diff --git a/src/chat/client.nim b/src/chat/client.nim
index 8fcfed3..3d5b374 100644
--- a/src/chat/client.nim
+++ b/src/chat/client.nim
@@ -229,14 +229,14 @@ proc newPrivateConversation*(client: Client,
 
 #################################################
 # Payload Handling
+# Receives a incoming payload, decodes it, and processes it.
 #################################################
 
 proc parseMessage(client: Client, msg: ChatPayload) {.raises: [ValueError,
     SerializationError].} =
-  ## Receives a incoming payload, decodes it, and processes it.
   let envelopeRes = decode(msg.bytes, WapEnvelopeV1)
   if envelopeRes.isErr:
-    debug "Failed to decode WapEnvelopeV1", err = envelopeRes.error
+    debug "Failed to decode WapEnvelopeV1", client = client.getId(), err = envelopeRes.error
     return
   let envelope = envelopeRes.get()
 
@@ -268,6 +268,11 @@ proc messageQueueConsumer(client: Client) {.async.} =
   while client.isRunning:
     let message = await client.inboundQueue.queue.get()
 
+    let topicRes = inbox.parseTopic(message.contentTopic).or(private_v1.parseTopic(message.contentTopic))
+    if topicRes.isErr:
+      debug "Invalid content topic", client = client.getId(), err = topicRes.error, contentTopic = message.contentTopic
+      continue
+
     notice "Inbound Message Received", client = client.getId(),
         contentTopic = message.contentTopic, len = message.bytes.len()
     try:
diff --git a/src/chat/conversations/private_v1.nim b/src/chat/conversations/private_v1.nim
index 5b31f4a..99a0236 100644
--- a/src/chat/conversations/private_v1.nim
+++ b/src/chat/conversations/private_v1.nim
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ type
     discriminator: string
     doubleratchet: naxolotl.Doubleratchet
 
+const
+  TopicPrefixPrivateV1 = "/convo/private/"
+
 proc getTopic*(self: PrivateV1): string =
   ## Returns the topic for the PrivateV1 conversation.
   return self.topic
@@ -63,7 +66,18 @@ proc getConvoId*(self: PrivateV1): string =
 
 proc derive_topic(participants: seq[PublicKey], discriminator: string): string =
   ## Derives a topic from the participants' public keys.
-  return "/convo/private/" & getConvoIdRaw(participants, discriminator)
+  return TopicPrefixPrivateV1 & getConvoIdRaw(participants, discriminator)
+
+## Parses the topic to extract the conversation ID.
+proc parseTopic*(topic: string): Result[string, ChatError] =
+  if not topic.startsWith(TopicPrefixPrivateV1):
+    return err(ChatError(code: errTopic, context: "Invalid topic prefix"))
+  
+  let id = topic.split('/')[^1]
+  if id == "":
+    return err(ChatError(code: errTopic, context: "Empty conversation ID"))
+  
+  return ok(id)
 
 proc calcMsgId(self: PrivateV1, msgBytes: seq[byte]): string =
   let s = fmt"{self.getConvoId()}|{msgBytes}"
diff --git a/src/chat/errors.nim b/src/chat/errors.nim
index f4751b0..c74b5b2 100644
--- a/src/chat/errors.nim
+++ b/src/chat/errors.nim
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ type
   ErrorCode* = enum
     errTypeError
     errWrapped
+    errTopic
 
 proc `$`*(x: ChatError): string =
   fmt"ChatError(code={$x.code}, context: {x.context})"
diff --git a/src/chat/inbox.nim b/src/chat/inbox.nim
index 14beed2..6b8f606 100644
--- a/src/chat/inbox.nim
+++ b/src/chat/inbox.nim
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import std/[strutils]
+
 import
   chronicles,
   chronos,
@@ -10,6 +12,7 @@ import
   conversation_store,
   crypto,
   delivery/waku_client,
+  errors,
   proto_types,
   types
 
@@ -21,6 +24,8 @@ type
     pubkey: PublicKey
     inbox_addr: string
 
+const
+  TopicPrefixInbox = "/inbox/"
 
 proc `$`*(conv: Inbox): string =
   fmt"Inbox: addr->{conv.inbox_addr}"
@@ -56,7 +61,17 @@ proc conversation_id_for*(pubkey: PublicKey): string =
 
 # TODO derive this from instance of Inbox
 proc topic_inbox*(client_addr: string): string =
-  return "/inbox/" & client_addr
+  return TopicPrefixInbox & client_addr
+
+proc parseTopic*(topic: string): Result[string, ChatError] =
+  if not topic.startsWith(TopicPrefixInbox):
+    return err(ChatError(code: errTopic, context: "Invalid inbox topic prefix"))
+  
+  let id = topic.split('/')[^1]
+  if id == "":
+    return err(ChatError(code: errTopic, context: "Empty inbox id"))
+  
+  return ok(id)
 
 method id*(convo: Inbox): string =
   return conversation_id_for(convo.pubkey)