diff --git a/app/src/androidTest/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MmsDatabaseTest_stories.kt b/app/src/androidTest/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MmsDatabaseTest_stories.kt
index f56328ba7f..b5ecf7acca 100644
--- a/app/src/androidTest/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MmsDatabaseTest_stories.kt
+++ b/app/src/androidTest/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MmsDatabaseTest_stories.kt
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package org.thoughtcrime.securesms.database
 import androidx.test.ext.junit.runners.AndroidJUnit4
 import org.junit.Assert.assertEquals
 import org.junit.Assert.assertFalse
+import org.junit.Assert.assertNull
 import org.junit.Assert.assertTrue
 import org.junit.Before
 import org.junit.Test
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ import org.whispersystems.signalservice.api.push.ACI
 import org.whispersystems.signalservice.api.push.PNI
 import org.whispersystems.signalservice.api.push.ServiceId
 import java.util.UUID
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit
 
 @Suppress("ClassName")
 @RunWith(AndroidJUnit4::class)
@@ -30,6 +32,7 @@ class MmsDatabaseTest_stories {
 
   private lateinit var myStory: Recipient
   private lateinit var recipients: List<RecipientId>
+  private lateinit var releaseChannelRecipient: Recipient
 
   @Before
   fun setUp() {
@@ -42,6 +45,9 @@ class MmsDatabaseTest_stories {
 
     myStory = Recipient.resolved(SignalDatabase.recipients.getOrInsertFromDistributionListId(DistributionListId.MY_STORY))
     recipients = (0 until 5).map { SignalDatabase.recipients.getOrInsertFromServiceId(ServiceId.from(UUID.randomUUID())) }
+    releaseChannelRecipient = Recipient.resolved(SignalDatabase.recipients.insertReleaseChannelRecipient())
+
+    SignalStore.releaseChannelValues().setReleaseChannelRecipientId(releaseChannelRecipient.id)
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -333,4 +339,41 @@ class MmsDatabaseTest_stories {
     // THEN
     assertFalse(result)
   }
+
+  @Test
+  fun givenNotViewedOnboardingAndOnlyStoryIsOnboardingAndAdded2DaysAgo_whenIGetOldestStoryTimestamp_thenIExpectNull() {
+    // GIVEN
+    val threadId = SignalDatabase.threads.getOrCreateThreadIdFor(releaseChannelRecipient)
+    MmsHelper.insert(
+      recipient = releaseChannelRecipient,
+      sentTimeMillis = System.currentTimeMillis() - TimeUnit.DAYS.toMillis(2),
+      storyType = StoryType.STORY_WITH_REPLIES,
+      threadId = threadId
+    )
+
+    // WHEN
+    val oldestTimestamp = SignalDatabase.mms.getOldestStorySendTimestamp(false)
+
+    // THEN
+    assertNull(oldestTimestamp)
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  fun givenViewedOnboardingAndOnlyStoryIsOnboardingAndAdded2DaysAgo_whenIGetOldestStoryTimestamp_thenIExpectNotNull() {
+    // GIVEN
+    val expected = System.currentTimeMillis() - TimeUnit.DAYS.toMillis(2)
+    val threadId = SignalDatabase.threads.getOrCreateThreadIdFor(releaseChannelRecipient)
+    MmsHelper.insert(
+      recipient = releaseChannelRecipient,
+      sentTimeMillis = expected,
+      storyType = StoryType.STORY_WITH_REPLIES,
+      threadId = threadId
+    )
+
+    // WHEN
+    val oldestTimestamp = SignalDatabase.mms.getOldestStorySendTimestamp(true)
+
+    // THEN
+    assertEquals(expected, oldestTimestamp)
+  }
 }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MessageDatabase.java b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MessageDatabase.java
index f39c0924d4..789f171899 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MessageDatabase.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MessageDatabase.java
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ public abstract class MessageDatabase extends Database implements MmsSmsColumns
   public abstract boolean hasSelfReplyInStory(long parentStoryId);
   public abstract boolean hasSelfReplyInGroupStory(long parentStoryId);
   public abstract @NonNull Cursor getStoryReplies(long parentStoryId);
-  public abstract @Nullable Long getOldestStorySendTimestamp();
+  public abstract @Nullable Long getOldestStorySendTimestamp(boolean hasSeenReleaseChannelStories);
   public abstract int deleteStoriesOlderThan(long timestamp, boolean hasSeenReleaseChannelStories);
   public abstract @NonNull MessageDatabase.Reader getUnreadStories(@NonNull RecipientId recipientId, int limit);
   public abstract @Nullable ParentStoryId.GroupReply getParentStoryIdForGroupReply(long messageId);
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MmsDatabase.java b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MmsDatabase.java
index aa847f7f20..b8d431616b 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MmsDatabase.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/MmsDatabase.java
@@ -898,18 +898,37 @@ public class MmsDatabase extends MessageDatabase {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public @Nullable Long getOldestStorySendTimestamp() {
-    SQLiteDatabase db        = databaseHelper.getSignalReadableDatabase();
-    String[]       columns   = new String[]{DATE_SENT};
-    String         where     = IS_STORY_CLAUSE;
-    String         orderBy   = DATE_SENT + " ASC";
-    String         limit     = "1";
+  public @Nullable Long getOldestStorySendTimestamp(boolean hasSeenReleaseChannelStories) {
+    long           releaseChannelThreadId = getReleaseChannelThreadId(hasSeenReleaseChannelStories);
+    SQLiteDatabase db                     = databaseHelper.getSignalReadableDatabase();
+    String[]       columns                = new String[] { DATE_SENT };
+    String         where                  = IS_STORY_CLAUSE + " AND " + THREAD_ID + " != ?";
+    String         orderBy                = DATE_SENT + " ASC";
+    String         limit                  = "1";
 
