diff --git a/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs b/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
index 6dfb27002c..e98abaebef 100644
--- a/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
+++ b/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_get_chat_contacts(
     assert!(!context.is_null());
     let context = &*context;
 
-    dc_chat::dc_get_chat_contacts(context, chat_id)
+    dc_array_t::from(dc_chat::dc_get_chat_contacts(context, chat_id)).into_raw()
 }
 
 #[no_mangle]
@@ -817,7 +817,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_get_contacts(
     };
 
     match Contact::get_all(context, flags, query) {
-        Ok(contacts) => contacts,
+        Ok(contacts) => dc_array_t::from(contacts).into_raw(),
         Err(_) => std::ptr::null_mut(),
     }
 }
diff --git a/examples/repl/cmdline.rs b/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
index e58f601c3d..547174f9cf 100644
--- a/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
+++ b/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
@@ -301,13 +301,12 @@ unsafe fn log_msglist(context: &Context, msglist: *mut dc_array_t) {
     }
 }
 
-unsafe fn log_contactlist(context: &Context, contacts: *mut dc_array_t) {
-    if !dc_array_search_id(contacts, 1 as uint32_t, 0 as *mut size_t) {
-        dc_array_add_id(contacts, 1 as uint32_t);
+unsafe fn log_contactlist(context: &Context, contacts: &Vec<u32>) {
+    let mut contacts = contacts.clone();
+    if !contacts.contains(&1) {
+        contacts.push(1);
     }
-    let cnt = dc_array_get_cnt(contacts);
-    for i in 0..cnt {
-        let contact_id = dc_array_get_id(contacts, i as size_t);
+    for contact_id in contacts {
         let line;
         let mut line2 = "".to_string();
         if let Ok(contact) = Contact::get_by_id(context, contact_id) {
@@ -835,16 +834,14 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_cmdline(context: &Context, line: &str) -> Result<(), failure::E
             ensure!(!sel_chat.is_null(), "No chat selected.");
 
             let contacts = dc_get_chat_contacts(context, dc_chat_get_id(sel_chat));
-            ensure!(!contacts.is_null(), "Failed to retreive contacts");
             info!(context, 0, "Memberlist:");
 
-            log_contactlist(context, contacts);
+            log_contactlist(context, &contacts);
             println!(
                 "{} contacts\nLocation streaming: {}",
-                dc_array_get_cnt(contacts),
+                contacts.len(),
                 dc_is_sending_locations_to_chat(context, dc_chat_get_id(sel_chat)),
             );
-            dc_array_unref(contacts);
         }
         "getlocations" => {
             let contact_id = arg1.parse().unwrap_or_default();
@@ -1064,13 +1061,8 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_cmdline(context: &Context, line: &str) -> Result<(), failure::E
                 },
                 Some(arg1),
             )?;
-            if !contacts.is_null() {
-                log_contactlist(context, contacts);
-                println!("{} contacts.", dc_array_get_cnt(contacts) as libc::c_int,);
-                dc_array_unref(contacts);
-            } else {
-                bail!("");
-            }
+            log_contactlist(context, &contacts);
+            println!("{} contacts.", contacts.len());
         }
         "addcontact" => {
             ensure!(!arg1.is_empty(), "Arguments [<name>] <addr> expected.");
diff --git a/src/contact.rs b/src/contact.rs
index de86f30417..b0e2100983 100644
--- a/src/contact.rs
+++ b/src/contact.rs
@@ -472,7 +472,7 @@ impl<'a> Contact<'a> {
         context: &Context,
         listflags: u32,
         query: Option<impl AsRef<str>>,
-    ) -> Result<*mut dc_array_t> {
+    ) -> Result<Vec<u32>> {
         let self_addr = context
             .get_config(Config::ConfiguredAddr)
             .unwrap_or_default();
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ impl<'a> Contact<'a> {
             ret.push(DC_CONTACT_ID_SELF as u32);
         }
 
-        Ok(dc_array_t::from(ret).into_raw())
+        Ok(ret)
     }
 
     pub fn get_blocked_cnt(context: &Context) -> usize {
diff --git a/src/dc_chat.rs b/src/dc_chat.rs
index 8f6d1a5dda..59e3e71ea5 100644
--- a/src/dc_chat.rs
+++ b/src/dc_chat.rs
@@ -1406,12 +1406,12 @@ pub fn dc_delete_chat(context: &Context, chat_id: u32) -> bool {
     true
 }
 
