diff --git a/src/constants.rs b/src/constants.rs
index ac3c281ed..b1dc89df0 100644
--- a/src/constants.rs
+++ b/src/constants.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 use deltachat_derive::{FromSql, ToSql};
 use once_cell::sync::Lazy;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+use tokio::time::Duration;
 
 use crate::chat::ChatId;
 
@@ -214,6 +215,11 @@ pub(crate) const DC_FOLDERS_CONFIGURED_VERSION: i32 = 4;
 // `max_smtp_rcpt_to` in the provider db.
 pub(crate) const DEFAULT_MAX_SMTP_RCPT_TO: usize = 50;
 
+
+/// How often UI events should be sent out / How much they should be debounced.
+/// Defines the tick rate/delay of the debounce loop for UI events in milliseconds.
+pub(crate) const UI_EVENTS_TICK_RATE: Duration = Duration::from_millis(50); // 50ms which means 20 fps
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use num_traits::FromPrimitive;
diff --git a/src/context.rs b/src/context.rs
index c28e9651b..8a37efc5b 100644
--- a/src/context.rs
+++ b/src/context.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 //! Context module.
 
+use std::borrow::BorrowMut;
 use std::collections::{BTreeMap, HashMap};
 use std::ffi::OsString;
 use std::ops::Deref;
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ use crate::sql::Sql;
 use crate::stock_str::StockStrings;
 use crate::timesmearing::SmearedTimestamp;
 use crate::tools::{duration_to_str, time};
-use crate::ui_events;
+use crate::ui_events::{self, UIEvents};
 
 /// Builder for the [`Context`].
 ///
@@ -204,6 +205,7 @@ pub struct InnerContext {
     pub(crate) wrong_pw_warning_mutex: Mutex<()>,
     pub(crate) translated_stockstrings: StockStrings,
     pub(crate) events: Events,
+    pub(crate) ui_events: Mutex<UIEvents>,
 
     pub(crate) scheduler: SchedulerState,
     pub(crate) ratelimit: RwLock<Ratelimit>,
@@ -368,6 +370,8 @@ impl Context {
         // without starting I/O.
         new_msgs_notify.notify_one();
 
+        let (ui_events, ui_events_receiver) = UIEvents::new();
+
         let inner = InnerContext {
             id,
             blobdir,
@@ -379,6 +383,7 @@ impl Context {
             wrong_pw_warning_mutex: Mutex::new(()),
             translated_stockstrings: stockstrings,
             events,
+            ui_events: Mutex::new(ui_events),
             scheduler: SchedulerState::new(),
             ratelimit: RwLock::new(Ratelimit::new(Duration::new(60, 0), 6.0)), // Allow at least 1 message every 10 seconds + a burst of 6.
             quota: RwLock::new(None),
@@ -395,6 +400,8 @@ impl Context {
             inner: Arc::new(inner),
         };
 
+        ctx.inner.ui_events.blocking_lock().start(&ctx, ui_events_receiver);
+
         Ok(ctx)
     }
 
diff --git a/src/events/ui_events.rs b/src/events/ui_events.rs
index 0b0bbac42..0ff80c3d5 100644
--- a/src/events/ui_events.rs
+++ b/src/events/ui_events.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 use crate::{
     chat::{ChatId, ChatIdBlocked},
+    constants::UI_EVENTS_TICK_RATE,
     contact::{Contact, ContactId},
     context::Context,
     EventType,
 };
 use async_channel::{self as channel, Receiver, Sender};
-use futures::executor::block_on;
-use tokio::time::Duration;
 use tokio::{
     task,
     time::{sleep_until, Instant},
@@ -14,21 +13,28 @@ use tokio::{
 
 /// order or content of chatlist changes (chat ids, not the actual chatlist item)
 pub(crate) fn emit_chatlist_changed(context: &Context) {
-    context.emit_event(EventType::UIChatListChanged);
+    context
+        .ui_events
+        .blocking_lock()
+        .send_chat_list_event(context, InternalUIEvent::ChatListChanged)
 }
 
