diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/wire/android/ui/home/conversations/messages/ConversationMessagesViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/wire/android/ui/home/conversations/messages/ConversationMessagesViewModel.kt
index dc35c8b7a20..a09644eda16 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/wire/android/ui/home/conversations/messages/ConversationMessagesViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/wire/android/ui/home/conversations/messages/ConversationMessagesViewModel.kt
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import androidx.lifecycle.ViewModel
 import androidx.lifecycle.viewModelScope
 import androidx.paging.cachedIn
 import com.ramcosta.composedestinations.generated.app.navArgs
+import com.wire.android.BuildConfig
 import com.wire.android.R
 import com.wire.android.appLogger
 import com.wire.android.media.audiomessage.ConversationAudioMessagePlayer
@@ -216,14 +217,20 @@ class ConversationMessagesViewModel @Inject constructor(
             is GetConversationUnreadEventsCountUseCase.Result.Failure -> 0
         }
 
-        val paginatedMessagesFlow = networkStateObserver.observeNetworkState().flatMapLatest { networkState ->
-            getMessageForConversation(conversationId, lastReadIndex).map { pagingData ->
-                pagingData.withOfflineIndicator(
-                    conversationId = conversationId,
-                    isOffline = networkState !is NetworkState.ConnectedWithInternet,
-                )
-            }.flowOn(dispatchers.io())
-        }.cachedIn(viewModelScope)
+        val paginatedMessagesFlow = if (BuildConfig.PENDING_MESSAGES) {
+            networkStateObserver.observeNetworkState().flatMapLatest { networkState ->
+                getMessageForConversation(conversationId, lastReadIndex).map { pagingData ->
+                    pagingData.withOfflineIndicator(
+                        conversationId = conversationId,
+                        isOffline = networkState !is NetworkState.ConnectedWithInternet,
+                    )
+                }.flowOn(dispatchers.io())
+            }.cachedIn(viewModelScope)
+        } else {
+            getMessageForConversation(conversationId, lastReadIndex)
+                .flowOn(dispatchers.io())
+                .cachedIn(viewModelScope)
+        }
 
         conversationViewState = conversationViewState.copy(
             messages = paginatedMessagesFlow,
diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/customization/FeatureConfigs.kt b/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/customization/FeatureConfigs.kt
index ce3c7a501f1..20eabd0996a 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/customization/FeatureConfigs.kt
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/customization/FeatureConfigs.kt
@@ -155,5 +155,7 @@ enum class FeatureConfigs(val value: String, val configType: ConfigType) {
 
     CALL_QUALITY_MENU_ENABLED("call_quality_menu_enabled", ConfigType.BOOLEAN),
 
-    CALL_REACTIONS_ENABLED("call_reactions_enabled", ConfigType.BOOLEAN)
+    CALL_REACTIONS_ENABLED("call_reactions_enabled", ConfigType.BOOLEAN),
+
+    PENDING_MESSAGES("pending_messages", ConfigType.BOOLEAN)
 }
diff --git a/default.json b/default.json
index 1588be90a2c..d8e7a28be7c 100644
--- a/default.json
+++ b/default.json
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@
             "meetings_enabled": true,
             "conversation_feeder_enabled": true,
             "db_invalidation_control_enabled": true,
-            "enforce_configuration_signature": false
+            "enforce_configuration_signature": false,
+            "pending_messages": true
         },
         "staging": {
             "application_id": "com.waz.zclient.dev",
@@ -61,7 +62,8 @@
             "analytics_app_key": "8ffae535f1836ed5f58fd5c8a11c00eca07c5438",
             "analytics_server_url": "https://wire.count.ly/",
             "enable_new_registration": true,
-            "enforce_configuration_signature": true
+            "enforce_configuration_signature": true,
+            "pending_messages": true
         },
         "beta": {
             "application_id": "com.wire.android.internal",
@@ -88,7 +90,8 @@
             "enforce_configuration_signature": true,
             "use_strict_mls_filter": false,
             "conversation_feeder_enabled": true,
-            "db_invalidation_control_enabled": false
+            "db_invalidation_control_enabled": false,
+            "pending_messages": true
         },
         "fdroid": {
             "application_id": "com.wire",
@@ -174,5 +177,6 @@
     "enforce_configuration_signature": true,
     "call_quality_menu_enabled": true,
     "call_reactions_enabled": true,
-    "nomad_profiles_enabled": true
+    "nomad_profiles_enabled": true,
+    "pending_messages": false
 }