diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/chat/data/network/OfflineFirstChatRepository.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/chat/data/network/OfflineFirstChatRepository.kt
index b72ff8968a1..9569d65d49e 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/chat/data/network/OfflineFirstChatRepository.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/chat/data/network/OfflineFirstChatRepository.kt
@@ -367,6 +367,11 @@ class OfflineFirstChatRepository @Inject constructor(
 
         while (true) {
             delay(INSURANCE_REQUEST_DELAY)
+            if (itIsPaused) {
+                // ChatViewModel.onResume fetches right away when the chat comes back to the foreground
+                Log.d(TAG, "skip insurance request while paused")
+                continue
+            }
             Log.d(TAG, "execute insurance request")
 
             fetchNewMessages()
diff --git a/app/src/test/java/com/nextcloud/talk/chat/data/network/OfflineFirstChatRepositoryTest.kt b/app/src/test/java/com/nextcloud/talk/chat/data/network/OfflineFirstChatRepositoryTest.kt
index 1496841e6a3..e9078eb57e5 100644
--- a/app/src/test/java/com/nextcloud/talk/chat/data/network/OfflineFirstChatRepositoryTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/test/java/com/nextcloud/talk/chat/data/network/OfflineFirstChatRepositoryTest.kt
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.flowOf
 import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
 import kotlinx.coroutines.runBlocking
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.toList
+import kotlinx.coroutines.test.advanceTimeBy
+import kotlinx.coroutines.test.runCurrent
 import kotlinx.coroutines.test.runTest
 import kotlinx.coroutines.withTimeout
 import okhttp3.MediaType.Companion.toMediaType
@@ -56,6 +58,7 @@ import org.junit.Test
 import org.mockito.kotlin.any
 import org.mockito.kotlin.argumentCaptor
 import org.mockito.kotlin.atLeastOnce
+import org.mockito.kotlin.clearInvocations
 import org.mockito.kotlin.eq
 import org.mockito.kotlin.doSuspendableAnswer
 import org.mockito.kotlin.mock
@@ -76,7 +79,7 @@ import java.io.IOException
  * last read message, otherwise the initial window is re-fetched — anchored at the boundary when
  * the unread backlog calls for it.
  */
-@Suppress("TooManyFunctions")
+@Suppress("TooManyFunctions", "LargeClass")
 class OfflineFirstChatRepositoryTest {
 
     private val logger: Logger = mock()
@@ -245,6 +248,45 @@ class OfflineFirstChatRepositoryTest {
             assertFalse(fieldMap.containsKey("lastKnownMessageId"))
         }
 
+    @Test
+    fun `insurance requests are skipped while the chat is paused`() =
+        runTest {
+            givenHttpSyncedAnchor()
+            clearInvocations(network)
+            repository.handleOnPause()
+            val polling = launch { repository.initInsuranceRequests() }
+
+            advanceTimeBy(INSURANCE_DELAY_MS * 5 + 1)
+            runCurrent()
+
+            verifyBlocking(network, never()) { pullChatMessages(any(), any(), any()) }
+            polling.cancelAndJoin()
+        }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `insurance requests resume with the next tick after the chat is resumed`() =
+        runTest {
+            givenHttpSyncedAnchor()
+            clearInvocations(network)
+            repository.handleOnPause()
+            val polling = launch { repository.initInsuranceRequests() }
+            advanceTimeBy(INSURANCE_DELAY_MS * 3 + 1)
+            runCurrent()
+            verifyBlocking(network, never()) { pullChatMessages(any(), any(), any()) }
+
+            repository.handleOnResume()
+            // the loop keeps its normal step: nothing is sent before the next tick ...
+            advanceTimeBy(INSURANCE_DELAY_MS / 2)
+            runCurrent()
+            verifyBlocking(network, never()) { pullChatMessages(any(), any(), any()) }
+
+            // ... and the request is sent on it
+            advanceTimeBy(INSURANCE_DELAY_MS / 2)
+            runCurrent()
+            verifyBlocking(network, times(1)) { pullChatMessages(eq(CREDENTIALS), eq(CHAT_URL), any()) }
+            polling.cancelAndJoin()
+        }
+
     @Test
     fun `fetchNewMessages skips the request when no HTTP-synced anchor exists yet`() =
         runTest {
@@ -862,6 +904,7 @@ class OfflineFirstChatRepositoryTest {
         private const val LONG_POLLING_OBSERVATION_MILLIS = 200L
         private const val AWAIT_TIMEOUT_MILLIS = 2000L
         private const val CHAT_URL = "https://server.example.com/ocs/v2.php/apps/spreed/api/v1/chat/$ROOM_TOKEN"
+        private const val INSURANCE_DELAY_MS = 2 * 60 * 1000L
         private const val MESSAGE_ID = 42L
         private const val SYSTEM_MESSAGE_ID = 43L
         private const val MESSAGE_URL = "$CHAT_URL/42"