diff --git a/crates/matrix-sdk-ui/src/timeline/event_item/local.rs b/crates/matrix-sdk-ui/src/timeline/event_item/local.rs
index ddf08e3b8..680e32c52 100644
--- a/crates/matrix-sdk-ui/src/timeline/event_item/local.rs
+++ b/crates/matrix-sdk-ui/src/timeline/event_item/local.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ use as_variant::as_variant;
 use matrix_sdk::{send_queue::SendHandle, Error};
 use ruma::{EventId, OwnedEventId, OwnedTransactionId};
 
+use super::EventItemIdentifier;
+
 /// An item for an event that was created locally and not yet echoed back by
 /// the homeserver.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
@@ -31,6 +33,20 @@ pub(in crate::timeline) struct LocalEventTimelineItem {
 }
 
 impl LocalEventTimelineItem {
+    /// Get the unique identifier of this item.
+    ///
+    /// Returns the transaction ID for a local echo item that has not been sent
+    /// and the event ID for a local echo item that has been sent.
+    pub(crate) fn identifier(&self) -> EventItemIdentifier {
+        if let Some(event_id) =
+            as_variant!(&self.send_state, EventSendState::Sent { event_id } => event_id)
+        {
+            EventItemIdentifier::EventId(event_id.clone())
+        } else {
+            EventItemIdentifier::TransactionId(self.transaction_id.clone())
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Get the event ID of this item.
     ///
     /// Will be `Some` if and only if `send_state` is
diff --git a/crates/matrix-sdk-ui/src/timeline/event_item/mod.rs b/crates/matrix-sdk-ui/src/timeline/event_item/mod.rs
index 4781e05a8..12b14eae9 100644
--- a/crates/matrix-sdk-ui/src/timeline/event_item/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/matrix-sdk-ui/src/timeline/event_item/mod.rs
@@ -45,10 +45,7 @@ pub(super) use self::{
     local::LocalEventTimelineItem,
     remote::{RemoteEventOrigin, RemoteEventTimelineItem},
 };
-use super::{
-    EditInfo, RepliedToInfo, ReplyContent, TimelineEventItemId, UnsupportedEditItem,
-    UnsupportedReplyItem,
-};
+use super::{EditInfo, RepliedToInfo, ReplyContent, UnsupportedEditItem, UnsupportedReplyItem};
 
 /// An item in the timeline that represents at least one event.
 ///
@@ -204,6 +201,20 @@ impl EventTimelineItem {
         as_variant!(&self.kind, EventTimelineItemKind::Local(local) => &local.send_state)
     }
 
+    /// Get the unique identifier of this item.
+    ///
+    /// Returns the transaction ID for a local echo item that has not been sent
+    /// and the event ID for a local echo item that has been sent or a
+    /// remote item.
+    pub(crate) fn identifier(&self) -> EventItemIdentifier {
+        match &self.kind {
+            EventTimelineItemKind::Local(local) => local.identifier(),
+            EventTimelineItemKind::Remote(remote) => {
+                EventItemIdentifier::EventId(remote.event_id.clone())
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Get the transaction ID of a local echo item.
     ///
     /// The transaction ID is currently only kept until the remote echo for a
@@ -459,23 +470,7 @@ impl EventTimelineItem {
             return Err(UnsupportedEditItem::NotRoomMessage);
         };
 
-        let id = match &self.kind {
-            EventTimelineItemKind::Local(local_event) => {
-                // Prefer the remote event id if it's already available, as it indicates the
-                // event has been sent to the server.
-                if let Some(event_id) = local_event.event_id() {
-                    TimelineEventItemId::Remote(event_id.to_owned())
-                } else {
-                    TimelineEventItemId::Local(local_event.transaction_id.clone())
-                }
-            }
-
-            EventTimelineItemKind::Remote(remote_event) => {
-                TimelineEventItemId::Remote(remote_event.event_id.clone())
-            }
-        };
-
-        Ok(EditInfo { id, original_message: original_content.clone() })
+        Ok(EditInfo { id: self.identifier(), original_message: original_content.clone() })
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/matrix-sdk-ui/src/timeline/mod.rs b/crates/matrix-sdk-ui/src/timeline/mod.rs
index a697ff89b..8a00344a7 100644
--- a/crates/matrix-sdk-ui/src/timeline/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/matrix-sdk-ui/src/timeline/mod.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 use std::{path::PathBuf, pin::Pin, sync::Arc, task::Poll};
 
+use event_item::EventItemIdentifier;
 use eyeball_im::VectorDiff;
 use futures_core::Stream;
 use imbl::Vector;
@@ -107,20 +108,11 @@ use self::{
     util::rfind_event_by_id,
 };
 
-/// An identifier for a given timeline item.
-#[derive(Debug)]
-enum TimelineEventItemId {
-    /// Local echoes are identified by their transaction id.
-    Local(OwnedTransactionId),
-    /// Remote echoes are identified by their server-sent event id.
-    Remote(OwnedEventId),
-}
-
 /// Information needed to edit an event.
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct EditInfo {
     /// The event ID of the event that needs editing.
-    id: TimelineEventItemId,
+    id: EventItemIdentifier,
     /// The original content of the event that needs editing.
     original_message: Message,
 }
@@ -475,7 +467,7 @@ impl Timeline {
         edit_info: EditInfo,
     ) -> Result<bool, RoomSendQueueError> {
         let event_id = match edit_info.id {
-            TimelineEventItemId::Local(txn_id) => {
+            EventItemIdentifier::TransactionId(txn_id) => {
                 let Some(item) = self.item_by_transaction_id(&txn_id).await else {
                     warn!("Couldn't find the local echo anymore");
                     return Ok(false);
@@ -491,7 +483,7 @@ impl Timeline {
                 return Ok(false);
             }
 
-            TimelineEventItemId::Remote(event_id) => event_id,
+            EventItemIdentifier::EventId(event_id) => event_id,
         };
 
         let original_content = edit_info.original_message;
@@ -564,7 +556,7 @@ impl Timeline {
                     &self.items().await,
                 );
                 return Ok(EditInfo {
-                    id: TimelineEventItemId::Remote(event_id.to_owned()),
+                    id: EventItemIdentifier::EventId(event_id.to_owned()),
                     original_message: message,
                 });
             }