diff --git a/addons/im_livechat/static/src/models/messaging_initializer/messaging_initializer.js b/addons/im_livechat/static/src/models/messaging_initializer/messaging_initializer.js
index 634fbb5dbfe..56e02d9b5de 100644
--- a/addons/im_livechat/static/src/models/messaging_initializer/messaging_initializer.js
+++ b/addons/im_livechat/static/src/models/messaging_initializer/messaging_initializer.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ odoo.define('im_livechat/static/src/models/messaging_initializer/messaging_initi
 'use strict';
 
 const { registerInstancePatchModel } = require('mail/static/src/model/model_core.js');
+const { executeGracefully } = require('mail/static/src/utils/utils.js');
 
 registerInstancePatchModel('mail.messaging_initializer', 'im_livechat/static/src/models/messaging_initializer/messaging_initializer.js', {
 
@@ -16,10 +17,7 @@ registerInstancePatchModel('mail.messaging_initializer', 'im_livechat/static/src
     async _initChannels(initMessagingData) {
         await this.async(() => this._super(initMessagingData));
         const { channel_livechat = [] } = initMessagingData;
-        for (const data of channel_livechat) {
-            // there might be a lot of channels, insert each of them one by
-            // one asynchronously to avoid blocking the UI
-            await this.async(() => new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve)));
+        return executeGracefully(channel_livechat.map(data => () => {
             const channel = this.env.models['mail.thread'].insert(
                 this.env.models['mail.thread'].convertData(data),
             );
@@ -28,7 +26,7 @@ registerInstancePatchModel('mail.messaging_initializer', 'im_livechat/static/src
             if (!channel.isPinned) {
                 channel.pin();
             }
-        }
+        }));
     },
 });
 
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/models/messaging_initializer/messaging_initializer.js b/addons/mail/static/src/models/messaging_initializer/messaging_initializer.js
index da2f51757be..c22c197e87c 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/models/messaging_initializer/messaging_initializer.js
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/models/messaging_initializer/messaging_initializer.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ odoo.define('mail/static/src/models/messaging_initializer/messaging_initializer.
 
 const { registerNewModel } = require('mail/static/src/model/model_core.js');
 const { one2one } = require('mail/static/src/model/model_field.js');
+const { executeGracefully } = require('mail/static/src/utils/utils.js');
 
 function factory(dependencies) {
 
@@ -118,7 +119,7 @@ function factory(dependencies) {
             // various suggestions in no particular order
             this._initCannedResponses(shortcodes);
             this._initCommands(commands);
-            await this.async(() => this._initMentionPartnerSuggestions(mention_partner_suggestions));
+            this._initMentionPartnerSuggestions(mention_partner_suggestions);
             // channels when the rest of messaging is ready
             await this.async(() => this._initChannels(channel_slots));
             // failures after channels
@@ -149,10 +150,7 @@ function factory(dependencies) {
             channel_private_group = [],
         } = {}) {
             const channelsData = channel_channel.concat(channel_direct_message, channel_private_group);
-            for (const channelData of channelsData) {
-                // there might be a lot of channels, insert each of them one by
-                // one asynchronously to avoid blocking the UI
-                await this.async(() => new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve)));
+            return executeGracefully(channelsData.map(channelData => () => {
                 const convertedData = this.env.models['mail.thread'].convertData(channelData);
                 if (!convertedData.members) {
                     // channel_info does not return all members of channel for
@@ -171,7 +169,7 @@ function factory(dependencies) {
                 if (!channel.isPinned) {
                     channel.pin();
                 }
-            }
+            }));
         }
 
         /**
@@ -233,15 +231,12 @@ function factory(dependencies) {
          * @param {Object[]} mentionPartnerSuggestionsData
          */
         async _initMentionPartnerSuggestions(mentionPartnerSuggestionsData) {
-            for (const suggestions of mentionPartnerSuggestionsData) {
-                for (const suggestion of suggestions) {
-                    // there might be a lot of partners, insert each of them one
-                    // by one asynchronously to avoid blocking the UI
-                    await this.async(() => new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve)));
+            return executeGracefully(mentionPartnerSuggestionsData.map(suggestions => () => {
+                return executeGracefully(suggestions.map(suggestion => () => {
                     const { email, id, name } = suggestion;
                     this.env.models['mail.partner'].insert({ email, id, name });
-                }
-            }
+                }));
+            }));
         }
 
         /**
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/utils/utils.js b/addons/mail/static/src/utils/utils.js
index 8112eeca980..f502fc8f326 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/utils/utils.js
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/utils/utils.js
@@ -14,6 +14,25 @@ const {
 const classPatchMap = new WeakMap();
 const eventHandledWeakMap = new WeakMap();
 
+/**
+ * Executes the provided functions in order, but with a potential delay between
+ * them if they take too much time. This is done in order to avoid blocking the
+ * main thread for too long.
+ *
+ * @param {function[]} functions
+ * @param {integer} [maxTimeFrame=100] time (in ms) until a delay is introduced
+ */
+async function executeGracefully(functions, maxTimeFrame = 100) {
+    let startDate = new Date();
+    for (const func of functions) {
+        if (new Date() - startDate > maxTimeFrame) {
+            await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve));
+            startDate = new Date();
+        }
+        await func();
+    }
+}
+
 /**
  * Returns whether the given event has been handled with the given markName.
  *
@@ -147,6 +166,7 @@ function unpatchInstanceMethods(Class, patchName) {
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 return {
+    executeGracefully,
     isEventHandled,
     markEventHandled,
     nextTick,