diff --git a/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/conversation/ConversationManager.java b/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/conversation/ConversationManager.java
index 96823d45b..e44adbd7d 100644
--- a/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/conversation/ConversationManager.java
+++ b/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/conversation/ConversationManager.java
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ public interface ConversationManager {
 	 */
 	GroupCount getGroupCount(ContactId c) throws DbException;
 
+	/**
+	 * Returns the unified group count for all private conversation messages.
+	 */
+	GroupCount getGroupCount(Transaction txn, ContactId c) throws DbException;
+
 	/**
 	 * Deletes all messages exchanged with the given contact.
 	 */
diff --git a/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/messaging/ConversationManagerImpl.java b/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/messaging/ConversationManagerImpl.java
index 7b991f3de..8849599a7 100644
--- a/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/messaging/ConversationManagerImpl.java
+++ b/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/messaging/ConversationManagerImpl.java
@@ -57,20 +57,21 @@ class ConversationManagerImpl implements ConversationManager {
 
 	@Override
 	public GroupCount getGroupCount(ContactId contactId) throws DbException {
+		return db.transactionWithResult(true, txn ->
+				getGroupCount(txn, contactId));
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public GroupCount getGroupCount(Transaction txn, ContactId contactId)
+			throws DbException {
 		int msgCount = 0, unreadCount = 0;
 		long latestTime = 0;
-		Transaction txn = db.startTransaction(true);
-		try {
-			for (ConversationClient client : clients) {
-				GroupCount count = client.getGroupCount(txn, contactId);
-				msgCount += count.getMsgCount();
-				unreadCount += count.getUnreadCount();
-				if (count.getLatestMsgTime() > latestTime)
-					latestTime = count.getLatestMsgTime();
-			}
-			db.commitTransaction(txn);
-		} finally {
-			db.endTransaction(txn);
+		for (ConversationClient client : clients) {
+			GroupCount count = client.getGroupCount(txn, contactId);
+			msgCount += count.getMsgCount();
+			unreadCount += count.getUnreadCount();
+			if (count.getLatestMsgTime() > latestTime)
+				latestTime = count.getLatestMsgTime();
 		}
 		return new GroupCount(msgCount, unreadCount, latestTime);
 	}
@@ -87,8 +88,8 @@ class ConversationManagerImpl implements ConversationManager {
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	public DeletionResult deleteMessages(ContactId c, Collection<MessageId> toDelete)
-			throws DbException {
+	public DeletionResult deleteMessages(ContactId c,
+			Collection<MessageId> toDelete) throws DbException {
 		return db.transactionWithResult(false, txn -> {
 			DeletionResult result = new DeletionResult();
 			for (ConversationClient client : clients) {