diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Messages.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Messages.hs
index 1902fd002e..8c4419ef90 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Messages.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Messages.hs
@@ -2319,9 +2319,9 @@ updateGroupCIMentions db g ci@ChatItem {mentions} mentions'
       unless (null mentions) $ deleteMentions
       if null mentions'
         then pure ci
-        -- This is a fallback for the error that should not happen in practice.
+        else -- This is a fallback for the error that should not happen in practice.
         -- In theory, it may happen in item mentions in database are different from item record.
-        else createMentions `E.catch` \e -> if constraintError e then deleteMentions >> createMentions else E.throwIO e
+          createMentions `E.catch` \e -> if constraintError e then deleteMentions >> createMentions else E.throwIO e
   where
     deleteMentions = DB.execute db "DELETE FROM chat_item_mentions WHERE chat_item_id = ?" (Only $ chatItemId' ci)
     createMentions = createGroupCIMentions db g ci mentions'
@@ -3138,8 +3138,9 @@ getGroupSndStatusCounts db itemId =
     |]
     (Only itemId)
 
+-- TODO [knocking] check idx_chat_items_groups_history in query plans
 getGroupHistoryItems :: DB.Connection -> User -> GroupInfo -> GroupMember -> Int -> IO [Either StoreError (CChatItem 'CTGroup)]
-getGroupHistoryItems db user@User {userId} g@GroupInfo {groupId} m count = do
+getGroupHistoryItems db user@User {userId} g@GroupInfo {groupId} GroupMember {groupMemberId} count = do
   ciIds <- getLastItemIds_
   reverse <$> mapM (runExceptT . getGroupCIWithReactions db user g) ciIds
   where
@@ -3148,6 +3149,7 @@ getGroupHistoryItems db user@User {userId} g@GroupInfo {groupId} m count = do
       map fromOnly
         <$> DB.query
           db
+          -- `i.group_member_id != ?` check is to exclude messages received from pending approval member
           [sql|
             SELECT i.chat_item_id
             FROM chat_items i
@@ -3156,7 +3158,8 @@ getGroupHistoryItems db user@User {userId} g@GroupInfo {groupId} m count = do
               AND i.user_id = ? AND i.group_id = ?
               AND i.include_in_history = 1
               AND i.item_deleted = 0
+              AND (i.group_member_id != ? OR i.group_member_id IS NULL)
             ORDER BY i.item_ts DESC, i.chat_item_id DESC
             LIMIT ?
           |]
-          (groupMemberId' m, userId, groupId, count)
+          (groupMemberId, userId, groupId, groupMemberId, count)
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Postgres/Migrations/M20250227_member_acceptance.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Postgres/Migrations/M20250227_member_acceptance.hs
index d902c577a6..68fa03868c 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Postgres/Migrations/M20250227_member_acceptance.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Postgres/Migrations/M20250227_member_acceptance.hs
@@ -10,7 +10,18 @@ m20250227_member_acceptance :: Text
 m20250227_member_acceptance =
   T.pack
     [r|
-ALTER TABLE user_contact_links ADD COLUMN group_link_auto_accept TEXT NULL;
+ALTER TABLE user_contact_links ADD COLUMN group_link_auto_accept TEXT;
+
+DROP INDEX idx_chat_items_groups_history;
+CREATE INDEX idx_chat_items_groups_history ON chat_items(
+  user_id,
+  group_id,
+  include_in_history,
+  item_deleted,
+  group_member_id,
+  item_ts,
+  chat_item_id
+);
 |]
 
 down_m20250227_member_acceptance :: Text
@@ -18,4 +29,14 @@ down_m20250227_member_acceptance =
   T.pack
     [r|
 ALTER TABLE user_contact_links DROP COLUMN group_link_auto_accept;
+
+DROP INDEX idx_chat_items_groups_history;
+CREATE INDEX idx_chat_items_groups_history ON chat_items(
+  user_id,
+  group_id,
+  include_in_history,
+  item_deleted,
+  item_ts,
+  chat_item_id
+);
 |]
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/SQLite/Migrations/M20250227_member_acceptance.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/SQLite/Migrations/M20250227_member_acceptance.hs
index 06627a6285..281b3063cd 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/SQLite/Migrations/M20250227_member_acceptance.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/SQLite/Migrations/M20250227_member_acceptance.hs
@@ -8,11 +8,32 @@ import Database.SQLite.Simple.QQ (sql)
 m20250227_member_acceptance :: Query
 m20250227_member_acceptance =
   [sql|
-ALTER TABLE user_contact_links ADD COLUMN group_link_auto_accept TEXT NULL;
+ALTER TABLE user_contact_links ADD COLUMN group_link_auto_accept TEXT;
+
+DROP INDEX idx_chat_items_groups_history;
+CREATE INDEX idx_chat_items_groups_history ON chat_items(
+  user_id,
+  group_id,
+  include_in_history,
+  item_deleted,
+  group_member_id,
+  item_ts,
+  chat_item_id
+);
 |]
 
 down_m20250227_member_acceptance :: Query
 down_m20250227_member_acceptance =
   [sql|
 ALTER TABLE user_contact_links DROP COLUMN group_link_auto_accept;
+
+DROP INDEX idx_chat_items_groups_history;
+CREATE INDEX idx_chat_items_groups_history ON chat_items(
+  user_id,
+  group_id,
+  include_in_history,
+  item_deleted,
+  item_ts,
+  chat_item_id
+);
 |]
diff --git a/tests/ChatTests/Groups.hs b/tests/ChatTests/Groups.hs
index ce2f3d6a36..62255e4430 100644
--- a/tests/ChatTests/Groups.hs
+++ b/tests/ChatTests/Groups.hs
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ chatGroupTests = do
     it "existing contact merged" testGroupLinkExistingContactMerged
   describe "group links - join rejection" $ do
     it "reject member joining via group link - blocked name" testGLinkRejectBlockedName
-  fdescribe "group links - manual acceptance" $ do
+  describe "group links - manual acceptance" $ do
     it "manually accept member joining via group link" testGLinkManualAcceptMember
   describe "group link connection plan" $ do
     it "ok to connect; known group" testPlanGroupLinkKnown
@@ -2947,7 +2947,6 @@ testGLinkManualAcceptMember =
           cath
             <### [ "#team: you joined the group",
                    WithTime "#team alice> hi group [>>]",
-                   StartsWith "duplicate group message", -- TODO [knocking] <- bug - remove
                    WithTime "#team bob> hey [>>]",
                    "#team: member bob (Bob) is connected"
                  ],