diff --git a/libdino/src/entity/conversation.vala b/libdino/src/entity/conversation.vala
index 353daeae..2510f1c7 100644
--- a/libdino/src/entity/conversation.vala
+++ b/libdino/src/entity/conversation.vala
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ using Xmpp;
 
 namespace Dino.Entities {
 
+const int HISTORY_SYNC_MAM_PAGES = 10;
+
 public class Conversation : Object {
 
     public signal void object_updated(Conversation conversation);
@@ -16,6 +18,10 @@ public class Conversation : Object {
         }
     }
 
+    public int syncSpeed() {
+        return HISTORY_SYNC_MAM_PAGES;
+    }
+
     public int id { get; set; }
     public Type type_ { get; set; }
     public Account account { get; private set; }
diff --git a/libdino/src/service/content_item_store.vala b/libdino/src/service/content_item_store.vala
index de050633..e1f3d16b 100644
--- a/libdino/src/service/content_item_store.vala
+++ b/libdino/src/service/content_item_store.vala
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@ using Xmpp;
 
 namespace Dino {
 
-const int HISTORY_SYNC_MAM_PAGES = 10;
-
 public class ContentItemStore : StreamInteractionModule, Object {
     public static ModuleIdentity<ContentItemStore> IDENTITY = new ModuleIdentity<ContentItemStore>("content_item_store");
     public string id { get { return IDENTITY.id; } }
@@ -260,8 +258,8 @@ public class ContentItemStore : StreamInteractionModule, Object {
         if (items.size == 0 && request_from_server) {
             // Async request to get earlier messages from the server
             var history_sync = stream_interactor.get_module(MessageProcessor.IDENTITY).history_sync;
-            history_sync.fetch_data.begin(conversation.account, conversation.counterpart.bare_jid, item.time, HISTORY_SYNC_MAM_PAGES, (_, res) => {
-                history_sync.fetch_data.end(res);
+            history_sync.fetch_conversation_data.begin(conversation, item.time, (_, res) => {
+                history_sync.fetch_conversation_data.end(res);
                 debug("History loaded");
                 history_loaded(conversation, item, count);
             });
diff --git a/libdino/src/service/history_sync.vala b/libdino/src/service/history_sync.vala
index 170d97a2..d8604a6e 100644
--- a/libdino/src/service/history_sync.vala
+++ b/libdino/src/service/history_sync.vala
@@ -143,11 +143,30 @@ public class Dino.HistorySync {
         return page_result;
     }
 
-    public async void fetch_data(Account account, Jid target, DateTime latest, int pages) {
+    public async void fetch_data(Account account, Jid target, DateTime latest) {
         debug("Fetch history for %s", target.to_string());
 
         var query_params = new Xmpp.MessageArchiveManagement.V2.MamQueryParams.query_before(target, latest, null);
-        yield fetch_pages(account, query_params, pages);
+        yield fetch_pages(account, query_params, HISTORY_SYNC_MAM_PAGES);
+    }
+
+    public async void fetch_conversation_data(Conversation? conversation, DateTime latest) {
+        if (conversation == null) {
+            warning("Failed to fetch history, conversation is null");
+            return;
+        }
+
+        var target = conversation.counterpart.bare_jid;
+        var account = conversation.account;
+        debug("Fetch history for %s", target.to_string());
+
+        var query_params = new Xmpp.MessageArchiveManagement.V2.MamQueryParams.query_before(target, latest, null);
+        if (conversation.type_ == Conversation.Type.CHAT) {
+            query_params.mam_server = account.bare_jid;
+            query_params.with = target;
+        }
+
+        yield fetch_pages(account, query_params, conversation.syncSpeed());
     }
 
     public async void fetch_history(Account account, Jid target, Cancellable? cancellable = null) {
diff --git a/libdino/src/service/muc_manager.vala b/libdino/src/service/muc_manager.vala
index edfa661e..c849035a 100644
--- a/libdino/src/service/muc_manager.vala
+++ b/libdino/src/service/muc_manager.vala
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ public class MucManager : StreamInteractionModule, Object {
                 var history_sync = stream_interactor.get_module(MessageProcessor.IDENTITY).history_sync;
                 if (conversation == null) {
                     // We never joined the conversation before, fetch latest MAM pages
-                    yield history_sync.fetch_data(account, jid.bare_jid, new DateTime.now(), 10);
+                    yield history_sync.fetch_data(account, jid.bare_jid, new DateTime.now());
                 } else {
                     // Fetch everything up to the last time the user actively joined
                     if (!mucs_sync_cancellables.has_key(account)) {
diff --git a/main/src/ui/conversation_content_view/conversation_view.vala b/main/src/ui/conversation_content_view/conversation_view.vala
index 3b502b59..ed8697eb 100644
--- a/main/src/ui/conversation_content_view/conversation_view.vala
+++ b/main/src/ui/conversation_content_view/conversation_view.vala
@@ -564,11 +564,31 @@ public class ConversationView : Widget, Plugins.ConversationItemCollection, Plug
     private void load_earlier_messages(bool request_from_server = true) {
         was_value = scrolled.vadjustment.value;
         debug("loading earlier messages");
+
         if (!reloading_mutex.trylock()) {
             return;
         }
 
-        if (content_items.size > 0) {
+        if (content_items.size == 0) {
+            // List is empty, try load local data
+            Gee.List<ContentMetaItem> items = content_populator.populate_latest(conversation, 20);
+            debug("inserting new messages, size: %d", items.size);
+            foreach (ContentMetaItem item in items) {
+                do_insert_item(item);
+            }
+
+            if (request_from_server) {
+                // If the list is empty also try to load data from the server
+                var history_sync = stream_interactor.get_module(MessageProcessor.IDENTITY).history_sync;
+                history_sync.fetch_conversation_data.begin(conversation, new DateTime.now(), (_, res) => {
+                    history_sync.fetch_conversation_data.end(res);
+
+                    // Request finished, reload messages
+                    load_earlier_messages(false);
+                });
+            }
+        } else if (content_items.size > 0) {
+            // List is not empty, fetch data before the latest available message
             Gee.List<ContentMetaItem> items = content_populator.populate_before(conversation, ((ContentMetaItem) content_items.first()).content_item, 20, request_from_server);
             debug("inserting new messages, size: %d", items.size);
             foreach (ContentMetaItem item in items) {