diff --git a/app/ui/legacy/src/main/java/com/fsck/k9/ui/messagelist/MessageListLoader.kt b/app/ui/legacy/src/main/java/com/fsck/k9/ui/messagelist/MessageListLoader.kt
index 304d4bcfe..bbb06c667 100644
--- a/app/ui/legacy/src/main/java/com/fsck/k9/ui/messagelist/MessageListLoader.kt
+++ b/app/ui/legacy/src/main/java/com/fsck/k9/ui/messagelist/MessageListLoader.kt
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
 package com.fsck.k9.ui.messagelist
 
+import android.annotation.SuppressLint
 import android.content.ContentResolver
 import android.database.Cursor
+import android.database.MatrixCursor
+import android.database.sqlite.SQLiteException
 import android.net.Uri
 import com.fsck.k9.Account
 import com.fsck.k9.Account.SortType
+import com.fsck.k9.K9
 import com.fsck.k9.Preferences
 import com.fsck.k9.fragment.MLFProjectionInfo
 import com.fsck.k9.fragment.MessageListFragmentComparators.ArrivalComparator
@@ -26,6 +30,7 @@ import com.fsck.k9.search.SqlQueryBuilder
 import com.fsck.k9.search.getAccounts
 import java.util.ArrayList
 import java.util.Comparator
+import timber.log.Timber
 
 class MessageListLoader(
     private val preferences: Preferences,
@@ -62,6 +67,7 @@ class MessageListLoader(
         return MessageListInfo(messageListItems, hasMoreMessages)
     }
 
+    @SuppressLint("Recycle")
     private fun loadMessageListForAccount(account: Account, config: MessageListConfig): Cursor? {
         val accountUuid = account.uuid
         val threadId: String? = getThreadId(config.search)
@@ -110,7 +116,17 @@ class MessageListLoader(
 
         val sortOrder: String = buildSortOrder(config)
 
-        return contentResolver.query(uri, projection, selection, selectionArgs, sortOrder)
+        return try {
+            contentResolver.query(uri, projection, selection, selectionArgs, sortOrder)
+        } catch (e: SQLiteException) {
+            Timber.e(e, "Error querying EmailProvider")
+
+            if (K9.DEVELOPER_MODE && e.message?.contains("malformed MATCH expression") == false) {
+                throw e
+            }
+
+            return MatrixCursor(projection)
+        }
     }
 
     private fun getThreadId(search: LocalSearch): String? {