diff --git a/deltachat-ffi/deltachat.h b/deltachat-ffi/deltachat.h
index 22a544b3c..f24de72ca 100644
--- a/deltachat-ffi/deltachat.h
+++ b/deltachat-ffi/deltachat.h
@@ -1096,8 +1096,8 @@ void            dc_set_draft                 (dc_context_t* context, uint32_t ch
  * Add a message to the device-chat.
  * Device-messages usually contain update information
  * and some hints that are added during the program runs, multi-device etc.
- * The device-message is defined by a label;
- * If a message with the same label was added or skipped before,
+ * The device-message may be defined by a label;
+ * if a message with the same label was added or skipped before,
  * the message is not added again, even if the message was deleted in between.
  * If needed, the device-chat is created before.
  *
@@ -1109,6 +1109,7 @@ void            dc_set_draft                 (dc_context_t* context, uint32_t ch
  * @param label A unique name for the message to add.
  *     The label is typically not displayed to the user and
  *     must be created from the characters `A-Z`, `a-z`, `0-9`, `_` or `-`.
+ *     If you pass NULL here, the message is added unconditionally.
  * @param msg Message to be added to the device-chat.
  *     The message appears to the user as an incoming message.
  * @return The ID of the added message,
@@ -1122,39 +1123,23 @@ void            dc_set_draft                 (dc_context_t* context, uint32_t ch
  * dc_msg_t* changelog_msg = dc_msg_new(DC_MSG_TEXT);
  * dc_msg_set_text(changelog_msg, "we have added 3 new emojis :)");
  *
- * if (dc_add_device_msg_once(context, "welcome", welcome_msg)) {
+ * if (dc_add_device_msg(context, "welcome", welcome_msg)) {
  *     // do not add the changelog on a new installations -
  *     // not now and not when this code is executed again
  *     dc_skip_device_msg(context, "update-123");
  * } else {
  *     // welcome message was not added now, this is an oder installation,
  *     // add a changelog
- *     dc_add_device_msg_once(context, "update-123", changelog_msg);
+ *     dc_add_device_msg(context, "update-123", changelog_msg);
  * }
  * ~~~
  */
-uint32_t        dc_add_device_msg_once       (dc_context_t* context, const char* label, dc_msg_t* msg);
-
-
-/**
- * Add a message to the device-chat unconditionally.
- * As this skips the test if the message was added before,
- * normally, you should prefer dc_add_device_msg_once() over this function
- *
- * Sends the event #DC_EVENT_MSGS_CHANGED on success.
- *
- * @memberof dc_context_t
- * @param context The context as created by dc_context_new().
- * @param msg Message to be added to the device-chat.
- *     The message appears to the user as an incoming message.
- * @return The ID of the added message.
- */
-uint32_t        dc_add_device_msg_unlabelled(dc_context_t* context, dc_msg_t* msg);
+uint32_t        dc_add_device_msg            (dc_context_t* context, const char* label, dc_msg_t* msg);
 
 
 /**
  * Skip a device-message permanently.
- * Subsequent calls to dc_add_device_msg_once() with the same label
+ * Subsequent calls to dc_add_device_msg() with the same label
  * won't add the device-message then.
  * This might be handy if you want to add
  * eg. different messages for first-install and updates.
@@ -1175,7 +1160,7 @@ void            dc_skip_device_msg           (dc_context_t* context, const char*
 /**
  * Check if a device-message was ever added or skipped.
  * Device-messages can be added or skipped
- * using dc_add_device_msg_once() or dc_skip_device_msg().
+ * using dc_add_device_msg() or dc_skip_device_msg().
  *
  * @memberof dc_context_t
  * @param context The context as created by dc_context_new().
@@ -2811,7 +2796,7 @@ int             dc_chat_is_self_talk         (const dc_chat_t* chat);
  * From the ui view, device-talks are not very special,
  * the user can delete and forward messages, archive the chat, set notifications etc.
