diff --git a/plugins/sms/conversationsdbusinterface.cpp b/plugins/sms/conversationsdbusinterface.cpp
--- a/plugins/sms/conversationsdbusinterface.cpp
+++ b/plugins/sms/conversationsdbusinterface.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,12 @@
 
 ConversationsDbusInterface::~ConversationsDbusInterface()
 {
+    // Wake all threads which were waiting for a reply from this interface
+    // This might result in some noise on dbus, but it's better than leaking a bunch of resources!
+    waitingForMessagesLock.lock();
+    conversationsWaitingForMessages.clear();
+    waitingForMessages.wakeAll();
+    waitingForMessagesLock.unlock();
 }
 
 QVariantList ConversationsDbusInterface::activeConversations()
@@ -130,6 +136,12 @@
 void ConversationsDbusInterface::updateConversation(const qint64& conversationID)
 {
     waitingForMessagesLock.lock();
+    if (conversationsWaitingForMessages.contains(conversationID)) {
+        // This conversation is already being waited on, don't allow more than one thread to wait at a time
+        qCDebug(KDECONNECT_CONVERSATIONS) << "Not allowing two threads to wait for conversationID" << conversationID;
+        waitingForMessagesLock.unlock();
+        return;
+    }
     qCDebug(KDECONNECT_CONVERSATIONS) << "Requesting conversation with ID" << conversationID << "from remote";
     conversationsWaitingForMessages.insert(conversationID);
     m_smsInterface.requestConversation(conversationID);
diff --git a/plugins/sms/requestconversationworker.h b/plugins/sms/requestconversationworker.h
--- a/plugins/sms/requestconversationworker.h
+++ b/plugins/sms/requestconversationworker.h
@@ -41,6 +41,13 @@
 
 
 public Q_SLOTS:
+    /**
+     * Main body of this worker
+     *
+     * Reply to a request for messages and, if needed, wait for the remote to reply with more
+     *
+     * Emits conversationMessageRead for every message handled
+     */
     void handleRequestConversation();
     void work();
 
@@ -50,11 +57,24 @@
 
 private:
     qint64 conversationID;
-    int start;
-    int end;
+    int start; // Start of range to request messages
+    size_t howMany; // Number of messages being requested
     ConversationsDbusInterface* parent;
 
     QThread* m_thread;
+
+    /**
+     * Reply with all messages we currently have available in the requested range
+     *
+     * If the range specified by start and howMany is not in the range of messages in the conversation,
+     * reply with only as many messages as we have available in that range
+     *
+     * @param conversation Conversation to send messages from
+     * @param start Start of requested range, 0-indexed, inclusive
+     * @param howMany Maximum number of messages to return
+     * $return Number of messages processed
+     */
+    size_t replyForConversation(const QList<ConversationMessage>& conversation, int start, size_t howMany);
 };
 
 #endif // REQUESTCONVERSATIONWORKER_H
diff --git a/plugins/sms/requestconversationworker.cpp b/plugins/sms/requestconversationworker.cpp
--- a/plugins/sms/requestconversationworker.cpp
+++ b/plugins/sms/requestconversationworker.cpp
@@ -28,10 +28,12 @@
         //QObject(interface)
         conversationID(conversationID)
         , start(start)
-        , end(end)
         , parent(interface)
         , m_thread(new QThread)
 {
+    Q_ASSERT(end >= start && "Not allowed to have a negative-length range");
+    howMany = end - start;
+
     this->moveToThread(m_thread);
     connect(m_thread, &QThread::started,
             this, &RequestConversationWorker::handleRequestConversation);
@@ -52,29 +54,37 @@
         qCWarning(KDECONNECT_CONVERSATIONS) << "Got a conversationID for a conversation with no messages!" << conversationID;
     }
 
-    // TODO: Reply with all messages we currently have available, even if we don't have enough to completely fill the request
     // In case the remote takes awhile to respond, we should go ahead and do anything we can from the cache
+    size_t numHandled = replyForConversation(messagesList, start, howMany);
 
-    if (messagesList.length() <= end) {
+    if (numHandled < howMany) {
+        size_t numRemaining = howMany - numHandled;
         // If we don't have enough messages in cache, go get some more
         // TODO: Make Android interface capable of requesting small window of messages
         parent->updateConversation(conversationID);
         messagesList = parent->getConversation(conversationID);
+        //ConversationsDbusInterface::getConversation blocks until it sees new messages in the requested conversation
+        replyForConversation(messagesList, start + numHandled, numRemaining);
     }
 
+    Q_EMIT finished();
+}
+
+size_t RequestConversationWorker::replyForConversation(const QList<ConversationMessage>& conversation, int start, size_t howMany) {
+    Q_ASSERT(start >= 0);
     // Messages are sorted in ascending order of keys, meaning the front of the list has the oldest
     // messages (smallest timestamp number)
     // Therefore, return the end of the list first (most recent messages)
-    int i = start;
-    for(auto it = messagesList.crbegin() + start; it != messagesList.crend(); ++it) {
-        Q_EMIT conversationMessageRead(it->toVariant());
-        i++;
-        if (i >= end) {
+    int i = 0;
+    for(auto it = conversation.crbegin() + start; it != conversation.crend(); ++it) {
+        if (i >= howMany) {
             break;
         }
+        Q_EMIT conversationMessageRead(it->toVariant());
+        i++;
     }
 
