diff --git a/backend/tests/chatVisibility.test.ts b/backend/tests/chatVisibility.test.ts
index 360761a9..f2da55d3 100644
--- a/backend/tests/chatVisibility.test.ts
+++ b/backend/tests/chatVisibility.test.ts
@@ -81,7 +81,17 @@ test("disabling in the project form blocks list, provision, reads and writes unt
         })
         await app.register(communicationRoutes)
         await app.register(resourceRoutes)
-        const update = (chatEnabled: unknown, headers = { "x-manager": "true" }) => app.inject({ method: "PUT", url: "/resource/projects/1", headers, payload: { chatEnabled } })
+        // The project editor loads the complete record and sends it back, including dates and other fields.
+        const update = async (chatEnabled: unknown, headers = { "x-manager": "true" }) => {
+            const loaded = await app.inject("/resource/projects/1/true")
+            assert.equal(loaded.statusCode, 200, loaded.body)
+            const result = await app.inject({ method: "PUT", url: "/resource/projects/1", headers, payload: { ...loaded.json(), chatEnabled } })
+            if (result.statusCode === 200) {
+                assert.equal(result.json().chatEnabled, chatEnabled)
+                assert.equal((await app.inject("/resource/projects/1/true")).json().chatEnabled, chatEnabled)
+            }
+            return result
+        }
         const provision = await app.inject({ method: "POST", url: "/communication/chat/project-rooms/1/provision" })
         assert.equal(provision.statusCode, 200, provision.body)
         const roomId = provision.json().id
diff --git a/frontend/components/columnRenderings/projectChatEnabled.vue b/frontend/components/columnRenderings/projectChatEnabled.vue
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bcf7901a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/components/columnRenderings/projectChatEnabled.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+<script setup>
+defineProps({ row: { type: Object, required: true } })
+</script>
+
+<template>
+  <span v-if="row.chatEnabled === true" class="text-primary">Ja</span>
+  <span v-else-if="row.chatEnabled === false" class="text-rose-600">Nein</span>
+  <span v-else class="text-gray-500">–</span>
+</template>
diff --git a/frontend/pages/communication/chat.vue b/frontend/pages/communication/chat.vue
index dd3e69d1..e3109bde 100644
--- a/frontend/pages/communication/chat.vue
+++ b/frontend/pages/communication/chat.vue
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ async function refreshLists() {
   const scope = scopeVersion
   await Promise.all([loadRoomLists(scope), loadUnread(scope), loadCollaboration(scope)])
 }
+function refreshVisibleLists() {
+  if (!disposed && !document.hidden && !loading.value && hasSession.value) void refreshLists()
+}
 
 async function loadRoomPreferences(scope = scopeVersion) {
   if (!hasSession.value || !currentScope(scope)) return
@@ -260,9 +263,15 @@ watch(() => route.query.room, () => {
 onMounted(() => {
   mounted = true; void initialize()
   pollTimer = window.setInterval(pollMessages, 2500)
-  listTimer = window.setInterval(() => { if (!document.hidden && !loading.value) void refreshLists() }, 15000)
+  listTimer = window.setInterval(refreshVisibleLists, 15000)
+  window.addEventListener('focus', refreshVisibleLists)
+  document.addEventListener('visibilitychange', refreshVisibleLists)
+})
+onBeforeUnmount(() => {
+  disposed = true; ++scopeVersion; ++roomVersion; clearInterval(pollTimer); clearInterval(listTimer)
+  window.removeEventListener('focus', refreshVisibleLists)
+  document.removeEventListener('visibilitychange', refreshVisibleLists)
 })
-onBeforeUnmount(() => { disposed = true; ++scopeVersion; ++roomVersion; clearInterval(pollTimer); clearInterval(listTimer) })
 </script>
 
 <template>
diff --git a/frontend/stores/data.js b/frontend/stores/data.js
index 440d8f32..d8d07965 100644
--- a/frontend/stores/data.js
+++ b/frontend/stores/data.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import plant from "~/components/columnRenderings/plant.vue"
 import vendor from "~/components/columnRenderings/vendor.vue"
