diff --git a/lib/shared/threads/protocols/dm-thread-protocol.js b/lib/shared/threads/protocols/dm-thread-protocol.js
--- a/lib/shared/threads/protocols/dm-thread-protocol.js
+++ b/lib/shared/threads/protocols/dm-thread-protocol.js
@@ -480,6 +480,8 @@
     chatThreadListIcon: 'lock',
     breadCrumbs: () => 'Local DM',
   },
+
+  uploadMultimediaMetadataToKeyserver: false,
 });
 
 export { dmThreadProtocol };
diff --git a/lib/shared/threads/protocols/keyserver-thread-protocol.js b/lib/shared/threads/protocols/keyserver-thread-protocol.js
--- a/lib/shared/threads/protocols/keyserver-thread-protocol.js
+++ b/lib/shared/threads/protocols/keyserver-thread-protocol.js
@@ -297,6 +297,8 @@
     chatThreadListIcon: 'server',
     breadCrumbs: (ancestorPath: React.Node) => ancestorPath,
   },
+
+  uploadMultimediaMetadataToKeyserver: true,
 });
 
 function mediaIDIsKeyserverID(mediaID: string): boolean {
diff --git a/lib/shared/threads/thread-spec.js b/lib/shared/threads/thread-spec.js
--- a/lib/shared/threads/thread-spec.js
+++ b/lib/shared/threads/thread-spec.js
@@ -213,6 +213,7 @@
     +chatThreadListIcon: string,
     +breadCrumbs: (ancestorPath: React.Node) => React.Node,
   },
+  +uploadMultimediaMetadataToKeyserver: boolean,
 };
 
 export type ThreadSpec = {
diff --git a/native/avatars/avatar-hooks.js b/native/avatars/avatar-hooks.js
--- a/native/avatars/avatar-hooks.js
+++ b/native/avatars/avatar-hooks.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
   extensionFromFilename,
   filenameFromPathOrURI,
 } from 'lib/media/file-utils.js';
+import { threadSpecs } from 'lib/shared/threads/thread-specs.js';
 import type { UpdateUserAvatarRequest } from 'lib/types/avatar-types.js';
 import type {
   NativeMediaSelection,
@@ -25,7 +26,6 @@
   RawThreadInfo,
   ThreadInfo,
 } from 'lib/types/minimally-encoded-thread-permissions-types.js';
-import { threadTypeIsThick } from 'lib/types/thread-types-enum.js';
 
 import { authoritativeKeyserverID } from '../authoritative-keyserver.js';
 import CommIcon from '../components/comm-icon.react.js';
@@ -400,9 +400,10 @@
       selection: NativeMediaSelection,
       threadInfo: ThreadInfo | RawThreadInfo,
     ): Promise<void> => {
-      const metadataUploadLocation = threadTypeIsThick(threadInfo.type)
-        ? 'none'
-        : 'keyserver';
+      const metadataUploadLocation = threadSpecs[threadInfo.type].protocol
+        .uploadMultimediaMetadataToKeyserver
+        ? 'keyserver'
+        : 'none';
       const imageAvatarUpdateRequest = await uploadSelectedMedia(
         selection,
         metadataUploadLocation,
diff --git a/native/input/input-state-container.react.js b/native/input/input-state-container.react.js
--- a/native/input/input-state-container.react.js
+++ b/native/input/input-state-container.react.js
@@ -51,7 +51,10 @@
   threadIsPending,
   threadIsPendingSidebar,
 } from 'lib/shared/thread-utils.js';
-import { threadTypeIsSidebar } from 'lib/shared/threads/thread-specs.js';
+import {
+  threadSpecs,
+  threadTypeIsSidebar,
+} from 'lib/shared/threads/thread-specs.js';
 import type { CalendarQuery } from 'lib/types/entry-types.js';
 import type {
   Media,
@@ -852,14 +855,15 @@
       uploadThumbnailResult,
       mediaMissionResult;
 
