diff --git a/spec/chatbox.js b/spec/chatbox.js
index 1e388fabe..36aa66cf4 100644
--- a/spec/chatbox.js
+++ b/spec/chatbox.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*global mock */
+/*global mock, converse */
 
 const _ = converse.env._;
 const $msg = converse.env.$msg;
diff --git a/spec/controlbox.js b/spec/controlbox.js
index 77c25c7aa..784e9e8db 100644
--- a/spec/controlbox.js
+++ b/spec/controlbox.js
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-/*global mock */
+/*global mock, converse */
 
-const _ = converse.env._,
-      $msg = converse.env.$msg,
-      u = converse.env.utils,
-      Strophe = converse.env.Strophe,
-      sizzle = converse.env.sizzle;
+const _ = converse.env._;
+const $msg = converse.env.$msg;
+const u = converse.env.utils;
+const Strophe = converse.env.Strophe;
+const sizzle = converse.env.sizzle;
 
 
 describe("The Controlbox", function () {
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ describe("The Controlbox", function () {
             _converse.handleMessageStanza(msg);
             await u.waitUntil(() => _converse.rosterview.el.querySelectorAll(".msgs-indicator").length);
             spyOn(chatview.model, 'incrementUnreadMsgCounter').and.callThrough();
-            expect(_converse.chatboxviews.el.querySelector('.restore-chat .message-count').textContent).toBe('1');
+            await u.waitUntil(() => _converse.chatboxviews.el.querySelector('.restore-chat .message-count')?.textContent === '1');
             expect(_converse.rosterview.el.querySelector('.msgs-indicator').textContent).toBe('1');
 
             msg = $msg({
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ describe("The Controlbox", function () {
                 .c('active', {'xmlns': 'http://jabber.org/protocol/chatstates'}).tree();
             _converse.handleMessageStanza(msg);
             await u.waitUntil(() => chatview.model.incrementUnreadMsgCounter.calls.count());
-            expect(_converse.chatboxviews.el.querySelector('.restore-chat .message-count').textContent).toBe('2');
+            await u.waitUntil(() => _converse.chatboxviews.el.querySelector('.restore-chat .message-count')?.textContent === '2');
             expect(_converse.rosterview.el.querySelector('.msgs-indicator').textContent).toBe('2');
             chatview.model.set({'minimized': false});
             expect(_converse.chatboxviews.el.querySelector('.restore-chat .message-count')).toBe(null);
diff --git a/spec/mam.js b/spec/mam.js
index 597f6f7e9..779300bc4 100644
--- a/spec/mam.js
+++ b/spec/mam.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*global mock */
+/*global mock, converse */
 
 const Model = converse.env.Model;
 const Strophe = converse.env.Strophe;
diff --git a/spec/muc_messages.js b/spec/muc_messages.js
index bfc2e4071..b3f3c2924 100644
--- a/spec/muc_messages.js
+++ b/spec/muc_messages.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*global mock */
+/*global mock, converse */
 
 const { Promise, Strophe, $msg, $pres, sizzle, stanza_utils } = converse.env;
 const u = converse.env.utils;
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ describe("A Groupchat Message", function () {
             })
             .c('x', {xmlns: Strophe.NS.MUC_USER})
             .c('item', {
-                'affiliation': 'none',
+                'affiliation': 'owner',
                 'jid': 'newguy@montague.lit/_converse.js-290929789',
                 'role': 'participant'
             }).tree();
@@ -367,6 +367,7 @@ describe("A Groupchat Message", function () {
         const view = _converse.api.chatviews.get(muc_jid);
         spyOn(converse.env.log, 'error');
         await view.model.handleMAMResult({ 'messages': [msg] });
+        await u.waitUntil(() => converse.env.log.error.calls.count());
         expect(converse.env.log.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
             'Invalid Stanza: MUC messages SHOULD NOT be XEP-0280 carbon copied'
         );
diff --git a/spec/omemo.js b/spec/omemo.js
index d357c8776..c75c41bed 100644
--- a/spec/omemo.js
+++ b/spec/omemo.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*global mock */
+/*global mock, converse */
 
