diff --git a/src/reticulum/LXMFManager.cpp b/src/reticulum/LXMFManager.cpp
index 059bb86..3d32fc0 100644
--- a/src/reticulum/LXMFManager.cpp
+++ b/src/reticulum/LXMFManager.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,9 @@ void LXMFManager::loop() {
 
         // Persist updated status to disk so reloads don't revert to QUEUED
         std::string peerHex = msg.destHash.toHex();
-        if (_store) {
+        if (_store && msg.savedCounter > 0) {
+            _store->updateMessageStatusByCounter(peerHex, msg.savedCounter, false, msg.status);
+        } else if (_store) {
             _store->updateMessageStatus(peerHex, msg.timestamp, false, msg.status);
         }
 
@@ -60,7 +62,8 @@ bool LXMFManager::sendMessage(const RNS::Bytes& destHash, const std::string& con
     if ((int)_outQueue.size() >= RATDECK_MAX_OUTQUEUE) { _outQueue.pop_front(); }
     _outQueue.push_back(msg);
     // Immediately save with QUEUED status so it appears in getMessages() right away
-    if (_store) { _store->saveMessage(msg); }
+    // Save the queue copy so savedCounter propagates back to the queued message
+    if (_store) { _store->saveMessage(_outQueue.back()); }
     return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/reticulum/LXMFMessage.h b/src/reticulum/LXMFMessage.h
index 4837b17..fad43ae 100644
--- a/src/reticulum/LXMFMessage.h
+++ b/src/reticulum/LXMFMessage.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ struct LXMFMessage {
     bool incoming = false;
     bool read = false;
     int retries = 0;
+    uint32_t savedCounter = 0;
     RNS::Bytes messageId;
 
     static std::vector<uint8_t> packContent(double timestamp, const std::string& content, const std::string& title);
diff --git a/src/storage/MessageStore.cpp b/src/storage/MessageStore.cpp
index e10fa48..8754818 100644
--- a/src/storage/MessageStore.cpp
+++ b/src/storage/MessageStore.cpp
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ void MessageStore::refreshConversations() {
     }
 }
 
-bool MessageStore::saveMessage(const LXMFMessage& msg) {
+bool MessageStore::saveMessage(LXMFMessage& msg) {
     if (!_flash) return false;
 
     std::string peerHex = msg.incoming ?
@@ -270,6 +270,7 @@ bool MessageStore::saveMessage(const LXMFMessage& msg) {
 
     // Counter-based filename: unique, monotonic, sorts correctly
     uint32_t counter = _nextReceiveCounter++;
+    msg.savedCounter = counter;
     char filename[64];
     snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "%013lu_%c.json",
              (unsigned long)counter, msg.incoming ? 'i' : 'o');
@@ -393,15 +394,6 @@ std::vector<LXMFMessage> MessageStore::loadConversation(const std::string& peerH
         }
     }
 
-    // Sort chronologically; non-epoch timestamps (uptime-based) sort before epoch
-    std::sort(messages.begin(), messages.end(),
-              [](const LXMFMessage& a, const LXMFMessage& b) {
-                  bool aEpoch = a.timestamp > 1700000000;
-                  bool bEpoch = b.timestamp > 1700000000;
-                  if (aEpoch != bEpoch) return !aEpoch; // non-epoch sorts before epoch
-                  return a.timestamp < b.timestamp;
-              });
-
     return messages;
 }
 
@@ -598,6 +590,44 @@ bool MessageStore::updateMessageStatus(const std::string& peerHex, double timest
     return updated;
 }
 
+bool MessageStore::updateMessageStatusByCounter(const std::string& peerHex, uint32_t counter, bool incoming, LXMFStatus newStatus) {
+    if (counter == 0) return false;  // Not saved yet
+    char filename[64];
+    snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "%013lu_%c.json",
+             (unsigned long)counter, incoming ? 'i' : 'o');
+
+    auto readModifyWrite = [&](auto readFn, auto writeFn, const String& dir) -> bool {
+        String path = dir + "/" + filename;
+        String json = readFn(path.c_str());
+        if (json.length() == 0) return false;
+        JsonDocument doc;
+        if (deserializeJson(doc, json)) return false;
+        doc["status"] = (int)newStatus;
+        String updated;
+        serializeJson(doc, updated);
+        writeFn(path.c_str(), updated);
+        return true;
+    };
+
+    bool updated = false;
+    if (_sd && _sd->isReady()) {
+        String sdDir = sdConversationDir(peerHex);
+        updated = readModifyWrite(
+            [&](const char* p) { return _sd->readString(p); },
+            [&](const char* p, const String& d) { _sd->writeString(p, d); },
+            sdDir);
+    }
+    if (_flash) {
+        String dir = conversationDir(peerHex);
+        bool flashUpdated = readModifyWrite(
+            [this](const char* p) { return _flash->readString(p); },
+            [this](const char* p, const String& d) { _flash->writeString(p, d); },
+            dir);
+        updated = updated || flashUpdated;
+    }
+    return updated;
+}
+
 void MessageStore::buildSummaries() {
     _summaries.clear();
 
diff --git a/src/storage/MessageStore.h b/src/storage/MessageStore.h
index fcc2179..bb91949 100644
--- a/src/storage/MessageStore.h
+++ b/src/storage/MessageStore.h
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ class MessageStore {
 public:
     bool begin(FlashStore* flash, SDStore* sd = nullptr);
 
-    bool saveMessage(const LXMFMessage& msg);
+    bool saveMessage(LXMFMessage& msg);
     std::vector<LXMFMessage> loadConversation(const std::string& peerHex) const;
     const std::vector<std::string>& conversations() const { return _conversations; }
     void refreshConversations();
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ public:
     bool deleteConversation(const std::string& peerHex);
     void markConversationRead(const std::string& peerHex);
     bool updateMessageStatus(const std::string& peerHex, double timestamp, bool incoming, LXMFStatus newStatus);
+    bool updateMessageStatusByCounter(const std::string& peerHex, uint32_t counter, bool incoming, LXMFStatus newStatus);
 
     const ConversationSummary* getSummary(const std::string& peerHex) const;
     int totalUnreadCount() const;
diff --git a/src/transport/TCPClientInterface.h b/src/transport/TCPClientInterface.h
index 7e13bf9..7c92075 100644
--- a/src/transport/TCPClientInterface.h
+++ b/src/transport/TCPClientInterface.h
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ public:
     void stop() override;
     void loop() override;
 
+    bool needs_transport_headers() const override { return true; }
+
     virtual inline std::string toString() const override {
         return "TCPClient[" + _name + "]";
     }