diff --git a/core/node/event_handlers.go b/core/node/event_handlers.go
index ecb9d1f25f..74a330d71d 100644
--- a/core/node/event_handlers.go
+++ b/core/node/event_handlers.go
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ func (n *Node) handleContactRequest(ctx context.Context, input *entity.Event) er
 	// FIXME: validate input
 
 	sql := n.sql(ctx)
-	_, err = bsql.FindContact(sql, &entity.Contact{ID: attrs.Me.ID})
-	if err == nil {
+	contact, err := bsql.FindContact(sql, &entity.Contact{ID: attrs.Me.ID})
+	if err == nil && contact.Status != entity.Contact_Unknown {
 		return errorcodes.ErrContactReqExisting.New()
 	}
 
diff --git a/core/node/nodeapi.go b/core/node/nodeapi.go
index 61c8ceffec..24505b1f61 100644
--- a/core/node/nodeapi.go
+++ b/core/node/nodeapi.go
@@ -228,11 +228,11 @@ func (n *Node) ContactRequest(ctx context.Context, req *node.ContactRequestInput
 	sql := n.sql(ctx)
 	contact, err := bsql.FindContact(sql, req.ToContact())
 
-	if errors.Cause(err) == gorm.ErrRecordNotFound {
+	if errors.Cause(err) == gorm.ErrRecordNotFound || contact.Status == entity.Contact_Unknown {
 		// save contact in database
 		contact = req.ToContact()
 		contact.Status = entity.Contact_IsRequested
-		if err = sql.Set("gorm:association_autoupdate", true).Save(contact).Error; err != nil {
+		if err = bsql.ContactSave(sql, contact); err != nil {
 			return nil, errorcodes.ErrDbCreate.Wrap(err)
 		}
 	} else if err != nil {
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ func (n *Node) ContactRequest(ctx context.Context, req *node.ContactRequestInput
 	} else if contact.Status == entity.Contact_Myself {
 		return nil, errorcodes.ErrContactReqMyself.New()
 
-	} else if contact.Status != entity.Contact_Unknown {
+	} else {
 		return nil, errorcodes.ErrContactReqExisting.New()
 	}
 
diff --git a/core/sql/helpers.go b/core/sql/helpers.go
index 686752ee85..eda67d5c68 100644
--- a/core/sql/helpers.go
+++ b/core/sql/helpers.go
@@ -180,3 +180,20 @@ func ConversationSave(db *gorm.DB, c *entity.Conversation) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func ContactSave(db *gorm.DB, c *entity.Contact) error {
+	if err := db.Save(c).Error; err != nil {
+		logger().Error(fmt.Sprintf("cannot save contact %+v, err: %+v", c, err.Error()))
+		return err
+	}
+
+	c.Devices = append(c.Devices, &entity.Device{ID: c.ID, ContactID: c.ID})
+	for _, device := range c.Devices {
+		if err := db.Save(device).Error; err != nil {
+			logger().Error(fmt.Sprintf("cannot save devices %+v, err %+v", device, err.Error()))
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}