diff --git a/lib/components/peer-olm-session-creator-provider.react.js b/lib/components/peer-olm-session-creator-provider.react.js
--- a/lib/components/peer-olm-session-creator-provider.react.js
+++ b/lib/components/peer-olm-session-creator-provider.react.js
@@ -5,12 +5,16 @@
 
 import { IdentityClientContext } from '../shared/identity-client-context.js';
 import { useTunnelbroker } from '../tunnelbroker/tunnelbroker-context.js';
-import { createOlmSessionWithPeer } from '../utils/crypto-utils.js';
+import {
+  createOlmSessionWithPeer,
+  type SessionCreationOptions,
+} from '../utils/crypto-utils.js';
 
 export type PeerOlmSessionCreatorContextType = {
   +createOlmSessionsWithPeer: (
     userID: string,
     deviceID: string,
+    sessionCreationOptions?: SessionCreationOptions,
   ) => Promise<void>,
 };
 
@@ -32,7 +36,11 @@
   }>({});
 
   const createOlmSessionsWithPeer = React.useCallback(
-    (userID: string, deviceID: string) => {
+    (
+      userID: string,
+      deviceID: string,
+      sessionCreationOptions?: SessionCreationOptions,
+    ) => {
       if (
         runningPromises.current[userID] &&
         runningPromises.current[userID][deviceID]
@@ -48,6 +56,7 @@
           sendMessageToDevice,
           userID,
           deviceID,
+          sessionCreationOptions,
         );
 
         runningPromises.current[userID][deviceID] = null;
diff --git a/lib/utils/crypto-utils.js b/lib/utils/crypto-utils.js
--- a/lib/utils/crypto-utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils/crypto-utils.js
@@ -107,18 +107,33 @@
   }
 }
 
+export type SessionCreationOptions = {
+  +overwriteNotifSession?: boolean,
+  +overwriteContentSession?: boolean,
+};
 async function createOlmSessionWithPeer(
   authMetadata: AuthMetadata,
   identityClient: IdentityServiceClient,
   sendMessage: (message: TunnelbrokerClientMessageToDevice) => Promise<void>,
   userID: string,
   deviceID: string,
+  options?: SessionCreationOptions,
 ): Promise<void> {
   const { olmAPI } = getConfig();
   await olmAPI.initializeCryptoAccount();
   const [hasContentSession, hasNotifsSession] = await Promise.all([
-    olmAPI.isContentSessionInitialized(deviceID),
-    olmAPI.isDeviceNotificationsSessionInitialized(deviceID),
+    (async () => {
+      if (options?.overwriteContentSession) {
+        return false;
+      }
+      return await olmAPI.isContentSessionInitialized(deviceID);
+    })(),
+    (async () => {
+      if (options?.overwriteNotifSession) {
+        return false;
+      }
+      return await olmAPI.isDeviceNotificationsSessionInitialized(deviceID);
+    })(),
   ]);
 
   if (hasContentSession && hasNotifsSession) {