diff --git a/Sources/StreamChat/Controllers/ChannelController/ChannelController.swift b/Sources/StreamChat/Controllers/ChannelController/ChannelController.swift
index 4c048b968b..7ee1ae60df 100644
--- a/Sources/StreamChat/Controllers/ChannelController/ChannelController.swift
+++ b/Sources/StreamChat/Controllers/ChannelController/ChannelController.swift
@@ -1670,17 +1670,8 @@ private extension ChatChannelController {
             }
             guard let cid = self.cid else { return nil }
             let sortAscending = self.messageOrdering == .topToBottom ? false : true
-            var deletedMessageVisibility: ChatClientConfig.DeletedMessageVisibility?
-            var shouldShowShadowedMessages: Bool?
-            self.client.databaseContainer.viewContext.performAndWait { [weak self] in
-                guard let self = self else {
-                    log.warning("Callback called while self is nil")
-                    return
-                }
-                deletedMessageVisibility = self.client.databaseContainer.viewContext.deletedMessagesVisibility
-                shouldShowShadowedMessages = self.client.databaseContainer.viewContext.shouldShowShadowedMessages
-            }
-
+            let deletedMessageVisibility = client.config.deletedMessagesVisibility
+            let shouldShowShadowedMessages = client.config.shouldShowShadowedMessages
             let pageSize = channelQuery.pagination?.pageSize ?? .messagesPageSize
             let observer = BackgroundListDatabaseObserver(
                 database: client.databaseContainer,
@@ -1688,8 +1679,8 @@ private extension ChatChannelController {
                     for: cid,
                     pageSize: pageSize,
                     sortAscending: sortAscending,
-                    deletedMessagesVisibility: deletedMessageVisibility ?? .visibleForCurrentUser,
-                    shouldShowShadowedMessages: shouldShowShadowedMessages ?? false
+                    deletedMessagesVisibility: deletedMessageVisibility,
+                    shouldShowShadowedMessages: shouldShowShadowedMessages
                 ),
                 itemCreator: { try $0.asModel() as ChatMessage },
                 itemReuseKeyPaths: (\ChatMessage.id, \MessageDTO.id)
diff --git a/Sources/StreamChat/Database/DatabaseContainer.swift b/Sources/StreamChat/Database/DatabaseContainer.swift
index f77a83f1d9..eedae2c14d 100644
--- a/Sources/StreamChat/Database/DatabaseContainer.swift
+++ b/Sources/StreamChat/Database/DatabaseContainer.swift
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ class DatabaseContainer: NSPersistentContainer, @unchecked Sendable {
     }
     
     func readAndWait<T>(_ actions: (DatabaseSession) throws -> T) throws -> T {
-        let context = viewContext
+        let context = backgroundReadOnlyContext
         var result: T?
         var readError: Error?
         context.performAndWait {
diff --git a/Sources/StreamChat/StateLayer/ChatClient+Factory.swift b/Sources/StreamChat/StateLayer/ChatClient+Factory.swift
index b6444d86c5..3fe1efcf40 100644
--- a/Sources/StreamChat/StateLayer/ChatClient+Factory.swift
+++ b/Sources/StreamChat/StateLayer/ChatClient+Factory.swift
@@ -10,8 +10,11 @@ extension ChatClient {
     /// Creates an instance of ``ConnectedUser`` which represents the logged-in user state and its actions.
     ///
     /// - Throws: An error if no user is currently logged-in.
-    @MainActor public func makeConnectedUser() throws -> ConnectedUser {
-        let user = try CurrentUserDTO.load(context: databaseContainer.viewContext)
+    public func makeConnectedUser() throws -> ConnectedUser {
+        let user = try databaseContainer.readAndWait { session in
+            guard let dto = session.currentUser else { throw ClientError.CurrentUserDoesNotExist() }
+            return try dto.asModel()
+        }
         return ConnectedUser(user: user, client: self)
     }
 }
diff --git a/TestTools/StreamChatTestTools/Mocks/StreamChat/ChatClient_Mock.swift b/TestTools/StreamChatTestTools/Mocks/StreamChat/ChatClient_Mock.swift
index da564183ed..77796f113d 100644
--- a/TestTools/StreamChatTestTools/Mocks/StreamChat/ChatClient_Mock.swift
+++ b/TestTools/StreamChatTestTools/Mocks/StreamChat/ChatClient_Mock.swift
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ extension ChatClient {
     }
 
     /// Create a new instance of mock `ChatClient`
-    static func mock(config: ChatClientConfig? = nil, bundle: Bundle? = nil) -> ChatClient {
+    static func mock(config: ChatClientConfig? = nil, bundle: Bundle? = nil) -> ChatClient_Mock {
         .init(
             config: config ?? defaultMockedConfig,
             environment: .init(
diff --git a/Tests/StreamChatTests/Controllers/ChannelController/ChannelController_Tests.swift b/Tests/StreamChatTests/Controllers/ChannelController/ChannelController_Tests.swift
index 59a5658222..cfd89dbce0 100644
--- a/Tests/StreamChatTests/Controllers/ChannelController/ChannelController_Tests.swift
+++ b/Tests/StreamChatTests/Controllers/ChannelController/ChannelController_Tests.swift
@@ -22,8 +22,12 @@ final class ChannelController_Tests: XCTestCase {
     override func setUp() {
         super.setUp()
 
+        setUp(with: ChatClient_Mock.defaultMockedConfig)
+    }
+    
+    func setUp(with config: ChatClientConfig) {
         env = TestEnvironment()
-        client = ChatClient.mock
+        client = ChatClient.mock(config: config)
         channelId = ChannelId.unique
         controller = ChatChannelController(
             channelQuery: .init(cid: channelId),
@@ -1229,7 +1233,9 @@ final class ChannelController_Tests: XCTestCase {
 
     func test_deletedMessages_withVisibleForCurrentUser_messageVisibility() throws {
         // Simulate the config setting
-        client.databaseContainer.viewContext.deletedMessagesVisibility = .visibleForCurrentUser
+        var config = ChatClient_Mock.defaultMockedConfig
+        config.deletedMessagesVisibility = .visibleForCurrentUser
+        setUp(with: config)
 
         let currentUserID: UserId = .unique
 
@@ -1264,7 +1270,9 @@ final class ChannelController_Tests: XCTestCase {
 
     func test_deletedMessages_withAlwaysHidden_messageVisibility() throws {
         // Simulate the config setting
-        client.databaseContainer.viewContext.deletedMessagesVisibility = .alwaysHidden
+        var config = ChatClient_Mock.defaultMockedConfig
+        config.deletedMessagesVisibility = .alwaysHidden
+        setUp(with: config)
 
         let currentUserID: UserId = .unique
 
@@ -1334,7 +1342,9 @@ final class ChannelController_Tests: XCTestCase {
 
     func test_shadowedMessages_whenVisible() throws {
         // Simulate the config setting
-        client.databaseContainer.viewContext.shouldShowShadowedMessages = true
+        var config = ChatClient_Mock.defaultMockedConfig
+        config.shouldShowShadowedMessages = true
+        setUp(with: config)
 
         let currentUserID: UserId = .unique