diff --git a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/SimplexService.kt b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/SimplexService.kt
index 63e31cb226..497dc2ac86 100644
--- a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/SimplexService.kt
+++ b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/SimplexService.kt
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ import android.util.Log
 import androidx.core.app.NotificationCompat
 import androidx.core.content.ContextCompat
 import androidx.work.*
+import chat.simplex.app.model.ChatController
 import chat.simplex.app.views.helpers.*
-import kotlinx.coroutines.Dispatchers
-import kotlinx.coroutines.withContext
+import kotlinx.coroutines.*
 
 // based on:
 // https://robertohuertas.com/2019/06/29/android_foreground_services/
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ class SimplexService: Service() {
     isStartingService = true
     withApi {
       val chatController = (application as SimplexApp).chatController
+      waitDbMigrationEnds(chatController)
       try {
         Log.w(TAG, "Starting foreground service")
         val chatDbStatus = chatController.chatModel.chatDbStatus.value
@@ -324,6 +325,18 @@ class SimplexService: Service() {
       notificationManager.cancel(PASSPHRASE_NOTIFICATION_ID)
     }
 
+    /*
+    * When the app starts the database is in migration process. It can take from seconds to tens of seconds.
+    * It happens in background thread, so other places that relies on database should wait til the end of migration
+    * */
+    suspend fun waitDbMigrationEnds(chatController: ChatController) {
+      var maxWaitTime = 50_000
+      while (chatController.chatModel.chatDbStatus.value == null && maxWaitTime > 0) {
+        delay(50)
+        maxWaitTime -= 50
+      }
+    }
+
     private fun getPreferences(context: Context): SharedPreferences = context.getSharedPreferences(SHARED_PREFS_ID, Context.MODE_PRIVATE)
   }
 }
diff --git a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/views/helpers/MessagesFetcherWorker.kt b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/views/helpers/MessagesFetcherWorker.kt
index 17b856017d..5b18ff5220 100644
--- a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/views/helpers/MessagesFetcherWorker.kt
+++ b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/views/helpers/MessagesFetcherWorker.kt
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ class MessagesFetcherWork(
     try {
       withTimeout(durationSeconds * 1000L) {
         val chatController = (applicationContext as SimplexApp).chatController
+        SimplexService.waitDbMigrationEnds(chatController)
         val chatDbStatus = chatController.chatModel.chatDbStatus.value
         if (chatDbStatus != DBMigrationResult.OK) {
           Log.w(TAG, "Worker: problem with the database: $chatDbStatus")