diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/dependencies/ApplicationDependencyProvider.java b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/dependencies/ApplicationDependencyProvider.java
index bb4706a772..f6fcce5ed0 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/dependencies/ApplicationDependencyProvider.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/dependencies/ApplicationDependencyProvider.java
@@ -170,7 +170,8 @@ public class ApplicationDependencyProvider implements AppDependencies.Provider {
                                             keysApi,
                                             Optional.of(new SecurityEventListener(context)),
                                             SignalExecutors.newCachedBoundedExecutor("signal-messages", ThreadUtil.PRIORITY_IMPORTANT_BACKGROUND_THREAD, 1, 16, 30),
-                                            ByteUnit.KILOBYTES.toBytes(256));
+                                            ByteUnit.KILOBYTES.toBytes(256),
+                                            RemoteConfig::useMessageSendRestFallback);
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/util/RemoteConfig.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/util/RemoteConfig.kt
index de6a9f85d1..fb3201fd7c 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/util/RemoteConfig.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/util/RemoteConfig.kt
@@ -1087,5 +1087,13 @@ object RemoteConfig {
     hotSwappable = false
   )
 
+  @JvmStatic
+  @get:JvmName("useMessageSendRestFallback")
+  val useMessageSendRestFallback: Boolean by remoteBoolean(
+    key = "android.useMessageSendRestFallback",
+    defaultValue = false,
+    hotSwappable = true
+  )
+
   // endregion
 }
diff --git a/libsignal-service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/signalservice/api/SignalServiceMessageSender.java b/libsignal-service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/signalservice/api/SignalServiceMessageSender.java
index 31ada1c468..9df15bd44a 100644
--- a/libsignal-service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/signalservice/api/SignalServiceMessageSender.java
+++ b/libsignal-service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/signalservice/api/SignalServiceMessageSender.java
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
+import java.util.function.BooleanSupplier;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 import javax.annotation.Nonnull;
@@ -180,6 +181,7 @@ public class SignalServiceMessageSender {
 
   private final Scheduler       scheduler;
   private final long            maxEnvelopeSize;
+  private final BooleanSupplier useRestFallback;
 
   public SignalServiceMessageSender(PushServiceSocket pushServiceSocket,
                                     SignalServiceDataStore store,
@@ -189,7 +191,8 @@ public class SignalServiceMessageSender {
                                     KeysApi keysApi,
                                     Optional<EventListener> eventListener,
                                     ExecutorService executor,
-                                    long maxEnvelopeSize)
+                                    long maxEnvelopeSize,
+                                    BooleanSupplier useRestFallback)
   {
     CredentialsProvider credentialsProvider = pushServiceSocket.getCredentialsProvider();
 
@@ -206,6 +209,7 @@ public class SignalServiceMessageSender {
     this.localPniIdentity = store.pni().getIdentityKeyPair();
     this.scheduler        = Schedulers.from(executor, false, false);
     this.keysApi          = keysApi;
+    this.useRestFallback  = useRestFallback;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1941,14 +1945,25 @@ public class SignalServiceMessageSender {
           throw e;
         } catch (WebSocketUnavailableException e) {
           String pipe = sealedSenderAccess == null ? "Pipe" : "Unidentified pipe";
-          Log.i(TAG, "[sendMessage][" + timestamp + "] " + pipe + " unavailable, falling back... (" + e.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + e.getMessage() + ")");
+          if (useRestFallback.getAsBoolean()) {
+            Log.i(TAG, "[sendMessage][" + timestamp + "] " + pipe + " unavailable, falling back... (" + e.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + e.getMessage() + ")");
+          } else {
+            Log.i(TAG, "[sendMessage][" + timestamp + "] " + pipe + " unavailable (" + e.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + e.getMessage() + ")");
+            throw e;
+          }
         } catch (IOException e) {
           String pipe = sealedSenderAccess == null ? "Pipe" : "Unidentified pipe";
           Throwable cause = e;
           if (e.getCause() != null) {
             cause = e.getCause();
           }
-          Log.w(TAG, "[sendMessage][" + timestamp + "] " + pipe + " failed, falling back... (" + cause.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + cause.getMessage() + ")");
+
+          if (useRestFallback.getAsBoolean()) {
+            Log.w(TAG, "[sendMessage][" + timestamp + "] " + pipe + " failed, falling back... (" + cause.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + cause.getMessage() + ")");
+          } else {
+            Log.w(TAG, "[sendMessage][" + timestamp + "] " + pipe + " failed (" + cause.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + cause.getMessage() + ")");
+            throw (cause instanceof IOException) ? (IOException) cause : e;
+          }
         }
 
