diff --git a/lib/components/keyserver-connection-handler.js b/lib/components/keyserver-connection-handler.js
--- a/lib/components/keyserver-connection-handler.js
+++ b/lib/components/keyserver-connection-handler.js
@@ -35,7 +35,10 @@
 import { getConfig } from '../utils/config.js';
 import { useDispatchActionPromise } from '../utils/redux-promise-utils.js';
 import { useSelector } from '../utils/redux-utils.js';
-import { usingCommServicesAccessToken } from '../utils/services-utils.js';
+import {
+  usingCommServicesAccessToken,
+  relyingOnAuthoritativeKeyserver,
+} from '../utils/services-utils.js';
 import sleep from '../utils/sleep.js';
 
 type Props = {
@@ -84,10 +87,14 @@
   }, [calendarFilters, keyserverID, navInfo.endDate, navInfo.startDate]);
 
   React.useEffect(() => {
-    if (hasConnectionIssue && !usingCommServicesAccessToken) {
+    if (
+      hasConnectionIssue &&
+      keyserverID === authoritativeKeyserverID &&
+      relyingOnAuthoritativeKeyserver
+    ) {
       void dispatchActionPromise(logOutActionTypes, callLogOut());
     }
-  }, [callLogOut, hasConnectionIssue, dispatchActionPromise]);
+  }, [callLogOut, hasConnectionIssue, dispatchActionPromise, keyserverID]);
 
   const identityContext = React.useContext(IdentityClientContext);
   invariant(identityContext, 'Identity context should be set');
@@ -170,7 +177,11 @@
           e,
         );
 
-        if (!dataLoaded && keyserverID === authoritativeKeyserverID()) {
+        if (
+          !dataLoaded &&
+          keyserverID === authoritativeKeyserverID() &&
+          relyingOnAuthoritativeKeyserver
+        ) {
           await dispatchActionPromise(logOutActionTypes, callLogOut());
         }
       } finally {
diff --git a/lib/utils/services-utils.js b/lib/utils/services-utils.js
--- a/lib/utils/services-utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils/services-utils.js
@@ -4,8 +4,15 @@
 
 import type { AuthMetadata } from '../shared/identity-client-context.js';
 
+// If this is true then we're using the identity service for auth. After we
+// auth, the identity service gives us a CSAT, which we can use to auth with
+// other Comm services.
 const usingCommServicesAccessToken = false;
 
+// If this is false, then the app no longer needs to rely on being connected to
+// an authoritative keyserver for things like DMs.
+const relyingOnAuthoritativeKeyserver = true;
+
 function handleHTTPResponseError(response: Response): void {
   if (!response.ok) {
     const { status, statusText } = response;
@@ -33,6 +40,7 @@
 export {
   handleHTTPResponseError,
   usingCommServicesAccessToken,
+  relyingOnAuthoritativeKeyserver,
   createHTTPAuthorizationHeader,
   createDefaultHTTPRequestHeaders,
 };