diff --git a/app/build.gradle b/app/build.gradle
index 1271c1ea4d..c5850ece1c 100644
--- a/app/build.gradle
+++ b/app/build.gradle
@@ -24,6 +24,13 @@ def generateVersionCodeFromVersionName() {
     return versionMajor * 10000 + versionMinor * 100 + versionPatch
 }
 
+project.android.buildTypes.all { buildType ->
+    buildType.javaCompileOptions.annotationProcessorOptions.arguments =
+            [
+                    validateEpoxyModelUsage     : String.valueOf(buildType.name == 'debug')
+            ]
+}
+
 android {
     compileSdkVersion 28
     defaultConfig {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/im/vector/riotredesign/features/home/HomeActivityViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/im/vector/riotredesign/features/home/HomeActivityViewModel.kt
index a08d455ba0..1f72d3824e 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/im/vector/riotredesign/features/home/HomeActivityViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/im/vector/riotredesign/features/home/HomeActivityViewModel.kt
@@ -52,11 +52,11 @@ class HomeActivityViewModel(state: EmptyState,
         get() = _openRoomLiveData
 
     init {
-        val lastSelectedRoom = roomSelectionRepository.lastSelectedRoom()
-        if (lastSelectedRoom == null) {
+        val lastSelectedRoomId = roomSelectionRepository.lastSelectedRoom()
+        if (lastSelectedRoomId == null || session.getRoom(lastSelectedRoomId) == null) {
             getTheFirstRoomWhenAvailable()
         } else {
-            _openRoomLiveData.postValue(LiveEvent(lastSelectedRoom))
+            _openRoomLiveData.postValue(LiveEvent(lastSelectedRoomId))
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/im/vector/riotredesign/features/home/room/detail/timeline/DefaultItemFactory.kt b/app/src/main/java/im/vector/riotredesign/features/home/room/detail/timeline/DefaultItemFactory.kt
index 7c43d75cd9..03a631eaf1 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/im/vector/riotredesign/features/home/room/detail/timeline/DefaultItemFactory.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/im/vector/riotredesign/features/home/room/detail/timeline/DefaultItemFactory.kt
@@ -20,8 +20,12 @@ import im.vector.matrix.android.api.session.room.timeline.TimelineEvent
 
 class DefaultItemFactory {
 
-    fun create(event: TimelineEvent): DefaultItem? {
-        val text = "${event.root.type} events are not yet handled"
+    fun create(event: TimelineEvent, exception: Exception? = null): DefaultItem? {
+        val text = if (exception == null) {
+            "${event.root.type} events are not yet handled"
+        } else {
+            "an exception occurred when rendering the event ${event.root.eventId}"
+        }
         return DefaultItem(text = text)
     }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/im/vector/riotredesign/features/home/room/detail/timeline/MessageItemFactory.kt b/app/src/main/java/im/vector/riotredesign/features/home/room/detail/timeline/MessageItemFactory.kt
index 35b55933fd..314bf77487 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/im/vector/riotredesign/features/home/room/detail/timeline/MessageItemFactory.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/im/vector/riotredesign/features/home/room/detail/timeline/MessageItemFactory.kt
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import im.vector.matrix.android.api.session.room.model.message.MessageContent
 import im.vector.matrix.android.api.session.room.model.message.MessageImageContent
 import im.vector.matrix.android.api.session.room.model.message.MessageTextContent
 import im.vector.matrix.android.api.session.room.timeline.TimelineEvent
+import im.vector.riotredesign.core.epoxy.KotlinModel
 import im.vector.riotredesign.core.extensions.localDateTime
 import im.vector.riotredesign.features.home.room.detail.timeline.helper.TimelineMediaSizeProvider
 import im.vector.riotredesign.features.media.MediaContentRenderer
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ class MessageItemFactory(private val timelineMediaSizeProvider: TimelineMediaSiz
     fun create(event: TimelineEvent,
                nextEvent: TimelineEvent?,
                callback: TimelineEventController.Callback?
-    ): AbsMessageItem? {
+    ): KotlinModel? {
 
         val roomMember = event.roomMember
         val nextRoomMember = nextEvent?.roomMember
@@ -66,10 +67,15 @@ class MessageItemFactory(private val timelineMediaSizeProvider: TimelineMediaSiz
         return when (messageContent) {
             is MessageTextContent  -> buildTextMessageItem(messageContent, informationData, callback)
             is MessageImageContent -> buildImageMessageItem(messageContent, informationData)
-            else                   -> null
+            else                   -> buildNotHandledMessageItem(messageContent)
         }
     }
 
+    private fun buildNotHandledMessageItem(messageContent: MessageContent): KotlinModel? {
+        val text = "${messageContent.type} message events are not yet handled"
+        return DefaultItem(text = text)
+    }
+
     private fun buildImageMessageItem(messageContent: MessageImageContent,
                                       informationData: MessageInformationData): MessageImageItem? {
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/im/vector/riotredesign/features/home/room/detail/timeline/TimelineItemFactory.kt b/app/src/main/java/im/vector/riotredesign/features/home/room/detail/timeline/TimelineItemFactory.kt
index cc30b0105c..83a41cf65e 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/im/vector/riotredesign/features/home/room/detail/timeline/TimelineItemFactory.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/im/vector/riotredesign/features/home/room/detail/timeline/TimelineItemFactory.kt
@@ -30,12 +30,16 @@ class TimelineItemFactory(private val messageItemFactory: MessageItemFactory,
                nextEvent: TimelineEvent?,
                callback: TimelineEventController.Callback?): KotlinModel? {
 
-        return when (event.root.type) {
-            EventType.MESSAGE           -> messageItemFactory.create(event, nextEvent, callback)
-            EventType.STATE_ROOM_NAME   -> roomNameItemFactory.create(event)
-            EventType.STATE_ROOM_TOPIC  -> roomTopicItemFactory.create(event)
-            EventType.STATE_ROOM_MEMBER -> roomMemberItemFactory.create(event)
-            else                        -> defaultItemFactory.create(event)
+        return try {
+            when (event.root.type) {
+                EventType.MESSAGE           -> messageItemFactory.create(event, nextEvent, callback)
+                EventType.STATE_ROOM_NAME   -> roomNameItemFactory.create(event)
+                EventType.STATE_ROOM_TOPIC  -> roomTopicItemFactory.create(event)
+                EventType.STATE_ROOM_MEMBER -> roomMemberItemFactory.create(event)
+                else                        -> defaultItemFactory.create(event)
+            }
+        } catch (e: Exception) {
+            defaultItemFactory.create(event, e)
         }
     }