diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 6636b62b..033f6bf2 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ target_sources(tomato PUBLIC
 	./chat_gui/icons/group.cpp
 	./chat_gui/contact_list.hpp
 	./chat_gui/contact_list.cpp
+	./chat_gui/contact_tree.hpp
+	./chat_gui/contact_tree.cpp
 	./chat_gui/file_selector.hpp
 	./chat_gui/file_selector.cpp
 	./chat_gui/send_image_popup.hpp
diff --git a/src/chat_gui/contact_tree.cpp b/src/chat_gui/contact_tree.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..99bf7ea4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/chat_gui/contact_tree.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+#include "./contact_tree.hpp"
+
+#include <solanaceae/contact/components.hpp>
+
+#include "./contact_list.hpp"
+#include "entt/entity/entity.hpp"
+
+#include <imgui/imgui.h>
+
+namespace Components {
+	struct TagTreeViewOpen {};
+};
+
+ContactTreeWindow::ContactTreeWindow(Contact3Registry& cr, Theme& theme, ContactTextureCache& ctc) : _cr(cr), _theme(theme), _ctc(ctc) {
+}
+
+void ContactTreeWindow::render(void) {
+	//{ // main window menubar injection
+	//    // assumes the window "tomato" was rendered already by cg
+	//    if (ImGui::Begin("tomato")) {
+	//        if (ImGui::BeginMenuBar()) {
+	//            ImGui::Separator();
+	//            if (ImGui::BeginMenu("Settings")) {
+	//                if (ImGui::MenuItem("settings window", nullptr, _show_window)) {
+	//                    _show_window = !_show_window;
+	//                }
+	//                ImGui::EndMenu();
+	//            }
+	//            ImGui::EndMenuBar();
+	//        }
+	//    }
+	//    ImGui::End();
+	//}
+
+	if (_show_window) {
+		if (ImGui::Begin("ContactTreeWindow", &_show_window)) {
+
+			if (ImGui::BeginTable("##table", 1, ImGuiTableFlags_None)) {
+				// first we need all root nodes
+				for (const auto [cv_root] : _cr.view<Contact::Components::TagRoot>().each()) {
+					ImGui::TableNextRow();
+					ImGui::PushID(entt::to_integral(cv_root));
+
+					ImGui::TableNextColumn();
+
+					Contact3Handle c_root {_cr, cv_root};
+					bool open = c_root.all_of<Components::TagTreeViewOpen>();
+
+					bool has_children = c_root.all_of<Contact::Components::ParentOf>();
+
+					// roots are usually no normal contacts
+					// they should display as a protocol or profile or account
+					// TODO: set some table background instead of full span selected?
+					if (renderContactBig(_theme, _ctc, c_root, 2, false, true)) {
+						// clicked, toggle open
+						if (open) {
+							c_root.remove<Components::TagTreeViewOpen>();
+							open = false;
+						} else {
+							c_root.emplace_or_replace<Components::TagTreeViewOpen>();
+							open = true;
+						}
+					}
+
+					if (open) {
+						// render children
+
+						ImGui::Indent();
+
+						if (c_root.all_of<Contact::Components::ParentOf>()) {
+							for (const auto cv_child : c_root.get<Contact::Components::ParentOf>().subs) {
+								ImGui::PushID(entt::to_integral(cv_child));
+
+								Contact3Handle c_child {_cr, cv_child};
+								renderContactBig(_theme, _ctc, c_child, 2);
+
+								ImGui::PopID();
+							}
+						} else {
+							// TODO: remove
+							ImGui::TableNextRow();
+							ImGui::TableNextColumn();
+							ImGui::TextDisabled("no parent of");
+						}
+
+						ImGui::Unindent();
+
+					}
+					ImGui::PopID();
+				}
+				ImGui::EndTable();
+			}
+		}
+		ImGui::End();
+	}
+}
+
diff --git a/src/chat_gui/contact_tree.hpp b/src/chat_gui/contact_tree.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b5c81af4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/chat_gui/contact_tree.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <solanaceae/contact/contact_model3.hpp>
+
+#include "./texture_cache_defs.hpp"
+
+// fwd
+struct Theme;
+
+class ContactTreeWindow {
+	bool _show_window {true};
+
+	Contact3Registry& _cr;
+
+	Theme& _theme;
+	ContactTextureCache& _ctc;
+
+	public:
+		ContactTreeWindow(Contact3Registry& cr, Theme& theme, ContactTextureCache& ctc);
+
+		void render(void);
+};
+
diff --git a/src/main_screen.cpp b/src/main_screen.cpp
index 82c465f7..b23fb5cf 100644
--- a/src/main_screen.cpp
+++ b/src/main_screen.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ MainScreen::MainScreen(SimpleConfigModel&& conf_, SDL_Renderer* renderer_, Theme
 	mil(),
 	msg_tc(mil, sdlrtu),
 	cg(conf, os, rmm, cr, sdlrtu, contact_tc, msg_tc, theme),
+	ctw(cr, theme, contact_tc),
 	sw(conf),
 	osui(os),
 	tuiu(tc, conf),
@@ -357,6 +358,7 @@ Screen* MainScreen::render(float time_delta, bool&) {
 	const float msgtc_interval = msg_tc.update();
 
 	const float cg_interval = cg.render(time_delta); // render
+	ctw.render();
 	sw.render(); // render
 	osui.render();
 	tuiu.render(); // render
diff --git a/src/main_screen.hpp b/src/main_screen.hpp
index 7519d61d..c5ba7e5b 100644
--- a/src/main_screen.hpp
+++ b/src/main_screen.hpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "./message_image_loader.hpp"
 
 #include "./chat_gui4.hpp"
+#include "./chat_gui/contact_tree.hpp"
 #include "./chat_gui/settings_window.hpp"
 #include "./object_store_ui.hpp"
 #include "./tox_ui_utils.hpp"
@@ -92,6 +93,7 @@ struct MainScreen final : public Screen {
 	TextureCache<void*, Message3Handle, MessageImageLoader> msg_tc;
 
 	ChatGui4 cg;
+	ContactTreeWindow ctw;
 	SettingsWindow sw;
 	ObjectStoreUI osui;
 	ToxUIUtils tuiu;