diff --git a/deltachat-ffi/deltachat.h b/deltachat-ffi/deltachat.h
index 1c5a8303e..ab2eb9036 100644
--- a/deltachat-ffi/deltachat.h
+++ b/deltachat-ffi/deltachat.h
@@ -350,7 +350,9 @@ char*           dc_get_blobdir               (const dc_context_t* context);
  *                    The type `jitsi:` may be handled by external apps.
  *                    If no type is prefixed, the videochat is handled completely in a browser.
  * - `bot`          = Set to "1" if this is a bot. E.g. prevents adding the "Device messages" and "Saved messages" chats.
- * - `prefetch`     = 1=fetch most recent existing messages on configure (default), 0=do not fetch on configure
+ * - `fetch_existing` = 1=fetch most recent existing messages on configure (default),
+ *                    0=do not fetch existing messages on configure.
+ *                    In both cases, existing recipients are added to the contact database.
  *
  * If you want to retrieve a value, use dc_get_config().
  *
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index c554b194e..eed64e10d 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ pub enum Config {
     MediaQuality,
 
     #[strum(props(default = "1"))]
-    Prefetch,
+    FetchExisting,
 
     #[strum(props(default = "0"))]
     KeyGenType,
diff --git a/src/configure/mod.rs b/src/configure/mod.rs
index 7caaad12b..55c9833a0 100644
--- a/src/configure/mod.rs
+++ b/src/configure/mod.rs
@@ -353,13 +353,11 @@ async fn configure(ctx: &Context, param: &mut LoginParam) -> Result<()> {
     e2ee::ensure_secret_key_exists(ctx).await?;
     info!(ctx, "key generation completed");
 
-    if ctx.get_config_bool(Config::Prefetch).await {
-        job::add(
-            ctx,
-            job::Job::new(Action::FetchExistingMsgs, 0, Params::new(), 0),
-        )
-        .await;
-    }
+    job::add(
+        ctx,
+        job::Job::new(Action::FetchExistingMsgs, 0, Params::new(), 0),
+    )
+    .await;
 
     progress!(ctx, 940);
     update_device_chats_handle.await?;
diff --git a/src/job.rs b/src/job.rs
index 455c6ba06..590d97ae3 100644
--- a/src/job.rs
+++ b/src/job.rs
@@ -636,17 +636,19 @@ impl Job {
         add_all_recipients_as_contacts(context, imap, Config::ConfiguredMvboxFolder).await;
         add_all_recipients_as_contacts(context, imap, Config::ConfiguredInboxFolder).await;
 
-        for config in &[
-            Config::ConfiguredMvboxFolder,
-            Config::ConfiguredInboxFolder,
-            Config::ConfiguredSentboxFolder,
-        ] {
-            if let Some(folder) = context.get_config(*config).await {
-                if let Err(e) = imap.fetch_new_messages(context, folder, true).await {
-                    // We are using Anyhow's .context() and to show the inner error, too, we need the {:#}:
-                    warn!(context, "Could not fetch messages, retrying: {:#}", e);
-                    return Status::RetryLater;
-                };
+        if context.get_config_bool(Config::FetchExisting).await {
+            for config in &[
+                Config::ConfiguredMvboxFolder,
+                Config::ConfiguredInboxFolder,
+                Config::ConfiguredSentboxFolder,
+            ] {
+                if let Some(folder) = context.get_config(*config).await {
+                    if let Err(e) = imap.fetch_new_messages(context, folder, true).await {
+                        // We are using Anyhow's .context() and to show the inner error, too, we need the {:#}:
+                        warn!(context, "Could not fetch messages, retrying: {:#}", e);
+                        return Status::RetryLater;
+                    };
+                }
             }
         }
         info!(context, "Done fetching existing messages.");