diff --git a/src/domain/session/room/timeline/ReactionsViewModel.js b/src/domain/session/room/timeline/ReactionsViewModel.js
index 6364fc8b..dea74ccf 100644
--- a/src/domain/session/room/timeline/ReactionsViewModel.js
+++ b/src/domain/session/room/timeline/ReactionsViewModel.js
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ export class ReactionsViewModel {
         this._reactions = this._map.sortValues((a, b) => a._compare(b));
     }
 
+    /** @package */
     update(annotations, pendingAnnotations) {
         if (annotations) {
             for (const key in annotations) {
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ export class ReactionsViewModel {
                             this._map.update(key);
                         }
                     } else {
-                        this._map.add(key, new ReactionViewModel(key, annotation, null, this._parentEntry));
+                        this._map.add(key, new ReactionViewModel(key, annotation, 0, this._parentEntry));
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ export class ReactionsViewModel {
                     this._map.update(existingKey);
                 }
             } else if (!hasPending) {
-                if (this._map.get(existingKey)._tryUpdatePending(null)) {
+                if (this._map.get(existingKey)._tryUpdatePending(0)) {
                     this._map.update(existingKey);
                 }
             }
@@ -109,18 +110,15 @@ class ReactionViewModel {
     }
 
     get count() {
-        let count = 0;
+        let count = this._pendingCount;
         if (this._annotation) {
             count += this._annotation.count;
         }
-        if (this._pendingCount !== null) {
-            count += this._pendingCount;
-        }
         return count;
     }
 
     get isPending() {
-        return this._pendingCount !== null;
+        return this._pendingCount !== 0;
     }
 
     get haveReacted() {
@@ -156,7 +154,6 @@ class ReactionViewModel {
 
     async toggleReaction() {
         if (this._isToggling) {
-            console.log("blocking toggleReaction, call ongoing");
             return;
         }
         this._isToggling = true;
diff --git a/src/matrix/room/timeline/Timeline.js b/src/matrix/room/timeline/Timeline.js
index 35593663..c50523f3 100644
--- a/src/matrix/room/timeline/Timeline.js
+++ b/src/matrix/room/timeline/Timeline.js
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import {TimelineReader} from "./persistence/TimelineReader.js";
 import {PendingEventEntry} from "./entries/PendingEventEntry.js";
 import {RoomMember} from "../members/RoomMember.js";
 import {PowerLevels} from "./PowerLevels.js";
-import {getRelation, ANNOTATION_RELATION_TYPE} from "./relations.js";
+import {getRelation, getRelationFromContent, ANNOTATION_RELATION_TYPE} from "./relations.js";
 import {REDACTION_TYPE} from "../common.js";
 
 export class Timeline {
@@ -116,19 +116,34 @@ export class Timeline {
     }
 
     async _mapPendingEventToEntry(pe) {
-        // we load the remote redaction target for pending events,
+        // we load the redaction target for pending events,
         // so if we are redacting a relation, we can pass the redaction
         // to the relation target and the removal of the relation can
         // be taken into account for local echo.
-        let redactionTarget;
-        if (pe.eventType === REDACTION_TYPE && pe.relatedEventId) {
-            const txn = await this._storage.readWriteTxn([
-                this._storage.storeNames.timelineEvents,
-            ]);
-            const redactionTargetEntry = await txn.timelineEvents.getByEventId(this._roomId, pe.relatedEventId);
-            redactionTarget = redactionTargetEntry?.event;
+        let redactingRelation;
+        if (pe.eventType === REDACTION_TYPE) {
+            if (pe.relatedEventId) {
+                const txn = await this._storage.readWriteTxn([
+                    this._storage.storeNames.timelineEvents,
+                ]);
+                const redactionTargetEntry = await txn.timelineEvents.getByEventId(this._roomId, pe.relatedEventId);
+                if (redactionTargetEntry) {
+                    redactingRelation = getRelation(redactionTargetEntry.event);
+                }
+            } else if (pe.relatedTxnId) {
+                // also look for redacting relation in pending events, in case the target is already being sent
+                for (const p of this._localEntries) {
+                    if (p.id === pe.relatedTxnId) {
+                        redactingRelation = getRelationFromContent(p.content);
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
         }
-        const pee = new PendingEventEntry({pendingEvent: pe, member: this._ownMember, clock: this._clock, redactionTarget});
+        const pee = new PendingEventEntry({
+            pendingEvent: pe, member: this._ownMember,
+            clock: this._clock, redactingRelation
+        });
         this._applyAndEmitLocalRelationChange(pee, target => target.addLocalRelation(pee));
         return pee;
     }
@@ -158,6 +173,7 @@ export class Timeline {
         // also look for a relation target to update with this redaction
         if (pee.redactingRelation) {
             const eventId = pee.redactingRelation.event_id;
+            // TODO: also support reacting to pending entries
             this._remoteEntries.findAndUpdate(
                 e => e.id === eventId,
                 updateOrFalse
diff --git a/src/matrix/room/timeline/entries/PendingEventEntry.js b/src/matrix/room/timeline/entries/PendingEventEntry.js
index d9aa4b80..edb728cd 100644
--- a/src/matrix/room/timeline/entries/PendingEventEntry.js
+++ b/src/matrix/room/timeline/entries/PendingEventEntry.js
@@ -19,13 +19,13 @@ import {BaseEventEntry} from "./BaseEventEntry.js";
 import {getRelationFromContent} from "../relations.js";
 
 export class PendingEventEntry extends BaseEventEntry {
-    constructor({pendingEvent, member, clock, redactionTarget}) {
+    constructor({pendingEvent, member, clock, redactingRelation}) {
         super(null);
         this._pendingEvent = pendingEvent;
         /** @type {RoomMember} */
         this._member = member;
         this._clock = clock;
-        this._redactionTarget = redactionTarget;
+        this._redactingRelation = redactingRelation;
     }
 
     get fragmentId() {
@@ -89,10 +89,7 @@ export class PendingEventEntry extends BaseEventEntry {
     }
 
     get redactingRelation() {
-        if (this._redactionTarget) {
-            return getRelationFromContent(this._redactionTarget.content);
-        }
-        return null;
+        return this._redactingRelation;
     }
     /**
      * returns either the relationship on this entry,
@@ -100,10 +97,6 @@ export class PendingEventEntry extends BaseEventEntry {
      * 
      * Useful while aggregating relations for local echo. */
     get ownOrRedactedRelation() {
-        if (this._redactionTarget) {
-            return getRelationFromContent(this._redactionTarget.content);
-        } else {
-            return getRelationFromContent(this._pendingEvent.content);
-        }
+        return this.redactingRelation || getRelationFromContent(this._pendingEvent.content);
     }
 }