  *
- * Messages can be added to the device-talk using dc_add_device_msg_once()
+ * Messages can be added to the device-talk using dc_add_device_msg()
  *
  * @memberof dc_chat_t
  * @param chat The chat object.
diff --git a/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs b/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
index c0bbb5dff..37062f422 100644
--- a/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
+++ b/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
@@ -812,41 +812,25 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_set_draft(
 }
 
 #[no_mangle]
-pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_add_device_msg_unlabelled(
-    context: *mut dc_context_t,
-    msg: *mut dc_msg_t,
-) -> u32 {
-    if context.is_null() || msg.is_null() {
-        eprintln!("ignoring careless call to dc_add_device_msg_unlabelled()");
-        return 0;
-    }
-    let ffi_context = &mut *context;
-    let ffi_msg = &mut *msg;
-    ffi_context
-        .with_inner(|ctx| {
-            chat::add_device_msg_unlabelled(ctx, &mut ffi_msg.message)
-                .unwrap_or_log_default(ctx, "Failed to add device message")
-        })
-        .map(|msg_id| msg_id.to_u32())
-        .unwrap_or(0)
-}
-
-#[no_mangle]
-pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_add_device_msg_once(
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_add_device_msg(
     context: *mut dc_context_t,
     label: *const libc::c_char,
     msg: *mut dc_msg_t,
 ) -> u32 {
     if context.is_null() || label.is_null() || msg.is_null() {
-        eprintln!("ignoring careless call to dc_add_device_msg_once()");
+        eprintln!("ignoring careless call to dc_add_device_msg()");
         return 0;
     }
     let ffi_context = &mut *context;
     let ffi_msg = &mut *msg;
     ffi_context
         .with_inner(|ctx| {
-            chat::add_device_msg_once(ctx, &to_string_lossy(label), &mut ffi_msg.message)
-                .unwrap_or_log_default(ctx, "Failed to add device message once")
+            chat::add_device_msg(
+                ctx,
+                to_opt_string_lossy(label).as_ref().map(|x| x.as_str()),
+                &mut ffi_msg.message,
+            )
+            .unwrap_or_log_default(ctx, "Failed to add device message")
         })
         .map(|msg_id| msg_id.to_u32())
         .unwrap_or(0)
diff --git a/examples/repl/cmdline.rs b/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
index 179f60499..09cd3c3cf 100644
--- a/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
+++ b/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
@@ -837,7 +837,7 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_cmdline(context: &Context, line: &str) -> Result<(), failure::E
             );
             let mut msg = Message::new(Viewtype::Text);
             msg.set_text(Some(arg1.to_string()));
-            chat::add_device_msg_unlabelled(context, &mut msg)?;
+            chat::add_device_msg(context, None, &mut msg)?;
         }
         "listmedia" => {
             ensure!(sel_chat.is_some(), "No chat selected.");
diff --git a/src/chat.rs b/src/chat.rs
index 6bb0b40dc..7df2bd3b1 100644
--- a/src/chat.rs
+++ b/src/chat.rs
@@ -1952,19 +1952,7 @@ pub fn get_chat_id_by_grpid(context: &Context, grpid: impl AsRef<str>) -> (u32,
         .unwrap_or((0, false, Blocked::Not))
 }
 
-pub fn add_device_msg_unlabelled(context: &Context, msg: &mut Message) -> Result<MsgId, Error> {
-    add_device_msg_maybe_labelled(context, None, msg)
-}
-
-pub fn add_device_msg_once(
-    context: &Context,
-    label: &str,
-    msg: &mut Message,
-) -> Result<MsgId, Error> {
-    add_device_msg_maybe_labelled(context, Some(label), msg)
-}
-
-fn add_device_msg_maybe_labelled(
+pub fn add_device_msg(
     context: &Context,
     label: Option<&str>,
     msg: &mut Message,
@@ -2161,12 +2149,12 @@ mod tests {
         // add two device-messages
         let mut msg1 = Message::new(Viewtype::Text);
         msg1.text = Some("first message".to_string());