 /// Chatlist item of a specific chat changed
 pub(crate) fn emit_chatlist_item_changed(context: &Context, chat_id: ChatId) {
-    context.emit_event(EventType::UIChatListItemChanged {
-        chat_id: Some(chat_id),
-    });
+    context
+        .ui_events
+        .blocking_lock()
+        .send_chat_list_event(context, InternalUIEvent::ChatListItemChanged(chat_id))
 }
 
 #[allow(unused)]
 /// Used when you don't know which chatlist items changed, this reloads all cached chatlist items in the UI
 /// note(treefit): This is not used right now, but I know there will be a point where someone wants it
 pub(crate) fn emit_unknown_chatlist_items_changed(context: &Context) {
-    context.emit_event(EventType::UIChatListItemChanged { chat_id: None });
+    context
+        .ui_events
+        .blocking_lock()
+        .send_chat_list_event(context, InternalUIEvent::UnknownChatListItemsChanged)
 }
 
 /// update event for dm chat of contact
@@ -37,22 +43,211 @@ pub(crate) fn emit_chatlist_item_changed_for_contacts_dm_chat(
     context: &Context,
     contact_id: ContactId,
 ) {
-    block_on(async {
-        if let Ok(Some(chat_id)) = ChatId::lookup_by_contact(context, contact_id).await {
-            self::emit_chatlist_item_changed(context, chat_id);
-        }
-    });
+    context
+        .ui_events
+        .blocking_lock()
+        .send_chat_list_event(context, InternalUIEvent::ContactDMChatChanged(contact_id))
 }
 