 const { $iq, $pres, $msg, _, Strophe } = converse.env;
 const u = converse.env.utils;
diff --git a/src/headless/converse-chat.js b/src/headless/converse-chat.js
index 7a2413e15..a4b73d2f4 100644
--- a/src/headless/converse-chat.js
+++ b/src/headless/converse-chat.js
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ converse.plugins.add('converse-chat', {
              * @async
              * @private
              * @method _converse.ChatRoom#queueMessage
-             * @param { XMLElement } stanza - The message stanza.
+             * @param { Promise<MessageAttributes> } attrs - A promise which resolves to the message attributes
              */
             queueMessage (attrs) {
                 this.msg_chain = (this.msg_chain || this.messages.fetched);
@@ -445,6 +445,12 @@ converse.plugins.add('converse-chat', {
                 return this.msg_chain;
             },
 
+            /**
+             * @async
+             * @private
+             * @method _converse.ChatRoom#onMessage
+             * @param { MessageAttributes } attrs_promse - A promise which resolves to the message attributes.
+             */
             async onMessage (attrs) {
                 attrs = await attrs;
                 if (u.isErrorObject(attrs)) {
diff --git a/src/headless/converse-muc.js b/src/headless/converse-muc.js
index 9d6271acc..0fe7814f4 100644
--- a/src/headless/converse-muc.js
+++ b/src/headless/converse-muc.js
@@ -1911,15 +1911,15 @@ converse.plugins.add('converse-muc', {
              * @async
              * @private
              * @method _converse.ChatRoom#queueMessage
-             * @param { XMLElement } stanza - The message stanza.
+             * @param { Promise<MessageAttributes> } attrs - A promise which resolves to the message attributes
              */
-            queueMessage (stanza) {
+            queueMessage (attrs) {
                 if (this.messages?.fetched) {
                     this.msg_chain = (this.msg_chain || this.messages.fetched);
-                    this.msg_chain = this.msg_chain.then(() => this.onMessage(stanza));
+                    this.msg_chain = this.msg_chain.then(() => this.onMessage(attrs));
                     return this.msg_chain;
                 } else {
-                    this.message_queue.push(stanza);
+                    this.message_queue.push(attrs);
                     return Promise.resolve();
                 }
             },
@@ -1983,9 +1983,10 @@ converse.plugins.add('converse-muc', {
              * should be called.
              * @private
              * @method _converse.ChatRoom#onMessage
-             * @param { MessageAttributes } attrs - The message attributes
+             * @param { MessageAttributes } attrs - A promise which resolves to the message attributes.
              */
             async onMessage (attrs) {
+                attrs = await attrs;
                 if (u.isErrorObject(attrs)) {
                     attrs.stanza && log.error(attrs.stanza);
                     return log.error(attrs.message);
diff --git a/src/headless/utils/stanza.js b/src/headless/utils/stanza.js
index 3f1eebbc1..79f48467b 100644
--- a/src/headless/utils/stanza.js
+++ b/src/headless/utils/stanza.js
@@ -523,6 +523,7 @@ const st = {
                 return new StanzaParseError(`Invalid Stanza: Forged MAM message from ${from}`, stanza);
             }
         }
+        await api.emojis.initialize();
         attrs = Object.assign({
             'message': attrs.body || attrs.error, // TODO: Remove and use body and error attributes instead
             'is_only_emojis': attrs.body ? u.isOnlyEmojis(attrs.body) : false,
@@ -543,9 +544,9 @@ const st = {
      *  message stanza, if it was contained, otherwise it's the message stanza itself.
      * @param { _converse.ChatRoom } chatbox
      * @param { _converse } _converse
-     * @returns { (MUCMessageAttributes|Error) }
+     * @returns { Promise<MUCMessageAttributes|Error> }
      */
-    parseMUCMessage (stanza, chatbox, _converse) {
+    async parseMUCMessage (stanza, chatbox, _converse) {
         const err = rejectUnencapsulatedForward(stanza);
         if (err) {
             return err;
@@ -650,6 +651,7 @@ const st = {
             getEncryptionAttributes(stanza, _converse)
         );
 
+        await api.emojis.initialize();
         attrs = Object.assign({
             'is_only_emojis': attrs.body ? u.isOnlyEmojis(attrs.body) : false,
             'is_receipt_request': isReceiptRequest(stanza, attrs),