diff --git a/assets/l10n/intl_en.arb b/assets/l10n/intl_en.arb
index 6d087c5b9..baa741ad5 100644
--- a/assets/l10n/intl_en.arb
+++ b/assets/l10n/intl_en.arb
@@ -2601,5 +2601,6 @@
       "appname": {},
       "unread": {}
     }
-  }
+  },
+  "noDatabaseEncryption": "Database encryption is not supported on this platform"
 }
diff --git a/lib/config/setting_keys.dart b/lib/config/setting_keys.dart
index 0766249bf..5fbccc4aa 100644
--- a/lib/config/setting_keys.dart
+++ b/lib/config/setting_keys.dart
@@ -30,4 +30,6 @@ abstract class SettingKeys {
   static const String showPresences = 'chat.fluffy.show_presences';
   static const String displayChatDetailsColumn =
       'chat.fluffy.display_chat_details_column';
+  static const String noEncryptionWarningShown =
+      'chat.fluffy.no_encryption_warning_shown';
 }
diff --git a/lib/utils/matrix_sdk_extensions/flutter_matrix_dart_sdk_database/builder.dart b/lib/utils/matrix_sdk_extensions/flutter_matrix_dart_sdk_database/builder.dart
index 8c182716e..2679ff72a 100644
--- a/lib/utils/matrix_sdk_extensions/flutter_matrix_dart_sdk_database/builder.dart
+++ b/lib/utils/matrix_sdk_extensions/flutter_matrix_dart_sdk_database/builder.dart
@@ -81,21 +81,23 @@ Future<MatrixSdkDatabase> _constructDatabase(Client client) async {
 
   // in case we got a cipher, we use the encryption helper
   // to manage SQLite encryption
-  final helper = SQfLiteEncryptionHelper(
-    factory: factory,
-    path: path,
-    cipher: cipher,
-  );
+  final helper = cipher == null
+      ? null
+      : SQfLiteEncryptionHelper(
+          factory: factory,
+          path: path,
+          cipher: cipher,
+        );
 
   // check whether the DB is already encrypted and otherwise do so
-  await helper.ensureDatabaseFileEncrypted();
+  await helper?.ensureDatabaseFileEncrypted();
 
   final database = await factory.openDatabase(
     path,
     options: OpenDatabaseOptions(
       version: 1,
       // most important : apply encryption when opening the DB
-      onConfigure: helper.applyPragmaKey,
+      onConfigure: helper?.applyPragmaKey,
     ),
   );
 
diff --git a/lib/utils/matrix_sdk_extensions/flutter_matrix_dart_sdk_database/cipher.dart b/lib/utils/matrix_sdk_extensions/flutter_matrix_dart_sdk_database/cipher.dart
index 0c1163c4a..a1903018d 100644
--- a/lib/utils/matrix_sdk_extensions/flutter_matrix_dart_sdk_database/cipher.dart
+++ b/lib/utils/matrix_sdk_extensions/flutter_matrix_dart_sdk_database/cipher.dart
@@ -1,14 +1,20 @@
 import 'dart:convert';
 import 'dart:math';
 
+import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart';
 import 'package:flutter/services.dart';
 
+import 'package:flutter_gen/gen_l10n/l10n.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_secure_storage/flutter_secure_storage.dart';
 import 'package:matrix/matrix.dart';
+import 'package:shared_preferences/shared_preferences.dart';
+
+import 'package:fluffychat/config/setting_keys.dart';
+import 'package:fluffychat/utils/client_manager.dart';
 
 const _passwordStorageKey = 'database_password';
 
-Future<String> getDatabaseCipher() async {
+Future<String?> getDatabaseCipher() async {
   String? password;
 
   try {
@@ -28,21 +34,34 @@ Future<String> getDatabaseCipher() async {
     // workaround for if we just wrote to the key and it still doesn't exist
     password = await secureStorage.read(key: _passwordStorageKey);
     if (password == null) throw MissingPluginException();
-  } on MissingPluginException catch (_) {
+  } on MissingPluginException catch (e) {
     const FlutterSecureStorage()
         .delete(key: _passwordStorageKey)
         .catchError((_) {});
-    Logs().i('Database encryption is not supported on this platform');
+    Logs().w('Database encryption is not supported on this platform', e);
+    _sendNoEncryptionWarning(e);
   } catch (e, s) {
     const FlutterSecureStorage()
         .delete(key: _passwordStorageKey)
         .catchError((_) {});
     Logs().w('Unable to init database encryption', e, s);
+    _sendNoEncryptionWarning(e);
   }
 
-  // with the new database, we should no longer allow unencrypted storage
-  // secure_storage now supports all platforms we support
-  assert(password != null);
+  return password;
+}
+
+void _sendNoEncryptionWarning(Object exception) async {
+  final store = await SharedPreferences.getInstance();
+  final isStored = store.getBool(SettingKeys.noEncryptionWarningShown);
+
+  if (isStored == true) return;
+
+  final l10n = lookupL10n(PlatformDispatcher.instance.locale);
+  ClientManager.sendInitNotification(
+    l10n.noDatabaseEncryption,
+    exception.toString(),
+  );
 
-  return password!;
+  await store.setBool(SettingKeys.noEncryptionWarningShown, true);
 }