diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat.hs
index 12e7c63455..e241e0357f 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat.hs
@@ -453,7 +453,9 @@ processChatCommand = \case
       pure $ CRApiChat user (AChat SCTGroup groupChat)
     CTContactRequest -> pure $ chatCmdError (Just user) "not implemented"
     CTContactConnection -> pure $ chatCmdError (Just user) "not supported"
-  APIGetChatItems _pagination -> pure $ chatCmdError Nothing "not implemented"
+  APIGetChatItems pagination search -> withUser $ \user -> do
+    chatItems <- withStore $ \db -> getAllChatItems db user pagination search
+    pure $ CRChatItems user chatItems
   APISendMessage (ChatRef cType chatId) live (ComposedMessage file_ quotedItemId_ mc) -> withUser $ \user@User {userId} -> withChatLock "sendMessage" $ case cType of
     CTDirect -> do
       ct@Contact {contactId, localDisplayName = c, contactUsed} <- withStore $ \db -> getContact db user chatId
@@ -4565,7 +4567,7 @@ chatCommandP =
       "/sql agent " *> (ExecAgentStoreSQL <$> textP),
       "/_get chats " *> (APIGetChats <$> A.decimal <*> (" pcc=on" $> True <|> " pcc=off" $> False <|> pure False)),
       "/_get chat " *> (APIGetChat <$> chatRefP <* A.space <*> chatPaginationP <*> optional (" search=" *> stringP)),
-      "/_get items count=" *> (APIGetChatItems <$> A.decimal),
+      "/_get items " *> (APIGetChatItems <$> chatPaginationP <*> optional (" search=" *> stringP)),
       "/_send " *> (APISendMessage <$> chatRefP <*> liveMessageP <*> (" json " *> jsonP <|> " text " *> (ComposedMessage Nothing Nothing <$> mcTextP))),
       "/_update item " *> (APIUpdateChatItem <$> chatRefP <* A.space <*> A.decimal <*> liveMessageP <* A.space <*> msgContentP),
       "/_delete item " *> (APIDeleteChatItem <$> chatRefP <* A.space <*> A.decimal <* A.space <*> ciDeleteMode),
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Controller.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Controller.hs
index 03f04166ed..bd0299d78f 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Controller.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Controller.hs
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ data ChatCommand
   | ExecAgentStoreSQL Text
   | APIGetChats {userId :: UserId, pendingConnections :: Bool}
   | APIGetChat ChatRef ChatPagination (Maybe String)
-  | APIGetChatItems Int
+  | APIGetChatItems ChatPagination (Maybe String)
   | APISendMessage {chatRef :: ChatRef, liveMessage :: Bool, composedMessage :: ComposedMessage}
   | APIUpdateChatItem {chatRef :: ChatRef, chatItemId :: ChatItemId, liveMessage :: Bool, msgContent :: MsgContent}
   | APIDeleteChatItem ChatRef ChatItemId CIDeleteMode
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Messages.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Messages.hs
index 7ef3534cbe..e32fa2b00d 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Messages.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Messages.hs
@@ -299,6 +299,9 @@ aChatItems (AChat ct Chat {chatInfo, chatItems}) = map aChatItem chatItems
 aChatItemId :: AChatItem -> Int64
 aChatItemId (AChatItem _ _ _ ci) = chatItemId' ci
 
+aChatItemTs :: AChatItem -> UTCTime
+aChatItemTs (AChatItem _ _ _ ci) = chatItemTs' ci
+
 updateFileStatus :: forall c d. ChatItem c d -> CIFileStatus d -> ChatItem c d
 updateFileStatus ci@ChatItem {file} status = case file of
   Just f -> ci {file = Just (f :: CIFile d) {fileStatus = status}}
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store.hs
index 051a04450f..f494c910ba 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store.hs
@@ -4241,18 +4241,17 @@ updateGroupProfile db User {userId} g@GroupInfo {groupId, localDisplayName, grou
       DB.execute db "DELETE FROM display_names WHERE local_display_name = ? AND user_id = ?" (localDisplayName, userId)
 