         if (cancelationSignal != null && cancelationSignal.isCanceled()) {
@@ -2137,7 +2152,7 @@ public class SignalServiceMessageSender {
                 content.getContent()
             );
             return Single.just(result);
-          } catch (Throwable throwable) {
+          } catch (IOException throwable) {
             if (cancelationSignal != null && cancelationSignal.isCanceled()) {
               return Single.error(new CancelationException());
             }
@@ -2152,10 +2167,20 @@ public class SignalServiceMessageSender {
               // Non-technical failures shouldn't be retried with socket
               return Single.error(throwable);
             } else if (throwable instanceof WebSocketUnavailableException) {
-              Log.i(TAG, "[sendMessage][" + timestamp + "] " + (sealedSenderAccess != null ? "Unidentified " : "") + "pipe unavailable, falling back... (" + throwable.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + throwable.getMessage() + ")");
-            } else if (throwable instanceof IOException) {
+              if (useRestFallback.getAsBoolean()) {
+                Log.i(TAG, "[sendMessage][" + timestamp + "] " + (sealedSenderAccess != null ? "Unidentified " : "") + "pipe unavailable, falling back... (" + throwable.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + throwable.getMessage() + ")");
+              } else {
+                Log.i(TAG, "[sendMessage][" + timestamp + "] " + (sealedSenderAccess != null ? "Unidentified " : "") + "pipe unavailable (" + throwable.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + throwable.getMessage() + ")");
+                return Single.error(throwable);
+              }
+            } else {
               Throwable cause = throwable.getCause() != null ? throwable.getCause() : throwable;
-              Log.w(TAG, "[sendMessage][" + timestamp + "] " + (sealedSenderAccess != null ? "Unidentified " : "") + "pipe failed, falling back... (" + cause.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + cause.getMessage() + ")");
+              if (useRestFallback.getAsBoolean()) {
+                Log.w(TAG, "[sendMessage][" + timestamp + "] " + (sealedSenderAccess != null ? "Unidentified " : "") + "pipe failed, falling back... (" + cause.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + cause.getMessage() + ")");
+              } else {
+                Log.w(TAG, "[sendMessage][" + timestamp + "] " + (sealedSenderAccess != null ? "Unidentified " : "") + "pipe failed (" + cause.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + cause.getMessage() + ")");
+                return Single.error((cause instanceof IOException) ? cause : throwable);
+              }
             }
 
             return Single.fromCallable(() -> {
@@ -2431,9 +2456,19 @@ public class SignalServiceMessageSender {
           // Non-technical failures shouldn't be retried with socket
           throw e;
         } catch (WebSocketUnavailableException e) {
-          Log.i(TAG, "[sendGroupMessage][" + timestamp + "] Pipe unavailable, falling back... (" + e.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + e.getMessage() + ")");
+          if (useRestFallback.getAsBoolean()) {
+            Log.i(TAG, "[sendGroupMessage][" + timestamp + "] Pipe unavailable, falling back... (" + e.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + e.getMessage() + ")");
+          } else {
+            Log.i(TAG, "[sendGroupMessage][" + timestamp + "] Pipe unavailable (" + e.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + e.getMessage() + ")");
+            throw e;
+          }
         } catch (IOException e) {
-          Log.w(TAG, "[sendGroupMessage][" + timestamp + "] Pipe failed, falling back... (" + e.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + e.getMessage() + ")");
+          if (useRestFallback.getAsBoolean()) {
+            Log.w(TAG, "[sendGroupMessage][" + timestamp + "] Pipe failed, falling back... (" + e.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + e.getMessage() + ")");
+          } else {
+            Log.w(TAG, "[sendGroupMessage][" + timestamp + "] Pipe failed (" + e.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + e.getMessage() + ")");
+            throw e;
+          }
         }
 
         SendGroupMessageResponse response = socket.sendGroupMessage(ciphertext, sealedSenderAccess, timestamp, online, urgent, story);