diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api.rs b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api.rs
index 5d1a392ed..0179d55b2 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api.rs
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api.rs
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ use deltachat::{imex, info};
 use sanitize_filename::is_sanitized;
 use tokio::fs;
 use tokio::sync::{watch, Mutex, RwLock};
+use types::basic_message::{BasicMessageLoadResult, BasicMessageObject};
 use types::login_param::EnteredLoginParam;
 use walkdir::WalkDir;
 use yerpc::rpc;
@@ -1266,6 +1267,48 @@ impl CommandApi {
         Ok(messages)
     }
 
+    async fn basic_get_message(&self, account_id: u32, msg_id: u32) -> Result<BasicMessageObject> {
+        let ctx = self.get_context(account_id).await?;
+        let msg_id = MsgId::new(msg_id);
+        let message_object = BasicMessageObject::from_msg_id(&ctx, msg_id)
+            .await
+            .with_context(|| format!("Failed to load message {msg_id} for account {account_id}"))?
+            .with_context(|| format!("Message {msg_id} does not exist for account {account_id}"))?;
+        Ok(message_object)
+    }
+
+    /// get multiple messages in one call (but only basic properties)
+    /// 
+    /// This is for optimized performance, the result of [get_messages] is more complete, but is more expensive.
+    /// 
+    /// if loading one message fails the error is stored in the result object in it's place.
+    /// 
+    /// this is the batch variant of [basic_get_message]
+    async fn basic_get_messages(
+        &self,
+        account_id: u32,
+        message_ids: Vec<u32>,
+    ) -> Result<HashMap<u32, BasicMessageLoadResult>> {
+        let ctx = self.get_context(account_id).await?;
+        let mut messages: HashMap<u32, BasicMessageLoadResult> = HashMap::new();
+        for message_id in message_ids {
+            let message_result = BasicMessageObject::from_msg_id(&ctx, MsgId::new(message_id)).await;
+            messages.insert(
+                message_id,
+                match message_result {
+                    Ok(Some(message)) => BasicMessageLoadResult::Message(message),
+                    Ok(None) => BasicMessageLoadResult::LoadingError {
+                        error: "Message does not exist".to_string(),
+                    },
+                    Err(error) => BasicMessageLoadResult::LoadingError {
+                        error: format!("{error:#}"),
+                    },
+                },
+            );
+        }
+        Ok(messages)
+    }
+
     /// Fetch info desktop needs for creating a notification for a message
     async fn get_message_notification_info(
         &self,
diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/basic_message.rs b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/basic_message.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2fa7e9b62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/basic_message.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,166 @@
+use anyhow::{Context as _, Result};
+
+use deltachat::context::Context;
+use deltachat::message::Message;
+use deltachat::message::MsgId;
+use num_traits::cast::ToPrimitive;
+use serde::Serialize;
+use typescript_type_def::TypeDef;
+
+use super::message::DownloadState;
+use super::message::MessageViewtype;
+use super::message::SystemMessageType;
+
+#[derive(Serialize, TypeDef, schemars::JsonSchema)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "camelCase", tag = "kind")]
+pub enum BasicMessageLoadResult {
+    Message(BasicMessageObject),
+    LoadingError { error: String },
+}
+
+/// Message that only has basic properties that doen't require additional db calls
+#[derive(Serialize, TypeDef, schemars::JsonSchema)]
+#[serde(rename = "BasicMessage", rename_all = "camelCase")]
+pub struct BasicMessageObject {
+    id: u32,
+    chat_id: u32,
+    from_id: u32,
+
+    text: String,
+
+    is_edited: bool,
+
+    /// Check if a message has a POI location bound to it.
+    /// These locations are also returned by `get_locations` method.
+    /// The UI may decide to display a special icon beside such messages.
+    has_location: bool,
+    has_html: bool,
+    view_type: MessageViewtype,
+    state: u32,
+
+    /// An error text, if there is one.
