diff --git a/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/autodelete/AutoDeleteManager.java b/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/autodelete/AutoDeleteManager.java
index 8599892d1..fac485335 100644
--- a/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/autodelete/AutoDeleteManager.java
+++ b/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/autodelete/AutoDeleteManager.java
@@ -24,6 +24,13 @@ public interface AutoDeleteManager {
 	 */
 	int MINOR_VERSION = 0;
 
+	/**
+	 * Returns the auto-delete timer duration for the given contact. Use
+	 * {@link #getAutoDeleteTimer(Transaction, ContactId, long)} if the timer
+	 * will be used in an outgoing message.
+	 */
+	long getAutoDeleteTimer(Transaction txn, ContactId c) throws DbException;
+
 	/**
 	 * Returns the auto-delete timer duration for the given contact, for use in
 	 * a message with the given timestamp. The timestamp is stored.
diff --git a/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/autodelete/AutoDeleteManagerImpl.java b/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/autodelete/AutoDeleteManagerImpl.java
index e0644c63e..c07759092 100644
--- a/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/autodelete/AutoDeleteManagerImpl.java
+++ b/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/autodelete/AutoDeleteManagerImpl.java
@@ -78,6 +78,19 @@ class AutoDeleteManagerImpl
 		db.removeGroup(txn, getGroup(c));
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	public long getAutoDeleteTimer(Transaction txn, ContactId c)
+			throws DbException {
+		try {
+			Group g = getGroup(db.getContact(txn, c));
+			BdfDictionary meta =
+					clientHelper.getGroupMetadataAsDictionary(txn, g.getId());
+			return meta.getLong(GROUP_KEY_TIMER, NO_AUTO_DELETE_TIMER);
+		} catch (FormatException e) {
+			throw new DbException(e);
+		}
+	}
+
 	@Override
 	public long getAutoDeleteTimer(Transaction txn, ContactId c, long timestamp)
 			throws DbException {