-        let msg1_id = add_device_msg_unlabelled(&t.ctx, &mut msg1);
+        let msg1_id = add_device_msg(&t.ctx, None, &mut msg1);
         assert!(msg1_id.is_ok());
 
         let mut msg2 = Message::new(Viewtype::Text);
         msg2.text = Some("second message".to_string());
-        let msg2_id = add_device_msg_unlabelled(&t.ctx, &mut msg2);
+        let msg2_id = add_device_msg(&t.ctx, None, &mut msg2);
         assert!(msg2_id.is_ok());
         assert_ne!(msg1_id.as_ref().unwrap(), msg2_id.as_ref().unwrap());
 
@@ -2190,19 +2178,19 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn test_add_device_msg_once() {
+    fn test_add_device_msg_labelled() {
         let t = test_context(Some(Box::new(logging_cb)));
 
         // add two device-messages with the same label (second attempt is not added)
         let mut msg1 = Message::new(Viewtype::Text);
         msg1.text = Some("first message".to_string());
-        let msg1_id = add_device_msg_once(&t.ctx, "any-label", &mut msg1);
+        let msg1_id = add_device_msg(&t.ctx, Some("any-label"), &mut msg1);
         assert!(msg1_id.is_ok());
         assert!(!msg1_id.as_ref().unwrap().is_unset());
 
         let mut msg2 = Message::new(Viewtype::Text);
         msg2.text = Some("second message".to_string());
-        let msg2_id = add_device_msg_once(&t.ctx, "any-label", &mut msg2);
+        let msg2_id = add_device_msg(&t.ctx, Some("any-label"), &mut msg2);
         assert!(msg2_id.is_ok());
         assert!(msg2_id.as_ref().unwrap().is_unset());
 
@@ -2234,7 +2222,7 @@ mod tests {
         message::delete_msgs(&t.ctx, &[*msg1_id.as_ref().unwrap()]);
         let msg1 = message::Message::load_from_db(&t.ctx, *msg1_id.as_ref().unwrap());
         assert!(msg1.is_err() || msg1.unwrap().chat_id == DC_CHAT_ID_TRASH);
-        let msg3_id = add_device_msg_once(&t.ctx, "any-label", &mut msg2);
+        let msg3_id = add_device_msg(&t.ctx, Some("any-label"), &mut msg2);
         assert!(msg3_id.is_ok());
         assert!(msg2_id.as_ref().unwrap().is_unset());
     }
@@ -2250,11 +2238,11 @@ mod tests {
         let mut msg = Message::new(Viewtype::Text);
         msg.text = Some("message text".to_string());
 
-        let msg_id = add_device_msg_once(&t.ctx, "some-label", &mut msg);
+        let msg_id = add_device_msg(&t.ctx, Some("some-label"), &mut msg);
         assert!(msg_id.is_ok());
         assert!(msg_id.as_ref().unwrap().is_unset());
 
-        let msg_id = add_device_msg_once(&t.ctx, "unused-label", &mut msg);
+        let msg_id = add_device_msg(&t.ctx, Some("unused-label"), &mut msg);
         assert!(msg_id.is_ok());
         assert!(!msg_id.as_ref().unwrap().is_unset());
     }
@@ -2267,7 +2255,7 @@ mod tests {
 
         let mut msg = Message::new(Viewtype::Text);
         msg.text = Some("message text".to_string());
-        add_device_msg_once(&t.ctx, "another-label", &mut msg).ok();
+        add_device_msg(&t.ctx, Some("another-label"), &mut msg).ok();
         assert!(has_device_msg(&t.ctx, "another-label").unwrap());
 
         assert!(!has_device_msg(&t.ctx, "unused-label").unwrap());
@@ -2287,7 +2275,7 @@ mod tests {
         let t = dummy_context();
         let mut msg = Message::new(Viewtype::Text);
         msg.text = Some("foo".to_string());
-        let msg_id = add_device_msg_unlabelled(&t.ctx, &mut msg).unwrap();
+        let msg_id = add_device_msg(&t.ctx, None, &mut msg).unwrap();
         let chat_id1 = message::Message::load_from_db(&t.ctx, msg_id)
             .unwrap()
             .chat_id;
diff --git a/src/imex.rs b/src/imex.rs
index 8248cb3a6..e16d2b839 100644
--- a/src/imex.rs
+++ b/src/imex.rs
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ fn maybe_add_bcc_self_device_msg(context: &Context) -> Result<()> {
              go to the settings and enable \"Send copy to self\"."
                 .to_string(),
         );
-        chat::add_device_msg_once(context, "bcc-self-hint", &mut msg)?;
+        chat::add_device_msg(context, Some("bcc-self-hint"), &mut msg)?;
     }
     Ok(())
 }