diff --git a/code/chat.js b/code/chat.js
index 2f029556..dabc3685 100644
--- a/code/chat.js
+++ b/code/chat.js
@@ -41,16 +41,22 @@ window.chat._oldBBox = null;
 window.chat.genPostData = function(isFaction, storageHash, getOlderMsgs) {
   if(typeof isFaction !== 'boolean') throw('Need to know if public or faction chat.');
 
+  // get window bounds, and extend to the minimum chat radius
   chat._localRangeCircle.setLatLng(map.getCenter());
   var b = map.getBounds().extend(chat._localRangeCircle.getBounds());
-  var ne = b.getNorthEast();
-  var sw = b.getSouthWest();
 
-  // round bounds in order to ignore rounding errors
-  var bbs = $.map([ne.lat, ne.lng, sw.lat, sw.lng], function(x) { return Math.round(x*1E4) }).join();
-  if(chat._oldBBox && chat._oldBBox !== bbs) {
+  // set a current bounding box if none set so far
+  if (!chat._oldBBox) chat._oldBBox = b;
+
+  // to avoid unnecessary chat refreshes, a small difference compared to the previous bounding box
+  // is not considered different
+  var CHAT_BOUNDINGBOX_SAME_FACTOR = 0.1;
+  // if the old and new box contain each other, after expanding by the factor, don't reset chat
+  if (!(b.pad(CHAT_BOUNDINGBOX_SAME_FACTOR).contains(chat._oldBBox) && chat._oldBBox.pad(CHAT_BOUNDINGBOX_SAME_FACTOR).contains(b))) {
+    console.log('Bounding Box changed, chat will be cleared (old: '+chat._oldBBox.toBBoxString()+'; new: '+b.toBBoxString()+')');
+
     $('#chat > div').data('needsClearing', true);
-    console.log('Bounding Box changed, chat will be cleared (old: '+chat._oldBBox+' ; new: '+bbs+' )');
+
     // need to reset these flags now because clearing will only occur
     // after the request is finished – i.e. there would be one almost
     // useless request.
@@ -61,8 +67,9 @@ window.chat.genPostData = function(isFaction, storageHash, getOlderMsgs) {
     chat._public.data = {};
     chat._public.oldestTimestamp = -1;
     chat._public.newestTimestamp = -1;
+
+    chat._oldBBox = b;
   }
-  chat._oldBBox = bbs;
 
   var ne = b.getNorthEast();
   var sw = b.getSouthWest();