diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat.hs
index 8b1555aa9..3063eb611 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat.hs
@@ -461,6 +461,7 @@ processChatCommand' vr = \case
     ts <- liftIO $ getCurrentTime >>= if pastTimestamp then coupleDaysAgo else pure
     user <- withStore $ \db -> createUserRecordAt db (AgentUserId auId) p True ts
     when (auId == 1) $ withStore (\db -> createContact db user simplexContactProfile) `catchChatError` \_ -> pure ()
+    withStore $ \db -> createNoteFolder db user
     storeServers user smpServers
     storeServers user xftpServers
     atomically . writeTVar u $ Just user
@@ -6149,7 +6150,9 @@ getCreateActiveUser st testView = do
               putStrLn "chosen display name is already used by another profile on this device, choose another one"
               loop
             Left e -> putStrLn ("database error " <> show e) >> exitFailure
-            Right user -> pure user
+            Right user -> do
+              void . withTransaction st $ \db -> runExceptT $ createNoteFolder db user
+              pure user
     selectUser :: [User] -> IO User
     selectUser [user@User {userId}] = do
       withTransaction st (`setActiveUser` userId)
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Migrations/M20240102_note_folders.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Migrations/M20240102_note_folders.hs
index 6e0fbe5e4..6a5d6a021 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Migrations/M20240102_note_folders.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Migrations/M20240102_note_folders.hs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ m20240102_note_folders =
 
     CREATE INDEX chat_items_note_folder_id ON chat_items(note_folder_id);
     CREATE INDEX files_note_folder_id ON files(note_folder_id);
-    CREATE INDEX note_folders_user_id ON note_folders(user_id);
+    CREATE UNIQUE INDEX note_folders_user_id ON note_folders(user_id); -- drop UNIQUE for more folders per user
 
     INSERT INTO note_folders (user_id) SELECT user_id FROM users;
 |]
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/NoteFolders.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/NoteFolders.hs
index 2a3f7d09d..0102d8afd 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/NoteFolders.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/NoteFolders.hs
@@ -5,15 +5,21 @@
 module Simplex.Chat.Store.NoteFolders where
 
 import Control.Monad.Except (ExceptT (..))
+import Control.Monad.IO.Class (liftIO)
 import Data.Time (getCurrentTime)
 import Database.SQLite.Simple (Only (..))
 import Database.SQLite.Simple.QQ (sql)
-import Simplex.Chat.Store.Shared (StoreError (..))
+import Simplex.Chat.Store.Shared (StoreError (..), checkConstraint)
 import Simplex.Chat.Types (NoteFolder (..), NoteFolderId, NoteFolderName, User (..))
 import Simplex.Messaging.Agent.Protocol (UserId)
 import Simplex.Messaging.Agent.Store.SQLite (firstRow)
 import qualified Simplex.Messaging.Agent.Store.SQLite.DB as DB
 
+createNoteFolder :: DB.Connection -> User -> ExceptT StoreError IO ()
+createNoteFolder db User {userId} =
+  checkConstraint SENoteFolderAlreadyCreated . liftIO $
+    DB.execute db [sql| INSERT INTO note_folders (user_id) VALUES (?) |] (Only userId)
+
 getNoteFolderIdByName :: DB.Connection -> User -> NoteFolderName -> ExceptT StoreError IO NoteFolderId
 getNoteFolderIdByName db User {userId} ldn =
   ExceptT . firstRow fromOnly (SENoteFolderNotFoundByName ldn) $
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Profiles.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Profiles.hs
index de8295327..6d25c120a 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Profiles.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Profiles.hs
@@ -121,10 +121,6 @@ createUserRecordAt db (AgentUserId auId) Profile {displayName, fullName, image,
       (profileId, displayName, userId, True, currentTs, currentTs, currentTs)
     contactId <- insertedRowId db
     DB.execute db "UPDATE users SET contact_id = ? WHERE user_id = ?" (contactId, userId)
-    DB.execute
-      db
-      "INSERT INTO note_folders (user_id, created_at, updated_at, chat_ts, favorite, unread_chat) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)"
-      (userId, currentTs, currentTs, currentTs, False, False)
 
     pure $ toUser $ (userId, auId, contactId, profileId, activeUser, displayName, fullName, image, Nothing, userPreferences) :. (showNtfs, sendRcptsContacts, sendRcptsSmallGroups, Nothing, Nothing)
 
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Shared.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Shared.hs
index 9240f7d0c..58fc9ce4b 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Shared.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Shared.hs
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ data StoreError
   | SEDuplicateGroupMember
   | SEGroupAlreadyJoined
   | SEGroupInvitationNotFound
+  | SENoteFolderAlreadyCreated
   | SENoteFolderNotFound {noteFolderId :: NoteFolderId}
   | SENoteFolderNotFoundByName {noteFolderName :: NoteFolderName}
   | SESndFileNotFound {fileId :: FileTransferId}
diff --git a/tests/ChatClient.hs b/tests/ChatClient.hs
index 942f43bbe..2bd8e48f0 100644
--- a/tests/ChatClient.hs
+++ b/tests/ChatClient.hs
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import Simplex.Chat.Controller (ChatConfig (..), ChatController (..), ChatDataba
 import Simplex.Chat.Core
 import Simplex.Chat.Options
 import Simplex.Chat.Store
+import Simplex.Chat.Store.NoteFolders (createNoteFolder)
 import Simplex.Chat.Store.Profiles
 import Simplex.Chat.Terminal
 import Simplex.Chat.Terminal.Output (newChatTerminal)
@@ -191,7 +192,10 @@ groupLinkViaContactVRange = mkVersionRange 1 2
 createTestChat :: FilePath -> ChatConfig -> ChatOpts -> String -> Profile -> IO TestCC
 createTestChat tmp cfg opts@ChatOpts {coreOptions = CoreChatOpts {dbKey}} dbPrefix profile = do
   Right db@ChatDatabase {chatStore} <- createChatDatabase (tmp </> dbPrefix) dbKey False MCError
-  Right user <- withTransaction chatStore $ \db' -> runExceptT $ createUserRecord db' (AgentUserId 1) profile True
+  Right user <- withTransaction chatStore $ \db' -> runExceptT $ do
+    user <- createUserRecord db' (AgentUserId 1) profile True
+    createNoteFolder db' user
+    pure user
   startTestChat_ db cfg opts user
 
 startTestChat :: FilePath -> ChatConfig -> ChatOpts -> String -> IO TestCC