diff --git a/native/chat/chat-list.react.js b/native/chat/chat-list.react.js
index 7c132b74c..91659bd30 100644
--- a/native/chat/chat-list.react.js
+++ b/native/chat/chat-list.react.js
@@ -1,297 +1,304 @@
 // @flow
 
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 import _sum from 'lodash/fp/sum.js';
 import * as React from 'react';
 import {
   Animated,
   Easing,
   StyleSheet,
   TouchableWithoutFeedback,
   View,
   FlatList as ReactNativeFlatList,
 } from 'react-native';
 import { FlatList } from 'react-native-gesture-handler';
 
 import { localIDPrefix } from 'lib/shared/message-utils.js';
 
 import type { ChatNavigationProp } from './chat.react.js';
 import NewMessagesPill from './new-messages-pill.react.js';
 import { chatMessageItemHeight, chatMessageItemKey } from './utils.js';
 import {
   type KeyboardState,
   KeyboardContext,
 } from '../keyboard/keyboard-state.js';
 import type { TabNavigationProp } from '../navigation/tab-navigator.react.js';
 import { useSelector } from '../redux/redux-utils.js';
 import type { ChatMessageItemWithHeight } from '../types/chat-types.js';
 import type { ScrollEvent } from '../types/react-native.js';
 import type { ViewStyle } from '../types/styles.js';
 
 type FlatListElementRef = React.ElementRef<typeof ReactNativeFlatList>;
 type FlatListProps = React.ElementConfig<typeof ReactNativeFlatList>;
 
 const animationSpec = {
   duration: 150,
   useNativeDriver: true,
 };
 
 type BaseProps = {
   ...FlatListProps,
   +navigation: ChatNavigationProp<'MessageList'>,
   +data: $ReadOnlyArray<ChatMessageItemWithHeight>,
   ...
 };
 type Props = {
   ...BaseProps,
   // Redux state
   +viewerID: ?string,
   // withKeyboardState
   +keyboardState: ?KeyboardState,
   ...
 };
 type State = {
   +newMessageCount: number,
 };
 class ChatList extends React.PureComponent<Props, State> {
   state: State = {
     newMessageCount: 0,
   };
 
   flatList: ?FlatListElementRef;
   scrollPos = 0;
 
   newMessagesPillProgress = new Animated.Value(0);
   newMessagesPillStyle: ViewStyle;
 
   constructor(props: Props) {
     super(props);
     const sendButtonTranslateY = this.newMessagesPillProgress.interpolate({
       inputRange: [0, 1],
       outputRange: ([10, 0]: number[]), // Flow...
     });
     this.newMessagesPillStyle = {
       opacity: this.newMessagesPillProgress,
       transform: [{ translateY: sendButtonTranslateY }],
     };
   }
 
   componentDidMount() {
     const tabNavigation: ?TabNavigationProp<'Chat'> =
       this.props.navigation.getParent();
     invariant(tabNavigation, 'ChatNavigator should be within TabNavigator');
     tabNavigation.addListener('tabPress', this.onTabPress);
   }
 
   componentWillUnmount() {
     const tabNavigation: ?TabNavigationProp<'Chat'> =
       this.props.navigation.getParent();
     invariant(tabNavigation, 'ChatNavigator should be within TabNavigator');
     tabNavigation.removeListener('tabPress', this.onTabPress);
   }
 
   onTabPress = () => {
     const { flatList } = this;
     if (!this.props.navigation.isFocused() || !flatList) {
       return;
     }
     if (this.scrollPos > 0) {
       flatList.scrollToOffset({ offset: 0 });
     } else {
       this.props.navigation.popToTop();
     }
   };
 
   get scrolledToBottom() {
     return this.scrollPos <= 0;
   }
 
   componentDidUpdate(prevProps: Props) {
     const { flatList } = this;
     if (!flatList || this.props.data === prevProps.data) {
       return;
     }
 
     if (this.props.data.length < prevProps.data.length) {
       // This should only happen due to MessageStorePruner,
       // which will only prune a thread when it is off-screen
       flatList.scrollToOffset({ offset: 0, animated: false });
       return;
     }
 
     const { scrollPos } = this;
 
     let curDataIndex = 0,
       prevDataIndex = 0,
       heightSoFar = 0;
     let adjustScrollPos = 0,
       newLocalMessage = false,
       newRemoteMessageCount = 0;
     while (prevDataIndex < prevProps.data.length && heightSoFar <= scrollPos) {
       const prevItem = prevProps.data[prevDataIndex];
       invariant(prevItem, 'prevItem should exist');
       const prevItemKey = chatMessageItemKey(prevItem);
       const prevItemHeight = chatMessageItemHeight(prevItem);
 
       let curItem = this.props.data[curDataIndex];
       while (curItem) {
         const curItemKey = chatMessageItemKey(curItem);
         if (curItemKey === prevItemKey) {
           break;
         }
 
