diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
index fb727b494e..67f962508b 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
@@ -225,6 +225,15 @@ func apiStartChat(ctrl: chat_ctrl? = nil) throws -> Bool {
     }
 }
 
+func apiCheckChatRunning() throws -> Bool {
+    let r = chatSendCmdSync(.checkChatRunning)
+    switch r {
+    case .chatRunning: return true
+    case .chatStopped: return false
+    default: throw r
+    }
+}
+
 func apiStopChat() async throws {
     let r = await chatSendCmd(.apiStopChat)
     switch r {
@@ -1439,15 +1448,16 @@ func startChat(refreshInvitations: Bool = true) throws {
     logger.debug("startChat")
     let m = ChatModel.shared
     try setNetworkConfig(getNetCfg())
-    let justStarted = try apiStartChat()
+    let chatRunning = try apiCheckChatRunning()
     m.users = try listUsers()
-    if justStarted {
+    if !chatRunning {
         try getUserChatData()
         NtfManager.shared.setNtfBadgeCount(m.totalUnreadCountForAllUsers())
         if (refreshInvitations) {
             try refreshCallInvitations()
         }
         (m.savedToken, m.tokenStatus, m.notificationMode, m.notificationServer) = apiGetNtfToken()
+        _ = try apiStartChat()
         // deviceToken is set when AppDelegate.application(didRegisterForRemoteNotificationsWithDeviceToken:) is called,
         // when it is called before startChat
         if let token = m.deviceToken {
diff --git a/apps/ios/SimpleXChat/APITypes.swift b/apps/ios/SimpleXChat/APITypes.swift
index c1263f26e2..4a45892ee5 100644
--- a/apps/ios/SimpleXChat/APITypes.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/SimpleXChat/APITypes.swift
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ public enum ChatCommand {
     case apiUnmuteUser(userId: Int64)
     case apiDeleteUser(userId: Int64, delSMPQueues: Bool, viewPwd: String?)
     case startChat(mainApp: Bool, enableSndFiles: Bool)
+    case checkChatRunning
     case apiStopChat
     case apiActivateChat(restoreChat: Bool)
     case apiSuspendChat(timeoutMicroseconds: Int)
@@ -173,6 +174,7 @@ public enum ChatCommand {
             case let .apiUnmuteUser(userId): return "/_unmute user \(userId)"
             case let .apiDeleteUser(userId, delSMPQueues, viewPwd): return "/_delete user \(userId) del_smp=\(onOff(delSMPQueues))\(maybePwd(viewPwd))"
             case let .startChat(mainApp, enableSndFiles): return "/_start main=\(onOff(mainApp)) snd_files=\(onOff(enableSndFiles))"
+            case .checkChatRunning: return "/_check running"
             case .apiStopChat: return "/_stop"
             case let .apiActivateChat(restore): return "/_app activate restore=\(onOff(restore))"
             case let .apiSuspendChat(timeoutMicroseconds): return "/_app suspend \(timeoutMicroseconds)"
@@ -334,6 +336,7 @@ public enum ChatCommand {
             case .apiUnmuteUser: return "apiUnmuteUser"
             case .apiDeleteUser: return "apiDeleteUser"
             case .startChat: return "startChat"
+            case .checkChatRunning: return "checkChatRunning"
             case .apiStopChat: return "apiStopChat"
             case .apiActivateChat: return "apiActivateChat"
             case .apiSuspendChat: return "apiSuspendChat"
diff --git a/apps/multiplatform/common/src/commonMain/kotlin/chat/simplex/common/model/SimpleXAPI.kt b/apps/multiplatform/common/src/commonMain/kotlin/chat/simplex/common/model/SimpleXAPI.kt
index 14481ed235..37945729dd 100644
--- a/apps/multiplatform/common/src/commonMain/kotlin/chat/simplex/common/model/SimpleXAPI.kt
+++ b/apps/multiplatform/common/src/commonMain/kotlin/chat/simplex/common/model/SimpleXAPI.kt
@@ -739,7 +739,7 @@ object ChatController {
     }
   }
 
-  suspend fun apiCheckChatRunning(): Boolean {
+  private suspend fun apiCheckChatRunning(): Boolean {
     val r = sendCmd(null, CC.CheckChatRunning())
     when (r) {
       is CR.ChatRunning -> return true