diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/chat.rs b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/chat.rs
index f5a5c3bcd..277817b8f 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/chat.rs
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/chat.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use std::time::{Duration, SystemTime};
 
-use anyhow::{anyhow, bail, Result};
+use anyhow::{anyhow, bail, Context as _, Result};
 use deltachat::chat::{self, get_chat_contacts, ChatVisibility};
 use deltachat::chat::{Chat, ChatId};
 use deltachat::constants::Chattype;
@@ -53,7 +53,9 @@ impl FullChat {
             contacts.push(
                 ContactObject::try_from_dc_contact(
                     context,
-                    Contact::load_from_db(context, *contact_id).await?,
+                    Contact::load_from_db(context, *contact_id)
+                        .await
+                        .context("failed to load contact")?,
                 )
                 .await?,
             )
@@ -73,7 +75,8 @@ impl FullChat {
         let was_seen_recently = if chat.get_type() == Chattype::Single {
             match contact_ids.get(0) {
                 Some(contact) => Contact::load_from_db(context, *contact)
-                    .await?
+                    .await
+                    .context("failed to load contact for was_seen_recently")?
                     .was_seen_recently(),
                 None => false,
             }
diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/chat_list.rs b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/chat_list.rs
index c98b6d932..f9fb5ae8d 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/chat_list.rs
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/chat_list.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use anyhow::Result;
+use anyhow::{Context, Result};
 use deltachat::chat::{Chat, ChatId};
 use deltachat::chatlist::get_last_message_for_chat;
 use deltachat::constants::*;
@@ -64,8 +64,10 @@ pub(crate) async fn get_chat_list_item_by_id(
 
     let last_msgid = get_last_message_for_chat(ctx, chat_id).await?;
 
-    let chat = Chat::load_from_db(ctx, chat_id).await?;
-    let summary = Chatlist::get_summary2(ctx, chat_id, last_msgid, Some(&chat)).await?;
+    let chat = Chat::load_from_db(ctx, chat_id).await.context("chat")?;
+    let summary = Chatlist::get_summary2(ctx, chat_id, last_msgid, Some(&chat))
+        .await
+        .context("summary")?;
 
     let summary_text1 = summary.prefix.map_or_else(String::new, |s| s.to_string());
     let summary_text2 = summary.text.to_owned();
@@ -93,7 +95,8 @@ pub(crate) async fn get_chat_list_item_by_id(
         let contact = chat_contacts.get(0);
         let was_seen_recently = match contact {
             Some(contact) => Contact::load_from_db(ctx, *contact)
-                .await?
+                .await
+                .context("contact")?
                 .was_seen_recently(),
             None => false,
         };
diff --git a/src/chatlist.rs b/src/chatlist.rs
index 718918807..1f515f3a2 100644
--- a/src/chatlist.rs
+++ b/src/chatlist.rs
@@ -311,13 +311,17 @@ impl Chatlist {
         };
 
         let (lastmsg, lastcontact) = if let Some(lastmsg_id) = lastmsg_id {
-            let lastmsg = Message::load_from_db(context, lastmsg_id).await?;
+            let lastmsg = Message::load_from_db(context, lastmsg_id)
+                .await
+                .context("loading message failed")?;
             if lastmsg.from_id == ContactId::SELF {
                 (Some(lastmsg), None)
             } else {
                 match chat.typ {
                     Chattype::Group | Chattype::Broadcast | Chattype::Mailinglist => {
-                        let lastcontact = Contact::load_from_db(context, lastmsg.from_id).await?;
+                        let lastcontact = Contact::load_from_db(context, lastmsg.from_id)
+                            .await
+                            .context("loading contact failed")?;
                         (Some(lastmsg), Some(lastcontact))
                     }
                     Chattype::Single | Chattype::Undefined => (Some(lastmsg), None),