diff --git a/src/Simplex/Messaging/Server/MsgStore/Journal.hs b/src/Simplex/Messaging/Server/MsgStore/Journal.hs
index d28300a75..677d9d5ed 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Messaging/Server/MsgStore/Journal.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Messaging/Server/MsgStore/Journal.hs
@@ -559,9 +559,9 @@ instance MsgStoreClass (JournalMsgStore s) where
       getMsg msgs hs = chooseReadJournal q' q drainMsgs hs >>= maybe (pure msgs) readMsg
         where
           readMsg (rs, h) = do
-            (msg, len) <- hGetMsgAt h $ bytePos rs
+            (msg_, len) <- hGetMsgAt h $ bytePos rs
             updateReadPos q' q drainMsgs len hs
-            (msg :) <$> run msgs
+            maybe id (fmap . (:)) msg_ $ run msgs
 
   writeMsg :: JournalMsgStore s -> JournalQueue s -> Bool -> Message -> ExceptT ErrorType IO (Maybe (Message, Bool))
   writeMsg ms q' logState msg = isolateQueue q' "writeMsg" $ do
@@ -620,15 +620,20 @@ instance MsgStoreClass (JournalMsgStore s) where
   getQueueSize_ JournalMsgQueue {state} = StoreIO $ size <$> readTVarIO state
 
   tryPeekMsg_ :: JournalQueue s -> JournalMsgQueue s -> StoreIO s (Maybe Message)
-  tryPeekMsg_ q mq@JournalMsgQueue {tipMsg, handles} =
-    StoreIO $ (readTVarIO handles $>>= chooseReadJournal q mq True $>>= peekMsg)
+  tryPeekMsg_ q mq@JournalMsgQueue {tipMsg, handles} = StoreIO go
     where
-      peekMsg (rs, h) = readTVarIO tipMsg >>= maybe readMsg (pure . fmap fst)
+      go = readTVarIO handles $>>= \hs -> chooseReadJournal q mq True hs $>>= peekMsg hs
+      peekMsg hs (rs, h) = readTVarIO tipMsg >>= maybe readMsg (pure . fmap fst)
         where
           readMsg = do
-            ml@(msg, _) <- hGetMsgAt h $ bytePos rs
-            atomically $ writeTVar tipMsg $ Just (Just ml)
-            pure $ Just msg
+            (msg_, len) <- hGetMsgAt h $ bytePos rs
+            case msg_ of
+              Just msg -> do
+                atomically $ writeTVar tipMsg $ Just (Just (msg, len))
+                pure $ Just msg
+              Nothing -> do
+                updateReadPos q mq True len hs
+                go
 
   tryDeleteMsg_ :: JournalQueue s -> JournalMsgQueue s -> Bool -> StoreIO s ()
   tryDeleteMsg_ q mq@JournalMsgQueue {tipMsg, handles} logState = StoreIO $ (`E.finally` when logState (updateActiveAt q)) $
@@ -984,15 +989,18 @@ hAppend h pos s = do
   IO.hSeek h SeekFromEnd 0
   B.hPutStr h s
 
-hGetMsgAt :: Handle -> Int64 -> IO (Message, Int64)
+hGetMsgAt :: Handle -> Int64 -> IO (Maybe Message, Int64)
 hGetMsgAt h pos = do
   IO.hSeek h AbsoluteSeek $ fromIntegral pos
   s <- B.hGetLine h
-  case strDecode s of
-    Right !msg ->
-      let !len = fromIntegral (B.length s) + 1
-       in pure (msg, len)
-    Left e -> E.throwIO $ userError $ "hGetMsgAt invalid message: " <> e
+  let !len = fromIntegral (B.length s) + 1
+  msg_ <- case strDecode s of
+    Right !msg -> pure $ Just msg
+    Left e -> do
+      name <- IO.hShow h
+      logError $ "STORE: hGetMsgAt, " <> T.pack name <> ", invalid message at pos " <> tshow pos <> ": " <> tshow e
+      pure Nothing
+  pure (msg_, len)
 
 openFile :: FilePath -> IOMode -> IO Handle
 openFile f mode = do