diff --git a/src/Socket/messages-recv.ts b/src/Socket/messages-recv.ts
index 05ac438..a070547 100644
--- a/src/Socket/messages-recv.ts
+++ b/src/Socket/messages-recv.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 
 import { proto } from '../../WAProto'
 import { KEY_BUNDLE_TYPE, MIN_PREKEY_COUNT } from '../Defaults'
-import { BaileysEventMap, InitialReceivedChatsState, MessageReceiptType, MessageUserReceipt, SocketConfig, WACallEvent, WAMessageStubType } from '../Types'
+import { BaileysEventMap, InitialReceivedChatsState, MessageReceiptType, MessageRelayOptions, MessageUserReceipt, SocketConfig, WACallEvent, WAMessageKey, WAMessageStubType } from '../Types'
 import { debouncedTimeout, decodeMediaRetryNode, decodeMessageStanza, delay, encodeBigEndian, generateSignalPubKey, getCallStatusFromNode, getNextPreKeys, getStatusFromReceiptType, normalizeMessageContent, unixTimestampSeconds, xmppPreKey, xmppSignedPreKey } from '../Utils'
 import { makeKeyedMutex, makeMutex } from '../Utils/make-mutex'
 import processMessage, { cleanMessage } from '../Utils/process-message'
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ export const makeMessagesRecvSocket = (config: SocketConfig) => {
 		logger,
 		treatCiphertextMessagesAsReal,
 		retryRequestDelayMs,
-		downloadHistory
+		downloadHistory,
+		getMessage
 	} = config
 	const sock = makeChatsSocket(config)
 	const {
@@ -316,28 +317,33 @@ export const makeMessagesRecvSocket = (config: SocketConfig) => {
 	}
 
 	const sendMessagesAgain = async(key: proto.IMessageKey, ids: string[]) => {
-		const msgs = await Promise.all(
-			ids.map(id => (
-				config.getMessage({ ...key, id })
-			))
-		)
+		const msgs = await Promise.all(ids.map(id => getMessage({ ...key, id })))
 
 		const participant = key.participant || key.remoteJid
+		// if it's the primary jid sending the request
+		// just re-send the message to everyone
+		// prevents the first message decryption failure
+		const sendToAll = !jidDecode(participant).device
 		await assertSessions([participant], true)
 
 		if(isJidGroup(key.remoteJid)) {
 			await authState.keys.set({ 'sender-key-memory': { [key.remoteJid]: null } })
 		}
 
-		logger.debug({ participant }, 'forced new session for retry recp')
+		logger.debug({ participant, sendToAll }, 'forced new session for retry recp')
 
 		for(let i = 0; i < msgs.length;i++) {
 			if(msgs[i]) {
 				updateSendMessageAgainCount(ids[i], participant)
-				await relayMessage(key.remoteJid, msgs[i], {
-					messageId: ids[i],
-					participant
-				})
+				const msgRelayOpts: MessageRelayOptions = { messageId: ids[i] }
+
+				if(sendToAll) {
+					msgRelayOpts.useUserDevicesCache = false
+				} else {
+					msgRelayOpts.participant = participant
+				}
+
+				await relayMessage(key.remoteJid, msgs[i], msgRelayOpts)
 			} else {
 				logger.debug({ jid: key.remoteJid, id: ids[i] }, 'recv retry request, but message not available')
 			}
@@ -475,6 +481,22 @@ export const makeMessagesRecvSocket = (config: SocketConfig) => {
 		}
 	}
 
+	const handleBadAck = async({ attrs }: BinaryNode) => {
+		// current hypothesis is that if pash is sent in the ack
+		// it means -- the message hasn't reached all devices yet
+		// we'll retry sending the message here
+		if(attrs.phash) {
+			logger.info({ attrs }, 'received phash in ack, resending message...')
+			const key: WAMessageKey = { remoteJid: attrs.from, fromMe: true, id: attrs.id }
+			const msg = await getMessage(key)
+			if(msg) {
+				await relayMessage(key.remoteJid, msg, { messageId: key.id, useUserDevicesCache: false })
+			} else {
+				logger.warn({ attrs }, 'could not send message again, as it was not found')
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	// recv a message
 	ws.on('CB:message', (stanza: BinaryNode) => {
 		const { fullMessage: msg, category, author, decryptionTask } = decodeMessageStanza(stanza, authState)
@@ -585,6 +607,11 @@ export const makeMessagesRecvSocket = (config: SocketConfig) => {
 			)
 	})
 
