diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/persistance/DatabaseBackend.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/persistance/DatabaseBackend.java
index 9d23645093426f64be1203a205af443b25e8fa86..d54aae073e385c10bebb0b3ae1cb9104450a15fb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/persistance/DatabaseBackend.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/persistance/DatabaseBackend.java
@@ -1197,7 +1197,7 @@ public class DatabaseBackend extends SQLiteOpenHelper {
             try {
                 final var m = Message.fromCursor(cursor, conversation);
                 final var reply = m.getReply();
-                if (reply != null) {
+                if (reply != null && reply.getAttribute("id") != null) { // Guard against busted replies
                     replyIds.add(reply.getAttribute("id"));
                     waitingForReplies.put(reply.getAttribute("id"), m);
                 }