diff --git a/src/messagecontent/ReplyComponent.qml b/src/messagecontent/ReplyComponent.qml
index 894f5cff6..117d1d0b0 100644
--- a/src/messagecontent/ReplyComponent.qml
+++ b/src/messagecontent/ReplyComponent.qml
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ RowLayout {
         Layout.fillHeight: true
 
         implicitWidth: Kirigami.Units.smallSpacing
-        color: root.replyContentModel.author.color
+        color: root.replyContentModel.author?.color ?? Kirigami.Theme.highlightColor
         radius: Kirigami.Units.cornerRadius
     }
     ColumnLayout {
diff --git a/src/messagecontent/models/eventmessagecontentmodel.cpp b/src/messagecontent/models/eventmessagecontentmodel.cpp
index f25dcda63..19dc47196 100644
--- a/src/messagecontent/models/eventmessagecontentmodel.cpp
+++ b/src/messagecontent/models/eventmessagecontentmodel.cpp
@@ -269,6 +269,8 @@ void EventMessageContentModel::resetModel()
     updateItineraryModel();
 
     Q_EMIT componentsUpdated();
+    // We need QML to re-evaluate author (for example, reply colors) if it was previously null.
+    Q_EMIT authorChanged();
 }
 
 void EventMessageContentModel::resetContent(bool isEditing, bool isThreading)
diff --git a/src/messagecontent/models/messagecontentmodel.cpp b/src/messagecontent/models/messagecontentmodel.cpp
index b801d052e..fa79c5e43 100644
--- a/src/messagecontent/models/messagecontentmodel.cpp
+++ b/src/messagecontent/models/messagecontentmodel.cpp
@@ -87,7 +87,6 @@ QDateTime MessageContentModel::time() const
 QString MessageContentModel::timeString() const
 {
     return time().toLocalTime().toString(u"hh:mm"_s);
-    ;
 }
 
 QString MessageContentModel::authorId() const