 /// update dm for chats that have the contact
 /// used when contact changes their name or did AEAP for example
 pub(crate) fn emit_chatlist_items_changed_for_contact(context: &Context, contact_id: ContactId) {
-    // note:(treefit): could make sense to only update chats where the last message is from the contact, but the db query for that is more expensive
-    block_on(async {
-        if let Ok(chat_ids) = Contact::get_chats_with_contact(context, &contact_id).await {
-            for chat_id in chat_ids {
-                self::emit_chatlist_item_changed(context, chat_id);
+    context
+        .ui_events
+        .blocking_lock()
+        .send_chat_list_event(context, InternalUIEvent::ContactChatsChanged(contact_id));
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub(crate) enum InternalUIEvent {
+    ChatListChanged,
+    ChatListItemChanged(ChatId),
+    UnknownChatListItemsChanged,
+    ContactDMChatChanged(ContactId),
+    ContactChatsChanged(ContactId),
+}
+
+struct EventLoopTickState {
+    chat_list_changed: bool,
+    has_unknown_items: bool,
+    chat_ids: Vec<ChatId>,
+    contact_ids_dm: Vec<ContactId>,
+    contact_ids_chats: Vec<ContactId>,
+}
+
+impl EventLoopTickState {
+    fn new(capacity: usize) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            chat_list_changed: false,
+            has_unknown_items: false,
+            chat_ids: Vec::with_capacity(capacity),
+            contact_ids_dm: Vec::with_capacity(capacity),
+            contact_ids_chats: Vec::with_capacity(capacity),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn apply_internal_ui_event(&mut self, event: InternalUIEvent) {
+        match event {
+            InternalUIEvent::ChatListChanged => {
+                self.chat_list_changed = true;
+            }
+            InternalUIEvent::ChatListItemChanged(chat_id) => {
+                self.chat_ids.push(chat_id);
+            }
+            InternalUIEvent::UnknownChatListItemsChanged => {
+                self.has_unknown_items = true;
+            }
+            InternalUIEvent::ContactDMChatChanged(contact_id) => {
+                self.contact_ids_dm.push(contact_id);
+            }
+            InternalUIEvent::ContactChatsChanged(contact_id) => {
+                self.contact_ids_chats.push(contact_id);
             }
         }
-    });
+    }
+
+    async fn emit_chatlist_ui_events(&mut self, context: &Context) {
+        if self.chat_list_changed {
+            context.emit_event(EventType::UIChatListChanged);
+        }
+        if self.has_unknown_items {
+            context.emit_event(EventType::UIChatListItemChanged { chat_id: None });
+            return; // since this refreshes everything no further events are needed
+        }
+
+        for contact_id in self
+            .contact_ids_dm
+            .iter()
+            .filter(|contact| !self.contact_ids_chats.contains(contact))
+            .collect::<Vec<&ContactId>>()
+        {
+            if let Ok(Some(chat_id)) = ChatIdBlocked::lookup_by_contact(context, *contact_id).await
+            {
+                self.chat_ids.push(chat_id.id)
+            }
+        }
+
+        // note:(treefit): could make sense to only update chats where the last message is from the contact, but the db query for that is more expensive
+        for contact_id in &self.contact_ids_chats {
+            match Contact::get_chats_with_contact(context, contact_id).await {
+                Ok(contacts_chat_ids) => {
+                    self.chat_ids.extend(contacts_chat_ids);
+                }
+                Err(err) => {
+                    warn!(
+                        context,
+                        "Error while getting chats for contact {} in chatlist events loop: {}",
+                        contact_id,
+                        err
+                    );
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        self.chat_ids.sort();
+        self.chat_ids.dedup();
+
+        // TODO change event so it accepts a list of chat ids to get rid of this loop? wouldn't work with cffi unless we give it out as json
+        for chat_id in &self.chat_ids {
+            context.emit_event(EventType::UIChatListItemChanged {
+                chat_id: Some(*chat_id),
+            })
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Debounces UI events
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub(crate) struct UIEvents {
+    task_handle: Option<task::JoinHandle<()>>,
+    chatlist_event_queue: Sender<InternalUIEvent>,
+}
+
+impl UIEvents {
+    pub(crate) fn new() -> (Self, Receiver<InternalUIEvent>) {
+        let (chatlist_event_queue, chatlist_event_queue_recv) = channel::unbounded();
+        (
+            Self {
+                task_handle: None,
+                chatlist_event_queue,
+            },
+            chatlist_event_queue_recv,
+        )
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn start(
+        &mut self,
+        context: &Context,
+        chatlist_event_queue_recv: Receiver<InternalUIEvent>,
+    ) {
+        if let Some(handle) = self.task_handle {
+            handle.abort()
+        }
+        self.task_handle = Some(task::spawn(Self::run_task(
+            context,
+            chatlist_event_queue_recv,
+        )))
+    }
+
+    async fn run_task(context: &Context, chatlist_event_queue: Receiver<InternalUIEvent>) {
+        loop {
+            match chatlist_event_queue.recv().await {
+                Ok(chatlist_event) => {
+                    let backlog_len = chatlist_event_queue.len();
+                    let mut tick_state = EventLoopTickState::new(backlog_len);
+
+                    tick_state.apply_internal_ui_event(chatlist_event);
+                    // get all events from the queue
+                    while let Ok(event) = chatlist_event_queue.try_recv() {
+                        tick_state.apply_internal_ui_event(event);
+                    }
+
+                    tick_state.emit_chatlist_ui_events(context).await;
+
+                    // cooldown
+                    sleep_until(Instant::now() + UI_EVENTS_TICK_RATE).await;
+                }
+                Err(err) => {
+                    warn!(
+                        context,
+                        "Error receiving an interruption in ui chatlist events loop: {}", err
+                    );
+                    // Maybe the sender side is closed, so terminate the loop to avoid looping indefinitely.
+                    return;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn send_chat_list_event(&self, context: &Context, event: InternalUIEvent) {
+        // todo check if ui events are enabled?
+        if let Err(error) = self.chatlist_event_queue.try_send(event) {
+            warn!(
+                context,
+                "Error receiving an interruption in ui chatlist events loop: {}", error
+            );
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Drop for UIEvents {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        if let Some(handle) = &self.task_handle {
+            handle.abort()
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod test {
+
+    // todo tests:
+
+    // send ui events though the UIEventsLoop
+
+    // check that UIEventsLoop really ratelimits the events
+
+    // check that has_unknown_items does not send out any ids before or afterwards
+
+    // if we should make it possible to disable via config then test that as well
 }