diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat.hs
index a976bf870d..8ef369fffe 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat.hs
@@ -1166,12 +1166,16 @@ processChatCommand = \case
       getGroupAndMemberId user gName mName >>= processChatCommand . uncurry cmd
     getConnectionCode :: ConnId -> m Text
     getConnectionCode connId = verificationCode <$> withAgent (`getConnectionRatchetAdHash` connId)
-    verifyConnectionCode :: User -> Connection -> Text -> m ChatResponse
-    verifyConnectionCode user conn@Connection {connId} code = do
+    verifyConnectionCode :: User -> Connection -> Maybe Text -> m ChatResponse
+    verifyConnectionCode user conn@Connection {connId} (Just code) = do
       code' <- getConnectionCode $ aConnId conn
       let verified = sameVerificationCode code code'
       when verified . withStore' $ \db -> setConnectionVerified db user connId $ Just code'
-      pure $ CRCodeVerification verified code'
+      pure $ CRConnectionVerified verified code'
+    verifyConnectionCode user conn@Connection {connId} _ = do
+      code' <- getConnectionCode $ aConnId conn
+      withStore' $ \db -> setConnectionVerified db user connId Nothing
+      pure $ CRConnectionVerified False code'
     getSentChatItemIdByText :: User -> ChatRef -> ByteString -> m Int64
     getSentChatItemIdByText user@User {userId, localDisplayName} (ChatRef cType cId) msg = case cType of
       CTDirect -> withStore $ \db -> getDirectChatItemIdByText db userId cId SMDSnd (safeDecodeUtf8 msg)
@@ -3441,12 +3445,12 @@ chatCommandP =
       "/switch " *> char_ '@' *> (SwitchContact <$> displayName),
       "/_get code @" *> (APIGetContactCode <$> A.decimal),
       "/_get code #" *> (APIGetGroupMemberCode <$> A.decimal <* A.space <*> A.decimal),
-      "/_verify code @" *> (APIVerifyContact <$> A.decimal <* A.space <*> textP),
-      "/_verify code #" *> (APIVerifyGroupMember <$> A.decimal <* A.space <*> A.decimal <* A.space <*> textP),
+      "/_verify code @" *> (APIVerifyContact <$> A.decimal <*> optional (A.space *> textP)),
+      "/_verify code #" *> (APIVerifyGroupMember <$> A.decimal <* A.space <*> A.decimal <*> optional (A.space *> textP)),
       "/code " *> char_ '@' *> (GetContactCode <$> displayName),
       "/code #" *> (GetGroupMemberCode <$> displayName <* A.space <* char_ '@' <*> displayName),
-      "/verify " *> char_ '@' *> (VerifyContact <$> displayName <* A.space <*> textP),
-      "/verify #" *> (VerifyGroupMember <$> displayName <* A.space <* char_ '@' <*> displayName <* A.space <*> textP),
+      "/verify " *> char_ '@' *> (VerifyContact <$> displayName <*> optional (A.space *> textP)),
+      "/verify #" *> (VerifyGroupMember <$> displayName <* A.space <* char_ '@' <*> displayName <*> optional (A.space *> textP)),
       ("/help files" <|> "/help file" <|> "/hf") $> ChatHelp HSFiles,
       ("/help groups" <|> "/help group" <|> "/hg") $> ChatHelp HSGroups,
       ("/help address" <|> "/ha") $> ChatHelp HSMyAddress,
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Controller.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Controller.hs
index 09d1fffd77..43ea8ed6f1 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Controller.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Controller.hs
@@ -202,8 +202,8 @@ data ChatCommand
   | APISwitchGroupMember GroupId GroupMemberId
   | APIGetContactCode ContactId
   | APIGetGroupMemberCode GroupId GroupMemberId
-  | APIVerifyContact ContactId Text
-  | APIVerifyGroupMember GroupId GroupMemberId Text
+  | APIVerifyContact ContactId (Maybe Text)
+  | APIVerifyGroupMember GroupId GroupMemberId (Maybe Text)
   | ShowMessages ChatName Bool
   | ContactInfo ContactName
