diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/contactshare/ContactUtil.java b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/contactshare/ContactUtil.java
index 0fc5751441..3a464785f2 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/contactshare/ContactUtil.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/contactshare/ContactUtil.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.components.emoji.EmojiStrings;
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.contactshare.Contact.Email;
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.contactshare.Contact.Phone;
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.contactshare.Contact.PostalAddress;
+import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.database.SignalDatabase;
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.mms.PartAuthority;
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.phonenumbers.PhoneNumberFormatter;
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.recipients.Recipient;
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Locale;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 public final class ContactUtil {
 
@@ -136,7 +138,13 @@ public final class ContactUtil {
   }
 
   public static List<RecipientId> getRecipients(@NonNull Context context, @NonNull Contact contact) {
-    return Stream.of(contact.getPhoneNumbers()).map(phone -> Recipient.external(context, phone.getNumber())).map(Recipient::getId).toList();
+    return contact
+        .getPhoneNumbers()
+        .stream()
+        .map(phone -> PhoneNumberFormatter.get(context).formatOrNull(phone.getNumber()))
+        .filter(number -> number != null)
+        .map(phone -> SignalDatabase.recipients().getOrInsertFromE164(phone))
+        .collect(Collectors.toList());
   }
 
   @WorkerThread
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/phonenumbers/PhoneNumberFormatter.java b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/phonenumbers/PhoneNumberFormatter.java
index 013e101d44..2fd2d7d3c0 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/phonenumbers/PhoneNumberFormatter.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/phonenumbers/PhoneNumberFormatter.java
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ public class PhoneNumberFormatter {
 
   private static final String TAG = Log.tag(PhoneNumberFormatter.class);
 
+  private static final String UNKNOWN_NUMBER = "Unknown";
+
   private static final Set<String>  EXCLUDE_FROM_MANUAL_SHORTCODE_4 = SetUtil.newHashSet("AC", "NC", "NU", "TK");
   private static final Set<String>  MANUAL_SHORTCODE_6              = SetUtil.newHashSet("DE", "FI", "GB", "SK");
   private static final Set<Integer> NATIONAL_FORMAT_COUNTRY_CODES   = SetUtil.newHashSet(1 /*US*/, 44 /*UK*/);
@@ -105,9 +107,17 @@ public class PhoneNumberFormatter {
     return localNumber != null && localNumber.isPresent() ? localNumber.get().countryCode : 0;
   }
 
+  public @Nullable String formatOrNull(@Nullable String number) {
+    String formatted = format(number);
+    if (formatted.equals(UNKNOWN_NUMBER)) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    return formatted;
+  }
+
 
   public @NonNull String format(@Nullable String number) {
-    if (number == null)                       return "Unknown";
+    if (number == null)                       return UNKNOWN_NUMBER;
     if (GroupId.isEncodedGroup(number))       return number;
     if (ALPHA_PATTERN.matcher(number).find()) return number.trim();