-    const isThickThread = threadTypeIsThick(threadInfo.type);
     try {
       invariant(
         processedMedia.mediaType === 'encrypted_photo' ||
           processedMedia.mediaType === 'encrypted_video',
         'uploaded media should be encrypted',
       );
-      const uploadMetadataToKeyserver = !isThickThread;
+      const uploadMetadataToKeyserver =
+        threadSpecs[threadInfo.type].protocol
+          .uploadMultimediaMetadataToKeyserver;
       const uploadPromise = this.props.blobServiceUpload({
         uploadInput: {
           blobInput: {
diff --git a/web/avatars/edit-thread-avatar-menu.react.js b/web/avatars/edit-thread-avatar-menu.react.js
--- a/web/avatars/edit-thread-avatar-menu.react.js
+++ b/web/avatars/edit-thread-avatar-menu.react.js
@@ -7,12 +7,12 @@
 import { useModalContext } from 'lib/components/modal-provider.react.js';
 import SWMansionIcon from 'lib/components/swmansion-icon.react.js';
 import { getCommunity } from 'lib/shared/thread-utils.js';
+import { threadSpecs } from 'lib/shared/threads/thread-specs.js';
 import type { CommunityInfo } from 'lib/types/community-types.js';
 import type {
   ThreadInfo,
   RawThreadInfo,
 } from 'lib/types/minimally-encoded-thread-permissions-types.js';
-import { threadTypeIsThick } from 'lib/types/thread-types-enum.js';
 
 import { useUploadAvatarMedia } from './avatar-hooks.react.js';
 import css from './edit-avatar-menu.css';
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@
   );
 
   const uploadAvatarMedia = useUploadAvatarMedia({
-    uploadMetadataToKeyserver: !threadTypeIsThick(threadInfo.type),
+    uploadMetadataToKeyserver:
+      threadSpecs[threadInfo.type].protocol.uploadMultimediaMetadataToKeyserver,
   });
   const onImageSelected = React.useCallback(
     async (event: SyntheticEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
diff --git a/web/input/input-state-container.react.js b/web/input/input-state-container.react.js
--- a/web/input/input-state-container.react.js
+++ b/web/input/input-state-container.react.js
@@ -53,7 +53,10 @@
   threadIsPending,
   threadIsPendingSidebar,
 } from 'lib/shared/thread-utils.js';
-import { threadTypeIsSidebar } from 'lib/shared/threads/thread-specs.js';
+import {
+  threadSpecs,
+  threadTypeIsSidebar,
+} from 'lib/shared/threads/thread-specs.js';
 import type { CalendarQuery } from 'lib/types/entry-types.js';
 import type {
   MediaMission,
@@ -868,7 +871,8 @@
   async uploadFile(threadInfo: ThreadInfo, upload: PendingMultimediaUpload) {
     const { selectTime, localID, encryptionKey } = upload;
     const threadID = threadInfo.id;
-    const isThickThread = threadTypeIsThick(threadInfo.type);
+    const uploadMultimediaMetadataToKeyserver =
+      threadSpecs[threadInfo.type].protocol.uploadMultimediaMetadataToKeyserver;
     const isEncrypted =
       !!encryptionKey &&
       (upload.mediaType === 'encrypted_photo' ||
@@ -933,7 +937,9 @@
           loop: false,
           thumbHash,
         },
-        keyserverOrThreadID: isThickThread ? null : threadID,
+        keyserverOrThreadID: uploadMultimediaMetadataToKeyserver
+          ? threadID
+          : null,
         callbacks,
       });
     } catch (e) {
@@ -1007,10 +1013,10 @@
               serverID: result.id,
               blobHolder: result.blobHolder,
               abort: null,
-              // For thin threads we can send message right after serverID
-              // is present, but for thick threads we need to wait until
+              // When we upload files to a keyserver, we can send message right
+              // after serverID is present, otherwise we need to wait until
               // a "real" Blob URI is assigned to the message.
-              canBeSent: !isThickThread,
+              canBeSent: uploadMultimediaMetadataToKeyserver,
             },
           },
         },
@@ -1207,7 +1213,10 @@
         }
         if (pendingUpload.serverID) {
           const { serverID } = pendingUpload;
-          if (!threadTypeIsThick(threadInfo.type)) {
+          if (
+            threadSpecs[threadInfo.type].protocol
+              .uploadMultimediaMetadataToKeyserver
+          ) {
             void this.props.deleteUpload({
               id: serverID,
               keyserverOrThreadID: threadInfo.id,