diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/components/voice/VoiceNotePlaybackPreparer.java b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/components/voice/VoiceNotePlaybackPreparer.java
index 532534afca..968432dc4d 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/components/voice/VoiceNotePlaybackPreparer.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/components/voice/VoiceNotePlaybackPreparer.java
@@ -147,7 +147,11 @@ final class VoiceNotePlaybackPreparer implements MediaSessionConnector.PlaybackP
 
       if (holderIndex != -1) {
         queueDataAdapter.remove(holderIndex);
-        queueDataAdapter.remove(holderIndex);
+
+        if (!queueDataAdapter.isEmpty()) {
+          queueDataAdapter.remove(holderIndex);
+        }
+
         queueDataAdapter.add(holderIndex, createNextClone(description));
         queueDataAdapter.add(holderIndex, description);
 
@@ -157,7 +161,10 @@ final class VoiceNotePlaybackPreparer implements MediaSessionConnector.PlaybackP
         }
 
         if (currentIndex != holderIndex + 1) {
-          dataSource.removeMediaSource(holderIndex + 1);
+          if (dataSource.getSize() > 1) {
+            dataSource.removeMediaSource(holderIndex + 1);
+          }
+
           dataSource.addMediaSource(holderIndex + 1, mediaSourceFactory.createMediaSource(next));
         }
       } else {
@@ -175,12 +182,15 @@ final class VoiceNotePlaybackPreparer implements MediaSessionConnector.PlaybackP
     MediaDescriptionCompat last      = queueDataAdapter.getMediaDescription(lastIndex);
 
     if (Objects.equals(last.getMediaUri(), NEXT_URI)) {
-      MediaDescriptionCompat end = createEndClone(last);
-
       queueDataAdapter.remove(lastIndex);
-      queueDataAdapter.add(lastIndex, end);
       dataSource.removeMediaSource(lastIndex);
-      dataSource.addMediaSource(lastIndex, mediaSourceFactory.createMediaSource(end));
+
+      if (queueDataAdapter.size() > 1) {
+        MediaDescriptionCompat end = createEndClone(last);
+
+        queueDataAdapter.add(lastIndex, end);
+        dataSource.addMediaSource(lastIndex, mediaSourceFactory.createMediaSource(end));
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -239,10 +249,9 @@ final class VoiceNotePlaybackPreparer implements MediaSessionConnector.PlaybackP
   @WorkerThread
   private @NonNull List<MediaDescriptionCompat> loadMediaDescriptionsForConsecutivePlayback(long messageId) {
     try {
-      List<MessageRecord> recordsBefore = DatabaseFactory.getMmsSmsDatabase(context).getMessagesBeforeVoiceNoteExclusive(messageId, LIMIT);
       List<MessageRecord> recordsAfter  = DatabaseFactory.getMmsSmsDatabase(context).getMessagesAfterVoiceNoteInclusive(messageId, LIMIT);
 
-      return Stream.of(buildFilteredMessageRecordList(recordsBefore, recordsAfter))
+      return Stream.of(buildFilteredMessageRecordList(recordsAfter))
                    .map(record -> VoiceNoteMediaDescriptionCompatFactory.buildMediaDescription(context, record))
                    .toList();
     } catch (NoSuchMessageException e) {
@@ -251,20 +260,9 @@ final class VoiceNotePlaybackPreparer implements MediaSessionConnector.PlaybackP
     }
   }
 
-  @VisibleForTesting
-  static @NonNull List<MessageRecord> buildFilteredMessageRecordList(@NonNull List<MessageRecord> recordsBefore, @NonNull List<MessageRecord> recordsAfter) {
-    Collections.reverse(recordsBefore);
-    List<MessageRecord> filteredBefore = Stream.of(recordsBefore)
-                                               .takeWhile(MessageRecordUtil::hasAudio)
-                                               .toList();
-    Collections.reverse(filteredBefore);
-
-    List<MessageRecord> filteredAfter = Stream.of(recordsAfter)
-                                              .takeWhile(MessageRecordUtil::hasAudio)
-                                              .toList();
-
-    filteredBefore.addAll(filteredAfter);
-
-    return filteredBefore;
+  private static @NonNull List<MessageRecord> buildFilteredMessageRecordList(@NonNull List<MessageRecord> recordsAfter) {
+    return Stream.of(recordsAfter)
+                 .takeWhile(MessageRecordUtil::hasAudio)
+                 .toList();
   }
 }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MessageDatabase.java b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MessageDatabase.java
index be816148bd..f25e5b4c70 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MessageDatabase.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MessageDatabase.java
@@ -145,7 +145,6 @@ public abstract class MessageDatabase extends Database implements MmsSmsColumns
   abstract void deleteAllThreads();
   abstract void deleteAbandonedMessages();
 
