diff --git a/tools/chatgui/src/mainwindow.cpp b/tools/chatgui/src/mainwindow.cpp
index 9c2b5250..39493aaa 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/src/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/tools/chatgui/src/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -85,7 +85,9 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent, DbManager* db, const QString& cfgPath,
 }
 
 MainWindow::~MainWindow() {
+    DEBUG_DEBUG(DEBUG_CATEGORY_DEBUG, "MainWindow: ~MainWindow — stopping utun node");
     if (m_node) { m_node->stop(); delete m_node; m_node = nullptr; }
+    DEBUG_DEBUG(DEBUG_CATEGORY_DEBUG, "MainWindow: ~MainWindow done");
 }
 
 void MainWindow::setupUi() {
@@ -230,7 +232,10 @@ void MainWindow::setupConnects() {
                         m_db->getUnreadCount(channelId, lastReadMsgId));
             });
 
-    connect(qApp, &QApplication::aboutToQuit, m_messageList, &MessageList::saveChannelState);
+    connect(qApp, &QApplication::aboutToQuit, this, [this]() {
+        DEBUG_DEBUG(DEBUG_CATEGORY_DEBUG, "MainWindow: aboutToQuit — saving channel state");
+        if (m_messageList) m_messageList->saveChannelState();
+    });
 }
 
 void MainWindow::setupTray() {
@@ -263,6 +268,7 @@ void MainWindow::setupTray() {
 }
 
 void MainWindow::closeEvent(QCloseEvent *event) {
+    DEBUG_DEBUG(DEBUG_CATEGORY_DEBUG, "MainWindow: closeEvent — hiding to tray");
     hide();
     m_trayIcon->showMessage("Chat", "Application minimized to tray.",
                              QSystemTrayIcon::Information, 2000);
diff --git a/tools/chatgui/src/messagelist.cpp b/tools/chatgui/src/messagelist.cpp
index d63384d0..701863c8 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/src/messagelist.cpp
+++ b/tools/chatgui/src/messagelist.cpp
@@ -302,13 +302,7 @@ void MessageList::saveChannelState() {
     auto saveKey = [&cid](const char* suffix, qint64 val) {
         QByteArray key = "ch_" + cid + suffix;
         QByteArray valStr = QByteArray::number(val);
-        size_t klen = key.size(), vlen = valStr.size();
-        size_t total = klen + 1 + vlen + 1;
-        if (total > 256) return;
-        void* arg = u_malloc(total);
-        memcpy(arg, key.constData(), klen + 1);
-        memcpy((char*)arg + klen + 1, valStr.constData(), vlen + 1);
-        gui_bridge_post_uasync_fn(chat_core_save_ui_state_trampoline, arg);
+        chat_core_save_ui_state(key.constData(), valStr.constData());
     };
 
     if (lastReadMsgId > 0) saveKey("_last_read", lastReadMsgId);
@@ -369,14 +363,7 @@ void MessageList::updateReadPosition() {
         QByteArray cid = m_currentChannelId.toUtf8();
         QByteArray key = "ch_" + cid + "_last_read";
         QByteArray valStr = QByteArray::number(m_lastReadMsgId);
-        size_t klen = key.size(), vlen = valStr.size();
-        size_t total = klen + 1 + vlen + 1;
-        if (total <= 256) {
-            void* arg = u_malloc(total);
-            memcpy(arg, key.constData(), klen + 1);
-            memcpy((char*)arg + klen + 1, valStr.constData(), vlen + 1);
-            gui_bridge_post_uasync_fn(chat_core_save_ui_state_trampoline, arg);
-        }
+        chat_core_save_ui_state(key.constData(), valStr.constData());
 
         emit readPositionChanged(m_currentChannelId, m_lastReadMsgId);
     }