diff --git a/Nasal/screen.nas b/Nasal/screen.nas
index 7e2231155..dfa586ba3 100644
--- a/Nasal/screen.nas
+++ b/Nasal/screen.nas
@@ -549,7 +549,7 @@ _setlistener("/sim/signals/nasal-dir-initialized", func {
 
 
 #-- Init -----------------------------------------------------------------------
-if (getprop("/sim/chat-on-the-left")) {
+if (getprop("/sim/gui/chat-box-location") == "left") {
     property_display = display.new(5, -250);
 } else {
     property_display = display.new(5, -25);
@@ -571,7 +571,7 @@ setlistener("/sim/gui/current-style", func {
     theme_font = getprop("/sim/gui/selected-style/fonts/message-display/name");
 }, 1);
 
-if (getprop("/sim/chat-on-the-left")) {
+if (getprop("/sim/gui/chat-box-location") == "left") {
     log = window.new(5, -30, 10, 10);
     log.align = "left";
 } else {
diff --git a/defaults.xml b/defaults.xml
index a27e395ef..d7d21955c 100644
--- a/defaults.xml
+++ b/defaults.xml
@@ -730,6 +730,7 @@ Started September 2000 by David Megginson, david@megginson.com
       <style n="0" include="gui/styles/tortola.xml"/>
       <style n="1" include="gui/styles/anthrax.xml"/>
       <devel-widgets type="bool" userarchive="y">false</devel-widgets>
+      <chat-box-location type="string" userarchive="y">default</chat-box-location>
     </gui>
     <mouse>
       <hide-cursor type="bool" userarchive="y">true</hide-cursor>
@@ -899,7 +900,6 @@ Started September 2000 by David Megginson, david@megginson.com
       <auto-attach type="bool" userarchive="y">true</auto-attach>
     </mp-carriers>
     <freeze-mouse-flight-controls-on-pause type="bool" userarchive="n">true</freeze-mouse-flight-controls-on-pause>
-    <chat-on-the-left type="bool" userarchive="y">false</chat-on-the-left>
   </sim>
   <!-- accelerations -->
   <accelerations>
diff --git a/gui/dialogs/view.xml b/gui/dialogs/view.xml
index 574b3b7f5..b505f0249 100644
--- a/gui/dialogs/view.xml
+++ b/gui/dialogs/view.xml
@@ -48,6 +48,12 @@
           target.getNode("property").setValue(enabled.getPath());
         }
       }
+
+      if (getprop("/sim/gui/chat-box-location") == "left") {
+        setprop("/sim/gui/dialogs/view/chat-box-left-checked", 1);
+      } else {
+        setprop("/sim/gui/dialogs/view/chat-box-left-checked", 0);
+      }
     </open>
   </nasal>
 
@@ -148,12 +154,23 @@
       </checkbox>
 
       <checkbox>
+        <live>true</live>
         <halign>left</halign>
         <label>Chat and event log on the left (requires restart)</label>
-        <property>/sim/chat-on-the-left</property>
+        <property>/sim/gui/dialogs/view/chat-box-left-checked</property>
         <binding>
           <command>dialog-apply</command>
         </binding>
+        <binding>
+          <command>nasal</command>
+          <script>
+           if (getprop("/sim/gui/dialogs/view/chat-box-left-checked")) {
+             setprop("/sim/gui/chat-box-location", "left");
+           } else {
+             setprop("/sim/gui/chat-box-location", "default");
+           }
+          </script>
+        </binding>
       </checkbox>
 
       <checkbox>