diff --git a/lib/encryption/key_verification_manager.dart b/lib/encryption/key_verification_manager.dart
index de82074..d02d107 100644
--- a/lib/encryption/key_verification_manager.dart
+++ b/lib/encryption/key_verification_manager.dart
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ class KeyVerificationManager {
     if (_requests.containsKey(transactionId)) {
       await _requests[transactionId].handlePayload(event.type, event.content);
     } else {
+      if (!['m.key.verification.request', 'm.key.verification.start']
+          .contains(event.type)) {
+        return; // we can only start on these
+      }
       final newKeyRequest =
           KeyVerification(encryption: encryption, userId: event.sender);
       await newKeyRequest.handlePayload(event.type, event.content);
@@ -111,6 +115,10 @@ class KeyVerificationManager {
         _requests.remove(transactionId);
       }
     } else if (event['sender'] != client.userID) {
+      if (!['m.key.verification.request', 'm.key.verification.start']
+          .contains(type)) {
+        return; // we can only start on these
+      }
       final room = client.getRoomById(update.roomID) ??
           Room(id: update.roomID, client: client);
       final newKeyRequest = KeyVerification(
diff --git a/lib/encryption/utils/key_verification.dart b/lib/encryption/utils/key_verification.dart
index e4a43f3..fbcab32 100644
--- a/lib/encryption/utils/key_verification.dart
+++ b/lib/encryption/utils/key_verification.dart
@@ -215,7 +215,10 @@ class KeyVerification {
               DateTime.fromMillisecondsSinceEpoch(payload['timestamp']);
           if (now.subtract(Duration(minutes: 10)).isAfter(verifyTime) ||
               now.add(Duration(minutes: 5)).isBefore(verifyTime)) {
-            await cancel('m.timeout');
+            // if the request is more than 20min in the past we just silently fail it
+            // to not generate too many cancels
+            await cancel('m.timeout',
+                now.subtract(Duration(minutes: 20)).isAfter(verifyTime));
             return;
           }
           // verify it has a method we can use
@@ -280,6 +283,13 @@ class KeyVerification {
           }
           method = _makeVerificationMethod(payload['method'], this);
           if (lastStep == null) {
+            // validate the start time
+            if (room != null) {
+              // we just silently ignore in-room-verification starts
+              await cancel('m.unknown_method', true);
+              return;
+            }
+            // validate the specific payload
             if (!method.validateStart(payload)) {
               await cancel('m.unknown_method');
               return;
@@ -301,7 +311,11 @@ class KeyVerification {
           setState(KeyVerificationState.error);
           break;
         default:
-          await method.handlePayload(type, payload);
+          if (method != null) {
+            await method.handlePayload(type, payload);
+          } else {
+            await cancel('m.invalid_message');
+          }
           break;
       }
       if (lastStep == thisLastStep) {
@@ -310,9 +324,7 @@ class KeyVerification {
     } catch (err, stacktrace) {
       print('[Key Verification] An error occured: ' + err.toString());
       print(stacktrace);
-      if (deviceId != null) {
-        await cancel('m.invalid_message');
-      }
+      await cancel('m.invalid_message');
     } finally {
       _handlePayloadLock = false;
     }
@@ -510,11 +522,13 @@ class KeyVerification {
     return false;
   }
 
-  Future<void> cancel([String code = 'm.unknown']) async {
-    await send('m.key.verification.cancel', {
-      'reason': code,
-      'code': code,
-    });
+  Future<void> cancel([String code = 'm.unknown', bool quiet = false]) async {
+    if (!quiet && (deviceId != null || room != null)) {
+      await send('m.key.verification.cancel', {
+        'reason': code,
+        'code': code,
+      });
+    }
     canceled = true;
     canceledCode = code;
     setState(KeyVerificationState.error);
@@ -538,7 +552,7 @@ class KeyVerification {
     makePayload(payload);
     print('[Key Verification] Sending type ${type}: ' + payload.toString());
     if (room != null) {
-      print('[Key Verification] Sending to ${userId} in room ${room.id}');
+      print('[Key Verification] Sending to ${userId} in room ${room.id}...');
       if (['m.key.verification.request'].contains(type)) {
         payload['msgtype'] = type;
         payload['to'] = userId;
@@ -552,7 +566,7 @@ class KeyVerification {
         encryption.keyVerificationManager.addRequest(this);
       }
     } else {
-      print('[Key Verification] Sending to ${userId} device ${deviceId}');
+      print('[Key Verification] Sending to ${userId} device ${deviceId}...');
       await client.sendToDevice(
           [client.userDeviceKeys[userId].deviceKeys[deviceId]], type, payload);
     }
diff --git a/lib/src/client.dart b/lib/src/client.dart
index 44ad73b..6243ca4 100644
--- a/lib/src/client.dart
+++ b/lib/src/client.dart
@@ -1331,11 +1331,14 @@ class Client {
           }
         }
       }
-      await database?.transaction(() async {
-        for (final f in dbActions) {
-          await f();
-        }
-      });
+
+      if (dbActions.isNotEmpty) {
+        await database?.transaction(() async {
+          for (final f in dbActions) {
+            await f();
+          }
+        });
+      }
     } catch (e) {
       print('[LibOlm] Unable to update user device keys: ' + e.toString());
     }
diff --git a/lib/src/database/database.dart b/lib/src/database/database.dart
index adb9fc6..3b148ec 100644
--- a/lib/src/database/database.dart
+++ b/lib/src/database/database.dart
@@ -22,6 +22,13 @@ class Database extends _$Database {
 
   int get maxFileSize => 1 * 1024 * 1024;
 
+  // moor transactions are sometimes rather weird and freeze. Until there is a
+  // proper fix in moor we override that there aren't actually using transactions
+  @override
+  Future<T> transaction<T>(Future<T> Function() action) async {
+    return action();
+  }
+
   @override
   MigrationStrategy get migration => MigrationStrategy(
         onCreate: (Migrator m) {