-pub fn dc_get_chat_contacts(context: &Context, chat_id: u32) -> *mut dc_array_t {
+pub fn dc_get_chat_contacts(context: &Context, chat_id: u32) -> Vec<u32> {
     /* Normal chats do not include SELF.  Group chats do (as it may happen that one is deleted from a
     groupchat but the chats stays visible, moreover, this makes displaying lists easier) */
 
     if chat_id == 1 {
-        return std::ptr::null_mut();
+        return Vec::new();
     }
 
     // we could also create a list for all contacts in the deaddrop by searching contacts belonging to chats with
@@ -1423,19 +1423,11 @@ pub fn dc_get_chat_contacts(context: &Context, chat_id: u32) -> *mut dc_array_t
             "SELECT cc.contact_id FROM chats_contacts cc \
              LEFT JOIN contacts c ON c.id=cc.contact_id WHERE cc.chat_id=? \
              ORDER BY c.id=1, LOWER(c.name||c.addr), c.id;",
-            params![chat_id as i32],
-            |row| row.get::<_, i32>(0),
-            |ids| {
-                let mut ret = Vec::new();
-
-                for id in ids {
-                    ret.push(id? as u32);
-                }
-
-                Ok(dc_array_t::from(ret).into_raw())
-            },
+            params![chat_id],
+            |row| row.get::<_, u32>(0),
+            |ids| ids.collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>().map_err(Into::into),
         )
-        .unwrap_or_else(|_| std::ptr::null_mut())
+        .unwrap_or_default()
 }
 
 pub unsafe fn dc_get_chat(context: &Context, chat_id: uint32_t) -> *mut Chat {
@@ -2099,7 +2091,6 @@ pub fn dc_get_chat_contact_cnt(context: &Context, chat_id: u32) -> libc::c_int {
 pub unsafe fn dc_chat_get_profile_image(chat: *const Chat) -> *mut libc::c_char {
     let mut image_rel: *mut libc::c_char = 0 as *mut libc::c_char;
     let mut image_abs: *mut libc::c_char = 0 as *mut libc::c_char;
-    let mut contacts: *mut dc_array_t = 0 as *mut dc_array_t;
 
     if !(chat.is_null() || (*chat).magic != DC_CHAT_MAGIC) {
         image_rel = (*chat)
@@ -2110,9 +2101,9 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_chat_get_profile_image(chat: *const Chat) -> *mut libc::c_char
         if !image_rel.is_null() && 0 != *image_rel.offset(0isize) as libc::c_int {
             image_abs = dc_get_abs_path((*chat).context, image_rel)
         } else if (*chat).type_0 == DC_CHAT_TYPE_SINGLE {
-            contacts = dc_get_chat_contacts((*chat).context, (*chat).id);
-            if !(*contacts).is_empty() {
-                if let Ok(contact) = Contact::get_by_id((*chat).context, (*contacts).get_id(0)) {
+            let contacts = dc_get_chat_contacts((*chat).context, (*chat).id);
+            if !contacts.is_empty() {
+                if let Ok(contact) = Contact::get_by_id((*chat).context, contacts[0]) {
                     if let Some(img) = contact.get_profile_image() {
                         image_abs = img.strdup();
                     }
@@ -2122,20 +2113,18 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_chat_get_profile_image(chat: *const Chat) -> *mut libc::c_char
     }
 
     free(image_rel as *mut libc::c_void);
-    dc_array_unref(contacts);
 
     image_abs
 }
 
 pub unsafe fn dc_chat_get_color(chat: *const Chat) -> uint32_t {
     let mut color: uint32_t = 0i32 as uint32_t;
-    let mut contacts: *mut dc_array_t = 0 as *mut dc_array_t;
 
     if !(chat.is_null() || (*chat).magic != DC_CHAT_MAGIC) {
         if (*chat).type_0 == DC_CHAT_TYPE_SINGLE {
-            contacts = dc_get_chat_contacts((*chat).context, (*chat).id);
-            if !(*contacts).is_empty() {
-                if let Ok(contact) = Contact::get_by_id((*chat).context, (*contacts).get_id(0)) {
+            let contacts = dc_get_chat_contacts((*chat).context, (*chat).id);
+            if !contacts.is_empty() {
+                if let Ok(contact) = Contact::get_by_id((*chat).context, contacts[0]) {
                     color = contact.get_color();
                 }
             }
@@ -2144,8 +2133,6 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_chat_get_color(chat: *const Chat) -> uint32_t {
         }
     }
 
