diff --git a/src/Tests/Common.ts b/src/Tests/Common.ts
index f9099bf..619eba0 100644
--- a/src/Tests/Common.ts
+++ b/src/Tests/Common.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { WAConnection, MessageLogLevel, MessageOptions, MessageType, unixTimestampSeconds, toNumber, GET_MESSAGE_ID, WA_MESSAGE_KEY } from '../WAConnection/WAConnection'
+import { WAConnection, MessageLogLevel, MessageOptions, MessageType, unixTimestampSeconds, toNumber, GET_MESSAGE_ID, waMessageKey } from '../WAConnection/WAConnection'
 import * as assert from 'assert'
 import {promises as fs} from 'fs'
 
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export const WAConnectionTest = (name: string, func: (conn: WAConnection) => voi
 export const assertChatDBIntegrity = (conn: WAConnection) => {
     conn.chats.all ().forEach (chat => (
         assert.deepEqual (
-            [...chat.messages.all()].sort ((m1, m2) => WA_MESSAGE_KEY(m1)-WA_MESSAGE_KEY(m2)),
+            [...chat.messages.all()].sort ((m1, m2) => waMessageKey.compare(waMessageKey.key(m1), waMessageKey.key(m2))),
             chat.messages.all()
         )
     ))
diff --git a/src/WAConnection/3.Connect.ts b/src/WAConnection/3.Connect.ts
index 80ed547..00bc120 100644
--- a/src/WAConnection/3.Connect.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/3.Connect.ts
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
                 chat.jid = Utils.whatsappID (chat.jid)
                 chat.t = +chat.t
                 chat.count = +chat.count
-                chat.messages = new KeyedDB (Utils.WA_MESSAGE_KEY, Utils.WA_MESSAGE_ID)
+                chat.messages = new KeyedDB (Utils.waMessageKey, Utils.WA_MESSAGE_ID)
 
                 // chats data (log json to see what it looks like)
                 !chats.get (chat.jid) && chats.insert (chat) 
diff --git a/src/WAConnection/4.Events.ts b/src/WAConnection/4.Events.ts
index 919d958..2b40efc 100644
--- a/src/WAConnection/4.Events.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/4.Events.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import * as QR from 'qrcode-terminal'
 import { WAConnection as Base } from './3.Connect'
 import { WAMessageStatusUpdate, WAMessage, WAContact, WAChat, WAMessageProto, WA_MESSAGE_STUB_TYPE, WA_MESSAGE_STATUS_TYPE, MessageLogLevel, PresenceUpdate, BaileysEvent, DisconnectReason, WANode, WAOpenResult, Presence, AuthenticationCredentials } from './Constants'
-import { whatsappID, unixTimestampSeconds, isGroupID, toNumber, GET_MESSAGE_ID, WA_MESSAGE_ID, WA_MESSAGE_KEY } from './Utils'
+import { whatsappID, unixTimestampSeconds, isGroupID, toNumber, GET_MESSAGE_ID, WA_MESSAGE_ID, waMessageKey } from './Utils'
 import KeyedDB from '@adiwajshing/keyed-db'
 import { Mutex } from './Mutex'
 
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
         const chat: WAChat = {
             jid: jid,
             t: unixTimestampSeconds(),
-            messages: new KeyedDB(WA_MESSAGE_KEY, WA_MESSAGE_ID),
+            messages: new KeyedDB(waMessageKey, WA_MESSAGE_ID),
             count: 0,
             modify_tag: '',
             spam: 'false',
diff --git a/src/WAConnection/Constants.ts b/src/WAConnection/Constants.ts
index dbbd6e7..6937620 100644
--- a/src/WAConnection/Constants.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/Constants.ts
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ export interface WAChat {
     name?: string
     
     // Baileys added properties
-    messages: KeyedDB<WAMessage, number>
+    messages: KeyedDB<WAMessage, string>
     imgUrl?: string
 }
 export enum WAMetric {
diff --git a/src/WAConnection/Utils.ts b/src/WAConnection/Utils.ts
index 3cebe77..049c0c9 100644
--- a/src/WAConnection/Utils.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/Utils.ts
@@ -29,9 +29,11 @@ export const waChatKey = (pin: boolean) => ({
     key: (c: WAChat) => (pin ? (c.pin ? '1' : '0') : '') + c.t.toString(16).padStart(8, '0') + c.jid,
     compare: (k1: string, k2: string) => k2.localeCompare (k1)
 })
-export const WA_MESSAGE_KEY = (m: WAMessage) => toNumber (m.messageTimestamp)*1000 + (m['epoch'] || 0)%1000
+export const waMessageKey = {
+    key: (m: WAMessage) => toNumber (m.messageTimestamp).toString(16) + (10000 + (m['epoch'] || 0)).toString(16),
+    compare: (k1: string, k2: string) => k1.localeCompare (k2)
+}
 export const WA_MESSAGE_ID = (m: WAMessage) => GET_MESSAGE_ID (m.key)
-
 export const GET_MESSAGE_ID = (key: WAMessageKey) => `${key.id}|${key.fromMe ? 1 : 0}`
 
 export const whatsappID = (jid: string) => jid?.replace ('@c.us', '@s.whatsapp.net')