diff --git a/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/socialbackup/recovery/RestoreAccount.java b/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/socialbackup/recovery/RestoreAccount.java
index 45e2e983f..db56ad81d 100644
--- a/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/socialbackup/recovery/RestoreAccount.java
+++ b/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/socialbackup/recovery/RestoreAccount.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import java.security.GeneralSecurityException;
 
 public interface RestoreAccount {
 
+
 	int getNumberOfShards();
 
 	boolean addReturnShardPayload(ReturnShardPayload toAdd);
@@ -19,5 +20,5 @@ public interface RestoreAccount {
 
 	SocialBackup getSocialBackup();
 
-	void addContactsToDb() throws InterruptedException, DbException;
+	void addContactsToDb() throws DbException;
 }
diff --git a/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/socialbackup/recovery/RestoreAccountImpl.java b/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/socialbackup/recovery/RestoreAccountImpl.java
index 25f0d351f..5b05e5d1e 100644
--- a/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/socialbackup/recovery/RestoreAccountImpl.java
+++ b/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/socialbackup/recovery/RestoreAccountImpl.java
@@ -2,9 +2,12 @@ package org.briarproject.briar.socialbackup.recovery;
 
 import org.briarproject.bramble.api.FormatException;
 import org.briarproject.bramble.api.contact.Contact;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.contact.ContactManager;
 import org.briarproject.bramble.api.crypto.SecretKey;
 import org.briarproject.bramble.api.db.DatabaseComponent;
 import org.briarproject.bramble.api.db.DbException;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.identity.AuthorId;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.lifecycle.IoExecutor;
 import org.briarproject.bramble.api.lifecycle.LifecycleManager;
 import org.briarproject.briar.api.socialbackup.BackupPayload;
 import org.briarproject.briar.api.socialbackup.ContactData;
@@ -17,26 +20,39 @@ import org.briarproject.briar.socialbackup.BackupPayloadDecoder;
 
 import java.security.GeneralSecurityException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
+import java.util.logging.Logger;
 
 import javax.inject.Inject;
 
+import static java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger;
+
 public class RestoreAccountImpl implements RestoreAccount {
-	private ArrayList<ReturnShardPayload> recoveredShards = new ArrayList<>();
+	private final ArrayList<ReturnShardPayload> recoveredShards = new ArrayList<>();
 	private final DarkCrystal darkCrystal;
+	private final Executor ioExecutor;
 	private final DatabaseComponent db;
+	private final ContactManager contactManager;
 	private final LifecycleManager lifecycleManager;
 	private SecretKey secretKey;
 	private final BackupPayloadDecoder backupPayloadDecoder;
 	private SocialBackup socialBackup;
 
+	private static final Logger LOG =
+			getLogger(RestoreAccountImpl.class.getName());
+
 	@Inject
 	RestoreAccountImpl(DarkCrystal darkCrystal,
 			BackupPayloadDecoder backupPayloadDecoder, DatabaseComponent db,
+			@IoExecutor Executor ioExecutor,
+			ContactManager contactManager,
 			LifecycleManager lifecycleManager) {
 		this.darkCrystal = darkCrystal;
 		this.backupPayloadDecoder = backupPayloadDecoder;
 		this.db = db;
+		this.ioExecutor = ioExecutor;
 		this.lifecycleManager = lifecycleManager;
+		this.contactManager = contactManager;
 	}
 
 	public int getNumberOfShards() {
@@ -57,7 +73,7 @@ public class RestoreAccountImpl implements RestoreAccount {
 	}
 
 	public boolean canRecover() {
-		ArrayList<Shard> shards = new ArrayList();
+		ArrayList<Shard> shards = new ArrayList<>();
 		for (ReturnShardPayload returnShardPayload : recoveredShards) {
 			// TODO check shards all have same secret id
 			shards.add(returnShardPayload.getShard());
@@ -91,16 +107,30 @@ public class RestoreAccountImpl implements RestoreAccount {
 		return socialBackup;
 	}
 
-	public void addContactsToDb() throws InterruptedException, DbException {
+	public void addContactsToDb() throws DbException {
 		if (socialBackup == null) throw new DbException();
-		// TODO maybe waitForDatabase should be in another thread
-		lifecycleManager.waitForDatabase();
-		db.transaction(false, txn -> {
-			for (ContactData contactData : socialBackup.getContacts()) {
-				Contact c = contactData.getContact();
-				db.addContact(txn, c.getAuthor(), c.getLocalAuthorId(),
-						c.getHandshakePublicKey(), c.isVerified());
+		AuthorId localAuthorId = socialBackup.getIdentity().getId();
+
+		ioExecutor.execute(() -> {
+			try {
+				lifecycleManager.waitForDatabase();
+			} catch (InterruptedException e) {
+				LOG.warning("Interrupted when waiting for database");
 			}
+			try {
+				db.transaction(false, txn -> {
+					for (ContactData contactData : socialBackup.getContacts()) {
+						Contact c = contactData.getContact();
+						LOG.info("Adding contact " + c.getAuthor().getName() + " " + c.getAlias());
+						contactManager.addContact(txn, c.getAuthor(), localAuthorId,
+								c.getHandshakePublicKey(), c.isVerified());
+					}
+				});
+			} catch (DbException e) {
+				LOG.warning("Error adding contacts to database");
+				LOG.warning(e.getMessage());
+			}
+			LOG.info("Added all contacts");
 		});
 	}
 }