diff --git a/src/contact.rs b/src/contact.rs
index 27ea3a628..1fe9451fc 100644
--- a/src/contact.rs
+++ b/src/contact.rs
@@ -678,7 +678,7 @@ impl Contact {
         let mut ret = String::new();
 
         if let Ok(contact) = Contact::load_from_db(context, contact_id).await {
-            let peerstate = Peerstate::from_addr(context, &contact.addr).await;
+            let peerstate = Peerstate::from_addr(context, &contact.addr).await?;
             let loginparam = LoginParam::from_database(context, "configured_").await;
 
             if peerstate.is_some()
@@ -939,7 +939,17 @@ impl Contact {
             }
         }
 
-        let peerstate = Peerstate::from_addr(context, &self.addr).await;
+        let peerstate = match Peerstate::from_addr(context, &self.addr).await {
+            Ok(peerstate) => peerstate,
+            Err(err) => {
+                warn!(
+                    context,
+                    "Failed to load peerstate for address {}: {}", self.addr, err
+                );
+                return VerifiedStatus::Unverified;
+            }
+        };
+
         if let Some(ps) = peerstate {
             if ps.verified_key.is_some() {
                 return VerifiedStatus::BidirectVerified;
diff --git a/src/dc_receive_imf.rs b/src/dc_receive_imf.rs
index fb6661bbb..7d0100a23 100644
--- a/src/dc_receive_imf.rs
+++ b/src/dc_receive_imf.rs
@@ -1618,7 +1618,7 @@ async fn check_verified_properties(
     // this check is skipped for SELF as there is no proper SELF-peerstate
     // and results in group-splits otherwise.
     if from_id != DC_CONTACT_ID_SELF {
-        let peerstate = Peerstate::from_addr(context, contact.get_addr()).await;
+        let peerstate = Peerstate::from_addr(context, contact.get_addr()).await?;
 
         if peerstate.is_none()
             || contact.is_verified_ex(context, peerstate.as_ref()).await
@@ -1672,7 +1672,7 @@ async fn check_verified_properties(
             context.is_self_addr(&to_addr).await
         );
         let mut is_verified = _is_verified != 0;
-        let peerstate = Peerstate::from_addr(context, &to_addr).await;
+        let peerstate = Peerstate::from_addr(context, &to_addr).await?;
 
         // mark gossiped keys (if any) as verified
         if mimeparser.gossipped_addr.contains(&to_addr) {
diff --git a/src/e2ee.rs b/src/e2ee.rs
index 70e400e7b..d683fbdfc 100644
--- a/src/e2ee.rs
+++ b/src/e2ee.rs
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ pub async fn try_decrypt(
     let autocryptheader = Aheader::from_headers(context, &from, &mail.headers);
 
     if message_time > 0 {
-        peerstate = Peerstate::from_addr(context, &from).await;
+        peerstate = Peerstate::from_addr(context, &from).await?;
 
         if let Some(ref mut peerstate) = peerstate {
             if let Some(ref header) = autocryptheader {
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ pub async fn try_decrypt(
     let mut signatures = HashSet::default();
 
     if peerstate.as_ref().map(|p| p.last_seen).unwrap_or_else(|| 0) == 0 {
-        peerstate = Peerstate::from_addr(&context, &from).await;
+        peerstate = Peerstate::from_addr(&context, &from).await?;
     }
     if let Some(peerstate) = peerstate {
         if peerstate.degrade_event.is_some() {
diff --git a/src/mimefactory.rs b/src/mimefactory.rs
index bdfa58174..b84048ac2 100644
--- a/src/mimefactory.rs
+++ b/src/mimefactory.rs
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ impl<'a, 'b> MimeFactory<'a, 'b> {
             .filter(|(_, addr)| addr != &self_addr)
         {
             res.push((
-                Peerstate::from_addr(self.context, addr).await,
+                Peerstate::from_addr(self.context, addr).await?,
                 addr.as_str(),
             ));
         }
diff --git a/src/mimeparser.rs b/src/mimeparser.rs
index e8e71fa68..66c875e06 100644
--- a/src/mimeparser.rs
+++ b/src/mimeparser.rs
@@ -1036,7 +1036,7 @@ async fn update_gossip_peerstates(
                 .iter()
                 .any(|info| info.addr == header.addr.to_lowercase())
             {
-                let mut peerstate = Peerstate::from_addr(context, &header.addr).await;
+                let mut peerstate = Peerstate::from_addr(context, &header.addr).await?;
                 if let Some(ref mut peerstate) = peerstate {
                     peerstate.apply_gossip(header, message_time);
                     peerstate.save_to_db(&context.sql, false).await?;
diff --git a/src/peerstate.rs b/src/peerstate.rs
index 1b1e4f2a0..d8369304a 100644
--- a/src/peerstate.rs
+++ b/src/peerstate.rs
@@ -143,22 +143,13 @@ impl<'a> Peerstate<'a> {
         res
     }
 
