diff --git a/src/Simplex/Messaging/Agent.hs b/src/Simplex/Messaging/Agent.hs
index ae0436e87..8ccc83332 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Messaging/Agent.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Messaging/Agent.hs
@@ -791,7 +791,7 @@ runCommandProcessing c@AgentClient {subQ} server_ = do
             notify OK
         LET confId ownCInfo -> withServer' . tryCommand $ allowConnection' c connId confId ownCInfo >> notify OK
         ACK msgId -> withServer' . tryCommand $ ackMessage' c connId msgId >> notify OK
-        SWCH -> noServer $ tryCommand $ switchConnection' c connId >>= notify . SWITCH SPStarted
+        SWCH -> noServer $ tryCommand $ switchConnection' c connId >>= notify . SWITCH QDRcv SPStarted
         DEL -> withServer' . tryCommand $ deleteConnection' c connId >> notify OK
         _ -> notify $ ERR $ INTERNAL $ "unsupported async command " <> show (aCommandTag cmd)
       AInternalCommand cmd -> case cmd of
@@ -847,7 +847,7 @@ runCommandProcessing c@AgentClient {subQ} server_ = do
                     ns <- asks ntfSupervisor
                     atomically $ sendNtfSubCommand ns (connId, NSCCreate)
                   let conn' = DuplexConnection cData (rq'' :| rqs') sqs
-                  notify $ SWITCH SPCompleted $ connectionStats conn'
+                  notify $ SWITCH QDRcv SPCompleted $ connectionStats conn'
               _ -> internalErr "ICQDelete: cannot delete the only queue in connection"
         where
           ack srv rId srvMsgId = do
@@ -1076,7 +1076,7 @@ runSmpQueueMsgDelivery c@AgentClient {subQ} cData@ConnData {connId, duplexHandsh
                                 deleteConnSndQueue db connId sq'
                               let sqs'' = sq'' :| sqs'
                                   conn' = DuplexConnection cData' rqs sqs''
-                              notify . SWITCH SPCompleted $ connectionStats conn'
+                              notify . SWITCH QDSnd SPCompleted $ connectionStats conn'
                             _ -> internalErr msgId "sent QTEST: there is only one queue in connection"
                         _ -> internalErr msgId "sent QTEST: queue not in connection or not replacing another queue"
                     _ -> internalErr msgId "QTEST sent not in duplex connection"
@@ -1694,7 +1694,7 @@ processSMPTransmission c@AgentClient {smpClients, subQ} (srv, v, sessId, rId, cm
                       let sqInfo' = (sqInfo :: SMPQueueInfo) {queueAddress = queueAddress {dhPublicKey}}
                       void . enqueueMessages c cData sqs SMP.noMsgFlags $ QKEY [(sqInfo', sndPubKey)]
                       let conn' = DuplexConnection cData rqs (sq <| sq' :| sqs_)
-                      notify . SWITCH SPStarted $ connectionStats conn'
+                      notify . SWITCH QDSnd SPStarted $ connectionStats conn'
                     _ -> qError "absent sender keys"
                 _ -> qError "QADD: replaced queue address is not found in connection"
             _ -> throwError $ AGENT A_VERSION
@@ -1711,7 +1711,7 @@ processSMPTransmission c@AgentClient {smpClients, subQ} (srv, v, sessId, rId, cm
                 let dhSecret = C.dh' dhPublicKey dhPrivKey
                 withStore' c $ \db -> setRcvQueueConfirmedE2E db rq' dhSecret $ min cVer cVer'
                 enqueueCommand c "" connId (Just smpServer) $ AInternalCommand $ ICQSecure rcvId senderKey
-                notify . SWITCH SPConfirmed $ connectionStats conn
+                notify . SWITCH QDRcv SPConfirmed $ connectionStats conn
               | otherwise -> qError "QKEY: queue already secured"
             _ -> qError "QKEY: queue address not found in connection"
           where
@@ -1729,7 +1729,7 @@ processSMPTransmission c@AgentClient {smpClients, subQ} (srv, v, sessId, rId, cm
               let sq'' = (sq' :: SndQueue) {status = Secured}
               -- sending QTEST to the new queue only, the old one will be removed if sent successfully
               void $ enqueueMessages c cData [sq''] SMP.noMsgFlags $ QTEST [addr]
-              notify . SWITCH SPConfirmed $ connectionStats conn
+              notify . SWITCH QDSnd SPConfirmed $ connectionStats conn
             _ -> qError "QUSE: queue address not found in connection"
 
