diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
index 76d043b2aa..df76409316 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
@@ -332,13 +332,15 @@ func apiGetChatItems(type: ChatType, id: Int64, pagination: ChatPagination, sear
     throw r
 }
 
-func loadChat(chat: Chat, search: String = "") async {
+func loadChat(chat: Chat, search: String = "", clearItems: Bool = true) async {
     do {
         let cInfo = chat.chatInfo
         let m = ChatModel.shared
         let im = ItemsModel.shared
         m.chatItemStatuses = [:]
-        await MainActor.run { im.reversedChatItems = [] }
+        if clearItems {
+            await MainActor.run { im.reversedChatItems = [] }
+        }
         let chat = try await apiGetChat(type: cInfo.chatType, id: cInfo.apiId, search: search)
         await MainActor.run {
             im.reversedChatItems = chat.chatItems.reversed()
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/SimpleXApp.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/SimpleXApp.swift
index fe306b944f..c40f9edf45 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/SimpleXApp.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/SimpleXApp.swift
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ struct SimpleXApp: App {
             chatModel.updateChats(with: chats)
             if let id = chatModel.chatId,
                let chat = chatModel.getChat(id) {
-                Task { await loadChat(chat: chat) }
+                Task { await loadChat(chat: chat, clearItems: false) }
             }
             if let ncr = chatModel.ntfContactRequest {
                 chatModel.ntfContactRequest = nil