 getAllChatItems :: DB.Connection -> User -> ChatPagination -> Maybe String -> ExceptT StoreError IO [AChatItem]
-getAllChatItems db user pagination search_ = do
-  let search = fromMaybe "" search_
-  case pagination of
-    CPLast count -> getAllChatItemsLast_ db user count search
-    CPAfter _afterId _count -> throwError $ SEInternalError "not implemented"
-    CPBefore _beforeId _count -> throwError $ SEInternalError "not implemented"
-
-getAllChatItemsLast_ :: DB.Connection -> User -> Int -> String -> ExceptT StoreError IO [AChatItem]
-getAllChatItemsLast_ db user@User {userId} count search = do
+getAllChatItems db user@User {userId} pagination search_ = do
   itemRefs <-
-    liftIO $
-      reverse . rights . map toChatItemRef
+    rights . map toChatItemRef <$> case pagination of
+      CPLast count -> liftIO $ getAllChatItemsLast_ count
+      CPAfter afterId count -> liftIO . getAllChatItemsAfter_ afterId count . aChatItemTs =<< getAChatItem db user afterId
+      CPBefore beforeId count -> liftIO . getAllChatItemsBefore_ beforeId count . aChatItemTs =<< getAChatItem db user beforeId
+  mapM (uncurry $ getAChatItem_ db user) itemRefs
+  where
+    search = fromMaybe "" search_
+    getAllChatItemsLast_ count =
+      reverse
         <$> DB.query
           db
           [sql|
@@ -4263,7 +4262,31 @@ getAllChatItemsLast_ db user@User {userId} count search = do
             LIMIT ?
           |]
           (userId, search, count)
-  mapM (uncurry $ getAChatItem_ db user) itemRefs
+    getAllChatItemsAfter_ afterId count afterTs =
+      DB.query
+        db
+        [sql|
+          SELECT chat_item_id, contact_id, group_id
+          FROM chat_items
+          WHERE user_id = ? AND item_text LIKE '%' || ? || '%'
+            AND (item_ts > ? OR (item_ts = ? AND chat_item_id > ?))
+          ORDER BY item_ts ASC, chat_item_id ASC
+          LIMIT ?
+        |]
+        (userId, search, afterTs, afterTs, afterId, count)
+    getAllChatItemsBefore_ beforeId count beforeTs =
+      reverse
+        <$> DB.query
+          db
+          [sql|
+            SELECT chat_item_id, contact_id, group_id
+            FROM chat_items
+            WHERE user_id = ? AND item_text LIKE '%' || ? || '%'
+              AND (item_ts < ? OR (item_ts = ? AND chat_item_id < ?))
+            ORDER BY item_ts DESC, chat_item_id DESC
+            LIMIT ?
+          |]
+          (userId, search, beforeTs, beforeTs, beforeId, count)
 
 getGroupIdByName :: DB.Connection -> User -> GroupName -> ExceptT StoreError IO GroupId
 getGroupIdByName db User {userId} gName =
diff --git a/tests/ChatTests/Direct.hs b/tests/ChatTests/Direct.hs
index e4d120d1bc..e54bddb386 100644
--- a/tests/ChatTests/Direct.hs
+++ b/tests/ChatTests/Direct.hs
@@ -1544,7 +1544,9 @@ testUserPrivacy =
       showActiveUser alice "alisa"
       -- connect using second user
       connectUsers alice bob
+      threadDelay 1000000
       alice #> "@bob hello"
+      threadDelay 1000000
       bob <# "alisa> hello"
       bob #> "@alisa hey"
       alice <# "bob> hey"
@@ -1576,12 +1578,19 @@ testUserPrivacy =
       alice <## "alisa (active, hidden, muted)"
       -- hidden message is saved
       alice ##> "/tail"
+      alice <##? chatHistory
+      alice ##> "/_get items count=10"
+      alice <##? chatHistory
+      alice ##> "/_get items before=9 count=10"
       alice
         <##? [ "bob> Disappearing messages: allowed",
                "bob> Full deletion: off",
                "bob> Voice messages: enabled",
-               "bob> Audio/video calls: enabled",
-               "@bob hello",
+               "bob> Audio/video calls: enabled"
+             ]
+      alice ##> "/_get items after=8 count=10"
+      alice
+        <##? [ "@bob hello",
                "bob> hey",
                "bob> hello again",
                "bob> this won't show"
@@ -1634,6 +1643,16 @@ testUserPrivacy =
       alice <## (current <> "user alisa:")
       alice <## "messages are shown"
       alice <## "profile is visible"
+    chatHistory =
+      [ "bob> Disappearing messages: allowed",
+        "bob> Full deletion: off",
+        "bob> Voice messages: enabled",
+        "bob> Audio/video calls: enabled",
+        "@bob hello",
+        "bob> hey",
+        "bob> hello again",
+        "bob> this won't show"
+      ]
 
 testSetChatItemTTL :: HasCallStack => FilePath -> IO ()
 testSetChatItemTTL =