diff --git a/packages/simplex-chat-nodejs/src/api.ts b/packages/simplex-chat-nodejs/src/api.ts
index c3e85b3915..f5d2a5168e 100644
--- a/packages/simplex-chat-nodejs/src/api.ts
+++ b/packages/simplex-chat-nodejs/src/api.ts
@@ -813,7 +813,7 @@ export class ChatApi {
    * Network usage: no.
    */
   async apiCreateActiveUser(profile?: T.Profile): Promise<T.User> {
-    const r = await this.sendChatCmd(CC.CreateActiveUser.cmdString({newUser: {profile, pastTimestamp: false}}))
+    const r = await this.sendChatCmd(CC.CreateActiveUser.cmdString({newUser: {profile, pastTimestamp: false, userChatRelay: false}}))
     if (r.type === "activeUser") return r.user
     throw new ChatCommandError("unexpected response", r)
   }