-    Q_EMIT finished();
+    return i;
 }
 
 void RequestConversationWorker::work()
diff --git a/smsapp/conversationlistmodel.h b/smsapp/conversationlistmodel.h
--- a/smsapp/conversationlistmodel.h
+++ b/smsapp/conversationlistmodel.h
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
     : public QStandardItemModel
 {
     Q_OBJECT
-    Q_PROPERTY(QString deviceId READ deviceId WRITE setDeviceId)
+    Q_PROPERTY(QString deviceId READ deviceId WRITE setDeviceId NOTIFY deviceIdChanged)
 
 public:
     ConversationListModel(QObject* parent = nullptr);
@@ -92,6 +92,9 @@
     void createRowFromMessage(const QVariantMap& message);
     void printDBusError(const QDBusError& error);
 
+Q_SIGNALS:
+    void deviceIdChanged();
+
 private:
     /**
      * Get all conversations currently known by the conversationsInterface, if any
diff --git a/smsapp/conversationlistmodel.cpp b/smsapp/conversationlistmodel.cpp
--- a/smsapp/conversationlistmodel.cpp
+++ b/smsapp/conversationlistmodel.cpp
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@
         return;
     }
 
+    if (deviceId == "") {
+        return;
+    }
+
     qCDebug(KDECONNECT_SMS_CONVERSATIONS_LIST_MODEL) << "setDeviceId" << deviceId << "of" << this;
 
     if (m_conversationsInterface) {
@@ -63,6 +67,7 @@
     }
 
     m_deviceId = deviceId;
+    Q_EMIT deviceIdChanged();
 
     // This method still gets called *with a valid deviceID* when the device is not connected while the component is setting up
     // Detect that case and don't do anything.
diff --git a/smsapp/conversationmodel.cpp b/smsapp/conversationmodel.cpp
--- a/smsapp/conversationmodel.cpp
+++ b/smsapp/conversationmodel.cpp
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@
 
     m_threadId = threadId;
     clear();
-    if (threadId != INVALID_THREAD_ID) {
+    knownMessageIDs.clear();
+    if (m_threadId != INVALID_THREAD_ID && m_deviceId != "") {
         requestMoreMessages();
     }
 }
diff --git a/smsapp/qml/ConversationDisplay.qml b/smsapp/qml/ConversationDisplay.qml
--- a/smsapp/qml/ConversationDisplay.qml
+++ b/smsapp/qml/ConversationDisplay.qml
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@
     readonly property QtObject person: PersonData {
         id: person
     }
-    property QtObject device
+
+    property bool deviceConnected
+    property string deviceId
     property int conversationId
 
     property string phoneNumber
@@ -66,7 +68,7 @@
             sortOrder: Qt.AscendingOrder
             sortRole: ConversationModel.DateRole
             sourceModel: ConversationModel {
-                deviceId: device.id()
+                deviceId: page.deviceId
                 threadId: page.conversationId
             }
         }
@@ -120,7 +122,7 @@
     }
 
     footer: RowLayout {
-        enabled: page.device
+        enabled: page.deviceConnected
         ScrollView {
             Layout.maximumHeight: page.height / 3
             Layout.fillWidth: true
diff --git a/smsapp/qml/ConversationList.qml b/smsapp/qml/ConversationList.qml
--- a/smsapp/qml/ConversationList.qml
+++ b/smsapp/qml/ConversationList.qml
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 
 Kirigami.ScrollablePage
 {
+    id: page
     footer: ComboBox {
         id: devicesCombo
         enabled: count > 0
@@ -50,11 +51,14 @@
         visible: !devicesCombo.enabled
     }
 
+    readonly property bool deviceConnected: devicesCombo.enabled
     readonly property QtObject device: devicesCombo.currentIndex >= 0 ? devicesModel.data(devicesModel.index(devicesCombo.currentIndex, 0), DevicesModel.DeviceRole) : null
+    readonly property alias lastDeviceId: conversationListModel.deviceId
 
-    Component {
+    ConversationDisplay {
         id: chatView
-        ConversationDisplay {}
+        deviceId: page.lastDeviceId
+        deviceConnected: page.deviceConnected
     }
 
     ListView {
@@ -66,6 +70,7 @@
             sortRole: ConversationListModel.DateRole
             filterCaseSensitivity: Qt.CaseInsensitive
             sourceModel: ConversationListModel {
+                id: conversationListModel
                 deviceId: device ? device.id() : ""
             }
         }
@@ -113,9 +118,19 @@
                                                        personUri: model.personUri,
                                                        phoneNumber: address,
                                                        conversationId: model.conversationId,
-                                                       device: device})
+                })
             }
-            onClicked: { startChat(); }
+            onClicked: {
+                startChat();
+                view.currentIndex = index
+            }
+            // Keep the currently-open chat highlighted even if this element is not focused
+            highlighted: chatView.conversationId == model.conversationId
+        }
+
+        Component.onCompleted: {
+            currentIndex = -1
+            focus = true
         }
 
     }