diff --git a/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/messaging/MessagingManagerImpl.java b/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/messaging/MessagingManagerImpl.java
index 0003b8159..0bd93811a 100644
--- a/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/messaging/MessagingManagerImpl.java
+++ b/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/messaging/MessagingManagerImpl.java
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
@@ -371,15 +372,23 @@ class MessagingManagerImpl implements MessagingManager, IncomingMessageHook,
 	public Set<MessageId> getMessageIds(Transaction txn, ContactId c)
 			throws DbException {
 		GroupId g = getContactGroup(db.getContact(txn, c)).getId();
-		BdfDictionary query = BdfDictionary.of(
-				new BdfEntry(MSG_KEY_MSG_TYPE, PRIVATE_MESSAGE));
+		// Date: 2019-11-01
+		// When we remove support for old messages without MSG_KEY_MSG_TYPE,
+		// we can use a query here for (MSG_KEY_MSG_TYPE, PRIVATE_MESSAGE)
+		Set<MessageId> result = new HashSet<>();
 		try {
-			Map<MessageId, BdfDictionary> results =
-					clientHelper.getMessageMetadataAsDictionary(txn, g, query);
-			return results.keySet();
+			Map<MessageId, BdfDictionary> messages =
+					clientHelper.getMessageMetadataAsDictionary(txn, g);
+			for (Map.Entry<MessageId, BdfDictionary> entry : messages
+					.entrySet()) {
+				Long type = entry.getValue().getOptionalLong(MSG_KEY_MSG_TYPE);
+				if (type == null || type == PRIVATE_MESSAGE)
+					result.add(entry.getKey());
+			}
 		} catch (FormatException e) {
 			throw new DbException(e);
 		}
+		return result;
 	}
 
 	@Override
@@ -450,7 +459,8 @@ class MessagingManagerImpl implements MessagingManager, IncomingMessageHook,
 				Long messageType = meta.getOptionalLong(MSG_KEY_MSG_TYPE);
 				if (messageType != null && messageType != PRIVATE_MESSAGE)
 					throw new AssertionError("not supported");
-				headers = parseAttachmentHeaders(meta);
+				headers = messageType == null ? emptyList() :
+						parseAttachmentHeaders(meta);
 			} catch (FormatException e) {
 				throw new DbException(e);
 			}
diff --git a/briar-core/src/test/java/org/briarproject/briar/messaging/MessagingManagerIntegrationTest.java b/briar-core/src/test/java/org/briarproject/briar/messaging/MessagingManagerIntegrationTest.java
index 211e7c060..f5cf206f9 100644
--- a/briar-core/src/test/java/org/briarproject/briar/messaging/MessagingManagerIntegrationTest.java
+++ b/briar-core/src/test/java/org/briarproject/briar/messaging/MessagingManagerIntegrationTest.java
@@ -208,6 +208,32 @@ public class MessagingManagerIntegrationTest
 		assertGroupCounts(c0, 0, 0);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testDeleteLegacySubset() throws Exception {
+		// send legacy message
+		GroupId g = c0.getMessagingManager().getConversationId(contactId);
+		PrivateMessage m0 = messageFactory.createLegacyPrivateMessage(g,
+				clock.currentTimeMillis(), getRandomString(42));
+		c0.getMessagingManager().addLocalMessage(m0);
+		syncMessage(c0, c1, contactId, 1, true);
+
+		// message arrived on both sides
+		assertEquals(1, getMessages(c0).size());
+		assertEquals(1, getMessages(c1).size());
+
+		// delete message on both sides (deletes all, because returns true)
+		Set<MessageId> toDelete = new HashSet<>();
+		toDelete.add(m0.getMessage().getId());
+		assertTrue(c0.getConversationManager()
+				.deleteMessages(contactId, toDelete));
+		assertTrue(c1.getConversationManager()
+				.deleteMessages(contactId, toDelete));
+
+		// message was deleted
+		assertEquals(0, getMessages(c0).size());
+		assertEquals(0, getMessages(c1).size());
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testDeleteAttachment() throws Exception {
 		// send one message with attachment
diff --git a/briar-core/src/test/java/org/briarproject/briar/test/BriarIntegrationTestComponent.java b/briar-core/src/test/java/org/briarproject/briar/test/BriarIntegrationTestComponent.java
index 6c3b92aae..0eebc1a4f 100644
--- a/briar-core/src/test/java/org/briarproject/briar/test/BriarIntegrationTestComponent.java
+++ b/briar-core/src/test/java/org/briarproject/briar/test/BriarIntegrationTestComponent.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import org.briarproject.briar.api.blog.BlogFactory;
 import org.briarproject.briar.api.blog.BlogManager;
 import org.briarproject.briar.api.blog.BlogSharingManager;
 import org.briarproject.briar.api.client.MessageTracker;
+import org.briarproject.briar.api.conversation.ConversationManager;
 import org.briarproject.briar.api.forum.ForumManager;
 import org.briarproject.briar.api.forum.ForumSharingManager;
 import org.briarproject.briar.api.introduction.IntroductionManager;
@@ -89,6 +90,8 @@ public interface BriarIntegrationTestComponent
 
 	ContactManager getContactManager();
 
+	ConversationManager getConversationManager();
+
 	DatabaseComponent getDatabaseComponent();
 
 	BlogManager getBlogManager();