diff --git a/apps/flipcash/features/messenger/src/main/kotlin/com/flipcash/app/messenger/internal/UnreadDivider.kt b/apps/flipcash/features/messenger/src/main/kotlin/com/flipcash/app/messenger/internal/UnreadDivider.kt
index ba2f896b0..2c1340c91 100644
--- a/apps/flipcash/features/messenger/src/main/kotlin/com/flipcash/app/messenger/internal/UnreadDivider.kt
+++ b/apps/flipcash/features/messenger/src/main/kotlin/com/flipcash/app/messenger/internal/UnreadDivider.kt
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ internal val UNREAD_DIVIDER_LIFETIME = UnreadDividerLifetime.UntilClose
  * Compares ranges rather than matching an id, so a read-through message that was deleted or never
  * stored does not matter. The rows of one message share a `messageId`, so the divider never lands
  * inside a message.
+ *
+ * An [older] row without a server id is a pending or failed send, stored as `-(now)` and sorted
+ * among the newest rows, so its id says nothing about the boundary. The gap above it never takes
+ * the divider; otherwise a transcript would draw a second one under the same fixed key.
  */
 internal fun unreadDividerBetween(
     newer: ChatListItem.ContentBubble,
@@ -31,6 +35,7 @@ internal fun unreadDividerBetween(
     boundary: UnreadBoundary,
 ): Boolean {
     if (boundary !is UnreadBoundary.At || newer.isFromSelf) return false
+    if (older != null && older.messageId < 1) return false
     val olderId = older?.messageId ?: Long.MIN_VALUE
     return olderId <= boundary.readThrough && boundary.readThrough < newer.messageId
 }
diff --git a/apps/flipcash/features/messenger/src/test/kotlin/com/flipcash/app/messenger/internal/UnreadDividerPlacementTest.kt b/apps/flipcash/features/messenger/src/test/kotlin/com/flipcash/app/messenger/internal/UnreadDividerPlacementTest.kt
index 81c72b821..559881f4c 100644
--- a/apps/flipcash/features/messenger/src/test/kotlin/com/flipcash/app/messenger/internal/UnreadDividerPlacementTest.kt
+++ b/apps/flipcash/features/messenger/src/test/kotlin/com/flipcash/app/messenger/internal/UnreadDividerPlacementTest.kt
@@ -63,6 +63,24 @@ class UnreadDividerPlacementTest {
     fun `own message first after pointer`() =
         assertEquals(3L, dividerAbove(UnreadBoundary.At(2, 1), row(1), row(2, self = true), row(3)))
 
+    /**
+     * A send that is pending or failed has no server id yet: its row carries `-(now)` and sorts
+     * among the newest. The gap above it is not the boundary, so the transcript keeps one divider.
+     */
+    @Test
+    fun `an unsent own row between unread rows draws one divider`() {
+        val boundary = UnreadBoundary.At(1, 2)
+        val unsent = row(-noon.toEpochMilliseconds(), self = true)
+        val newestFirst = listOf(row(3), unsent, row(2), row(1))
+
+        val above = newestFirst.indices.mapNotNull { i ->
+            val newer = newestFirst[i]
+            newer.messageId.takeIf { unreadDividerBetween(newer, newestFirst.getOrNull(i + 1), boundary) }
+        }
+
+        assertEquals(listOf(2L), above)
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun `resolving draws nothing`() = assertEquals(null, dividerAbove(UnreadBoundary.Resolving, row(1), row(2)))