diff --git a/lib/shared/thread-actions-utils.js b/lib/shared/thread-actions-utils.js
--- a/lib/shared/thread-actions-utils.js
+++ b/lib/shared/thread-actions-utils.js
@@ -2,11 +2,9 @@
 
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 
-import {
-  threadIsPending,
-  threadOtherMembers,
-  pendingThreadType,
-} from './thread-utils.js';
+import { threadIsPending, threadOtherMembers } from './thread-utils.js';
+import { dmThreadProtocol } from './threads/protocols/dm-thread-protocol.js';
+import { keyserverThreadProtocol } from './threads/protocols/keyserver-thread-protocol.js';
 import {
   newThreadActionTypes,
   removeUsersFromThreadActionTypes,
@@ -128,7 +126,7 @@
     });
   } else if (threadTypeIsThick(threadInfo.type)) {
     const type = assertThickThreadType(
-      pendingThreadType(otherMemberIDs.length, 'thick'),
+      dmThreadProtocol.pendingThreadType(otherMemberIDs.length),
     );
 
     invariant(
@@ -144,7 +142,7 @@
     newThreadType = type;
   } else {
     const type = assertThinThreadType(
-      pendingThreadType(otherMemberIDs.length, 'thin'),
+      keyserverThreadProtocol.pendingThreadType(otherMemberIDs.length),
     );
 
     invariant(
diff --git a/lib/shared/thread-utils.js b/lib/shared/thread-utils.js
--- a/lib/shared/thread-utils.js
+++ b/lib/shared/thread-utils.js
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 import { extractUserMentionsFromText } from './mention-utils.js';
 import { relationshipBlockedInEitherDirection } from './relationship-utils.js';
 import type { SidebarItem } from './sidebar-item-utils.js';
+import { dmThreadProtocol } from './threads/protocols/dm-thread-protocol.js';
+import { keyserverThreadProtocol } from './threads/protocols/keyserver-thread-protocol.js';
 import { protocols } from './threads/protocols/thread-protocols.js';
 import {
   threadSpecs,
@@ -611,29 +613,6 @@
   return [...mentionedMembersOfParent.values()];
 }
 
-function pendingThreadType(
-  numberOfOtherMembers: number,
-  thickOrThin: 'thick' | 'thin',
-): 4 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 14 | 15 {
-  if (thickOrThin === 'thick') {
-    if (numberOfOtherMembers === 0) {
-      return threadTypes.PRIVATE;
-    } else if (numberOfOtherMembers === 1) {
-      return threadTypes.PERSONAL;
-    } else {
-      return threadTypes.LOCAL;
-    }
-  } else {
-    if (numberOfOtherMembers === 0) {
-      return threadTypes.GENESIS_PRIVATE;
-    } else if (numberOfOtherMembers === 1) {
-      return threadTypes.GENESIS_PERSONAL;
-    } else {
-      return threadTypes.COMMUNITY_SECRET_SUBTHREAD;
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 function threadTypeCanBePending(threadType: ThreadType): boolean {
   return (
     threadType === threadTypes.GENESIS_PERSONAL ||
@@ -1178,7 +1157,7 @@
       let pendingThreadID;
       if (searching) {
         pendingThreadID = getPendingThreadID(
-          pendingThreadType(userInfoInputArray.length, 'thick'),
+          dmThreadProtocol.pendingThreadType(userInfoInputArray.length),
           [...userInfoInputArray.map(user => user.id), viewerID],
           sourceMessageID,
         );
@@ -1198,12 +1177,12 @@
         return baseThreadInfo;
       }
 
