diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/AttachmentController.java b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/AttachmentController.java
index 2d85e2668..c708176b6 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/AttachmentController.java
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/AttachmentController.java
@@ -92,19 +92,32 @@ class AttachmentController {
 
 	List<AttachmentItem> getAttachmentItems(
 			List<Pair<AttachmentHeader, Attachment>> attachments) {
+		boolean needsSize = attachments.size() == 1;
 		List<AttachmentItem> items = new ArrayList<>(attachments.size());
 		for (Pair<AttachmentHeader, Attachment> a : attachments) {
 			AttachmentItem item =
-					getAttachmentItem(a.getFirst(), a.getSecond());
+					getAttachmentItem(a.getFirst(), a.getSecond(), needsSize);
 			items.add(item);
 		}
 		return items;
 	}
 
-	private AttachmentItem getAttachmentItem(AttachmentHeader h, Attachment a) {
+	private AttachmentItem getAttachmentItem(AttachmentHeader h, Attachment a,
+			boolean needsSize) {
 		MessageId messageId = h.getMessageId();
-		Size size = new Size();
+		if (!needsSize) {
+			String mimeType = h.getContentType();
+			String extension = getExtensionFromMimeType(mimeType);
+			boolean hasError = false;
+			if (extension == null) {
+				extension = "";
+				hasError = true;
+			}
+			return new AttachmentItem(messageId, 0, 0, mimeType, extension, 0,
+					0, hasError);
+		}
 
+		Size size = new Size();
 		InputStream is = a.getStream();
 		is.mark(Integer.MAX_VALUE);
 		try {
@@ -134,8 +147,7 @@ class AttachmentController {
 					getThumbnailSize(size.width, size.height, size.mimeType);
 		}
 		// get file extension
-		MimeTypeMap mimeTypeMap = MimeTypeMap.getSingleton();
-		String extension = mimeTypeMap.getExtensionFromMimeType(size.mimeType);
+		String extension = getExtensionFromMimeType(size.mimeType);
 		if (extension == null) {
 			return new AttachmentItem(messageId, 0, 0, "", "", 0, 0, true);
 		}
@@ -144,6 +156,12 @@ class AttachmentController {
 				size.error);
 	}
 
+	@Nullable
+	private String getExtensionFromMimeType(String mimeType) {
+		MimeTypeMap mimeTypeMap = MimeTypeMap.getSingleton();
+		return mimeTypeMap.getExtensionFromMimeType(mimeType);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Gets the size of a JPEG {@link InputStream} if EXIF info is available.
 	 */
diff --git a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationActivity.java b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationActivity.java
index 3d3611f90..ae8b22970 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationActivity.java
+++ b/briar-android/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/android/conversation/ConversationActivity.java
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ public class ConversationActivity extends BriarActivity
 								textCache.put(id, text);
 							}
 						}
-						if (!h.getAttachmentHeaders().isEmpty()) {
+						if (h.getAttachmentHeaders().size() == 1) {
 							List<AttachmentItem> items =
 									attachmentController.get(id);
 							if (items == null) {
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@ public class ConversationActivity extends BriarActivity
 			try {
 				List<Pair<AttachmentHeader, Attachment>> attachments =
 						attachmentController.getMessageAttachments(headers);
-				// TODO move getting the items off to the IoExecutor
+				// TODO move getting the items off to IoExecutor, if size == 1
 				List<AttachmentItem> items =
 						attachmentController.getAttachmentItems(attachments);
 				displayMessageAttachments(messageId, items);