diff --git a/model/profile.go b/model/profile.go
index 4bd449f..9cb9b8e 100644
--- a/model/profile.go
+++ b/model/profile.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ type PublicProfile struct {
 	LocalID                string   // used by storage engine
 	State                  string   `json:"-"`
 	lock                   sync.Mutex
-	UnacknowledgedMessages map[string]Message
+	UnacknowledgedMessages map[string]int
 }
 
 // Profile encapsulates all the attributes necessary to be a Cwtch Peer.
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ func (p *PublicProfile) init() {
 	if p.Attributes == nil {
 		p.Attributes = make(map[string]string)
 	}
-	p.UnacknowledgedMessages = make(map[string]Message)
+	p.UnacknowledgedMessages = make(map[string]int)
 	p.LocalID = GenerateRandomID()
 }
 
@@ -151,9 +151,10 @@ func (p *Profile) AddSentMessageToContactTimeline(onion string, messageTxt strin
 
 		message := &Message{PeerID: p.Onion, Message: messageTxt, Timestamp: sent, Received: now, Signature: sig, Acknowledged: false}
 		if contact.UnacknowledgedMessages == nil {
-			contact.UnacknowledgedMessages = make(map[string]Message)
+			contact.UnacknowledgedMessages = make(map[string]int)
 		}
-		contact.UnacknowledgedMessages[eventID] = *message
+		p.AddMessageToContactTimeline(onion, messageTxt, sent)
+		contact.UnacknowledgedMessages[eventID] = p.Timeline.Len() - 1
 		return message
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -182,10 +183,9 @@ func (p *Profile) ErrorSentMessageToPeer(onion string, eventID string, error str
 
 	contact, ok := p.Contacts[onion]
 	if ok {
-		message, ok := contact.UnacknowledgedMessages[eventID]
+		mIdx, ok := contact.UnacknowledgedMessages[eventID]
 		if ok {
-			message.Error = error
-			contact.Timeline.Insert(&message) // TODO: do we want a non timeline.Insert way to handle errors
+			p.Timeline.Messages[mIdx].Error = error
 			delete(contact.UnacknowledgedMessages, eventID)
 		}
 	}
@@ -198,10 +198,9 @@ func (p *Profile) AckSentMessageToPeer(onion string, eventID string) {
 
 	contact, ok := p.Contacts[onion]
 	if ok {
-		message, ok := contact.UnacknowledgedMessages[eventID]
+		mIdx, ok := contact.UnacknowledgedMessages[eventID]
 		if ok {
-			message.Acknowledged = true
-			contact.Timeline.Insert(&message)
+			p.Timeline.Messages[mIdx].Acknowledged = true
 			delete(contact.UnacknowledgedMessages, eventID)
 		}
 	}