diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/AttachmentController.java b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/AttachmentController.java
index a5d6ca146..7c077958e 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/AttachmentController.java
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/AttachmentController.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import static android.support.media.ExifInterface.TAG_IMAGE_WIDTH;
 import static android.support.media.ExifInterface.TAG_ORIENTATION;
 import static java.util.logging.Level.WARNING;
 import static java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger;
+import static org.briarproject.bramble.util.IoUtils.tryToClose;
 import static org.briarproject.bramble.util.LogUtils.logDuration;
 import static org.briarproject.bramble.util.LogUtils.logException;
 import static org.briarproject.bramble.util.LogUtils.now;
@@ -122,11 +123,7 @@ class AttachmentController {
 		} catch (IOException e) {
 			logException(LOG, WARNING, e);
 		} finally {
-			try {
-				is.close();
-			} catch (IOException e) {
-				logException(LOG, WARNING, e);
-			}
+			tryToClose(is, LOG, WARNING);
 		}
 
 		// calculate thumbnail size
diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationActivity.java b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationActivity.java
index 80d21d65b..754e8f06a 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationActivity.java
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationActivity.java
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ public class ConversationActivity extends BriarActivity
 	private ImageView toolbarStatus;
 	private TextView toolbarTitle;
 	private BriarRecyclerView list;
+	private LinearLayoutManager layoutManager;
 	private TextInputView textInputView;
 
 	// Fields that are accessed from background threads must be volatile
@@ -227,7 +228,8 @@ public class ConversationActivity extends BriarActivity
 				viewModel.getContactDisplayName());
 		adapter = new ConversationAdapter(this, this);
 		list = findViewById(R.id.conversationView);
-		list.setLayoutManager(new LinearLayoutManager(this));
+		layoutManager = new LinearLayoutManager(this);
+		list.setLayoutManager(layoutManager);
 		list.setAdapter(adapter);
 		list.setEmptyText(getString(R.string.no_private_messages));
 
@@ -434,8 +436,9 @@ public class ConversationActivity extends BriarActivity
 					adapter.getMessageItem(m);
 			if (pair != null) {
 				pair.getSecond().setText(text);
+				boolean bottom = adapter.isScrolledToBottom(layoutManager);
 				adapter.notifyItemChanged(pair.getFirst());
-				list.scrollToPosition(adapter.getItemCount() - 1);
+				if (bottom) list.scrollToPosition(adapter.getItemCount() - 1);
 			}
 		});
 	}
@@ -464,8 +467,9 @@ public class ConversationActivity extends BriarActivity
 					adapter.getMessageItem(m);
 			if (pair != null) {
 				pair.getSecond().setAttachments(items);
+				boolean bottom = adapter.isScrolledToBottom(layoutManager);
 				adapter.notifyItemChanged(pair.getFirst());
-				list.scrollToPosition(adapter.getItemCount() - 1);
+				if (bottom) list.scrollToPosition(adapter.getItemCount() - 1);
 			}
 		});
 	}
@@ -514,10 +518,10 @@ public class ConversationActivity extends BriarActivity
 
 	private void addConversationItem(ConversationItem item) {
 		runOnUiThreadUnlessDestroyed(() -> {
+			boolean bottom = adapter.isScrolledToBottom(layoutManager);
 			adapter.incrementRevision();
 			adapter.add(item);
-			// Scroll to the bottom
-			list.scrollToPosition(adapter.getItemCount() - 1);
+			if (bottom) list.scrollToPosition(adapter.getItemCount() - 1);
 		});
 	}
 
diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationAdapter.java b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationAdapter.java
index 5ddc1650a..e185db386 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationAdapter.java
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationAdapter.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package org.briarproject.briar.android.conversation;
 
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.support.annotation.LayoutRes;
+import android.support.v7.widget.LinearLayoutManager;
 import android.util.SparseArray;
 import android.view.LayoutInflater;
 import android.view.View;
@@ -112,4 +113,8 @@ class ConversationAdapter
 		return null;
 	}
 
+	boolean isScrolledToBottom(LinearLayoutManager layoutManager) {
+		return layoutManager.findLastVisibleItemPosition() == items.size() - 1;
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationMessageViewHolder.java b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationMessageViewHolder.java
index 74f269b19..91977da2c 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationMessageViewHolder.java
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationMessageViewHolder.java
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import static com.bumptech.glide.load.resource.drawable.DrawableTransitionOption
 class ConversationMessageViewHolder extends ConversationItemViewHolder {
 
 	@DrawableRes
-	private static final int errorRes = R.drawable.ic_image_broken;
+	private static final int ERROR_RES = R.drawable.ic_image_broken;
 
 	private final ImageView imageView;
 	private final ViewGroup statusLayout;
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ class ConversationMessageViewHolder extends ConversationItemViewHolder {
 
 		if (attachment.hasError()) {
 			clearImage();
-			imageView.setImageResource(errorRes);
+			imageView.setImageResource(ERROR_RES);
 		} else {
 			loadImage(item, attachment);
 		}
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ class ConversationMessageViewHolder extends ConversationItemViewHolder {
 		GlideApp.with(imageView)
 				.load(attachment)
 				.diskCacheStrategy(NONE)
-				.error(errorRes)
+				.error(ERROR_RES)
 				.transform(transformation)
 				.transition(withCrossFade())
 				.into(imageView)
diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/glide/BriarDataFetcher.java b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/glide/BriarDataFetcher.java
index 51d51434d..c70abd24e 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/glide/BriarDataFetcher.java
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/glide/BriarDataFetcher.java
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import org.briarproject.bramble.api.sync.MessageId;
 import org.briarproject.briar.android.conversation.AttachmentItem;
 import org.briarproject.briar.api.messaging.MessagingManager;
 
-import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
@@ -23,7 +22,7 @@ import javax.inject.Inject;
 import static com.bumptech.glide.load.DataSource.LOCAL;
 import static java.util.logging.Level.WARNING;
 import static java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger;
-import static org.briarproject.bramble.util.LogUtils.logException;
+import static org.briarproject.bramble.util.IoUtils.tryToClose;
 
 @NotNullByDefault
 class BriarDataFetcher implements DataFetcher<InputStream> {
@@ -65,14 +64,7 @@ class BriarDataFetcher implements DataFetcher<InputStream> {
 
 	@Override
 	public void cleanup() {
-		final InputStream stream = inputStream;
-		if (stream != null) {
-			try {
-				stream.close();
-			} catch (IOException e) {
-				logException(LOG, WARNING, e);
-			}
-		}
+		tryToClose(inputStream, LOG, WARNING);
 	}
 
 	@Override