diff --git a/ts/ConversationController.ts b/ts/ConversationController.ts
index e7a15b883fd6..f64ef6820c81 100644
--- a/ts/ConversationController.ts
+++ b/ts/ConversationController.ts
@@ -451,9 +451,6 @@ export class ConversationController {
       );
     }
 
-    const identifier = aci || e164 || pni;
-    strictAssert(identifier, `${logId}: identifier must be truthy!`);
-
     const matches: Array<ConvoMatchType> = [
       {
         key: 'uuid',
@@ -591,6 +588,12 @@ export class ConversationController {
     );
 
     log.info(`${logId}: Creating a new conversation with all inputs`);
+
+    // This is not our precedence for lookup, but it ensures that the PNI gets into the
+    //   uuid slot if we have no ACI.
+    const identifier = aci || pni || e164;
+    strictAssert(identifier, `${logId}: identifier must be truthy!`);
+
     return this.getOrCreate(identifier, 'private', { e164, pni });
   }
 
diff --git a/ts/test-electron/ConversationController_test.ts b/ts/test-electron/ConversationController_test.ts
index 56818b2ae859..993d4af948e9 100644
--- a/ts/test-electron/ConversationController_test.ts
+++ b/ts/test-electron/ConversationController_test.ts
@@ -190,6 +190,35 @@ describe('ConversationController', () => {
 
         assert.strictEqual(result?.id, second?.id, 'result and second match');
       });
+      it('creates a new conversation with e164+PNI if no matches', () => {
+        const result = window.ConversationController.maybeMergeContacts({
+          mergeOldAndNew,
+          e164: E164_1,
+          pni: PNI_1,
+          reason,
+        });
+
+        expectPropsAndLookups(result, 'result', {
+          aci: PNI_1,
+          e164: E164_1,
+          pni: PNI_1,
+        });
+
+        const second = window.ConversationController.maybeMergeContacts({
+          mergeOldAndNew,
+          e164: E164_1,
+          pni: PNI_1,
+          reason,
+        });
+
+        expectPropsAndLookups(second, 'second', {
+          aci: PNI_1,
+          e164: E164_1,
+          pni: PNI_1,
+        });
+
+        assert.strictEqual(result?.id, second?.id, 'result and second match');
+      });
       it('creates a new conversation with all data if no matches', () => {
         const result = window.ConversationController.maybeMergeContacts({
           mergeOldAndNew,