+      const protocol = params.allUsersSupportThickThreads
+        ? dmThreadProtocol
+        : keyserverThreadProtocol;
       return createPendingThread({
         viewerID,
-        threadType: pendingThreadType(
-          userInfoInputArray.length,
-          params.allUsersSupportThickThreads ? 'thick' : 'thin',
-        ),
+        threadType: protocol.pendingThreadType(userInfoInputArray.length),
         members: [
           { ...loggedInUserInfo, isViewer: true },
           ...userInfoInputArray,
@@ -1794,7 +1773,6 @@
   parsePendingThreadID,
   createPendingThread,
   extractNewMentionedParentMembers,
-  pendingThreadType,
   filterOutDisabledPermissions,
   useThreadFrozenDueToViewerBlock,
   rawThreadInfoFromServerThreadInfo,
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
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 import {
   assertThickThreadType,
   thickThreadTypes,
+  threadTypes,
 } from '../../../types/thread-types-enum.js';
 import type {
   ChangeThreadSettingsPayload,
@@ -731,6 +732,16 @@
 
     canBeFrozen: () => true,
 
+    pendingThreadType: (numberOfOtherMembers: number) => {
+      if (numberOfOtherMembers === 0) {
+        return threadTypes.PRIVATE;
+      } else if (numberOfOtherMembers === 1) {
+        return threadTypes.PERSONAL;
+      } else {
+        return threadTypes.LOCAL;
+      }
+    },
+
     allowsDeletingSidebarSource: false,
 
     presentationDetails: {
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
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
 import {
   assertThinThreadType,
   thinThreadTypes,
+  threadTypes,
 } from '../../../types/thread-types-enum.js';
 import type { ClientDBThreadInfo } from '../../../types/thread-types.js';
 import {
@@ -514,6 +515,16 @@
       return thread.id !== genesis().id;
     },
 
+    pendingThreadType: (numberOfOtherMembers: number) => {
+      if (numberOfOtherMembers === 0) {
+        return threadTypes.GENESIS_PRIVATE;
+      } else if (numberOfOtherMembers === 1) {
+        return threadTypes.GENESIS_PERSONAL;
+      } else {
+        return threadTypes.COMMUNITY_SECRET_SUBTHREAD;
+      }
+    },
+
     allowsDeletingSidebarSource: true,
 
     presentationDetails: {
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
@@ -314,6 +314,7 @@
   // "Freezing" a thread can occur when a user blocks another user, and those
   // two users are the only members of a given chat.
   +canBeFrozen: (thread: ThreadInfo) => boolean,
+  +pendingThreadType: (numberOfOtherMembers: number) => ThreadType,
   +allowsDeletingSidebarSource: boolean,
   +presentationDetails: {
     +membershipChangesShownInThreadPreview: boolean,
diff --git a/native/chat/message-list-container.react.js b/native/chat/message-list-container.react.js
--- a/native/chat/message-list-container.react.js
+++ b/native/chat/message-list-container.react.js
@@ -14,10 +14,9 @@
   usePotentialMemberItems,
   useSearchUsers,
 } from 'lib/shared/search-utils.js';
-import {
-  pendingThreadType,
-  useExistingThreadInfoFinder,
-} from 'lib/shared/thread-utils.js';
+import { useExistingThreadInfoFinder } from 'lib/shared/thread-utils.js';
+import { dmThreadProtocol } from 'lib/shared/threads/protocols/dm-thread-protocol.js';
+import { keyserverThreadProtocol } from 'lib/shared/threads/protocols/keyserver-thread-protocol.js';
 import type { ThreadInfo } from 'lib/types/minimally-encoded-thread-permissions-types.js';
 import { threadTypeIsThick } from 'lib/types/thread-types-enum.js';
 import type { AccountUserInfo, UserListItem } from 'lib/types/user-types.js';
@@ -166,9 +165,8 @@
       if (threadTypeIsThick(threadInfo.type)) {
         parentThreadHeader = (
           <ParentThreadHeader
-            childThreadType={pendingThreadType(
+            childThreadType={dmThreadProtocol.pendingThreadType(
               userInfoInputArray.length,
-              'thick',
             )}
           />
         );
@@ -178,9 +176,8 @@
         parentThreadHeader = (
           <ParentThreadHeader
             parentThreadInfo={genesisThreadInfo}
-            childThreadType={pendingThreadType(
+            childThreadType={keyserverThreadProtocol.pendingThreadType(
               userInfoInputArray.length,
-              'thin',
             )}
           />
         );