diff --git a/core/autoload/message.el b/core/autoload/message.el
index 9eed72edc..ebf93742a 100644
--- a/core/autoload/message.el
+++ b/core/autoload/message.el
@@ -1,18 +1,18 @@
 ;;; message.el
 
-(defconst doom-ansi-fg
-  '((reset   . 0)
-    (black   . 30)
-    (red     . 31)
-    (green   . 32)
-    (yellow  . 33)
-    (blue    . 34)
-    (magenta . 35)
-    (cyan    . 36)
-    (white   . 37))
+(defconst doom-message-fg
+  '((reset      . 0)
+    (black      . 30)
+    (red        . 31)
+    (green      . 32)
+    (yellow     . 33)
+    (blue       . 34)
+    (magenta    . 35)
+    (cyan       . 36)
+    (white      . 37))
   "List of text colors.")
 
-(defconst doom-ansi-bg
+(defconst doom-message-bg
   '((on-black   . 40)
     (on-red     . 41)
     (on-green   . 42)
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
     (on-white   . 47))
   "List of colors to draw text on.")
 
-(defconst doom-ansi-fx
+(defconst doom-message-fx
   '((bold       . 1)
     (dark       . 2)
     (italic     . 3)
@@ -41,11 +41,11 @@
 interactive session."
   `(cl-flet*
        (,@(mapcar
-           (lambda (ansi)
-             `(,(car ansi)
+           (lambda (rule)
+             `(,(car rule)
                (lambda (message &rest args)
-                 (apply 'doom-ansi-apply ,(cdr ansi) message args))))
-           (append doom-ansi-fg doom-ansi-bg doom-ansi-fx))
+                 (apply 'doom-ansi-apply ',(car rule) message args))))
+           (append doom-message-fg doom-message-bg doom-message-fx))
         (color (symbol-function 'doom-ansi-apply)))
      (format ,message ,@args)))
 
@@ -53,22 +53,26 @@ interactive session."
 (defmacro message! (message &rest args)
   "An alternative to `message' that strips out ANSI codes if used in an
 interactive session."
-  `(message (format! ,message ,@args)))
+  `(if noninteractive
+       (message (format! ,message ,@args))
+     (let ((buf (get-buffer-create " *doom messages*")))
+       (with-current-buffer buf
+         (goto-char (point-max))
+         (let ((beg (point))
+               end)
+           (insert (format! ,message ,@args))
+           (setq end (point))
+           (ansi-color-apply-on-region beg end)))
+       (with-selected-window (doom-popup-buffer buf)
+         (goto-char (point-max))))))
 
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun doom-ansi-apply (code format &rest args)
-  (if noninteractive
-      (format "\e[%dm%s\e[%sm"
-              (if (numberp code)
-                  code
-                (cdr (or (assq code doom-ansi-fg)
-                         (assq code doom-ansi-bg)
-                         (assq code doom-ansi-fx))))
-              (apply 'format format args) 0)
-    (apply 'format format args)))
+  (let ((rule (or (assq code doom-message-fg)
+                  (assq code doom-message-bg)
+                  (assq code doom-message-fx))))
+    (format "\e[%dm%s\e[%dm"
+            (cdr rule)
+            (apply 'format format args)
+            0)))
 
-
-;; --- DOOM message buffer -----------------------------------------------------
-
-;; TODO
-;; (defun doom-message (message &rest args) (interactive))
diff --git a/core/core-popups.el b/core/core-popups.el
index 947236fef..97486ef3a 100644
--- a/core/core-popups.el
+++ b/core/core-popups.el
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ is enabled/disabled.'")
         ;;  :autoclose  If non-nil, close popup if ESC is pressed from any buffer.
         shackle-rules
         '(("^ ?\\*doom:.+\\*$"      :size 40  :modeline t :regexp t)
-          ("^ ?\\*doom .+\\*$"      :size 30  :noselect t :regexp t)
+          ("^ ?\\*doom .+\\*$"      :size 10  :noselect t :regexp t)
+          ("^ *doom message*"       :size 10  :noselect t :autokill t)
           ("*Metahelp*"             :size 0.5 :autokill t :autoclose t)
           ("^\\*.+-Profiler-Report .+\\*$" :size 0.3 :regexp t :autokill t)
           ("*minor-modes*"          :size 0.5 :noselect t :autokill t)
diff --git a/test/core/autoload/test-message.el b/test/core/autoload/test-message.el
index be9b8501e..d8da5fade 100644
--- a/test/core/autoload/test-message.el
+++ b/test/core/autoload/test-message.el
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ;;; test/core/autoload/test-message.el
 
 (def-test-group! core/autoload/message
+  ;; ansi messages
   (ert-deftest ansi-format ()
     (let ((noninteractive t))
       (should (equal (format! "Hello %s" "World")
@@ -9,15 +10,15 @@
                      "Hello World"))
       (should (equal (format! (green "Hello %s" "World"))
                      (format "\e[%dm%s\e[0m"
-                             (cdr (assq 'green doom-ansi-fg))
+                             (cdr (assq 'green doom-message-fg))
                              "Hello World")))
       (should (equal (format! (on-red "Hello %s" "World"))
                      (format "\e[%dm%s\e[0m"
-                             (cdr (assq 'on-red doom-ansi-bg))
+                             (cdr (assq 'on-red doom-message-bg))
                              "Hello World")))
       (should (equal (format! (bold "Hello %s" "World"))
                      (format "\e[%dm%s\e[0m"
-                             (cdr (assq 'bold doom-ansi-fx))
+                             (cdr (assq 'bold doom-message-fx))
                              "Hello World")))))
 
   (ert-deftest ansi-format-nested ()
@@ -38,4 +39,3 @@
                      (format! (red "Hello %s" "World"))))
       (should (equal (format! (color (if nil 'red 'blue) "Hello %s" "World"))
                      (format! (blue "Hello %s" "World")))))))
-