diff --git a/src/helpers/BaseChatMesh.cpp b/src/helpers/BaseChatMesh.cpp
index ef5863030..972a97e9e 100644
--- a/src/helpers/BaseChatMesh.cpp
+++ b/src/helpers/BaseChatMesh.cpp
@@ -946,7 +946,7 @@ ContactsIterator BaseChatMesh::startContactsIterator() {
 }
 
 bool ContactsIterator::hasNext(const BaseChatMesh* mesh, ContactInfo& dest) {
-  if (next_idx >= mesh->getNumContacts()) return false;
+  if (next_idx >= mesh->getTotalContactSlots()) return false;
 
   dest = mesh->contacts[next_idx++];
   return true;
diff --git a/src/helpers/BaseChatMesh.h b/src/helpers/BaseChatMesh.h
index 3a277c1ea..d98785470 100644
--- a/src/helpers/BaseChatMesh.h
+++ b/src/helpers/BaseChatMesh.h
@@ -172,7 +172,8 @@ public:
   ContactInfo* lookupContactByPubKey(const uint8_t* pub_key, int prefix_len);
   bool  removeContact(ContactInfo& contact);
   bool  addContact(const ContactInfo& contact);
-  int getNumContacts() const { return num_contacts; }
+  int getTotalContactSlots() const { return num_contacts; }
+  int getNumContacts() const { return num_contacts - MAX_ANON_CONTACTS; }  // don't include the reserved slots at start
   bool getContactByIdx(uint32_t idx, ContactInfo& contact);
   ContactsIterator startContactsIterator();
   ChannelDetails* addChannel(const char* name, const char* psk_base64);