diff --git a/ts/models/messages.ts b/ts/models/messages.ts
index 5774fa2af0..038a977d03 100644
--- a/ts/models/messages.ts
+++ b/ts/models/messages.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import {
 import type { SentEventData } from '../textsecure/messageReceiverEvents';
 import { isNotNil } from '../util/isNotNil';
 import { isNormalNumber } from '../util/isNormalNumber';
-import { strictAssert } from '../util/assert';
+import { softAssert, strictAssert } from '../util/assert';
 import { missingCaseError } from '../util/missingCaseError';
 import { dropNull } from '../util/dropNull';
 import type { ConversationModel } from './conversations';
@@ -324,16 +324,16 @@ export class MessageModel extends window.Backbone.Model<MessageAttributesType> {
 
     if (!message) {
       const conversation = this.getConversation();
-      strictAssert(
+      softAssert(
         conversation && isDirectConversation(conversation.attributes),
-        'Hydrating story context on a non-private conversation'
+        'hydrateStoryContext: Not a type=direct conversation'
       );
       this.set({
         storyReplyContext: {
           attachment: undefined,
           // This is ok to do because story replies only show in 1:1 conversations
           // so the story that was quoted should be from the same conversation.
-          authorUuid: conversation.get('uuid'),
+          authorUuid: conversation?.get('uuid'),
           // No messageId, referenced story not found!
           messageId: '',
         },
diff --git a/ts/sql/Server.ts b/ts/sql/Server.ts
index 1675d13863..88efea4234 100644
--- a/ts/sql/Server.ts
+++ b/ts/sql/Server.ts
@@ -2869,7 +2869,11 @@ async function getConversationRangeCenteredOnMessage({
         sentAt,
         storyId,
       }),
-      metrics: getMessageMetricsForConversationSync(conversationId, storyId),
+      metrics: getMessageMetricsForConversationSync(
+        conversationId,
+        storyId,
+        isGroup
+      ),
     };
   })();
 }
diff --git a/ts/util/assert.ts b/ts/util/assert.ts
index 2206de0c48..dcc125d25d 100644
--- a/ts/util/assert.ts
+++ b/ts/util/assert.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,21 @@
 import { getEnvironment, Environment } from '../environment';
 import * as log from '../logging/log';
 
+/**
+ * In production and beta, logs a warning and continues. For development it
+ * starts the debugger.
+ */
+export function softAssert(condition: unknown, message: string): void {
+  if (!condition) {
+    if (getEnvironment() === Environment.Development) {
+      debugger; // eslint-disable-line no-debugger
+    }
+
+    const err = new Error(message);
+    log.warn('softAssert failure:', err && err.stack ? err.stack : err);
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * In production, logs an error and continues. In all other environments, throws an error.
  */