diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/Config.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/Config.java
index da3628b6f..06434a20d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/Config.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/Config.java
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ public final class Config {
 
     public static final boolean USE_RANDOM_RESOURCE_ON_EVERY_BIND = false;
 
+    public static final boolean MESSAGE_DISPLAYED_SYNCHRONIZATION = false;
+
     public static final boolean ALLOW_NON_TLS_CONNECTIONS =
             false; // very dangerous. you should have a good reason to set this to true
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/generator/AbstractGenerator.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/generator/AbstractGenerator.java
index 3f63edbd7..905b08286 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/generator/AbstractGenerator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/generator/AbstractGenerator.java
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import java.util.TimeZone;
 public abstract class AbstractGenerator {
     private static final SimpleDateFormat DATE_FORMAT =
             new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss.SSS'Z'", Locale.US);
-    private final String[] FEATURES = {
+    private final String[] STATIC_FEATURES = {
         Namespace.JINGLE,
         Namespace.JINGLE_APPS_FILE_TRANSFER,
         Namespace.JINGLE_TRANSPORTS_S5B,
@@ -40,8 +40,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractGenerator {
         Namespace.NICK + "+notify",
         "urn:xmpp:ping",
         "jabber:iq:version",
-        "http://jabber.org/protocol/chatstates",
-        Namespace.MDS_DISPLAYED + "+notify"
+        "http://jabber.org/protocol/chatstates"
     };
     private final String[] MESSAGE_CONFIRMATION_FEATURES = {
         "urn:xmpp:chat-markers:0", "urn:xmpp:receipts"
@@ -108,7 +107,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractGenerator {
 
     public List<String> getFeatures(Account account) {
         final XmppConnection connection = account.getXmppConnection();
-        final ArrayList<String> features = new ArrayList<>(Arrays.asList(FEATURES));
+        final ArrayList<String> features = new ArrayList<>(Arrays.asList(STATIC_FEATURES));
+        if (Config.MESSAGE_DISPLAYED_SYNCHRONIZATION) {
+            features.add(Namespace.MDS_DISPLAYED + "+notify");
+        }
         if (mXmppConnectionService.confirmMessages()) {
             features.addAll(Arrays.asList(MESSAGE_CONFIRMATION_FEATURES));
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/parser/MessageParser.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/parser/MessageParser.java
index ece8a7862..a949b088d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/parser/MessageParser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/parser/MessageParser.java
@@ -271,11 +271,17 @@ public class MessageParser extends AbstractParser implements OnMessagePacketRece
                     mXmppConnectionService.updateConversationUi();
                 }
             }
-        } else if (Namespace.MDS_DISPLAYED.equals(node) && account.getJid().asBareJid().equals(from)) {
+        } else if (Config.MESSAGE_DISPLAYED_SYNCHRONIZATION
+                && Namespace.MDS_DISPLAYED.equals(node)
+                && account.getJid().asBareJid().equals(from)) {
             final Element item = items.findChild("item");
             mXmppConnectionService.processMdsItem(account, item);
         } else {
-            Log.d(Config.LOGTAG, account.getJid().asBareJid() + " received pubsub notification for node=" + node);
+            Log.d(
+                    Config.LOGTAG,
+                    account.getJid().asBareJid()
+                            + " received pubsub notification for node="
+                            + node);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/xmpp/XmppConnection.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/xmpp/XmppConnection.java
index b29129ee2..58f9e5644 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/xmpp/XmppConnection.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/xmpp/XmppConnection.java
@@ -3074,7 +3074,9 @@ public class XmppConnection implements Runnable {
         }
 
         public boolean mds() {
-            return pepPublishOptions() && pepConfigNodeMax();
+            return pepPublishOptions()
+                    && pepConfigNodeMax()
+                    && Config.MESSAGE_DISPLAYED_SYNCHRONIZATION;
         }
 
         public boolean mdsServerAssist() {