name: chat{"name"}.getStr,
         canPost: chat{"canPost"}.getBool,
+        chatType: ChatType.CommunityChat
         # TODO get this from access
-        chatType: ChatType.Public#chat{"permissions"}{"access"}.getInt,
+        #chat{"permissions"}{"access"}.getInt,
       ))
 
   if jsonCommunity.hasKey("members") and jsonCommunity["members"].kind != JNull:
diff --git a/ui/app/AppLayouts/Chat/ChatColumn/MessageComponents/ChatText.qml b/ui/app/AppLayouts/Chat/ChatColumn/MessageComponents/ChatText.qml
index a3edbd6354..79fb84384a 100644
--- a/ui/app/AppLayouts/Chat/ChatColumn/MessageComponents/ChatText.qml
+++ b/ui/app/AppLayouts/Chat/ChatColumn/MessageComponents/ChatText.qml
@@ -44,7 +44,12 @@ Item {
         clip: true
         onLinkActivated: function (link) {
             if(link.startsWith("#")) {
-                chatsModel.joinChat(link.substring(1), Constants.chatTypePublic);
+                const chatType = chatsModel.communities.activeCommunity.active ? Constants.chatTypeCommunity : Constants.chatTypePublic;
+                const foundChatType = chatsModel.joinChat(link.substring(1), chatType);
+                if (foundChatType === Constants.chatTypePublic && chatsModel.communities.activeCommunity.active) {
+                    chatsModel.communities.activeCommunity.active = false
+                    appMain.changeAppSection(Constants.chat)
+                }
                 return;
             }
 
diff --git a/ui/app/AppLayouts/Chat/components/ProfilePopup.qml b/ui/app/AppLayouts/Chat/components/ProfilePopup.qml
index 4bda9c7a58..b32478b75e 100644
--- a/ui/app/AppLayouts/Chat/components/ProfilePopup.qml
+++ b/ui/app/AppLayouts/Chat/components/ProfilePopup.qml
@@ -337,8 +337,7 @@ ModalPopup {
             visible: !isBlocked && chatsModel.activeChannel.id !== popup.fromAuthor
             width: visible ? implicitWidth : 0
             onClicked: {
-                if (tabBar.currentIndex !== 0)
-                    tabBar.currentIndex = 0
+                appMain.changeAppSection(Constants.chat)
                 chatsModel.joinChat(fromAuthor, Constants.chatTypeOneToOne)
                 popup.close()
             }
diff --git a/ui/app/AppMain.qml b/ui/app/AppMain.qml
index 11fb1f12d5..583970bcd5 100644
--- a/ui/app/AppMain.qml
+++ b/ui/app/AppMain.qml
@@ -362,6 +362,7 @@ RowLayout {
     }
 
     function changeAppSection(section) {
+        chatsModel.communities.activeCommunity.active = false
         sLayout.currentIndex = Utils.getAppSectionIndex(section)
     }