diff --git a/web/input/input-state-container.react.js b/web/input/input-state-container.react.js
--- a/web/input/input-state-container.react.js
+++ b/web/input/input-state-container.react.js
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@
 type Props = {
   ...BaseProps,
   +activeChatThreadID: ?string,
+  +drafts: { +[key: string]: string },
   +viewerID: ?string,
   +messageStoreMessages: { +[id: string]: RawMessageInfo },
   +exifRotate: boolean,
@@ -117,12 +118,12 @@
   +pendingUploads: {
     [threadID: string]: { [localUploadID: string]: PendingMultimediaUpload },
   },
-  +drafts: { [threadID: string]: string },
+  +drafts: { +[key: string]: string },
 };
 class InputStateContainer extends React.PureComponent<Props, State> {
   state: State = {
     pendingUploads: {},
-    drafts: {},
+    drafts: this.props.drafts,
   };
   replyCallbacks: Array<(message: string) => void> = [];
   pendingThreadCreations = new Map<string, Promise<string>>();
@@ -1055,8 +1056,15 @@
   }
 
   setDraft(threadID: string, draft: string) {
+    const newThreadID = this.getRealizedOrPendingThreadID(threadID);
+    this.props.dispatch({
+      type: 'UPDATE_DRAFT',
+      payload: {
+        key: newThreadID,
+        text: draft,
+      },
+    });
     this.setState(prevState => {
-      const newThreadID = this.getRealizedOrPendingThreadID(threadID);
       return {
         drafts: {
           ...prevState.drafts,
@@ -1212,7 +1220,7 @@
   render() {
     const { activeChatThreadID } = this.props;
     const inputState = activeChatThreadID
-      ? this.inputStateSelector(activeChatThreadID)(this.state)
+      ? this.inputStateSelector(activeChatThreadID)(this.state, this.props)
       : null;
     return (
       <InputStateContext.Provider value={inputState}>
@@ -1233,6 +1241,7 @@
     const activeChatThreadID = useSelector(
       state => state.navInfo.activeChatThreadID,
     );
+    const drafts = useSelector(state => state.draftStore.drafts);
     const viewerID = useSelector(
       state => state.currentUserInfo && state.currentUserInfo.id,
     );
@@ -1273,6 +1282,7 @@
       <InputStateContainer
         {...props}
         activeChatThreadID={activeChatThreadID}
+        drafts={drafts}
         viewerID={viewerID}
         messageStoreMessages={messageStoreMessages}
         exifRotate={exifRotate}
diff --git a/web/root.js b/web/root.js
--- a/web/root.js
+++ b/web/root.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 const persistConfig = {
   key: 'root',
   storage,
-  whitelist: ['enabledApps', 'deviceID'],
+  whitelist: ['enabledApps', 'deviceID', 'draftStore'],
   version: 0,
 };