 import product from "~/components/columnRenderings/product.vue"
 import active from "~/components/columnRenderings/active.vue"
+import projectChatEnabled from "~/components/columnRenderings/projectChatEnabled.vue"
 import sellingPrice from "~/components/columnRenderings/sellingPrice.vue";
 import unit from "~/components/columnRenderings/unit.vue";
 import isCompany from "~/components/columnRenderings/isCompany.vue"
@@ -1721,7 +1722,7 @@ export const useDataStore = defineStore('data', () => {
                     key: "chatEnabled",
                     label: "Projektchat aktiviert",
                     inputType: "bool",
-                    component: active,
+                    component: projectChatEnabled,
                     defaultValue: true,
                     disabledFunction: () => {
                         const auth = useAuthStore()
diff --git a/frontend/tests/chat-collaboration.test.cjs b/frontend/tests/chat-collaboration.test.cjs
index 362c6d26..77121acb 100644
--- a/frontend/tests/chat-collaboration.test.cjs
+++ b/frontend/tests/chat-collaboration.test.cjs
@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@ function setup(api = fixture(), query = {}) {
   const auth = vue.reactive({ user: { id: 'user-1' }, activeTenant: '1' })
   const route = vue.reactive({ query })
   const calls = [], toasts = [], timers = new Map()
+  const listeners = new Map()
+  const events = {
+    addEventListener: (event, handler) => listeners.set(event, handler),
+    removeEventListener: event => listeners.delete(event),
+  }
+  const document = { hidden: false, ...events }
   let mount, unmount, timerId = 0
   const scope = vue.effectScope()
   const context = vm.createContext({
@@ -44,11 +50,11 @@ function setup(api = fixture(), query = {}) {
     useRouter: () => ({ replace: async location => { route.query = location.query } }),
     useNuxtApp: () => ({ $api: (url, options) => { calls.push({ url, options }); return api(url, options) } }),
     onMounted: handler => { mount = handler }, onBeforeUnmount: handler => { unmount = handler },
-    window: { setInterval: handler => { timers.set(++timerId, handler); return timerId } },
-    clearInterval: id => timers.delete(id), document: { hidden: false },
+    window: { ...events, setInterval: handler => { timers.set(++timerId, handler); return timerId } },
+    clearInterval: id => timers.delete(id), document,
   })
   scope.run(() => vm.runInContext(source, context))
-  return { auth, route, calls, toasts, timers, mount, close: () => { unmount(); scope.stop() }, run: code => vm.runInContext(code, context) }
+  return { auth, route, calls, toasts, timers, listeners, document, mount, close: () => { unmount(); scope.stop() }, run: code => vm.runInContext(code, context) }
 }
 
 test('only member rooms enter normal chat, with separate keys, groups and unread counts', async t => {
@@ -235,6 +241,7 @@ test('unmount cancels both polling timers and ignores pending lists', async () =
   pending.resolve({ rooms: [sharedRoom], invitations: [] })
   await settle()
   assert.equal(ui.timers.size, 0)
+  assert.equal(ui.listeners.size, 0)
   assert.equal(ui.run('collaborationRooms.value.length'), 0)
   assert.equal(ui.run('messages.value.length'), 0)
 })
@@ -327,3 +334,25 @@ test('removing an active project from the permitted room list clears its message
   assert.equal(ui.run('messages.value.length'), 0)
   assert.equal(ui.run('members.value.length'), 0)
 })
+
+test('returning to chat immediately reflects a disabled or re-enabled project without waiting for polling', async t => {
+  let disabled = false
+  const ui = setup(fixture(url => url.endsWith('/project-rooms') ? { rooms: disabled ? [] : [{ key: 'project_1', exists: true, type: 'project' }] } : undefined), { room: 'project_1' })
+  t.after(ui.close)
+  ui.mount()
+  await settle()
+  disabled = true
+  ui.document.hidden = true
+  ui.listeners.get('visibilitychange')()
+  await settle()
+  assert.equal(ui.run('activeRoom.value.key'), 'project_1')
+  ui.document.hidden = false
+  ui.listeners.get('visibilitychange')()