-    pub async fn from_addr(context: &'a Context, addr: &str) -> Option<Peerstate<'a>> {
+    pub async fn from_addr(context: &'a Context, addr: &str) -> Result<Option<Peerstate<'a>>> {
         let query = "SELECT addr, last_seen, last_seen_autocrypt, prefer_encrypted, public_key, \
                      gossip_timestamp, gossip_key, public_key_fingerprint, gossip_key_fingerprint, \
                      verified_key, verified_key_fingerprint \
                      FROM acpeerstates \
                      WHERE addr=? COLLATE NOCASE;";
-        match Self::from_stmt(context, query, paramsv![addr]).await {
-            Ok(peerstate) => peerstate,
-            Err(err) => {
-                warn!(
-                    context,
-                    "Can't load peerstate for address {}: {}", addr, err
-                );
-                None
-            }
-        }
+        Self::from_stmt(context, query, paramsv![addr]).await
     }
 
     pub async fn from_fingerprint(
@@ -524,7 +515,8 @@ mod tests {
 
         let peerstate_new = Peerstate::from_addr(&ctx.ctx, addr)
             .await
-            .expect("failed to load peerstate from db");
+            .expect("failed to load peerstate from db")
+            .expect("no peerstate found in the database");
 
         // clear to_save, as that is not persissted
         peerstate.to_save = None;
@@ -604,7 +596,7 @@ mod tests {
 
         // clear to_save, as that is not persissted
         peerstate.to_save = None;
-        assert_eq!(peerstate, peerstate_new);
+        assert_eq!(Some(peerstate), peerstate_new);
     }
 
     // TODO: don't copy this from stress.rs
diff --git a/src/securejoin.rs b/src/securejoin.rs
index ef2901ef3..5979da87e 100644
--- a/src/securejoin.rs
+++ b/src/securejoin.rs
@@ -366,7 +366,20 @@ async fn fingerprint_equals_sender(
 ) -> bool {
     if let [contact_id] = chat::get_chat_contacts(context, contact_chat_id).await[..] {
         if let Ok(contact) = Contact::load_from_db(context, contact_id).await {
-            if let Some(peerstate) = Peerstate::from_addr(context, contact.get_addr()).await {
+            let peerstate = match Peerstate::from_addr(context, contact.get_addr()).await {
+                Ok(peerstate) => peerstate,
+                Err(err) => {
+                    warn!(
+                        context,
+                        "Failed to sender peerstate for {}: {}",
+                        contact.get_addr(),
+                        err
+                    );
+                    return false;
+                }
+            };
+
+            if let Some(peerstate) = peerstate {
                 if peerstate.public_key_fingerprint.is_some()
                     && fingerprint == peerstate.public_key_fingerprint.as_ref().unwrap()
                 {
diff --git a/src/sql.rs b/src/sql.rs
index 3af1df87f..53077f248 100644
--- a/src/sql.rs
+++ b/src/sql.rs
@@ -1303,7 +1303,7 @@ async fn open(
                 )
                 .await?;
             for addr in &addrs {
-                if let Some(ref mut peerstate) = Peerstate::from_addr(context, addr).await {
+                if let Some(ref mut peerstate) = Peerstate::from_addr(context, addr).await? {
                     peerstate.recalc_fingerprint();
                     peerstate.save_to_db(sql, false).await?;
                 }