diff --git a/AnkiDroid/src/main/java/com/ichi2/anki/ui/windows/reviewer/ReviewerViewModel.kt b/AnkiDroid/src/main/java/com/ichi2/anki/ui/windows/reviewer/ReviewerViewModel.kt
index 4a7372ead5c8..3561c4549a7c 100644
--- a/AnkiDroid/src/main/java/com/ichi2/anki/ui/windows/reviewer/ReviewerViewModel.kt
+++ b/AnkiDroid/src/main/java/com/ichi2/anki/ui/windows/reviewer/ReviewerViewModel.kt
@@ -40,12 +40,12 @@ class ReviewerViewModel(cardMediaPlayer: CardMediaPlayer) :
     CardViewerViewModel(cardMediaPlayer),
     PostRequestHandler {
 
-    private var queueState: Deferred<CurrentQueueState?> = asyncIO {
-        withCol { sched.currentQueueState() }
+    private var queueState: Deferred<CurrentQueueState> = asyncIO {
+        // assumes that the Reviewer won't be launched if there isn't a queueState
+        withCol { sched.currentQueueState() }!!
     }
     override var currentCard = asyncIO {
-        // this assumes that the Reviewer won't be launched if there isn't a queueState
-        queueState.await()!!.topCard
+        queueState.await().topCard
     }
     var isQueueFinishedFlow = MutableSharedFlow<Boolean>()
 
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ class ReviewerViewModel(cardMediaPlayer: CardMediaPlayer) :
     }
 
     private suspend fun runStateMutationHook() {
-        val state = queueState.await() ?: return
+        val state = queueState.await()
         val js = state.customSchedulingJs
         if (js.isEmpty()) {
             statesMutated = true
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ class ReviewerViewModel(cardMediaPlayer: CardMediaPlayer) :
     }
 
     private suspend fun getSchedulingStatesWithContext(): ByteArray {
-        val state = queueState.await() ?: return ByteArray(0)
+        val state = queueState.await()
         return state.schedulingStatesWithContext().toBuilder()
             .mergeStates(
                 state.states.toBuilder().mergeCurrent(
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ class ReviewerViewModel(cardMediaPlayer: CardMediaPlayer) :
     }
 
     private suspend fun setSchedulingStates(bytes: ByteArray): ByteArray {
-        val state = queueState.await() ?: return ByteArray(0)
+        val state = queueState.await()
         val req = SetSchedulingStatesRequest.parseFrom(bytes)
         if (req.key == stateMutationKey) {
             state.states = req.states
@@ -164,10 +164,9 @@ class ReviewerViewModel(cardMediaPlayer: CardMediaPlayer) :
 
     private fun answerCard(ease: Ease) {
         launchCatchingIO {
-            queueState.await()?.let {
-                undoableOp { sched.answerCard(it, ease.value) }
-                updateCurrentCard()
-            }
+            val state = queueState.await()
+            undoableOp { sched.answerCard(state, ease.value) }
+            updateCurrentCard()
         }
     }
 
@@ -177,16 +176,17 @@ class ReviewerViewModel(cardMediaPlayer: CardMediaPlayer) :
     }
 
     private suspend fun updateCurrentCard() {
-        queueState = asyncIO {
-            withCol {
-                sched.currentQueueState()
-            }
+        val state = withCol {
+            sched.currentQueueState()
         }
-        queueState.await()?.let {
-            currentCard = CompletableDeferred(it.topCard)
+        if (state == null) {
+            isQueueFinishedFlow.emit(true)
+        } else {
+            queueState = CompletableDeferred(state)
+            currentCard = CompletableDeferred(state.topCard)
             showQuestion()
             loadAndPlaySounds(CardSide.QUESTION)
-        } ?: isQueueFinishedFlow.emit(true)
+        }
     }
 
     // TODO