diff --git a/src/components/messages/MessageViewer.vue b/src/components/messages/MessageViewer.vue
index f96ef2c..63ab1af 100644
--- a/src/components/messages/MessageViewer.vue
+++ b/src/components/messages/MessageViewer.vue
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@
 
             <!-- text input -->
             <textarea
-                :readonly="isSendingMessage"
                 v-model="newMessageText"
                 @keydown.enter.exact.native="onEnterPressed"
                 class="bg-gray-50 border border-gray-300 text-gray-900 text-sm rounded-lg focus:ring-blue-500 focus:border-blue-500 block w-full p-2.5"
@@ -101,6 +100,7 @@ import Connection from "../../js/Connection.js";
 import MessageUtils from "../../js/MessageUtils.js";
 import DeviceUtils from "../../js/DeviceUtils.js";
 import TimeUtils from "../../js/TimeUtils.js";
+import Utils from "../../js/Utils.js";
 
 export default {
     name: 'MessageViewer',
@@ -140,6 +140,11 @@ export default {
                 return false;
             }
 
+            // can't send if already sending
+            if(this.isSendingMessage){
+                return;
+            }
+
             // do nothing if message is empty
             const newMessageText = this.newMessageText;
             if(newMessageText == null || newMessageText === ""){
@@ -147,7 +152,6 @@ export default {
             }
 
             // todo validate message max length
-            // todo rate limit to 1 message per second, otherwise duplicate messages in same second have same packet hash and won't send/ack
 
             // show loading
             this.isSendingMessage = true;
@@ -165,6 +169,9 @@ export default {
                 alert("failed to send message");
             }
 
+            // force user to wait 1 second before sending another message
+            await Utils.sleep(1000);
+
             // hide loading
             this.isSendingMessage = false;
 
diff --git a/src/js/Connection.js b/src/js/Connection.js
index 6d7e336..a349c5c 100644
--- a/src/js/Connection.js
+++ b/src/js/Connection.js
@@ -175,13 +175,8 @@ class Connection {
         // send message
         const message = await GlobalState.connection.sendTextMessage(publicKey, text);
 
-        // mark message as failed after estimated timeout
-        setTimeout(async () => {
-            await Database.Message.setMessageFailedByAckCode(message.expectedAckCrc, "timeout");
-        }, message.estTimeout);
-
         // save to database
-        await Database.Message.insert({
+        const databaseMessage = await Database.Message.insert({
             status: "sending",
             to: publicKey,
             from: GlobalState.selfInfo.publicKey,
@@ -195,6 +190,11 @@ class Connection {
             error: null,
         });
 
+        // mark message as failed after estimated timeout
+        setTimeout(async () => {
+            await Database.Message.setMessageFailedById(databaseMessage.id, "timeout");
+        }, message.estTimeout);
+
     }
 
     static async syncMessages() {
diff --git a/src/js/Database.js b/src/js/Database.js
index 4ab0962..7d53313 100644
--- a/src/js/Database.js
+++ b/src/js/Database.js
@@ -107,6 +107,21 @@ class Message {
         });
     }
 
+    static async getMessageById(id) {
+        return await database.messages.findOne({
+            selector: {
+                id: {
+                    $eq: id,
+                },
+            },
+            sort: [
+                {
+                    timestamp: "desc",
+                },
+            ],
+        }).exec();
+    }
+
     // mark a message as delivered by its ack code
     static async setMessageDeliveredByAckCode(ackCode) {
 
@@ -133,30 +148,19 @@ class Message {
     }
 
     // mark a message as failed by its ack code
-    static async setMessageFailedByAckCode(ackCode, reason) {
+    static async setMessageFailedById(id, reason) {
 
         // find one latest message by ack code
         // this will prevent updating older messages that might have the same ack code
-        const message = await database.messages.findOne({
-            selector: {
-                expected_ack_crc: {
-                    $eq: ackCode,
-                },
-            },
-            sort: [
-                {
-                    timestamp: "desc",
-                },
-            ],
-        }).exec();
+        const message = await this.getMessageById(id);
 
         // do nothing if message not found
         if(!message){
             return;
         }
 
-        // do nothing if already delivered
-        if(message.status === "delivered"){
+        // only update if still in sending state
+        if(message.status !== "sending"){
             return;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/js/Utils.js b/src/js/Utils.js
index 062100e..e424111 100644
--- a/src/js/Utils.js
+++ b/src/js/Utils.js
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 class Utils {
 
+    static async sleep(millis) {
+        return await new Promise((resolve, reject) => setTimeout(resolve, millis));
+    }
+
     static bytesToHex(uint8Array) {
         return Array.from(uint8Array).map(byte => byte.toString(16).padStart(2, '0')).join('');
     }