diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/UIHelper.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/UIHelper.java
index f475da74382754662546c5a5ce357ea0e5ef49dc..8255e788d45f7e62e7bab33dc8406f63aeec3678 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/UIHelper.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/UIHelper.java
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ public class UIHelper {
                 for (final android.text.style.QuoteSpan quote : Lists.reverse(Lists.newArrayList(styledBody.getSpans(0, styledBody.length(), android.text.style.QuoteSpan.class)))) {
                     int start = styledBody.getSpanStart(quote);
                     int end = styledBody.getSpanEnd(quote);
-                    if (start == 0 && end == styledBody.length()) continue;
+                    if (start < 0 || end < 0 || (start == 0 && end == styledBody.length())) continue;
                     styledBody.delete(start, end);
                     styledBody.removeSpan(quote);
                 }