diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/newarch/features/contactsflow/ContactsView.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/newarch/features/contactsflow/ContactsView.kt
index e80927644..ea8d8110d 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/newarch/features/contactsflow/ContactsView.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/newarch/features/contactsflow/ContactsView.kt
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ class ContactsView<T : Any>(private val bundle: Bundle? = null) : BaseView() {
         setHasOptionsMenu(true)
 
         viewModel = viewModelProvider(factory).get(ContactsViewModel::class.java)
-        viewModel.conversationToken = bundle?.getString(BundleKeys.KEY_CONVERSATION_TOKEN)
         val view = super.onCreateView(inflater, container)
 
         // todo - change empty state magic
@@ -137,7 +136,7 @@ class ContactsView<T : Any>(private val bundle: Bundle? = null) : BaseView() {
 
         }
 
-        viewModel.loadContacts()
+        viewModel.initialize(bundle?.getString(BundleKeys.KEY_CONVERSATION_TOKEN))
 
         return view
     }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/newarch/features/contactsflow/ContactsViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/newarch/features/contactsflow/ContactsViewModel.kt
index d1052c93d..f69db06e4 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/newarch/features/contactsflow/ContactsViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/newarch/features/contactsflow/ContactsViewModel.kt
@@ -44,7 +44,15 @@ class ContactsViewModel constructor(
     val contactsLiveData: MutableLiveData<List<Participant>> = MutableLiveData()
 
     private var searchQuery: String? = null
-    var conversationToken: String? = null
+    private var conversationToken: String? = null
+    private var initialized = false
+
+    fun initialize(conversationToken: String?) {
+        if (!initialized || conversationToken != this.conversationToken) {
+            this.conversationToken = conversationToken
+            loadContacts()
+        }
+    }
 
     fun setSearchQuery(query: String?) {
         searchQuery = query
@@ -77,6 +85,13 @@ class ContactsViewModel constructor(
                     it.displayName.toLowerCase()
                 }))
 
+                val selectedUserIds = selectedParticipants.map { it.userId }
+                for (participant in sortedList) {
+                    if (participant.userId in selectedUserIds) {
+                        participant.selected = true
+                    }
+                }
+
                 contactsLiveData.postValue(sortedList)
             }