diff --git a/features/messages/impl/src/main/kotlin/io/element/android/features/messages/impl/voicemessages/timeline/VoiceMessageMediaRepo.kt b/features/messages/impl/src/main/kotlin/io/element/android/features/messages/impl/voicemessages/timeline/VoiceMessageMediaRepo.kt
index a559183261..98b43ae415 100644
--- a/features/messages/impl/src/main/kotlin/io/element/android/features/messages/impl/voicemessages/timeline/VoiceMessageMediaRepo.kt
+++ b/features/messages/impl/src/main/kotlin/io/element/android/features/messages/impl/voicemessages/timeline/VoiceMessageMediaRepo.kt
@@ -83,13 +83,15 @@ class DefaultVoiceMessageMediaRepo @AssistedInject constructor(
         ): DefaultVoiceMessageMediaRepo
     }
 
-    override suspend fun getMediaFile(): Result<File> = if (!isInCache()) {
-        matrixMediaLoader.downloadMediaFile(
+    override suspend fun getMediaFile(): Result<File> = when {
+        cachedFile == null -> Result.failure(IllegalStateException("Invalid mxcUri."))
+        cachedFile.exists() -> Result.success(cachedFile)
+        else -> matrixMediaLoader.downloadMediaFile(
             source = mediaSource,
             mimeType = mimeType,
             body = body,
         ).mapCatching {
-            val dest = cachedFilePath.apply { parentFile?.mkdirs() }
+            val dest = cachedFile.apply { parentFile?.mkdirs() }
             // TODO By not closing the MediaFile we're leaking the rust file handle here.
             // Not that big of a deal but better to avoid it someday.
             if (it.toFile().renameTo(dest)) {
@@ -98,13 +100,11 @@ class DefaultVoiceMessageMediaRepo @AssistedInject constructor(
                 error("Failed to move file to cache.")
             }
         }
-    } else {
-        Result.success(cachedFilePath)
     }
 
-    private val cachedFilePath: File = File("${cacheDir.path}/$CACHE_VOICE_SUBDIR/${mxcUri2FilePath(mediaSource.url)}")
-
-    private fun isInCache(): Boolean = cachedFilePath.exists()
+    private val cachedFile: File? = mxcUri2FilePath(mediaSource.url)?.let {
+        File("${cacheDir.path}/$CACHE_VOICE_SUBDIR/$it")
+    }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -123,12 +123,9 @@ private val mxcRegex = Regex("""^mxc:\/\/([^\/]+)\/([^\/]+)$""")
  * Sanitizes an mxcUri to be used as a relative file path.
  *
  * @param mxcUri the Matrix Content (mxc://) URI of the voice message.
- * @return the relative file path as "<server-name>/<media-id>".
- * @throws IllegalStateException if the mxcUri is invalid.
+ * @return the relative file path as "<server-name>/<media-id>" or null if the mxcUri is invalid.
  */
-private fun mxcUri2FilePath(mxcUri: String): String = checkNotNull(mxcRegex.matchEntire(mxcUri)) {
-    "mxcUri2FilePath: Invalid mxcUri: $mxcUri"
-}.let { match ->
+private fun mxcUri2FilePath(mxcUri: String): String? = mxcRegex.matchEntire(mxcUri)?.let { match ->
     buildString {
         append(match.groupValues[1])
         append("/")
diff --git a/features/messages/impl/src/test/kotlin/io/element/android/features/messages/voicemessages/timeline/DefaultVoiceMessageMediaRepoTest.kt b/features/messages/impl/src/test/kotlin/io/element/android/features/messages/voicemessages/timeline/DefaultVoiceMessageMediaRepoTest.kt
index 3b19e66450..152090b14c 100644
--- a/features/messages/impl/src/test/kotlin/io/element/android/features/messages/voicemessages/timeline/DefaultVoiceMessageMediaRepoTest.kt
+++ b/features/messages/impl/src/test/kotlin/io/element/android/features/messages/voicemessages/timeline/DefaultVoiceMessageMediaRepoTest.kt
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class DefaultVoiceMessageMediaRepoTest {
 
         repo.getMediaFile().let { result ->
             Truth.assertThat(result.isFailure).isTrue()
-            result.exceptionOrNull()?.let { exception ->
+            result.exceptionOrNull()!!.let { exception ->
                 Truth.assertThat(exception).isInstanceOf(RuntimeException::class.java)
             }
         }
@@ -116,16 +116,32 @@ class DefaultVoiceMessageMediaRepoTest {
             }
         }
     }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `invalid mxc uri returns a failure`() = runTest {
+        val repo = createDefaultVoiceMessageMediaRepo(
+            temporaryFolder = temporaryFolder,
+            mxcUri = INVALID_MXC_URI,
+        )
+        repo.getMediaFile().let { result ->
+            Truth.assertThat(result.isFailure).isTrue()
+            result.exceptionOrNull()!!.let { exception ->
+                Truth.assertThat(exception).isInstanceOf(RuntimeException::class.java)
+                Truth.assertThat(exception).hasMessageThat().isEqualTo("Invalid mxcUri.")
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 private fun createDefaultVoiceMessageMediaRepo(
     temporaryFolder: TemporaryFolder,
     matrixMediaLoader: MatrixMediaLoader = FakeMediaLoader(),
+    mxcUri: String = MXC_URI,
 ) = DefaultVoiceMessageMediaRepo(
     cacheDir = temporaryFolder.root,
     matrixMediaLoader = matrixMediaLoader,
     mediaSource = MediaSource(
-        url = MXC_URI,
+        url = mxcUri,
         json = null
     ),
     mimeType = "audio/ogg",
@@ -133,6 +149,7 @@ private fun createDefaultVoiceMessageMediaRepo(
 )
 
 private const val MXC_URI = "mxc://matrix.org/1234567890abcdefg"
+private const val INVALID_MXC_URI = "notAnMxcUri"
 private val TemporaryFolder.cachedFilePath get() = "${this.root.path}/temp/voice/matrix.org/1234567890abcdefg"
 private fun TemporaryFolder.createCachedFile() = File(cachedFilePath).apply {
     parentFile?.mkdirs()