diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/rosetta/messenger/ui/chats/ChatViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/rosetta/messenger/ui/chats/ChatViewModel.kt
index 6a227eb..8231702 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/rosetta/messenger/ui/chats/ChatViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/rosetta/messenger/ui/chats/ChatViewModel.kt
@@ -724,9 +724,6 @@ class ChatViewModel(application: Application) : AndroidViewModel(application) {
     private suspend fun updateMessageStatusInDb(messageId: String, delivered: Int) {
         val account = myPublicKey ?: return
         try {
-            // Never downgrade delivery status
-            val existing = messageDao.findMessageById(account, messageId)
-            if (existing != null && existing.delivered > delivered) return
             messageDao.updateDeliveryStatus(account, messageId, delivered)
         } catch (e: Exception) {}
     }
@@ -740,8 +737,11 @@ class ChatViewModel(application: Application) : AndroidViewModel(application) {
         val account = myPublicKey ?: return
         try {
             // Never downgrade delivery status (e.g. DELIVERED→WAITING race)
-            val existing = messageDao.findMessageById(account, messageId)
-            val safeDelivered = if (existing != null && existing.delivered > delivered) existing.delivered else delivered
+            val safeDelivered = try {
+                val existing = messageDao.findMessageById(account, messageId)
+                if (existing != null && existing.delivered > delivered) existing.delivered else delivered
+            } catch (_: Exception) { delivered }
+
             messageDao.updateDeliveryStatusAndAttachments(
                     account,
                     messageId,