diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat.hs
index 3965b6087..8360fb081 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat.hs
@@ -284,7 +284,8 @@ processChatCommand = \case
     CTGroup -> CRApiChat . AChat SCTGroup <$> withStore (\db -> getGroupChat db user cId pagination search)
     CTContactRequest -> pure $ chatCmdError "not implemented"
     CTContactConnection -> pure $ chatCmdError "not supported"
-  APIGetChatItems _pagination -> pure $ chatCmdError "not implemented"
+  APIGetChatItems pagination search -> withUser $ \user -> withStore $ \db ->
+    CRApiChatItems <$> getAllChatItems db user pagination search
   APISendMessage (ChatRef cType chatId) (ComposedMessage file_ quotedItemId_ mc) -> withUser $ \user@User {userId} -> withChatLock "sendMessage" $ case cType of
     CTDirect -> do
       ct@Contact {localDisplayName = c, contactUsed} <- withStore $ \db -> getContact db user chatId
@@ -1035,9 +1036,9 @@ processChatCommand = \case
     processChatCommand . APISendMessage (ChatRef CTGroup groupId) $ ComposedMessage Nothing (Just quotedItemId) mc
   LastMessages (Just chatName) count search -> withUser $ \user -> do
     chatRef <- getChatRef user chatName
-    CRLastMessages . aChatItems . chat <$> processChatCommand (APIGetChat chatRef (CPLast count) search)
-  LastMessages Nothing count search -> withUser $ \user -> withStore $ \db ->
-    CRLastMessages <$> getAllChatItems db user (CPLast count) search
+    CRApiChatItems . aChatItems . chat <$> processChatCommand (APIGetChat chatRef (CPLast count) search)
+  LastMessages Nothing count search ->
+    processChatCommand (APIGetChatItems (CPLast count) search)
   SendFile chatName f -> withUser $ \user -> do
     chatRef <- getChatRef user chatName
     processChatCommand . APISendMessage chatRef $ ComposedMessage (Just f) Nothing (MCFile "")
@@ -3182,7 +3183,7 @@ chatCommandP =
       "/sql agent " *> (ExecAgentStoreSQL <$> textP),
       "/_get chats" *> (APIGetChats <$> (" pcc=on" $> True <|> " pcc=off" $> False <|> pure False)),
       "/_get chat " *> (APIGetChat <$> chatRefP <* A.space <*> chatPaginationP <*> optional (" search=" *> stringP)),
-      "/_get items count=" *> (APIGetChatItems <$> A.decimal),
+      "/_get items " *> (APIGetChatItems <$> chatPaginationP <*> optional (" search=" *> stringP)),
       "/_send " *> (APISendMessage <$> chatRefP <*> (" json " *> jsonP <|> " text " *> (ComposedMessage Nothing Nothing <$> mcTextP))),
       "/_update item " *> (APIUpdateChatItem <$> chatRefP <* A.space <*> A.decimal <* A.space <*> msgContentP),
       "/_delete item " *> (APIDeleteChatItem <$> chatRefP <* A.space <*> A.decimal <* A.space <*> ciDeleteMode),
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Controller.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Controller.hs
index fbc0015a5..7a4b180af 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Controller.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Controller.hs
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ data ChatCommand
   | ExecAgentStoreSQL Text
   | APIGetChats {pendingConnections :: Bool}
   | APIGetChat ChatRef ChatPagination (Maybe String)
-  | APIGetChatItems Int
+  | APIGetChatItems ChatPagination (Maybe String)
   | APISendMessage ChatRef ComposedMessage
   | APIUpdateChatItem ChatRef ChatItemId MsgContent
   | APIDeleteChatItem ChatRef ChatItemId CIDeleteMode
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ data ChatResponse
   | CRChatSuspended
   | CRApiChats {chats :: [AChat]}
   | CRApiChat {chat :: AChat}
-  | CRLastMessages {chatItems :: [AChatItem]}
+  | CRApiChatItems {chatItems :: [AChatItem]}
   | CRApiParsedMarkdown {formattedText :: Maybe MarkdownList}
   | CRUserSMPServers {smpServers :: NonEmpty ServerCfg, presetSMPServers :: NonEmpty SMPServerWithAuth}
   | CRSmpTestResult {smpTestFailure :: Maybe SMPTestFailure}
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store.hs
index b244e3ec5..99671aa88 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store.hs
@@ -3707,8 +3707,8 @@ getAllChatItems db user pagination search_ = do
   let search = fromMaybe "" search_
   case pagination of
     CPLast count -> getAllChatItemsLast_ db user count search
-    CPAfter _afterId _count -> throwError $ SEInternalError "not implemented"
-    CPBefore _beforeId _count -> throwError $ SEInternalError "not implemented"
+    CPAfter afterId count -> getAllChatItemsAfter_ db user afterId count search
+    CPBefore beforeId count -> getAllChatItemsBefore_ db user beforeId count search
 
 getAllChatItemsLast_ :: DB.Connection -> User -> Int -> String -> ExceptT StoreError IO [AChatItem]
 getAllChatItemsLast_ db user@User {userId} count search = do
@@ -3720,13 +3720,59 @@ getAllChatItemsLast_ db user@User {userId} count search = do
           [sql|
             SELECT chat_item_id, contact_id, group_id
             FROM chat_items
-            WHERE user_id = ? AND item_text LIKE '%' || ? || '%'
+            WHERE user_id = ? AND item_deleted != 1 AND item_text LIKE '%' || ? || '%'
             ORDER BY item_ts DESC, chat_item_id DESC
             LIMIT ?
