diff --git a/ts/messages/handleDataMessage.preload.ts b/ts/messages/handleDataMessage.preload.ts
index b177c5d619..f1860843bc 100644
--- a/ts/messages/handleDataMessage.preload.ts
+++ b/ts/messages/handleDataMessage.preload.ts
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ import { drop } from '../util/drop.std.js';
 import { strictAssert } from '../util/assert.std.js';
 import { isAciString } from '../util/isAciString.std.js';
 import { copyFromQuotedMessage } from './copyQuote.preload.js';
-import { findStoryMessages } from '../util/findStoryMessage.preload.js';
+import { findStoryMessage } from '../util/findStoryMessage.preload.js';
 import { getRoomIdFromCallLink } from '../util/callLinksRingrtc.node.js';
 import { isNotNil } from '../util/isNotNil.std.js';
 import { normalizeServiceId } from '../types/ServiceId.std.js';
@@ -421,39 +421,17 @@ export async function handleDataMessage(
       });
     }
 
-    const [quote, storyQuotes] = await Promise.all([
+    const [quote, storyQuote] = await Promise.all([
       initialMessage.quote
         ? copyFromQuotedMessage(initialMessage.quote, conversation.id)
         : undefined,
-      findStoryMessages(conversation.id, storyContext),
+      findStoryMessage({
+        conversation: conversation.attributes,
+        senderId: sender.id,
+        storyContext,
+      }),
     ]);
 
-    const storyQuote = storyQuotes.find(candidateQuote => {
-      const sendStateByConversationId =
-        candidateQuote.sendStateByConversationId || {};
-      const sendState = sendStateByConversationId[sender.id];
-
-      const storyQuoteIsFromSelf =
-        candidateQuote.sourceServiceId === itemStorage.user.getCheckedAci();
-
-      if (!storyQuoteIsFromSelf) {
-        return true;
-      }
-
-      // The sender is not a recipient for this story
-      if (sendState === undefined) {
-        return false;
-      }
-
-      // Group replies are always allowed
-      if (!isDirectConversation(conversation.attributes)) {
-        return true;
-      }
-
-      // For 1:1 stories, we need to check if they can be replied to
-      return sendState.isAllowedToReplyToStory !== false;
-    });
-
     if (
       storyContext &&
       !storyQuote &&
diff --git a/ts/util/findStoryMessage.preload.ts b/ts/util/findStoryMessage.preload.ts
index 75deee7248..d63d428315 100644
--- a/ts/util/findStoryMessage.preload.ts
+++ b/ts/util/findStoryMessage.preload.ts
@@ -3,48 +3,94 @@
 
 import type {
   ReadonlyMessageAttributesType,
-  MessageAttributesType,
+  ConversationAttributesType,
 } from '../model-types.d.ts';
 import { type AciString } from '../types/ServiceId.std.js';
 import type { ProcessedStoryContext } from '../textsecure/Types.d.ts';
-import { DataReader } from '../sql/Client.preload.js';
 import { createLogger } from '../logging/log.std.js';
 import { getAuthorId } from '../messages/sources.preload.js';
+import { itemStorage } from '../textsecure/Storage.preload.js';
+import { isDirectConversation } from './whatTypeOfConversation.dom.js';
 
 const log = createLogger('findStoryMessage');
 
-export async function findStoryMessages(
-  conversationId: string,
-  storyContext?: ProcessedStoryContext
-): Promise<Array<MessageAttributesType>> {
+export type FindStoryMessageOptionsType = Readonly<{
+  conversation: ConversationAttributesType;
+  senderId: string;
+  storyContext?: ProcessedStoryContext;
+}>;
+
+export async function findStoryMessage({
+  conversation,
+  senderId,
+  storyContext,
+}: FindStoryMessageOptionsType): Promise<
+  ReadonlyMessageAttributesType | undefined
+> {
   if (!storyContext) {
-    return [];
+    return undefined;
   }
 
   const { authorAci, sentTimestamp: sentAt } = storyContext;
 
   if (!sentAt) {
-    return [];
+    return undefined;
   }
 
   if (authorAci == null) {
-    return [];
+    return undefined;
   }
 
   const ourConversationId =
     window.ConversationController.getOurConversationIdOrThrow();
+  const ourAci = itemStorage.user.getCheckedAci();
 
-  const messages = await DataReader.getMessagesBySentAt(sentAt);
-  const found = messages.filter(item =>
-    isStoryAMatch(item, conversationId, ourConversationId, authorAci, sentAt)
+  const found = await window.MessageCache.findBySentAt(
+    sentAt,
+    ({ attributes: candidate }) => {
+      if (
+        !isStoryAMatch(
+          candidate,
+          conversation.id,
+          ourConversationId,
+          authorAci,
+          sentAt
+        )
+      ) {
+        return false;
+      }
+
+      const sendStateByConversationId =
+        candidate.sendStateByConversationId || {};
+      const sendState = sendStateByConversationId[senderId];
+
+      const storyQuoteIsFromSelf = candidate.sourceServiceId === ourAci;
+
+      if (!storyQuoteIsFromSelf) {
+        return true;
+      }
+
+      // The sender is not a recipient for this story
+      if (sendState === undefined) {
+        return false;
+      }
+
+      // Group replies are always allowed
+      if (!isDirectConversation(conversation)) {
+        return true;
+      }
+
+      // For 1:1 stories, we need to check if they can be replied to
+      return sendState.isAllowedToReplyToStory !== false;
+    }
   );
 
-  if (found.length === 0) {
+  if (found == null) {
     log.info('findStoryMessages: message not found', sentAt);
-    return [];
+    return undefined;
   }
 
-  return found;
+  return found.attributes;
 }
 
 function isStoryAMatch(