   | GroupMemberInfo GroupName ContactName
@@ -211,8 +211,8 @@ data ChatCommand
   | SwitchGroupMember GroupName ContactName
   | GetContactCode ContactName
   | GetGroupMemberCode GroupName ContactName
-  | VerifyContact ContactName Text
-  | VerifyGroupMember GroupName ContactName Text
+  | VerifyContact ContactName (Maybe Text)
+  | VerifyGroupMember GroupName ContactName (Maybe Text)
   | ChatHelp HelpSection
   | Welcome
   | AddContact
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ data ChatResponse
   | CRGroupMemberSwitch {groupInfo :: GroupInfo, member :: GroupMember, switchProgress :: SwitchProgress}
   | CRContactCode {contact :: Contact, connectionCode :: Text}
   | CRGroupMemberCode {groupInfo :: GroupInfo, member :: GroupMember, connectionCode :: Text}
-  | CRCodeVerification {verified :: Bool, expectedCode :: Text}
+  | CRConnectionVerified {verified :: Bool, expectedCode :: Text}
   | CRNewChatItem {chatItem :: AChatItem}
   | CRChatItemStatusUpdated {chatItem :: AChatItem}
   | CRChatItemUpdated {chatItem :: AChatItem}
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/View.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/View.hs
index ce834335c7..e0e8826d18 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/View.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/View.hs
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ responseToView user_ testView ts = \case
   CRGroupMemberInfo g m cStats -> viewGroupMemberInfo g m cStats
   CRContactSwitch ct progress -> viewContactSwitch ct progress
   CRGroupMemberSwitch g m progress -> viewGroupMemberSwitch g m progress
-  CRCodeVerification verified code -> [plain $ if verified then "connection verified" else "error: current connection code is " <> code]
+  CRConnectionVerified verified code -> [plain $ if verified then "connection verified" else "connection not verified, current code is " <> code]
   CRContactCode ct code -> viewContactCode ct code testView
   CRGroupMemberCode g m code -> viewGroupMemberCode g m code testView
   CRNewChatItem (AChatItem _ _ chat item) -> unmuted chat item $ viewChatItem chat item False ts
diff --git a/tests/ChatTests.hs b/tests/ChatTests.hs
index f5b2c2908e..8d34dc4d03 100644
--- a/tests/ChatTests.hs
+++ b/tests/ChatTests.hs
@@ -4637,12 +4637,17 @@ testMarkContactVerified =
     aCode <- getTermLine bob
     bCode `shouldBe` aCode
     alice ##> "/verify bob 123"
-    alice <##. "error: current connection code is "
+    alice <##. "connection not verified, current code is "
     alice ##> ("/verify bob " <> aCode)
     alice <## "connection verified"
     alice ##> "/i bob"
     bobInfo alice
     alice <## "connection verified"
+    alice ##> "/verify bob"
+    alice <##. "connection not verified, current code is "
+    alice ##> "/i bob"
+    bobInfo alice
+    alice <## "connection not verified, use /code command to see security code"
   where
     bobInfo alice = do
       alice <## "contact ID: 2"
@@ -4663,12 +4668,17 @@ testMarkGroupMemberVerified =
     aCode <- getTermLine bob
     bCode `shouldBe` aCode
     alice ##> "/verify #team bob 123"
-    alice <##. "error: current connection code is "
+    alice <##. "connection not verified, current code is "
     alice ##> ("/verify #team bob " <> aCode)
     alice <## "connection verified"
     alice ##> "/i #team bob"
     bobInfo alice
     alice <## "connection verified"
+    alice ##> "/verify #team bob"
+    alice <##. "connection not verified, current code is "
+    alice ##> "/i #team bob"
+    bobInfo alice
+    alice <## "connection not verified, use /code command to see security code"
   where
     bobInfo alice = do
       alice <## "group ID: 1"