+	ws.on('CB:ack,class:message', (node: BinaryNode) => {
+		handleBadAck(node)
+			.catch(error => onUnexpectedError(error, 'handling bad ack'))
+	})
+
 	ev.on('messages.upsert', data => {
 		handleUpsertedMessages(data)
 			.catch(
diff --git a/src/Socket/messages-send.ts b/src/Socket/messages-send.ts
index b7b847a..23895e9 100644
--- a/src/Socket/messages-send.ts
+++ b/src/Socket/messages-send.ts
@@ -141,15 +141,20 @@ export const makeMessagesSocket = (config: SocketConfig) => {
 		}
  	}
 
-	const getUSyncDevices = async(jids: string[], ignoreZeroDevices: boolean) => {
+	/** Fetch all the devices we've to send a message to */
+	const getUSyncDevices = async(jids: string[], useCache: boolean, ignoreZeroDevices: boolean) => {
 		const deviceResults: JidWithDevice[] = []
 
+		if(!useCache) {
+			logger.debug('not using cache for devices')
+		}
+
 		const users: BinaryNode[] = []
 		jids = Array.from(new Set(jids))
 		for(let jid of jids) {
 			const user = jidDecode(jid).user
 			jid = jidNormalizedUser(jid)
-			if(userDevicesCache.has(user)) {
+			if(userDevicesCache.has(user) && useCache) {
 				const devices: JidWithDevice[] = userDevicesCache.get(user)
 				deviceResults.push(...devices)
 
@@ -285,7 +290,7 @@ export const makeMessagesSocket = (config: SocketConfig) => {
 	const relayMessage = async(
 		jid: string,
 		message: proto.IMessage,
-		{ messageId: msgId, participant, additionalAttributes, cachedGroupMetadata }: MessageRelayOptions
+		{ messageId: msgId, participant, additionalAttributes, useUserDevicesCache, cachedGroupMetadata }: MessageRelayOptions
 	) => {
 		const meId = authState.creds.me!.id
 
@@ -294,6 +299,7 @@ export const makeMessagesSocket = (config: SocketConfig) => {
 		const { user, server } = jidDecode(jid)
 		const isGroup = server === 'g.us'
 		msgId = msgId || generateMessageID()
+		useUserDevicesCache = useUserDevicesCache !== false
 
 		const encodedMsg = encodeWAMessage(message)
 		const participants: BinaryNode[] = []
@@ -345,7 +351,7 @@ export const makeMessagesSocket = (config: SocketConfig) => {
 
 					if(!participant) {
 						const participantsList = groupData.participants.map(p => p.id)
-						const additionalDevices = await getUSyncDevices(participantsList, false)
+						const additionalDevices = await getUSyncDevices(participantsList, useUserDevicesCache, false)
 						devices.push(...additionalDevices)
 					}
 
@@ -401,7 +407,7 @@ export const makeMessagesSocket = (config: SocketConfig) => {
 						devices.push({ user })
 						devices.push({ user: meUser })
 
-						const additionalDevices = await getUSyncDevices([ meId, jid ], true)
+						const additionalDevices = await getUSyncDevices([ meId, jid ], useUserDevicesCache, true)
 						devices.push(...additionalDevices)
 					}
 
diff --git a/src/Types/Message.ts b/src/Types/Message.ts
index 441b8a4..dfb70a1 100644
--- a/src/Types/Message.ts
+++ b/src/Types/Message.ts
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ export type AnyMediaMessageContent = (
         seconds?: number
     } | ({
         sticker: WAMediaUpload
-        isAnimated?: boolean 
+        isAnimated?: boolean
     } & WithDimensions) | ({
         document: WAMediaUpload
         mimetype: string
@@ -153,6 +153,8 @@ export type MessageRelayOptions = MinimalRelayOptions & {
     participant?: string
     /** additional attributes to add to the WA binary node */
     additionalAttributes?: { [_: string]: string }
+    /** should we use the devices cache, or fetch afresh from the server; default assumed to be "true" */
+    useUserDevicesCache?: boolean
 }
 
 export type MiscMessageGenerationOptions = MinimalRelayOptions & {