           |]
           (userId, search, count)
   mapM (uncurry $ getAChatItem_ db user) itemRefs
 
+getAllChatItemsAfter_ :: DB.Connection -> User -> Int64 -> Int -> String -> ExceptT StoreError IO [AChatItem]
+getAllChatItemsAfter_ db user@User {userId} afterItemId count search = do
+  AChatItem _ _ _ afterItem <- getAChatItem db user afterItemId
+  itemRefs <- liftIO $ getChatItemRefsAfter_ (chatItemTs' afterItem)
+  mapM (uncurry $ getAChatItem_ db user) itemRefs
+  where
+    getChatItemRefsAfter_ afterItemTs =
+      rights . map toChatItemRef
+        <$> DB.query
+          db
+          [sql|
+            SELECT chat_item_id, contact_id, group_id
+            FROM chat_items
+            WHERE user_id = ? AND item_deleted != 1 AND item_text LIKE '%' || ? || '%'
+              AND (item_ts > ? OR (item_ts = ? AND chat_item_id > ?))
+            ORDER BY item_ts ASC, chat_item_id ASC
+            LIMIT ?
+          |]
+          (userId, search, afterItemTs, afterItemTs, afterItemId, count)
+
+getAllChatItemsBefore_ :: DB.Connection -> User -> Int64 -> Int -> String -> ExceptT StoreError IO [AChatItem]
+getAllChatItemsBefore_ db user@User {userId} beforeItemId count search = do
+  AChatItem _ _ _ beforeItem <- getAChatItem db user beforeItemId
+  itemRefs <- liftIO $ getChatItemRefsBefore_ (chatItemTs' beforeItem)
+  mapM (uncurry $ getAChatItem_ db user) itemRefs
+  where
+    getChatItemRefsBefore_ beforeItemTs =
+      reverse . rights . map toChatItemRef
+        <$> DB.query
+          db
+          [sql|
+            SELECT chat_item_id, contact_id, group_id
+            FROM chat_items
+            WHERE user_id = ? AND item_deleted != 1 AND item_text LIKE '%' || ? || '%'
+              AND (item_ts < ? OR (item_ts = ? AND chat_item_id < ?))
+            ORDER BY item_ts DESC, chat_item_id DESC
+            LIMIT ?
+          |]
+          (userId, search, beforeItemTs, beforeItemTs, beforeItemId, count)
+
+getAChatItem :: DB.Connection -> User -> ChatItemId -> ExceptT StoreError IO AChatItem
+getAChatItem db user@User {userId} itemId = do
+  afterItemRef <- ExceptT $ firstRow' toChatItemRef (SEChatItemNotFound itemId) $
+    DB.query db "SELECT chat_item_id, contact_id, group_id FROM chat_items WHERE user_id = ? AND chat_item_id = ?" (userId, itemId)
+  uncurry (getAChatItem_ db user) afterItemRef
+
 getGroupIdByName :: DB.Connection -> User -> GroupName -> ExceptT StoreError IO GroupId
 getGroupIdByName db User {userId} gName =
   ExceptT . firstRow fromOnly (SEGroupNotFoundByName gName) $
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/View.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/View.hs
index 916bff024..f90b68b96 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/View.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/View.hs
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ responseToView user_ testView ts = \case
   CRContactSwitch ct progress -> viewContactSwitch ct progress
   CRGroupMemberSwitch g m progress -> viewGroupMemberSwitch g m progress
   CRNewChatItem (AChatItem _ _ chat item) -> unmuted chat item $ viewChatItem chat item False ts
-  CRLastMessages chatItems -> concatMap (\(AChatItem _ _ chat item) -> viewChatItem chat item True ts) chatItems
+  CRApiChatItems chatItems -> concatMap (\(AChatItem _ _ chat item) -> viewChatItem chat item True ts) chatItems
   CRChatItemStatusUpdated _ -> []
   CRChatItemUpdated (AChatItem _ _ chat item) -> unmuted chat item $ viewItemUpdate chat item ts
   CRChatItemDeleted (AChatItem _ _ chat deletedItem) (AChatItem _ _ _ toItem) -> unmuted chat deletedItem $ viewItemDelete chat deletedItem toItem ts