diff --git a/src/context.rs b/src/context.rs
index ca95175bd..4ff54231f 100644
--- a/src/context.rs
+++ b/src/context.rs
@@ -671,29 +671,33 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_get_version_str() -> *mut libc::c_char {
 pub fn dc_get_fresh_msgs(context: &Context) -> *mut dc_array_t {
     let show_deaddrop = 0;
     let ret = unsafe { dc_array_new(128 as size_t) };
-    if !ret.is_null() {
-        if let Some(ref mut stmt) = dc_sqlite3_prepare(
-            context,
-            &context.sql,
+    if ret.is_null() {
+        return ret;
+    }
+
+    let conn_lock = context.sql.get_conn();
+    if let Some(ref mut stmt) = conn_lock.as_ref().and_then(|conn| {
+        conn.prepare(
             "SELECT m.id FROM msgs m LEFT JOIN contacts ct \
              ON m.from_id=ct.id LEFT JOIN chats c ON m.chat_id=c.id WHERE m.state=?   \
              AND m.hidden=0   \
              AND m.chat_id>?   \
              AND ct.blocked=0   \
              AND (c.blocked=0 OR c.blocked=?) ORDER BY m.timestamp DESC,m.id DESC;",
-        ) {
-            match stmt.query_map(&[10, 9, if 0 != show_deaddrop { 2 } else { 0 }], |row| {
-                row.get(0)
-            }) {
-                Ok(rows) => {
-                    for row in rows {
-                        if let Ok(id) = row {
-                            unsafe { dc_array_add_id(ret, id) };
-                        }
+        )
+        .ok()
+    }) {
+        match stmt.query_map(&[10, 9, if 0 != show_deaddrop { 2 } else { 0 }], |row| {
+            row.get(0)
+        }) {
+            Ok(rows) => {
+                for row in rows {
+                    if let Ok(id) = row {
+                        unsafe { dc_array_add_id(ret, id) };
                     }
                 }
-                Err(_err) => {}
             }
+            Err(_err) => {}
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/dc_sqlite3.rs b/src/dc_sqlite3.rs
index 634bff7ff..b73e4a052 100644
--- a/src/dc_sqlite3.rs
+++ b/src/dc_sqlite3.rs
@@ -55,13 +55,8 @@ impl SQLite {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn prepare(&self, sql: &str) -> rusqlite::Result<Statement> {
-        // TODO: switch to direct execution
-        unimplemented!()
-        // match &*self.connection.read().unwrap() {
-        //     Some(ref conn) => conn.prepare(sql),
-        //     None => panic!("Querying closed SQLite database"),
-        // }
+    pub fn get_conn(&self) -> std::sync::RwLockReadGuard<Option<Connection>> {
+        self.connection.read().unwrap()
     }
 
     pub fn query_row<T, P, F>(&self, sql: &str, params: P, f: F) -> rusqlite::Result<T>
@@ -866,13 +861,8 @@ pub fn dc_sqlite3_prepare<'a>(
     sql: &'a SQLite,
     querystr: &'a str,
 ) -> Option<Statement<'a>> {
-    match sql.prepare(querystr) {
-        Ok(s) => Some(s),
-        Err(err) => {
-            error!(context, 0, "Query failed: {} ({})", querystr, err);
-            None
-        }
-    }
+    // TODO: remove once it is not used anymore
+    unimplemented!()
 }
 
 pub fn dc_sqlite3_is_open(sql: &SQLite) -> libc::c_int {