diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3e9a20a5c..3d5f33320 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ### Changed
 
+- Only `DataMessage` that are sent, received, or sent from another device are saved in the local store (#137).
+  This is a breaking change because clients previously had to introduce calls to filter internal messages themselves.
+
 - Changed (and fixed) the behaviour of the iterator returned by `SledStore::messages` (#119)
   * The iterator yields elements in chronological order (used to be reversed)
   * The iterator now implements `DoubleEndedIterator` which means you it can be reversed or consumed from the end
diff --git a/src/manager.rs b/src/manager.rs
index d3ea6d99c..28d0dd262 100644
--- a/src/manager.rs
+++ b/src/manager.rs
@@ -809,13 +809,10 @@ impl<C: Store> Manager<C, Registered> {
                                     }
                                 }
 
-                                if let Ok(thread) = Thread::try_from(&content) {
-                                    // TODO: handle reactions here, we should update the original message?
-                                    if let Err(e) =
-                                        state.config_store.save_message(&thread, content.clone())
-                                    {
-                                        log::error!("Error saving message to store: {}", e);
-                                    }
+                                if let Err(e) =
+                                    save_message(&mut state.config_store, content.clone())
+                                {
+                                    log::error!("Error saving message to store: {}", e);
                                 }
 
                                 return Some((content, state));
@@ -859,7 +856,6 @@ impl<C: Store> Manager<C, Registered> {
             .await?;
 
         // save the message
-        let thread = Thread::Contact(recipient.uuid);
         let content = Content {
             metadata: Metadata {
                 sender: self.state.uuid.into(),
@@ -871,7 +867,7 @@ impl<C: Store> Manager<C, Registered> {
             body: content_body,
         };
 
-        self.config_store.save_message(&thread, content)?;
+        save_message(&mut self.config_store, content)?;
 
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -923,8 +919,8 @@ impl<C: Store> Manager<C, Registered> {
             },
             body: message.into(),
         };
-        let thread = Thread::try_from(&content)?;
-        self.config_store.save_message(&thread, content)?;
+
+        save_message(&mut self.config_store, content)?;
 
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -1094,3 +1090,26 @@ async fn upsert_group<C: Store>(
 
     config_store.group(master_key_bytes)
 }
+
+fn save_message<C: Store>(config_store: &mut C, message: Content) -> Result<(), Error> {
+    let thread = Thread::try_from(&message)?;
+    // only save DataMessage and SynchronizeMessage (sent)
+    match message.body {
+        ContentBody::DataMessage(_)
+        | ContentBody::SynchronizeMessage(SyncMessage { sent: Some(_), .. })
+        | ContentBody::SynchronizeMessage(SyncMessage {
+            call_event: Some(_),
+            ..
+        }) => {
+            config_store.save_message(&thread, message)?;
+        }
+        ContentBody::SynchronizeMessage(_) => {
+            debug!("skipping saving sync message without interesting fields")
+        }
+        ContentBody::CallMessage(_) => debug!("skipping saving call message"),
+        ContentBody::ReceiptMessage(_) => debug!("skipping saving receipt message"),
+        ContentBody::TypingMessage(_) => debug!("skipping saving typing message"),
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/src/store/mod.rs b/src/store/mod.rs
index 6b5988897..91867b28f 100644
--- a/src/store/mod.rs
+++ b/src/store/mod.rs
@@ -159,7 +159,6 @@ pub trait MessageStore {
     fn clear_messages(&mut self) -> Result<(), Error>;
 
     /// Save a message in a [Thread] identified by a timestamp.
-    /// TODO: deriving the thread happens from the content, so we can also ditch the first parameter
     fn save_message(&mut self, thread: &Thread, message: Content) -> Result<(), Error>;
 
     /// Delete a single message, identified by its received timestamp from a thread.
diff --git a/src/store/sled.rs b/src/store/sled.rs
index 6792f2e6d..f50d84f9d 100644
--- a/src/store/sled.rs
+++ b/src/store/sled.rs
@@ -782,7 +782,7 @@ impl MessageStore for SledStore {
             message.metadata.timestamp,
         );
 
-        let tree = self.messages_thread_tree_name(thread);
+        let tree = self.messages_thread_tree_name(&thread);
         let key = message.metadata.timestamp.to_be_bytes();
 
         let proto: ContentProto = message.into();