-    dc_array_unref(contacts);
-
     color
 }
 
diff --git a/src/dc_securejoin.rs b/src/dc_securejoin.rs
index d41a0c4107..dde9b4ffd8 100644
--- a/src/dc_securejoin.rs
+++ b/src/dc_securejoin.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ use crate::aheader::EncryptPreference;
 use crate::constants::*;
 use crate::contact::*;
 use crate::context::Context;
-use crate::dc_array::*;
 use crate::dc_chat::*;
 use crate::dc_configure::*;
 use crate::dc_e2ee::*;
@@ -296,14 +295,12 @@ unsafe fn send_handshake_msg(
 }
 
 unsafe fn chat_id_2_contact_id(context: &Context, contact_chat_id: uint32_t) -> uint32_t {
-    let mut contact_id: uint32_t = 0i32 as uint32_t;
-    let contacts: *mut dc_array_t = dc_get_chat_contacts(context, contact_chat_id);
-    if !(dc_array_get_cnt(contacts) != 1) {
-        contact_id = dc_array_get_id(contacts, 0i32 as size_t)
+    let contacts = dc_get_chat_contacts(context, contact_chat_id);
+    if contacts.len() == 1 {
+        contacts[0]
+    } else {
+        0
     }
-    dc_array_unref(contacts);
-
-    contact_id
 }
 
 unsafe fn fingerprint_equals_sender(
@@ -317,8 +314,8 @@ unsafe fn fingerprint_equals_sender(
     let mut fingerprint_equal: libc::c_int = 0i32;
     let contacts = dc_get_chat_contacts(context, contact_chat_id);
 
-    if !(dc_array_get_cnt(contacts) != 1) {
-        if let Ok(contact) = Contact::load_from_db(context, dc_array_get_id(contacts, 0)) {
+    if contacts.len() == 1 {
+        if let Ok(contact) = Contact::load_from_db(context, contacts[0]) {
             if let Some(peerstate) = Peerstate::from_addr(context, &context.sql, contact.get_addr())
             {
                 let fingerprint_normalized = dc_normalize_fingerprint(as_str(fingerprint));
@@ -332,7 +329,6 @@ unsafe fn fingerprint_equals_sender(
             return 0;
         }
     }
-    dc_array_unref(contacts);
 
     fingerprint_equal
 }
diff --git a/tests/stress.rs b/tests/stress.rs
index be662d8cb4..22a8427fc9 100644
--- a/tests/stress.rs
+++ b/tests/stress.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ use deltachat::config;
 use deltachat::constants::*;
 use deltachat::contact::*;
 use deltachat::context::*;
-use deltachat::dc_array::*;
 use deltachat::dc_chat::*;
 use deltachat::dc_configure::*;
 use deltachat::dc_imex::*;
@@ -809,19 +808,16 @@ fn test_get_contacts() {
     unsafe {
         let context = create_test_context();
         let contacts = Contact::get_all(&context.ctx, 0, Some("some2")).unwrap();
-        assert_eq!(dc_array_get_cnt(contacts), 0);
-        dc_array_unref(contacts);
+        assert_eq!(contacts.len(), 0);
 
         let id = Contact::create(&context.ctx, "bob", "bob@mail.de").unwrap();
         assert_ne!(id, 0);
 
         let contacts = Contact::get_all(&context.ctx, 0, Some("bob")).unwrap();
-        assert_eq!(dc_array_get_cnt(contacts), 1);
-        dc_array_unref(contacts);
+        assert_eq!(contacts.len(), 1);
 
         let contacts = Contact::get_all(&context.ctx, 0, Some("alice")).unwrap();
-        assert_eq!(dc_array_get_cnt(contacts), 0);
-        dc_array_unref(contacts);
+        assert_eq!(contacts.len(), 0);
     }
 }