diff --git a/loadtest/im-pressure/httpapi.go b/loadtest/im-pressure/httpapi.go
index e61c513..4a23830 100644
--- a/loadtest/im-pressure/httpapi.go
+++ b/loadtest/im-pressure/httpapi.go
@@ -197,15 +197,17 @@ func (a *apiClient) findPendingFriendRequest(ctx context.Context, target Account
 func (a *apiClient) createFriendRequest(ctx context.Context, source, target AccountRecord) (*friendRequestResponse, error) {
 	var result friendRequestResponse
 	body := map[string]any{"target_user_id": target.UserID, "message": "loadtest", "source": "search", "source_topic": ""}
+	idempotencyKey := fmt.Sprintf("loadtest-friend-%d-%s-%04d", time.Now().UnixNano(), source.Machine, source.Index)
 	err := a.do(ctx, http.MethodPost, "/v1/im/friend-requests", source.Token,
-		fmt.Sprintf("loadtest-friend-%04d", source.Index), body, &result)
+		idempotencyKey, body, &result)
 	return &result, err
 }
 
 func (a *apiClient) acceptFriendRequest(ctx context.Context, target AccountRecord, requestID string) (*friendRequestResponse, error) {
 	var result friendRequestResponse
+	idempotencyKey := fmt.Sprintf("loadtest-friend-accept-%d", time.Now().UnixNano())
 	err := a.do(ctx, http.MethodPost, "/v1/im/friend-requests/"+url.PathEscape(requestID)+"/accept", target.Token,
-		"loadtest-friend-accept-"+requestID, map[string]any{}, &result)
+		idempotencyKey, map[string]any{}, &result)
 	return &result, err
 }
 
diff --git a/loadtest/im-pressure/prepare.go b/loadtest/im-pressure/prepare.go
index acc5d4a..a84f994 100644
--- a/loadtest/im-pressure/prepare.go
+++ b/loadtest/im-pressure/prepare.go
@@ -127,12 +127,23 @@ func prepareFriendships(ctx context.Context, cfg *Config, manifest *Manifest, ap
 	err := parallelAccounts(ctx, pairs, cfg.PrepareWorkers, func(a AccountRecord) error {
 		return retryPrepareOperation(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("friend-pair-%04d", a.Index), func() error {
 			b := *accounts[accountKey("b", a.Index)]
-			if a.P2PTopic != "" && b.P2PTopic == a.P2PTopic {
-				return nil
-			}
 			if a.UserID == "" || b.UserID == "" {
 				return fmt.Errorf("pair %d has missing user ID", a.Index)
 			}
+			conversation, conversationErr := api.ensureP2P(ctx, a, b)
+			if conversationErr == nil && conversation.Relationship == "friend" && conversation.Topic != "" {
+				mu.Lock()
+				accounts[accountKey("a", a.Index)].P2PTopic = conversation.Topic
+				accounts[accountKey("b", a.Index)].P2PTopic = conversation.Topic
+				mu.Unlock()
+				return nil
+			}
+			if conversationErr != nil {
+				var apiErr *apiError
+				if !errors.As(conversationErr, &apiErr) || apiErr.Status != http.StatusForbidden {
+					return fmt.Errorf("check friend pair %d: %w", a.Index, conversationErr)
+				}
+			}
 			request, requestErr := api.createFriendRequest(ctx, a, b)
 			if requestErr == nil && request.Status == "pending" {
 				if _, requestErr = api.acceptFriendRequest(ctx, b, request.RequestID); requestErr != nil {