diff --git a/src/chat.rs b/src/chat.rs
index a557df6e5b..6c1b727bd4 100644
--- a/src/chat.rs
+++ b/src/chat.rs
@@ -1042,7 +1042,13 @@ impl ChatId {
     pub(crate) async fn get_timestamp(self, context: &Context) -> Result<Option<i64>> {
         let timestamp = context
             .sql
-            .query_get_value("SELECT MAX(timestamp) FROM msgs WHERE chat_id=?", (self,))
+            .query_get_value(
+                "SELECT MAX(timestamp)
+                 FROM msgs
+                 WHERE chat_id=?
+                 HAVING COUNT(*) > 0",
+                (self,),
+            )
             .await?;
         Ok(timestamp)
     }
@@ -1247,7 +1253,7 @@ impl ChatId {
     ) -> Result<Option<(String, String, String)>> {
         self.parent_query(
             context,
-            "rfc724_mid, mime_in_reply_to, mime_references",
+            "rfc724_mid, mime_in_reply_to, IFNULL(mime_references, '')",
             state_out_min,
             |row: &rusqlite::Row| {
                 let rfc724_mid: String = row.get(0)?;
@@ -1401,7 +1407,10 @@ impl ChatId {
             context
                 .sql
                 .query_get_value(
-                    "SELECT MAX(timestamp) FROM msgs WHERE chat_id=? AND state!=?",
+                    "SELECT MAX(timestamp)
+                    FROM msgs
+                    WHERE chat_id=? AND state!=?
+                    HAVING COUNT(*) > 0",
                     (self, MessageState::OutDraft),
                 )
                 .await?
@@ -1417,7 +1426,10 @@ impl ChatId {
             context
                 .sql
                 .query_get_value(
-                    "SELECT MAX(timestamp) FROM msgs WHERE chat_id=? AND hidden=0 AND state>?",
+                    "SELECT MAX(timestamp)
+                     FROM msgs
+                     WHERE chat_id=? AND hidden=0 AND state>?
+                     HAVING COUNT(*) > 0",
                     (self, MessageState::InFresh),
                 )
                 .await?
@@ -4400,7 +4412,10 @@ pub async fn add_device_msg_with_importance(
         if let Some(last_msg_time) = context
             .sql
             .query_get_value(
-                "SELECT MAX(timestamp) FROM msgs WHERE chat_id=?",
+                "SELECT MAX(timestamp)
+                 FROM msgs
+                 WHERE chat_id=?
+                 HAVING COUNT(*) > 0",
                 (chat_id,),
             )
             .await?
diff --git a/src/ephemeral.rs b/src/ephemeral.rs
index 1fc77f291f..706a6e35b6 100644
--- a/src/ephemeral.rs
+++ b/src/ephemeral.rs
@@ -176,9 +176,16 @@ impl ChatId {
     pub async fn get_ephemeral_timer(self, context: &Context) -> Result<Timer> {
         let timer = context
             .sql
-            .query_get_value("SELECT ephemeral_timer FROM chats WHERE id=?;", (self,))
+            .query_row(
+                "SELECT IFNULL(ephemeral_timer, 0) FROM chats WHERE id=?",
+                (self,),
+                |row| {
+                    let timer: Timer = row.get(0)?;
+                    Ok(timer)
+                },
+            )
             .await?;
-        Ok(timer.unwrap_or_default())
+        Ok(timer)
     }
 
     /// Set ephemeral timer value without sending a message.
@@ -509,7 +516,8 @@ async fn next_delete_device_after_timestamp(context: &Context) -> Result<Option<
                 FROM msgs
                 WHERE chat_id > ?
                   AND chat_id != ?
-                  AND chat_id != ?;
+                  AND chat_id != ?
+                HAVING count(*) > 0
                 "#,
                 (DC_CHAT_ID_TRASH, self_chat_id, device_chat_id),
             )
@@ -533,7 +541,8 @@ async fn next_expiration_timestamp(context: &Context) -> Option<i64> {
             SELECT min(ephemeral_timestamp)
             FROM msgs
             WHERE ephemeral_timestamp != 0
-              AND chat_id != ?;
+              AND chat_id != ?
+            HAVING count(*) > 0
             "#,
             (DC_CHAT_ID_TRASH,), // Trash contains already deleted messages, skip them
         )
diff --git a/src/message.rs b/src/message.rs
index b5be44a9c5..5eea43a104 100644
--- a/src/message.rs
+++ b/src/message.rs
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ impl MsgId {
     pub async fn hop_info(self, context: &Context) -> Result<Option<String>> {
         context
             .sql
-            .query_get_value("SELECT hop_info FROM msgs WHERE id=?", (self,))
+            .query_get_value("SELECT IFNULL(hop_info, '') FROM msgs WHERE id=?", (self,))
             .await
     }
 
@@ -1993,7 +1993,9 @@ pub(crate) async fn rfc724_mid_exists_ex(
         .query_row_optional(
             &("SELECT id, timestamp_sent, MIN(".to_string()
                 + expr
-                + ") FROM msgs WHERE rfc724_mid=? ORDER BY timestamp_sent DESC"),
+                + ") FROM msgs WHERE rfc724_mid=?
+              HAVING COUNT(*) > 0 -- Prevent MIN(expr) from returning NULL when there are no rows.
+              ORDER BY timestamp_sent DESC"),
             (rfc724_mid,),
             |row| {
                 let msg_id: MsgId = row.get(0)?;
diff --git a/src/mimefactory.rs b/src/mimefactory.rs
index 5c5add1484..df14e5bc25 100644
--- a/src/mimefactory.rs
+++ b/src/mimefactory.rs
@@ -201,7 +201,8 @@ impl MimeFactory {
         let (in_reply_to, references) = context
             .sql
             .query_row(
-                "SELECT mime_in_reply_to, mime_references FROM msgs WHERE id=?",
+                "SELECT mime_in_reply_to, IFNULL(mime_references, '')
+                 FROM msgs WHERE id=?",
                 (msg.id,),
                 |row| {
                     let in_reply_to: String = row.get(0)?;
diff --git a/src/sql.rs b/src/sql.rs
index c1f37b48ae..02c709bad9 100644
--- a/src/sql.rs
+++ b/src/sql.rs
@@ -558,15 +558,13 @@ impl Sql {
         self.call(move |conn| match conn.query_row(sql.as_ref(), params, f) {
             Ok(res) => Ok(Some(res)),
             Err(rusqlite::Error::QueryReturnedNoRows) => Ok(None),
-            Err(rusqlite::Error::InvalidColumnType(_, _, rusqlite::types::Type::Null)) => Ok(None),
             Err(err) => Err(err.into()),
         })
         .await
     }
 
     /// Executes a query which is expected to return one row and one
-    /// column. If the query does not return a value or returns SQL
-    /// `NULL`, returns `Ok(None)`.
+    /// column. If the query does not return any rows, returns `Ok(None)`.
     pub async fn query_get_value<T>(
         &self,
         query: &str,