diff --git a/src/ssb.db.c b/src/ssb.db.c
index 153df218..d9510626 100644
--- a/src/ssb.db.c
+++ b/src/ssb.db.c
@@ -981,27 +981,52 @@ bool tf_ssb_db_get_latest_message_by_author(tf_ssb_t* ssb, const char* author, i
 	bool found = false;
 	sqlite3_stmt* statement;
 	sqlite3* db = tf_ssb_acquire_db_reader(ssb);
-	const char* query = "SELECT id, sequence FROM messages WHERE author = ?1 ORDER BY sequence DESC LIMIT 1";
-	if (sqlite3_prepare(db, query, -1, &statement, NULL) == SQLITE_OK)
+
+	if (out_message_id)
 	{
-		if (sqlite3_bind_text(statement, 1, author, -1, NULL) == SQLITE_OK && sqlite3_step(statement) == SQLITE_ROW)
+		const char* query = "SELECT id, sequence FROM messages WHERE author = ?1 ORDER BY sequence DESC LIMIT 1";
+		if (sqlite3_prepare(db, query, -1, &statement, NULL) == SQLITE_OK)
 		{
-			if (out_sequence)
+			if (sqlite3_bind_text(statement, 1, author, -1, NULL) == SQLITE_OK && sqlite3_step(statement) == SQLITE_ROW)
 			{
-				*out_sequence = sqlite3_column_int64(statement, 1);
+				if (out_sequence)
+				{
+					*out_sequence = sqlite3_column_int64(statement, 1);
+				}
+				if (out_message_id)
+				{
+					strncpy(out_message_id, (const char*)sqlite3_column_text(statement, 0), out_message_id_size - 1);
+				}
+				found = true;
 			}
-			if (out_message_id)
-			{
-				strncpy(out_message_id, (const char*)sqlite3_column_text(statement, 0), out_message_id_size - 1);
-			}
-			found = true;
+			sqlite3_finalize(statement);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			tf_printf("%s: prepare failed: %s\n", __FUNCTION__, sqlite3_errmsg(db));
 		}
-		sqlite3_finalize(statement);
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		tf_printf("%s: prepare failed: %s\n", __FUNCTION__, sqlite3_errmsg(db));
+		const char* query = "SELECT max_sequence FROM messages_stats WHERE author = ?1";
+		if (sqlite3_prepare(db, query, -1, &statement, NULL) == SQLITE_OK)
+		{
+			if (sqlite3_bind_text(statement, 1, author, -1, NULL) == SQLITE_OK && sqlite3_step(statement) == SQLITE_ROW)
+			{
+				if (out_sequence)
+				{
+					*out_sequence = sqlite3_column_int64(statement, 0);
+				}
+				found = true;
+			}
+			sqlite3_finalize(statement);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			tf_printf("%s: prepare failed: %s\n", __FUNCTION__, sqlite3_errmsg(db));
+		}
 	}
+
 	tf_ssb_release_db_reader(ssb, db);
 	return found;
 }