         if (curItemKey.startsWith(localIDPrefix)) {
           newLocalMessage = true;
         } else if (
           curItem.itemType === 'message' &&
           curItem.messageInfo.creator.id !== this.props.viewerID
         ) {
           newRemoteMessageCount++;
         }
         adjustScrollPos += chatMessageItemHeight(curItem);
 
         curDataIndex++;
         curItem = this.props.data[curDataIndex];
       }
       if (!curItem) {
-        // Should never happen...
+        // The only case in which we would expect the length of data to
+        // decrease, but find that an item was removed, is if the start
+        // of the chat is reached. In that case, the spinner at the top
+        // will no longer be rendered. We break here as we expect the
+        // spinner to be the last item.
+        if (prevItemKey === 'loader') {
+          break;
+        }
         console.log(
           `items not removed from ChatList, but ${prevItemKey} now missing`,
         );
         return;
       }
 
       const curItemHeight = chatMessageItemHeight(curItem);
       adjustScrollPos += curItemHeight - prevItemHeight;
 
       heightSoFar += prevItemHeight;
       prevDataIndex++;
       curDataIndex++;
     }
 
     if (adjustScrollPos === 0) {
       return;
     }
 
     flatList.scrollToOffset({
       offset: scrollPos + adjustScrollPos,
       animated: false,
     });
 
     if (newLocalMessage || scrollPos <= 0) {
       flatList.scrollToOffset({ offset: 0 });
     } else if (newRemoteMessageCount > 0) {
       this.setState(prevState => ({
         newMessageCount: prevState.newMessageCount + newRemoteMessageCount,
       }));
       this.toggleNewMessagesPill(true);
     }
   }
 
   render() {
     const { navigation, viewerID, ...rest } = this.props;
     const { newMessageCount } = this.state;
     return (
       <TouchableWithoutFeedback onPress={this.onPressBackground}>
         <View style={styles.container}>
           <FlatList
             {...rest}
             keyExtractor={chatMessageItemKey}
             getItemLayout={ChatList.getItemLayout}
             onScroll={this.onScroll}
             ref={this.flatListRef}
           />
           <NewMessagesPill
             onPress={this.onPressNewMessagesPill}
             newMessageCount={newMessageCount}
             pointerEvents={newMessageCount > 0 ? 'auto' : 'none'}
             containerStyle={styles.newMessagesPillContainer}
             style={this.newMessagesPillStyle}
           />
         </View>
       </TouchableWithoutFeedback>
     );
   }
 
   flatListRef = (flatList: any) => {
     this.flatList = flatList;
   };
 
   static getItemLayout = (
     data: ?$ReadOnlyArray<ChatMessageItemWithHeight>,
     index: number,
   ) => {
     if (!data) {
       return { length: 0, offset: 0, index };
     }
     const offset = ChatList.heightOfItems(data.filter((_, i) => i < index));
     const item = data[index];
     const length = item ? chatMessageItemHeight(item) : 0;
     return { length, offset, index };
   };
 
   static heightOfItems(
     data: $ReadOnlyArray<ChatMessageItemWithHeight>,
   ): number {
     return _sum(data.map(chatMessageItemHeight));
   }
 
   toggleNewMessagesPill(show: boolean) {
     Animated.timing(this.newMessagesPillProgress, {
       ...animationSpec,
       easing: show ? Easing.ease : Easing.out(Easing.ease),
       toValue: show ? 1 : 0,
     }).start(({ finished }) => {
       if (finished && !show) {
         this.setState({ newMessageCount: 0 });
       }
     });
   }
 
   onScroll = (event: ScrollEvent) => {
     this.scrollPos = event.nativeEvent.contentOffset.y;
     if (this.scrollPos <= 0) {
       this.toggleNewMessagesPill(false);
     }
     this.props.onScroll && this.props.onScroll(event);
   };
 
   onPressNewMessagesPill = () => {
     const { flatList } = this;
     if (!flatList) {
       return;
     }
     flatList.scrollToOffset({ offset: 0 });
     this.toggleNewMessagesPill(false);
   };
 
   onPressBackground = () => {
     const { keyboardState } = this.props;
     keyboardState && keyboardState.dismissKeyboard();
   };
 }
 
 const styles = StyleSheet.create({
   container: {
     flex: 1,
   },
   newMessagesPillContainer: {
     bottom: 30,
     position: 'absolute',
     right: 30,
   },
 });
 
 const ConnectedChatList: React.ComponentType<BaseProps> = React.memo<BaseProps>(
   function ConnectedChatList(props: BaseProps) {
     const keyboardState = React.useContext(KeyboardContext);
     const viewerID = useSelector(
       state => state.currentUserInfo && state.currentUserInfo.id,
     );
     return (
       <ChatList {...props} keyboardState={keyboardState} viewerID={viewerID} />
     );
   },
 );
 
 export default ConnectedChatList;