-  public abstract List<MessageRecord> getMessagesInThreadBeforeExclusive(long threadId, long timestamp, long limit);
   public abstract List<MessageRecord> getMessagesInThreadAfterInclusive(long threadId, long timestamp, long limit);
 
   public abstract SQLiteDatabase beginTransaction();
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MmsDatabase.java b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MmsDatabase.java
index 355a091923..2c1162cf5b 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MmsDatabase.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MmsDatabase.java
@@ -1618,23 +1618,6 @@ public class MmsDatabase extends MessageDatabase {
     db.delete(TABLE_NAME, where, null);
   }
 
-  @Override
-  public List<MessageRecord> getMessagesInThreadBeforeExclusive(long threadId, long timestamp, long limit) {
-    String   where = TABLE_NAME + "." + MmsSmsColumns.THREAD_ID + " = ? AND " +
-                     TABLE_NAME + "." + getDateReceivedColumnName() + " < ?";
-    String[] args  = SqlUtil.buildArgs(threadId, timestamp);
-
-    try (Reader reader = readerFor(rawQuery(where, args, true, limit))) {
-      List<MessageRecord> results = new ArrayList<>(reader.cursor.getCount());
-
-      while (reader.getNext() != null) {
-        results.add(reader.getCurrent());
-      }
-
-      return results;
-    }
-  }
-
   @Override
   public List<MessageRecord> getMessagesInThreadAfterInclusive(long threadId, long timestamp, long limit) {
     String   where = TABLE_NAME + "." + MmsSmsColumns.THREAD_ID + " = ? AND " +
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MmsSmsDatabase.java b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MmsSmsDatabase.java
index d2cef3e100..56f67079a5 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MmsSmsDatabase.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MmsSmsDatabase.java
@@ -162,18 +162,6 @@ public class MmsSmsDatabase extends Database {
     return null;
   }
 
-
-  public @NonNull List<MessageRecord> getMessagesBeforeVoiceNoteExclusive(long messageId, long limit) throws NoSuchMessageException {
-    MessageRecord       origin = DatabaseFactory.getMmsDatabase(context).getMessageRecord(messageId);
-    List<MessageRecord> mms    = DatabaseFactory.getMmsDatabase(context).getMessagesInThreadBeforeExclusive(origin.getThreadId(), origin.getDateReceived(), limit);
-    List<MessageRecord> sms    = DatabaseFactory.getSmsDatabase(context).getMessagesInThreadBeforeExclusive(origin.getThreadId(), origin.getDateReceived(), limit);
-
-    mms.addAll(sms);
-    Collections.sort(mms, (a, b) -> Long.compare(a.getDateReceived(), b.getDateReceived()));
-
-    return Stream.of(mms).skip(Math.max(0, mms.size() - limit)).toList();
-  }
-
   public @NonNull List<MessageRecord> getMessagesAfterVoiceNoteInclusive(long messageId, long limit) throws NoSuchMessageException {
     MessageRecord       origin = DatabaseFactory.getMmsDatabase(context).getMessageRecord(messageId);
     List<MessageRecord> mms    = DatabaseFactory.getMmsDatabase(context).getMessagesInThreadAfterInclusive(origin.getThreadId(), origin.getDateReceived(), limit);
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/SmsDatabase.java b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/SmsDatabase.java
index c8913de5e3..1a96ac39d0 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/SmsDatabase.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/SmsDatabase.java
@@ -985,23 +985,6 @@ public class SmsDatabase extends MessageDatabase {
     db.delete(TABLE_NAME, where, null);
   }
 
-  @Override
-  public List<MessageRecord> getMessagesInThreadBeforeExclusive(long threadId, long timestamp, long limit) {
-    String   where = TABLE_NAME + "." + MmsSmsColumns.THREAD_ID + " = ? AND " +
-                     TABLE_NAME + "." + getDateReceivedColumnName() + " < ?";
-    String[] args  = SqlUtil.buildArgs(threadId, timestamp);
-
-    try (Reader reader = readerFor(queryMessages(where, args, true, limit))) {
-      List<MessageRecord> results = new ArrayList<>(reader.cursor.getCount());
-
-      while (reader.getNext() != null) {
-        results.add(reader.getCurrent());
-      }
-
-      return results;
-    }
-  }
-
   @Override
   public List<MessageRecord> getMessagesInThreadAfterInclusive(long threadId, long timestamp, long limit) {
     String   where = TABLE_NAME + "." + MmsSmsColumns.THREAD_ID + " = ? AND " +