diff --git a/src/WAConnection/0.Base.ts b/src/WAConnection/0.Base.ts
index f2ffcbe..93f1d9a 100644
--- a/src/WAConnection/0.Base.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/0.Base.ts
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ export class WAConnection extends EventEmitter {
     messageLog: { tag: string, json: string, fromMe: boolean, binaryTags?: any[] }[] = []
 
     maxCachedMessages = 50
+    loadProfilePicturesForChatsAutomatically = true
 
     chats = new KeyedDB (Utils.waChatKey(false), value => value.jid)
     contacts: { [k: string]: WAContact } = {}
diff --git a/src/WAConnection/4.Events.ts b/src/WAConnection/4.Events.ts
index d3c6113..3497d67 100644
--- a/src/WAConnection/4.Events.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/4.Events.ts
@@ -199,8 +199,9 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
             name
         }
         this.chats.insert (chat)
-
-        await this.setProfilePicture (chat)
+        if (this.loadProfilePicturesForChatsAutomatically) {
+            await this.setProfilePicture (chat)
+        }
         this.emit ('chat-new', chat)
 
         return chat
diff --git a/src/WAConnection/5.User.ts b/src/WAConnection/5.User.ts
index 853ca24..a83a112 100644
--- a/src/WAConnection/5.User.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/5.User.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
 } from '../WAConnection/Constants'
 import { generateProfilePicture, waChatKey, whatsappID, unixTimestampSeconds } from './Utils'
 import { Mutex } from './Mutex'
+import { type } from 'os'
 
 // All user related functions -- get profile picture, set status etc.
 
@@ -101,7 +102,9 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
             (typeof options?.custom !== 'function' || options?.custom(chat)) &&
             (typeof options?.searchString === 'undefined' || chat.name?.includes (options.searchString) || chat.jid?.startsWith(options.searchString))
         )))
-        if (options.loadProfilePicture !== false) {
+        let loadPP = this.loadProfilePicturesForChatsAutomatically
+        if (typeof options.loadProfilePicture !== 'undefined') loadPP = options.loadProfilePicture
+        if (loadPP) {
             await Promise.all (
                 chats.map (async chat => (
                     typeof chat.imgUrl === 'undefined' && await this.setProfilePicture (chat)
diff --git a/src/WAConnection/6.MessagesSend.ts b/src/WAConnection/6.MessagesSend.ts
index 8f5a571..57edc1a 100644
--- a/src/WAConnection/6.MessagesSend.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/6.MessagesSend.ts
@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
     }
     /** Prepare a media message for sending */
     async prepareMessageMedia(buffer: Buffer, mediaType: MessageType, options: MessageOptions = {}) {
+        await this.waitForConnection ()
+
         if (mediaType === MessageType.document && !options.mimetype) {
             throw new Error('mimetype required to send a document')
         }