diff --git a/client/helpers/messageHelper.go b/client/helpers/messageHelper.go
index 5566efe..e37354f 100644
--- a/client/helpers/messageHelper.go
+++ b/client/helpers/messageHelper.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package helpers
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"time"
@@ -26,29 +27,25 @@ func PackMessageForServer(packedMsg *meowlib.PackedUserMessage, srvuid string) (
 }
 
 func CreateStorePackUserMessageForServer(message string, srvuid string, peer_uid string, replyToUid string, filelist []string) ([]byte, string, error) {
-	usermessage, _, _, errtxt, err := CreateAndStoreUserMessage(message, peer_uid, replyToUid, filelist)
+	usermessage, errtxt, err := CreateAndStoreUserMessage(message, peer_uid, replyToUid, filelist)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errtxt, err
 	}
 	return PackMessageForServer(usermessage, srvuid)
 }
 
-// CreateAndStoreUserMessage creates, stores and packs a user message.
-// It returns the packed message, the message DB file UUID, the SQLite row ID,
-// an error location string, and the error. The caller should set MessageDbFile
-// and MessageDbId on the SendJob from the returned dbFile and dbId values.
-func CreateAndStoreUserMessage(message string, peer_uid string, replyToUid string, filelist []string) (packedMsg *meowlib.PackedUserMessage, dbFile string, dbId int64, errTxt string, err error) {
+func CreateAndStoreUserMessage(message string, peer_uid string, replyToUid string, filelist []string) (*meowlib.PackedUserMessage, string, error) {
 	peer := client.GetConfig().GetIdentity().Peers.GetFromUid(peer_uid)
 
 	// Creating User message
 	usermessage, err := peer.BuildSimpleUserMessage([]byte(message))
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, "", 0, "PrepareServerMessage : BuildSimpleUserMessage", err
+		return nil, "PrepareServerMessage : BuildSimpleUserMessage", err
 	}
 	for _, file := range filelist {
 		err = usermessage.AddFile(file, client.GetConfig().Chunksize)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, "", 0, "PrepareServerMessage : AddFile", err
+			return nil, "PrepareServerMessage : AddFile", err
 		}
 	}
 	usermessage.Status.Sent = uint64(time.Now().UTC().Unix())
@@ -57,20 +54,16 @@ func CreateAndStoreUserMessage(message string, peer_uid string, replyToUid strin
 	// Store message
 	err = peer.StoreMessage(usermessage, nil)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, "", 0, "messageBuildPostprocess : StoreMessage", err
+		return nil, "messageBuildPostprocess : StoreMessage", err
 	}
 
 	// Prepare cyphered + packed user message
-	packedMsg, err = peer.ProcessOutboundUserMessage(usermessage)
+	packedMsg, err := peer.ProcessOutboundUserMessage(usermessage)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, "", 0, "messageBuildPostprocess : ProcessOutboundUserMessage", err
+		return nil, "messageBuildPostprocess : ProcessOutboundUserMessage", err
 	}
 
-	if peer.LastMessage != nil {
-		dbFile = peer.LastMessage.Dbfile
-		dbId = peer.LastMessage.Dbid
-	}
-	return packedMsg, dbFile, dbId, "", nil
+	return packedMsg, "", nil
 }
 
 func BuildAckMessage(messageUid string, srvuid string, peer_uid string, received int64, processed int64) ([]byte, string, error) {
@@ -107,6 +100,20 @@ func ReadAckMessageResponse() {
 	//! update the status in message store
 }
 
+// GetPeerLastMessageDbInfo returns the DB location of the most recently stored
+// message for the given peer. Call this immediately after CreateAndStoreUserMessage
+// to get the values needed for SendJob.MessageDbFile and SendJob.MessageDbId.
+func GetPeerLastMessageDbInfo(peer_uid string) (dbFile string, dbId int64, errTxt string, err error) {
+	peer := client.GetConfig().GetIdentity().Peers.GetFromUid(peer_uid)
+	if peer == nil {
+		return "", 0, "GetPeerLastMessageDbInfo: peer not found", errors.New("peer not found")
+	}
+	if peer.LastMessage == nil {
+		return "", 0, "GetPeerLastMessageDbInfo: no message stored yet", errors.New("no message stored yet for this peer")
+	}
+	return peer.LastMessage.Dbfile, peer.LastMessage.Dbid, "", nil
+}
+
 // ProcessSentMessages scans every send queue under storagePath/queues/, updates
 // the message storage entry with server delivery info for each sent job, then
 // removes the job from the queue. Returns the number of messages updated.
diff --git a/client/helpers/messageHelper_test.go b/client/helpers/messageHelper_test.go
index 85e459c..7ef9348 100644
--- a/client/helpers/messageHelper_test.go
+++ b/client/helpers/messageHelper_test.go
@@ -88,15 +88,13 @@ func storeTestMessage(t *testing.T, peer *client.Peer, text string) {
 
 // pushAndMarkSent pushes a send job for the given peer and marks it as delivered
 // by the given server. Returns the job after the status update.
-// It mirrors the correct app usage: read MessageDbFile/MessageDbId from
-// peer.LastMessage right after storing (i.e. from CreateAndStoreUserMessage's
-// dbFile/dbId return values).
+// It mirrors the correct app usage: call GetPeerLastMessageDbInfo immediately
+// after storing to populate MessageDbFile and MessageDbId on the job.
 func pushAndMarkSent(t *testing.T, dir string, peer *client.Peer, srv client.Server) *client.SendJob {
 	t.Helper()
 
-	require.NotNil(t, peer.LastMessage, "pushAndMarkSent: call storeTestMessage first")
-	dbFile := peer.LastMessage.Dbfile
-	dbId := peer.LastMessage.Dbid
+	dbFile, dbId, errTxt, err := GetPeerLastMessageDbInfo(peer.Uid)
+	require.NoError(t, err, errTxt)
 
 	msgFile := filepath.Join(dir, fmt.Sprintf("msg-%d.bin", dbId))
 	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(msgFile, []byte("packed-server-message"), 0600))
@@ -178,7 +176,9 @@ func TestProcessSentMessages_SkipsJobWithoutDeliveryInfo(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, id.Peers.StorePeer(peer))
 
 	storeTestMessage(t, peer, "incomplete job")
-	require.NotNil(t, peer.LastMessage)
+
+	dbFile, dbId, errTxt, err := GetPeerLastMessageDbInfo(peer.Uid)
+	require.NoError(t, err, errTxt)
 
 	msgFile := filepath.Join(dir, "msg.bin")
 	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(msgFile, []byte("packed"), 0600))
@@ -186,8 +186,8 @@ func TestProcessSentMessages_SkipsJobWithoutDeliveryInfo(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, client.PushSendJob(dir, &client.SendJob{
 		Queue:         peer.Uid,
 		File:          msgFile,
-		MessageDbFile: peer.LastMessage.Dbfile,
-		MessageDbId:   peer.LastMessage.Dbid,
+		MessageDbFile: dbFile,
+		MessageDbId:   dbId,
 		Servers:       []client.Server{{Url: "http://test-server.example"}},
 		Timeout:       60,
 	}))