diff --git a/lib/reducers/message-reducer.js b/lib/reducers/message-reducer.js
--- a/lib/reducers/message-reducer.js
+++ b/lib/reducers/message-reducer.js
@@ -1126,31 +1126,27 @@
     const local = _pickBy(
       (localInfo: LocalMessageInfo, key: string) => key !== payload.localID,
     )(messageStore.local);
-    const updatedMessageStore = {
-      messages: newMessages,
-      threads: {
-        ...messageStore.threads,
-        [threadID]: {
-          ...messageStore.threads[threadID],
-          messageIDs: newMessageIDs,
-        },
-      },
-      local,
-      currentAsOf,
-    };
 
     const processedMessageStore = processMessageStoreOperations(
       messageStore,
       messageStoreOperations,
     );
 
-    assertMessageStoreMessagesAreEqual(
-      processedMessageStore,
-      updatedMessageStore,
-      action.type,
-    );
-
-    return { messageStoreOperations, messageStore: updatedMessageStore };
+    return {
+      messageStoreOperations,
+      messageStore: {
+        messages: processedMessageStore.messages,
+        threads: {
+          ...messageStore.threads,
+          [threadID]: {
+            ...messageStore.threads[threadID],
+            messageIDs: newMessageIDs,
+          },
+        },
+        local,
+        currentAsOf,
+      },
+    };
   } else if (action.type === saveMessagesActionType) {
     const truncationStatuses = {};
     for (const messageInfo of action.payload.rawMessageInfos) {
@@ -1206,32 +1202,26 @@
       newThreads[threadID] = thread;
     }
 
-    const prunedMessageStore = {
-      messages: _omit(messageIDsToPrune)(messageStore.messages),
-      threads: newThreads,
-      local: _omit(messageIDsToPrune)(messageStore.local),
-      currentAsOf: messageStore.currentAsOf,
-    };
-
     const messageStoreOperations = [
       {
         type: 'remove',
         payload: { ids: messageIDsToPrune },
       },
     ];
-
     const processedMessageStore = processMessageStoreOperations(
       messageStore,
       messageStoreOperations,
     );
 
-    assertMessageStoreMessagesAreEqual(
-      processedMessageStore,
-      prunedMessageStore,
-      action.type,
-    );
-
-    return { messageStoreOperations, messageStore: prunedMessageStore };
+    return {
+      messageStoreOperations,
+      messageStore: {
+        messages: processedMessageStore.messages,
+        threads: newThreads,
+        local: _omit(messageIDsToPrune)(messageStore.local),
+        currentAsOf: messageStore.currentAsOf,
+      },
+    };
   } else if (action.type === updateMultimediaMessageMediaActionType) {
     const { messageID: id, currentMediaID, mediaUpdate } = action.payload;
     const message = messageStore.messages[id];
@@ -1409,12 +1399,6 @@
     if (newThreads === threads) {
       return { messageStoreOperations: [], messageStore };
     }
-    const newMessageStore = {
-      ...messageStore,
-      messages: newMessages,
-      threads: newThreads,
-      local: newLocal,
-    };
 
     const messageStoreOperations: MessageStoreOperation[] = [
       {
@@ -1427,13 +1411,15 @@
       messageStoreOperations,
     );
 
-    assertMessageStoreMessagesAreEqual(
-      processedMessageStore,
-      newMessageStore,
-      action.type,
-    );
-
-    return { messageStoreOperations, messageStore: newMessageStore };
+    return {
+      messageStoreOperations,
+      messageStore: {
+        ...messageStore,
+        messages: processedMessageStore.messages,
+        threads: newThreads,
+        local: newLocal,
+      },
+    };
   } else if (action.type === processServerRequestsActionType) {
     const {
       messageStoreOperations,