diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
index ddac78c3d..2dbb43eec 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
@@ -1212,7 +1212,7 @@ private func currentUserId(_ funcName: String) throws -> Int64 {
     throw RuntimeError("\(funcName): no current user")
 }
 
-func initializeChat(start: Bool, dbKey: String? = nil, refreshInvitations: Bool = true, confirmMigrations: MigrationConfirmation? = nil) throws {
+func initializeChat(start: Bool, confirmStart: Bool = false, dbKey: String? = nil, refreshInvitations: Bool = true, confirmMigrations: MigrationConfirmation? = nil) throws {
     logger.debug("initializeChat")
     let m = ChatModel.shared
     (m.chatDbEncrypted, m.chatDbStatus) = chatMigrateInit(dbKey, confirmMigrations: confirmMigrations)
@@ -1231,7 +1231,37 @@ func initializeChat(start: Bool, dbKey: String? = nil, refreshInvitations: Bool
         onboardingStageDefault.set(.step1_SimpleXInfo)
         privacyDeliveryReceiptsSet.set(true)
         m.onboardingStage = .step1_SimpleXInfo
-    } else if start {
+    } else if confirmStart {
+        showStartChatAfterRestartAlert { start in
+            do {
+                if start { AppChatState.shared.set(.active) }
+                try chatInitialized(start: start, refreshInvitations: refreshInvitations)
+            } catch let error {
+                logger.error("ChatInitialized error: \(error)")
+            }
+        }
+    } else {
+        try chatInitialized(start: start, refreshInvitations: refreshInvitations)
+    }
+}
+
+func showStartChatAfterRestartAlert(result: @escaping (_ start: Bool) -> Void) {
+    AlertManager.shared.showAlert(Alert(
+        title: Text("Start chat?"),
+        message: Text("Chat is stopped. If you already used this database on another device, you should transfer it back before starting chat."),
+        primaryButton: .default(Text("Ok")) {
+            result(true)
+        },
+        secondaryButton: .cancel {
+            result(false)
+        }
+    ))
+}
+
+private func chatInitialized(start: Bool, refreshInvitations: Bool) throws {
+    let m = ChatModel.shared
+    if m.currentUser == nil { return }
+    if start {
         try startChat(refreshInvitations: refreshInvitations)
     } else {
         m.chatRunning = false
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SuspendChat.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SuspendChat.swift
index 9b03f38f3..965e567aa 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SuspendChat.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SuspendChat.swift
@@ -105,26 +105,16 @@ func initChatAndMigrate(refreshInvitations: Bool = true) {
     let m = ChatModel.shared
     if (!m.chatInitialized) {
         m.v3DBMigration = v3DBMigrationDefault.get()
-        if AppChatState.shared.value == .stopped {
-            AlertManager.shared.showAlert(Alert(
-                title: Text("Start chat?"),
-                message: Text("Chat is stopped. If you already used this database on another device, you should transfer it back before starting chat."),
-                primaryButton: .default(Text("Ok")) {
-                    AppChatState.shared.set(.active)
-                    initialize(start: true)
-                },
-                secondaryButton: .cancel {
-                    initialize(start: false)
-                }
-            ))
+        if AppChatState.shared.value == .stopped && storeDBPassphraseGroupDefault.get() && kcDatabasePassword.get() != nil {
+            initialize(start: true, confirmStart: true)
         } else {
             initialize(start: true)
         }
     }
 
-    func initialize(start: Bool) {
+    func initialize(start: Bool, confirmStart: Bool = false) {
         do {
-            try initializeChat(start: m.v3DBMigration.startChat && start, refreshInvitations: refreshInvitations)
+            try initializeChat(start: m.v3DBMigration.startChat && start, confirmStart: m.v3DBMigration.startChat && confirmStart, refreshInvitations: refreshInvitations)
         } catch let error {
             AlertManager.shared.showAlertMsg(
                 title: start ? "Error starting chat" : "Error opening chat",
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Database/DatabaseErrorView.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Database/DatabaseErrorView.swift
index 04e377f3a..52ded4478 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Database/DatabaseErrorView.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Database/DatabaseErrorView.swift
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ struct DatabaseErrorView: View {
     private func runChatSync(confirmMigrations: MigrationConfirmation? = nil) {
         do {
             resetChatCtrl()
-            try initializeChat(start: m.v3DBMigration.startChat, dbKey: useKeychain ? nil : dbKey, confirmMigrations: confirmMigrations)
+            try initializeChat(start: m.v3DBMigration.startChat, confirmStart: m.v3DBMigration.startChat && AppChatState.shared.value == .stopped, dbKey: useKeychain ? nil : dbKey, confirmMigrations: confirmMigrations)
             if let s = m.chatDbStatus {
                 status = s
                 let am = AlertManager.shared