diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat.hs
index 2671774603..7f85413fb4 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat.hs
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ defaultChatConfig =
       highlyAvailable = False,
       deliveryWorkerDelay = 0,
       deliveryBucketSize = 10000,
-      channelSubscriberRole = GRObserver,
+      channelSubscriberRole = GRCommenter,
       deviceNameForRemote = "",
       remoteCompression = True,
       chatHooks = defaultChatHooks
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Library/Subscriber.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Library/Subscriber.hs
index f5f7752ca4..9fa55956ed 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Library/Subscriber.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Library/Subscriber.hs
@@ -1533,7 +1533,7 @@ processAgentMessageConn vr user@User {userId} corrId agentConnId agentMessage =
     memberCanSend (Just m@GroupMember {memberRole}) msgScope a = case msgScope of
       Just MSMember {} -> a
       Nothing
-        | memberRole > GRObserver || memberPending m -> a
+        | memberRole >= GRAuthor || memberPending m -> a
         | otherwise -> messageError "member is not allowed to send messages" $> Nothing
 
     processConnMERR :: ConnectionEntity -> Connection -> AgentErrorType -> CM ()
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Types/Shared.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Types/Shared.hs
index 22cb73f325..57abd3092c 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Types/Shared.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Types/Shared.hs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ data GroupMemberRole
   = GRUnknown Text -- unknown role from a newer client
   | GRRelay -- chat relay: forwards messages, can't send its own messages
   | GRObserver -- connects to all group members and receives all messages, can't send messages
+  | GRCommenter -- + can comment on channel posts, can't send messages to the main channel
   | GRAuthor -- reserved, unused
   | GRMember -- + can send messages to all group members
   | GRModerator -- + moderate messages and block members (excl. Admins and Owners)
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ instance TextEncoding GroupMemberRole where
     GRModerator -> "moderator"
     GRMember -> "member"
     GRAuthor -> "author"
+    GRCommenter -> "commenter"
     GRObserver -> "observer"
     GRRelay -> "relay"
     GRUnknown t -> t
@@ -46,6 +48,7 @@ instance TextEncoding GroupMemberRole where
     "moderator" -> GRModerator
     "member" -> GRMember
     "author" -> GRAuthor
+    "commenter" -> GRCommenter
     "observer" -> GRObserver
     "relay" -> GRRelay
     t -> GRUnknown t