diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Remote.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Remote.hs
index a706bfc0de..255af5f318 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Remote.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Remote.hs
@@ -233,9 +233,13 @@ startRemoteHost rh_ rcAddrPrefs_ port_ = do
     pollEvents :: RemoteHostId -> RemoteHostClient -> CM ()
     pollEvents rhId rhClient = do
       oq <- asks outputQ
-      forever $ do
-        r_ <- liftRH rhId $ remoteRecv rhClient 10000000
-        forM r_ $ \r -> atomically $ writeTBQueue oq (Just rhId, r)
+      forever $
+        handlePollError oq $ do
+          r_ <- liftRH rhId $ remoteRecv rhClient 10000000
+          forM_ r_ $ \r -> atomically $ writeTBQueue oq (Just rhId, r)
+      where
+        handlePollError oq a = a `catchAllErrors` \e ->
+          atomically $ writeTBQueue oq (Just rhId, Left e)
     httpError :: RemoteHostId -> HTTP2ClientError -> ChatError
     httpError rhId = ChatErrorRemoteHost (RHId rhId) . RHEProtocolError . RPEHTTP2 . tshow
 
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Types.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Types.hs
index 667660c97b..c08c0827ae 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Types.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Types.hs
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import qualified Data.Aeson.TH as JQ
 import qualified Data.Attoparsec.ByteString.Char8 as A
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Base64 as B64
 import Data.ByteString.Char8 (ByteString, pack, unpack)
+import qualified Data.ByteString.Char8 as B
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as LB
 import Data.Functor (($>))
 import Data.Int (Int64)
@@ -1411,7 +1412,7 @@ instance ToField AgentConnId where toField (AgentConnId m) = toField $ Binary m
 instance StrEncoding AgentConnId where
   strEncode (AgentConnId connId) = strEncode connId
   strDecode s = AgentConnId <$> strDecode s
-  strP = AgentConnId <$> strP
+  strP = AgentConnId <$> (strP <|> pure B.empty)
 
 instance FromJSON AgentConnId where
   parseJSON = strParseJSON "AgentConnId"