diff --git a/js/modules/loki_snode_api.js b/js/modules/loki_snode_api.js
index d4b2a6cdc..9828ce43a 100644
--- a/js/modules/loki_snode_api.js
+++ b/js/modules/loki_snode_api.js
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ class LokiSnodeAPI {
     try {
       const conversation = ConversationController.get(pubKey);
       if (!conversation) {
-        throw new Error('Could not find conversation ', pubKey);
+        throw new Error(`Could not find conversation '${pubKey}'`);
       }
       const swarmNodes = [...conversation.get('swarmNodes')];
 
diff --git a/ts/receiver/dataMessage.ts b/ts/receiver/dataMessage.ts
index 653075b37..06116b058 100644
--- a/ts/receiver/dataMessage.ts
+++ b/ts/receiver/dataMessage.ts
@@ -632,9 +632,11 @@ export async function handleMessageEvent(event: any): Promise<void> {
     conversationId = primarySource.key;
   }
 
-  // the conversation with the primary device of that source (can be the same as conversationOrigin)
-  const conversation = window.ConversationController.get(conversationId);
-
+  // be sure to call this one with conversationId. because we might need to create the primary conversation from a message of a secondary device
+  const conversation = await window.ConversationController.getOrCreateAndWait(
+    conversationId,
+    type
+  );
   conversation.queueJob(() => {
     handleMessageJob(
       msg,
diff --git a/ts/session/protocols/SessionProtocol.ts b/ts/session/protocols/SessionProtocol.ts
index 45b3673f6..853bcbf1c 100644
--- a/ts/session/protocols/SessionProtocol.ts
+++ b/ts/session/protocols/SessionProtocol.ts
@@ -105,6 +105,10 @@ export class SessionProtocol {
   public static async sendSessionRequestIfNeeded(
     pubkey: PubKey
   ): Promise<void> {
+    const { ConversationController } = window;
+    // FIXME audric: to remove once swarm nodes are not stored on the conversation itself.
+    await ConversationController.getOrCreateAndWait(pubkey.key, 'private');
+
     if (
       (await SessionProtocol.hasSession(pubkey)) ||
       (await SessionProtocol.hasSentSessionRequest(pubkey))