+  await settle()
+  assert.equal(ui.run('activeRoom.value'), null)
+  assert.equal(ui.run('messages.value.length'), 0)
+  disabled = false
+  ui.listeners.get('focus')()
+  await settle()
+  assert.equal(ui.run('groupedRooms.value.find(group => group.label === "Projekte").rooms[0].key'), 'project_1')
+})
diff --git a/frontend/tests/project-chat-setting.test.cjs b/frontend/tests/project-chat-setting.test.cjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..66e2a736
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/tests/project-chat-setting.test.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+const { test } = require('node:test')
+const assert = require('node:assert/strict')
+const fs = require('node:fs')
+const path = require('node:path')
+const vm = require('node:vm')
+const ts = require('typescript')
+const vue = require('vue')
+const { renderToString } = require('@vue/server-renderer')
+const { parse, compileScript } = require('@vue/compiler-sfc')
+
+function component(filename, globals = {}) {
+  const { descriptor } = parse(fs.readFileSync(filename, 'utf8'), { filename })
+  const compiled = compileScript(descriptor, { id: filename, inlineTemplate: true }).content
+  const source = ts.transpileModule(compiled, { compilerOptions: { module: ts.ModuleKind.CommonJS, target: ts.ScriptTarget.ES2022, esModuleInterop: true } }).outputText
+  const context = vm.createContext({ exports: {}, require, ...globals })
+  vm.runInContext(source, context)
+  return context.exports.default
+}
+
+// Resolve the configured renderer, so accidentally wiring the unrelated "active" renderer fails this test.
+const storeSource = fs.readFileSync(`${__dirname}/../stores/data.js`, 'utf8')
+const store = ts.createSourceFile('data.js', storeSource, ts.ScriptTarget.Latest, true, ts.ScriptKind.JS)
+let chatColumn
+function visit(node) {
+  if (ts.isObjectLiteralExpression(node) && node.properties.some(property =>
+    ts.isPropertyAssignment(property) && property.name.getText(store) === 'key' && property.initializer.getText(store) === '"chatEnabled"')) chatColumn = node
+  ts.forEachChild(node, visit)
+}
+visit(store)
+const rendererName = chatColumn.properties.find(property => property.name?.getText(store) === 'component').initializer.getText(store)
+const rendererImport = store.statements.find(statement => ts.isImportDeclaration(statement) && statement.importClause?.name?.text === rendererName)
+const renderer = component(path.resolve(__dirname, '..', rendererImport.moduleSpecifier.text.replace(/^~\//, '')))
+const column = vm.runInNewContext(`(${chatColumn.getText(store)})`, { [rendererName]: renderer })
+
+test('project list renders the actual chat setting, independently of an unrelated active flag', async () => {
+  for (const [row, expected] of [
+    [{ chatEnabled: true }, 'Ja'],
+    [{ chatEnabled: true, active: false }, 'Ja'],
+    [{ chatEnabled: false, active: true }, 'Nein'],
+    [{ chatEnabled: false }, 'Nein'],
+    [{ active: true }, '–'],
+  ]) {
+    const html = await renderToString(vue.createSSRApp(column.component, { row }))
+    assert.match(html, new RegExp(`>${expected}</span>`), JSON.stringify(row))
+  }
+})
+
+test('project information shows Ja and Nein after loading the saved setting', async () => {
+  const information = component(`${__dirname}/../components/EntityShowSubInformation.vue`, {
+    useDataStore: () => ({ dataTypes: { projects: { templateColumns: [column] } } }),
+    useTempStore: () => ({}), useRouter: () => ({}),
+  })
+  for (const chatEnabled of [true, false]) {
+    const app = vue.createSSRApp(information, { item: { id: 1, chatEnabled }, topLevelType: 'projects', platform: 'default' })
+    app.component('UCard', { setup: (_, { slots }) => () => vue.h('section', slots.default?.()) })
+    app.component('UAlert', { render: () => null })
+    app.component('TelephonyCallButton', { render: () => null })
+    const html = await renderToString(app)
+    assert.match(html, /Projektchat aktiviert/)
+    assert.match(html, new RegExp(`>${chatEnabled ? 'Ja' : 'Nein'}</span>`))
+  }
+})