diff --git a/src/chat.rs b/src/chat.rs
index ab8263468..9baa7fdb1 100644
--- a/src/chat.rs
+++ b/src/chat.rs
@@ -2444,7 +2444,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn create_send_msg_job(
     let rendered_msg = match mimefactory.render(context).await {
         Ok(res) => Ok(res),
         Err(err) => {
-            message::set_msg_failed(context, msg.id, &err.to_string()).await?;
+            message::set_msg_failed(context, msg, &err.to_string()).await?;
             Err(err)
         }
     }?;
@@ -2453,7 +2453,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn create_send_msg_job(
         /* unrecoverable */
         message::set_msg_failed(
             context,
-            msg.id,
+            msg,
             "End-to-end-encryption unavailable unexpectedly.",
         )
         .await?;
diff --git a/src/message.rs b/src/message.rs
index 03ccd70c2..0a299c3e9 100644
--- a/src/message.rs
+++ b/src/message.rs
@@ -1667,30 +1667,33 @@ pub(crate) async fn update_msg_state(
 
 // Context functions to work with messages
 
-pub(crate) async fn set_msg_failed(context: &Context, msg_id: MsgId, error: &str) -> Result<()> {
-    let mut msg = Message::load_from_db(context, msg_id).await?;
-
+pub(crate) async fn set_msg_failed(
+    context: &Context,
+    msg: &mut Message,
+    error: &str,
+) -> Result<()> {
     if msg.state.can_fail() {
         msg.state = MessageState::OutFailed;
-        warn!(context, "{} failed: {}", msg_id, error);
+        warn!(context, "{} failed: {}", msg.id, error);
     } else {
         warn!(
             context,
-            "{} seems to have failed ({}), but state is {}", msg_id, error, msg.state
+            "{} seems to have failed ({}), but state is {}", msg.id, error, msg.state
         )
     }
+    msg.error = Some(error.to_string());
 
     context
         .sql
         .execute(
             "UPDATE msgs SET state=?, error=? WHERE id=?;",
-            (msg.state, error, msg_id),
+            (msg.state, error, msg.id),
         )
         .await?;
 
     context.emit_event(EventType::MsgFailed {
         chat_id: msg.chat_id,
-        msg_id,
+        msg_id: msg.id,
     });
 
     Ok(())
@@ -2300,7 +2303,7 @@ mod tests {
         update_msg_state(&alice, alice_msg.id, MessageState::OutMdnRcvd).await?;
         assert_state(&alice, alice_msg.id, MessageState::OutMdnRcvd).await;
 
-        set_msg_failed(&alice, alice_msg.id, "badly failed").await?;
+        set_msg_failed(&alice, &mut alice_msg, "badly failed").await?;
         assert_state(&alice, alice_msg.id, MessageState::OutFailed).await;
 
         // check incoming message states on receiver side
diff --git a/src/mimeparser.rs b/src/mimeparser.rs
index 1a5ecbe1e..73952ba8b 100644
--- a/src/mimeparser.rs
+++ b/src/mimeparser.rs
@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@ use crate::events::EventType;
 use crate::headerdef::{HeaderDef, HeaderDefMap};
 use crate::key::{DcKey, Fingerprint, SignedPublicKey, SignedSecretKey};
 use crate::keyring::Keyring;
-use crate::message::{self, set_msg_failed, update_msg_state, MessageState, MsgId, Viewtype};
+use crate::message::{
+    self, set_msg_failed, update_msg_state, Message, MessageState, MsgId, Viewtype,
+};
 use crate::param::{Param, Params};
 use crate::peerstate::Peerstate;
 use crate::simplify::{simplify, SimplifiedText};
@@ -2156,7 +2158,8 @@ async fn handle_ndn(
     let mut first = true;
     for msg in msgs {
         let (msg_id, chat_id, chat_type) = msg?;
-        set_msg_failed(context, msg_id, &error).await?;
+        let mut message = Message::load_from_db(context, msg_id).await?;
+        set_msg_failed(context, &mut message, &error).await?;
         if first {
             // Add only one info msg for all failed messages
             ndn_maybe_add_info_msg(context, failed, chat_id, chat_type).await?;
diff --git a/src/smtp.rs b/src/smtp.rs
index ba371da44..e9ebf3faa 100644
--- a/src/smtp.rs
+++ b/src/smtp.rs
@@ -492,8 +492,19 @@ pub(crate) async fn smtp_send(
 
     if let SendResult::Failure(err) = &status {
         // We couldn't send the message, so mark it as failed
-        if let Err(err) = message::set_msg_failed(context, msg_id, &err.to_string()).await {
-            error!(context, "Failed to mark {msg_id} as failed: {err:#}.");
+        match Message::load_from_db(context, msg_id).await {
+            Ok(mut msg) => {
+                if let Err(err) = message::set_msg_failed(context, &mut msg, &err.to_string()).await
+                {
+                    error!(context, "Failed to mark {msg_id} as failed: {err:#}.");
+                }
+            }
+            Err(err) => {
+                error!(
+                    context,
+                    "Failed to load {msg_id} to mark it as failed: {err:#}."
+                );
+            }
         }
     }
     status
@@ -541,7 +552,8 @@ pub(crate) async fn send_msg_to_smtp(
         )
         .await?;
     if retries > 6 {
-        message::set_msg_failed(context, msg_id, "Number of retries exceeded the limit.").await?;
+        let mut msg = Message::load_from_db(context, msg_id).await?;
+        message::set_msg_failed(context, &mut msg, "Number of retries exceeded the limit.").await?;
         context
             .sql
             .execute("DELETE FROM smtp WHERE id=?", (rowid,))