diff --git a/lib/src/client.dart b/lib/src/client.dart
index f66ac06..8f7a396 100644
--- a/lib/src/client.dart
+++ b/lib/src/client.dart
@@ -77,7 +77,14 @@ class Client {
 
   Database database;
 
-  Client(this.clientName, {this.debug = false, this.database}) {
+  bool enableE2eeRecovery;
+
+  /// Create a client
+  /// clientName = unique identifier of this client
+  /// debug: Print debug output?
+  /// database: The database instance to use
+  /// enableE2eeRecovery: Enable additional logic to try to recover from bad e2ee sessions
+  Client(this.clientName, {this.debug = false, this.database, this.enableE2eeRecovery = false}) {
     onLoginStateChanged.stream.listen((loginState) {
       print('LoginState: ${loginState.toString()}');
     });
diff --git a/lib/src/room.dart b/lib/src/room.dart
index 18a9b7d..8b80e55 100644
--- a/lib/src/room.dart
+++ b/lib/src/room.dart
@@ -1814,7 +1814,7 @@ class Room {
     final session = await client.database.getDbInboundGroupSession(client.id, id, sessionId);
     if (session == null) {
       // no session found, let's request it!
-      if (!_requestedSessionIds.contains(sessionId) && senderKey != null) {
+      if (client.enableE2eeRecovery && !_requestedSessionIds.contains(sessionId) && senderKey != null) {
         unawaited(requestSessionKey(sessionId, senderKey));
         _requestedSessionIds.add(sessionId);
       }
@@ -1876,7 +1876,7 @@ class Room {
       decryptedPayload = json.decode(decryptResult.plaintext);
     } catch (exception) {
       // alright, if this was actually by our own outbound group session, we might as well clear it
-      if ((_outboundGroupSession?.session_id() ?? '') == event.content['session_id']) {
+      if (client.enableE2eeRecovery && (_outboundGroupSession?.session_id() ?? '') == event.content['session_id']) {
         clearOutboundGroupSession(wipe: true);
       }
       if (exception.toString() == DecryptError.UNKNOWN_SESSION) {