diff --git a/js/views/inbox_view.js b/js/views/inbox_view.js
index 6e926b62d..bb0c7adb5 100644
--- a/js/views/inbox_view.js
+++ b/js/views/inbox_view.js
@@ -92,13 +92,6 @@
       const inboxCollection = getInboxCollection();
 
       // ConversationCollection
-      const conversations = getConversations();
-      this.listenTo(conversations, 'remove', conversation => {
-        if (this.conversation_stack) {
-          this.conversation_stack.close(conversation);
-        }
-      });
-
       this.listenTo(inboxCollection, 'messageError', () => {
         if (this.networkStatusView) {
           this.networkStatusView.render();
@@ -318,12 +311,6 @@
 
       this.conversation_stack.open(conversation);
     },
-    closeConversation(conversation) {
-      if (conversation) {
-        this.inboxListView.removeItem(conversation);
-        this.conversation_stack.close(conversation);
-      }
-    },
   });
 
   Whisper.ExpiredAlertBanner = Whisper.View.extend({
diff --git a/ts/components/MainViewController.tsx b/ts/components/MainViewController.tsx
index 6b07835c6..f65ce58f3 100644
--- a/ts/components/MainViewController.tsx
+++ b/ts/components/MainViewController.tsx
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@ export const MainViewController = {
 
 import { ContactType } from './session/SessionMemberListItem';
 import { ToastUtils } from '../session/utils';
-import { toast } from 'react-toastify';
-import { SessionToast, SessionToastType } from './session/SessionToast';
 
 export class MessageView extends React.Component {
   public render() {
diff --git a/ts/components/session/conversation/SessionConversation.tsx b/ts/components/session/conversation/SessionConversation.tsx
index 0d3c163ee..a0ff376aa 100644
--- a/ts/components/session/conversation/SessionConversation.tsx
+++ b/ts/components/session/conversation/SessionConversation.tsx
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import { ToastUtils } from '../../../session/utils';
 import * as MIME from '../../../types/MIME';
 import { SessionFileDropzone } from './SessionFileDropzone';
 import { ConversationType } from '../../../state/ducks/conversations';
+import { MessageView } from '../../MainViewController';
 
 interface State {
   // Message sending progress
@@ -175,15 +176,23 @@ export class SessionConversation extends React.Component<Props, State> {
 
   public componentDidUpdate(prevProps: Props, prevState: State) {
     const { conversationKey: oldKey } = prevProps;
+    try {
     const oldConversationModel = window.ConversationController.getOrThrow(
       oldKey
     );
-    oldConversationModel.off('change', this.refreshMessages);
-    const { conversationKey: newKey } = this.props;
-    const newCconversationModel = window.ConversationController.getOrThrow(
-      newKey
-    );
-    newCconversationModel.on('change', this.refreshMessages);
+      oldConversationModel.off('change', this.refreshMessages);
+    } catch (e) {
+      window.log.warn(e);
+    }
+    try {
+      const { conversationKey: newKey } = this.props;
+      const newConversationModel = window.ConversationController.getOrThrow(
+        newKey
+      );
+      newConversationModel.on('change', this.refreshMessages);
+    } catch (e) {
+      window.log.warn(e);
+    }
   }
 
   public componentDidMount() {
@@ -220,10 +229,15 @@ export class SessionConversation extends React.Component<Props, State> {
     const selectionMode = !!selectedMessages.length;
 
     const { conversation, conversationKey } = this.props;
-    const conversationModel = window.ConversationController.getOrThrow(
+    const conversationModel = window.ConversationController.get(
       conversationKey
     );
 
+    if (!conversationModel) {
+      // return an empty message view
+      return <MessageView />;
+    }
+
     const { isRss } = conversation;
 
     // TODO VINCE: OPTIMISE FOR NEW SENDING???
@@ -334,7 +348,7 @@ export class SessionConversation extends React.Component<Props, State> {
     if (this.state.initialFetchComplete) {
       return;
     }
-    const { conversationKey } = this.props;
+    const { conversationKey, conversation } = this.props;
     const conversationModel = window.ConversationController.getOrThrow(
       conversationKey
     );
@@ -343,15 +357,17 @@ export class SessionConversation extends React.Component<Props, State> {
       Constants.CONVERSATION.DEFAULT_MESSAGE_FETCH_COUNT,
       unreadCount
     );
-    return this.getMessages(messagesToFetch, () => {
-      this.setState({ initialFetchComplete: true });
-    });
+    if (conversation) {
+      return this.getMessages(messagesToFetch, () => {
+        this.setState({ initialFetchComplete: true });
+      });
+    }
   }
 
   // tslint:disable-next-line: no-empty
   public async getMessages(numMessages?: number, callback: any = () => {}) {
     const { unreadCount } = this.state;
-    const { conversationKey } = this.props;
+    const { conversationKey, conversation } = this.props;
     let msgCount =
       numMessages ||
       Number(Constants.CONVERSATION.DEFAULT_MESSAGE_FETCH_COUNT) + unreadCount;
@@ -364,6 +380,11 @@ export class SessionConversation extends React.Component<Props, State> {
       msgCount = Constants.CONVERSATION.DEFAULT_MESSAGE_FETCH_COUNT;
     }
 
+    if (!conversation) {
+      // no valid conversation, early return
+      return;
+    }
+
     const messageSet = await window.Signal.Data.getMessagesByConversation(
       conversationKey,
       { limit: msgCount, MessageCollection: window.Whisper.MessageCollection }
@@ -374,7 +395,7 @@ export class SessionConversation extends React.Component<Props, State> {
 
     const messages = [];
     // no need to do that `firstMessageOfSeries` on a private chat
-    if (this.props.conversation.type === 'direct') {
+    if (conversation.type === 'direct') {
       this.setState({ messages: messageSet.models }, callback);
       return;
     }