diff --git a/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/controllers/DeviceController.java b/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/controllers/DeviceController.java
index e047c19e3..fb7089c24 100644
--- a/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/controllers/DeviceController.java
+++ b/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/controllers/DeviceController.java
@@ -450,6 +450,8 @@ public class DeviceController {
 
   private static boolean isCapabilityDowngrade(final Account account, final Set<DeviceCapability> capabilities) {
     final Set<DeviceCapability> requiredCapabilities = Arrays.stream(DeviceCapability.values())
+        // `ALWAYS_CAPABLE` capabilities are always assumed to be present, so we don't require callers to specify them
+        .filter(capability -> capability.getAccountCapabilityMode() != DeviceCapability.AccountCapabilityMode.ALWAYS_CAPABLE)
         .filter(DeviceCapability::preventDowngrade)
         .filter(account::hasCapability)
         .collect(Collectors.toSet());
diff --git a/service/src/test/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/controllers/DeviceControllerTest.java b/service/src/test/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/controllers/DeviceControllerTest.java
index 35928e075..dc1520c06 100644
--- a/service/src/test/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/controllers/DeviceControllerTest.java
+++ b/service/src/test/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/controllers/DeviceControllerTest.java
@@ -348,7 +348,8 @@ class DeviceControllerTest {
         new DeviceActivationRequest(aciSignedPreKey, pniSignedPreKey, aciPqLastResortPreKey, pniPqLastResortPreKey, Optional.empty(), Optional.of(new GcmRegistrationId("gcm-id"))));
 
     final int expectedStatus =
-        capability.preventDowngrade() && accountHasCapability && !requestHasCapability ? 409 : 200;
+        capability.getAccountCapabilityMode() != DeviceCapability.AccountCapabilityMode.ALWAYS_CAPABLE
+            && capability.preventDowngrade() && accountHasCapability && !requestHasCapability ? 409 : 200;
 
     try (final Response response = resources.getJerseyTest()
         .target("/v1/devices/link")