diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/forum/ForumViewModel.java b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/forum/ForumViewModel.java
index 281442cf3..086aaf00b 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/forum/ForumViewModel.java
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/forum/ForumViewModel.java
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ class ForumViewModel extends ThreadListViewModel<ForumPostItem> {
 			List<ForumPostHeader> headers =
 					forumManager.getPostHeaders(txn, groupId);
 			logDuration(LOG, "Loading headers", start);
-			return recreateItems(txn, headers, this::buildItem);
+			return createItems(txn, headers, this::buildItem);
 		}, this::setItems);
 	}
 
@@ -154,7 +154,6 @@ class ForumViewModel extends ThreadListViewModel<ForumPostItem> {
 			try {
 				long start = now();
 				ForumPostHeader header = forumManager.addLocalPost(msg);
-				textCache.put(msg.getMessage().getId(), text);
 				addItemAsync(buildItem(header, text));
 				logDuration(LOG, "Storing forum post", start);
 			} catch (DbException e) {
diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/privategroup/conversation/GroupViewModel.java b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/privategroup/conversation/GroupViewModel.java
index b501c38eb..dc02d7390 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/privategroup/conversation/GroupViewModel.java
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/privategroup/conversation/GroupViewModel.java
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ class GroupViewModel extends ThreadListViewModel<GroupMessageItem> {
 			List<GroupMessageHeader> headers =
 					privateGroupManager.getHeaders(txn, groupId);
 			logDuration(LOG, "Loading headers", start);
-			return recreateItems(txn, headers, this::buildItem);
+			return createItems(txn, headers, this::buildItem);
 		}, this::setItems);
 	}
 
@@ -202,7 +202,6 @@ class GroupViewModel extends ThreadListViewModel<GroupMessageItem> {
 				long start = now();
 				GroupMessageHeader header =
 						privateGroupManager.addLocalMessage(msg);
-				textCache.put(msg.getMessage().getId(), text);
 				addItemAsync(buildItem(header, text));
 				logDuration(LOG, "Storing group message", start);
 			} catch (DbException e) {
diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/threaded/ThreadListViewModel.java b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/threaded/ThreadListViewModel.java
index c17f70e26..acd47e421 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/threaded/ThreadListViewModel.java
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/threaded/ThreadListViewModel.java
@@ -29,8 +29,6 @@ import org.briarproject.briar.client.MessageTreeImpl;
 
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
-import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
@@ -67,8 +65,6 @@ public abstract class ThreadListViewModel<I extends ThreadItem>
 
 	@DatabaseExecutor
 	private final MessageTree<I> messageTree = new MessageTreeImpl<>();
-	protected final Map<MessageId, String> textCache = // TODO still needed?
-			new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
 	private final MutableLiveData<LiveResult<List<I>>> items =
 			new MutableLiveData<>();
 	private final MutableLiveData<Boolean> groupRemoved =
@@ -166,18 +162,13 @@ public abstract class ThreadListViewModel<I extends ThreadItem>
 	}
 
 	@DatabaseExecutor
-	protected <H extends PostHeader> List<I> recreateItems(
+	protected <H extends PostHeader> List<I> createItems(
 			Transaction txn, Collection<H> headers, ItemGetter<H, I> itemGetter)
 			throws DbException {
 		long start = now();
 		ThreadItemList<I> items = new ThreadItemListImpl<>();
 		for (H header : headers) {
-			MessageId id = header.getId();
-			String text = textCache.get(header.getId());
-			if (text == null) {
-				text = loadMessageText(txn, header);
-				textCache.put(id, text);
-			}
+			String text = loadMessageText(txn, header);
 			items.add(itemGetter.getItem(header, text));
 		}
 		logDuration(LOG, "Loading bodies and creating items", start);