-    try (Cursor cursor = db.query(TABLE_NAME, columns, where, null, null, null, orderBy, limit)) {
+    try (Cursor cursor = db.query(TABLE_NAME, columns, where, SqlUtil.buildArgs(releaseChannelThreadId), null, null, orderBy, limit)) {
       return cursor != null && cursor.moveToNext() ? cursor.getLong(0) : null;
     }
   }
 
+  private static long getReleaseChannelThreadId(boolean hasSeenReleaseChannelStories) {
+    if (hasSeenReleaseChannelStories) {
+      return -1L;
+    }
+
+    RecipientId releaseChannelRecipientId = SignalStore.releaseChannelValues().getReleaseChannelRecipientId();
+    if (releaseChannelRecipientId == null) {
+      return -1L;
+    }
+
+    Long releaseChannelThreadId = SignalDatabase.threads().getThreadIdFor(releaseChannelRecipientId);
+    if (releaseChannelThreadId == null) {
+      return -1L;
+    }
+
+    return releaseChannelThreadId;
+  }
+
   @Override
   public void deleteGroupStoryReplies(long parentStoryId) {
     SQLiteDatabase db   = databaseHelper.getSignalWritableDatabase();
@@ -924,8 +943,7 @@ public class MmsDatabase extends MessageDatabase {
 
     db.beginTransaction();
     try {
-      RecipientId releaseChannelRecipient     = hasSeenReleaseChannelStories ? null : SignalStore.releaseChannelValues().getReleaseChannelRecipientId();
-      long        releaseChannelThreadId      = releaseChannelRecipient != null ? SignalDatabase.threads().getOrCreateThreadIdFor(Recipient.resolved(releaseChannelRecipient)) : -1;
+      long        releaseChannelThreadId      = getReleaseChannelThreadId(hasSeenReleaseChannelStories);
       String      storiesBeforeTimestampWhere = IS_STORY_CLAUSE + " AND " + DATE_SENT + " < ? AND " + THREAD_ID + " != ?";
       String[]    sharedArgs                  = SqlUtil.buildArgs(timestamp, releaseChannelThreadId);
       String      deleteStoryRepliesQuery     = "DELETE FROM " + TABLE_NAME + " " +
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/SmsDatabase.java b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/SmsDatabase.java
index 21331ef85d..10c60e27eb 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/SmsDatabase.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/SmsDatabase.java
@@ -1462,7 +1462,7 @@ public class SmsDatabase extends MessageDatabase {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public @Nullable Long getOldestStorySendTimestamp() {
+  public @Nullable Long getOldestStorySendTimestamp(boolean hasSeenReleaseChannelStories) {
     throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
   }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/service/ExpiringStoriesManager.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/service/ExpiringStoriesManager.kt
index 3a188a2388..cd1729db50 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/service/ExpiringStoriesManager.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/service/ExpiringStoriesManager.kt
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class ExpiringStoriesManager(
 
   @WorkerThread
   override fun getNextClosestEvent(): Event? {
-    val oldestTimestamp = mmsDatabase.oldestStorySendTimestamp ?: return null
+    val oldestTimestamp = mmsDatabase.getOldestStorySendTimestamp(SignalStore.storyValues().userHasSeenOnboardingStory) ?: return null
 
     val timeSinceSend = System.currentTimeMillis() - oldestTimestamp
     val delay = (STORY_LIFESPAN - timeSinceSend).coerceAtLeast(0)