+    error: Option<String>,
+
+    timestamp: i64,
+    sort_timestamp: i64,
+    received_timestamp: i64,
+    has_deviating_timestamp: bool,
+
+    // summary - use/create another function if you need it
+    subject: String,
+    show_padlock: bool,
+    is_setupmessage: bool,
+    is_info: bool,
+    is_forwarded: bool,
+
+    /// True if the message was sent by a bot.
+    is_bot: bool,
+
+    /// when is_info is true this describes what type of system message it is
+    system_message_type: SystemMessageType,
+
+    duration: i32,
+    dimensions_height: i32,
+    dimensions_width: i32,
+
+    videochat_type: Option<u32>,
+    videochat_url: Option<String>,
+
+    override_sender_name: Option<String>,
+
+    setup_code_begin: Option<String>,
+
+    file: Option<String>,
+    file_mime: Option<String>,
+    file_name: Option<String>,
+
+    webxdc_href: Option<String>,
+
+    download_state: DownloadState,
+
+    original_msg_id: Option<u32>,
+
+    saved_message_id: Option<u32>,
+}
+
+impl BasicMessageObject {
+    pub async fn from_msg_id(context: &Context, msg_id: MsgId) -> Result<Option<Self>> {
+        let Some(message) = Message::load_from_db_optional(context, msg_id).await? else {
+            return Ok(None);
+        };
+
+        let override_sender_name = message.get_override_sender_name();
+
+        let download_state = message.download_state().into();
+
+        let message_object = Self {
+            id: msg_id.to_u32(),
+            chat_id: message.get_chat_id().to_u32(),
+            from_id: message.get_from_id().to_u32(),
+            text: message.get_text(),
+            is_edited: message.is_edited(),
+            has_location: message.has_location(),
+            has_html: message.has_html(),
+            view_type: message.get_viewtype().into(),
+            state: message
+                .get_state()
+                .to_u32()
+                .context("state conversion to number failed")?,
+            error: message.error(),
+
+            timestamp: message.get_timestamp(),
+            sort_timestamp: message.get_sort_timestamp(),
+            received_timestamp: message.get_received_timestamp(),
+            has_deviating_timestamp: message.has_deviating_timestamp(),
+
+            subject: message.get_subject().to_owned(),
+            show_padlock: message.get_showpadlock(),
+            is_setupmessage: message.is_setupmessage(),
+            is_info: message.is_info(),
+            is_forwarded: message.is_forwarded(),
+            is_bot: message.is_bot(),
+            system_message_type: message.get_info_type().into(),
+
+            duration: message.get_duration(),
+            dimensions_height: message.get_height(),
+            dimensions_width: message.get_width(),
+
+            videochat_type: match message.get_videochat_type() {
+                Some(vct) => Some(
+                    vct.to_u32()
+                        .context("videochat type conversion to number failed")?,
+                ),
+                None => None,
+            },
+            videochat_url: message.get_videochat_url(),
+
+            override_sender_name,
+
+            setup_code_begin: message.get_setupcodebegin(context).await,
+
+            file: match message.get_file(context) {
+                Some(path_buf) => path_buf.to_str().map(|s| s.to_owned()),
+                None => None,
+            }, //BLOBS
+            file_mime: message.get_filemime(),
+            file_name: message.get_filename(),
+
+            // On a WebxdcInfoMessage this might include a hash holding
+            // information about a specific position or state in a webxdc app
+            webxdc_href: message.get_webxdc_href(),
+
+            download_state,
+
+            original_msg_id: message
+                .get_original_msg_id(context)
+                .await?
+                .map(|id| id.to_u32()),
+
+            saved_message_id: message
+                .get_saved_msg_id(context)
+                .await?
+                .map(|id| id.to_u32()),
+        };
+        Ok(Some(message_object))
+    }
+}
diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/mod.rs b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/mod.rs
index 995e931bf..393a3a7f5 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/mod.rs
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/mod.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 pub mod account;
+pub mod basic_message;
 pub mod chat;
 pub mod chat_list;
 pub mod contact;