         qError :: String -> m ()
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Messaging/Agent/Protocol.hs b/src/Simplex/Messaging/Agent/Protocol.hs
index 9b96ce573..d0907493c 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Messaging/Agent/Protocol.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Messaging/Agent/Protocol.hs
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ module Simplex.Messaging.Agent.Protocol
     MsgMeta (..),
     ConnectionStats (..),
     SwitchPhase (..),
+    QueueDirection (..),
     SMPConfirmation (..),
     AgentMsgEnvelope (..),
     AgentMessage (..),
@@ -252,7 +253,7 @@ data ACommand (p :: AParty) where
   DISCONNECT :: AProtocolType -> TransportHost -> ACommand Agent
   DOWN :: SMPServer -> [ConnId] -> ACommand Agent
   UP :: SMPServer -> [ConnId] -> ACommand Agent
-  SWITCH :: SwitchPhase -> ConnectionStats -> ACommand Agent
+  SWITCH :: QueueDirection -> SwitchPhase -> ConnectionStats -> ACommand Agent
   SEND :: MsgFlags -> MsgBody -> ACommand Client
   MID :: AgentMsgId -> ACommand Agent
   SENT :: AgentMsgId -> ACommand Agent
@@ -345,6 +346,26 @@ aCommandTag = \case
   ERR _ -> ERR_
   SUSPENDED -> SUSPENDED_
 
+data QueueDirection = QDRcv | QDSnd
+  deriving (Eq, Show)
+
+instance StrEncoding QueueDirection where
+  strEncode = \case
+    QDRcv -> "rcv"
+    QDSnd -> "snd"
+  strP =
+    A.takeTill (== ' ') >>= \case
+      "rcv" -> pure QDRcv
+      "snd" -> pure QDSnd
+      _ -> fail "bad QueueDirection"
+
+instance ToJSON QueueDirection where
+  toEncoding = strToJEncoding
+  toJSON = strToJSON
+
+instance FromJSON QueueDirection where
+  parseJSON = strParseJSON "QueueDirection"
+
 data SwitchPhase = SPStarted | SPConfirmed | SPCompleted
   deriving (Eq, Show)
 
@@ -1254,7 +1275,7 @@ commandP binaryP =
           DISCONNECT_ -> s (DISCONNECT <$> strP_ <*> strP)
           DOWN_ -> s (DOWN <$> strP_ <*> connections)
           UP_ -> s (UP <$> strP_ <*> connections)
-          SWITCH_ -> s (SWITCH <$> strP_ <*> strP)
+          SWITCH_ -> s (SWITCH <$> strP_ <*> strP_ <*> strP)
           MID_ -> s (MID <$> A.decimal)
           SENT_ -> s (SENT <$> A.decimal)
           MERR_ -> s (MERR <$> A.decimal <* A.space <*> strP)
@@ -1297,7 +1318,7 @@ serializeCommand = \case
   DISCONNECT p h -> s (DISCONNECT_, p, h)
   DOWN srv conns -> B.unwords [s DOWN_, s srv, connections conns]
   UP srv conns -> B.unwords [s UP_, s srv, connections conns]
-  SWITCH phase srvs -> s (SWITCH_, phase, srvs)
+  SWITCH dir phase srvs -> s (SWITCH_, dir, phase, srvs)
   SEND msgFlags msgBody -> B.unwords [s SEND_, smpEncode msgFlags, serializeBinary msgBody]
   MID mId -> s (MID_, Str $ bshow mId)
   SENT mId -> s (SENT_, Str $ bshow mId)
diff --git a/tests/AgentTests/FunctionalAPITests.hs b/tests/AgentTests/FunctionalAPITests.hs
index 6fa506204..75f06869b 100644
--- a/tests/AgentTests/FunctionalAPITests.hs
+++ b/tests/AgentTests/FunctionalAPITests.hs
@@ -669,23 +669,25 @@ testSwitchConnection servers = do
 
 switchComplete :: AgentClient -> ByteString -> AgentClient -> ByteString -> ExceptT AgentErrorType IO ()
 switchComplete a bId b aId = do
-  phase a bId SPStarted
-  phase b aId SPStarted
-  phase a bId SPConfirmed
-  phase b aId SPConfirmed
-  phase b aId SPCompleted
-  phase a bId SPCompleted
+  phase a bId QDRcv SPStarted
+  phase b aId QDSnd SPStarted
+  phase a bId QDRcv SPConfirmed
+  phase b aId QDSnd SPConfirmed
+  phase b aId QDSnd SPCompleted
+  phase a bId QDRcv SPCompleted
 
-phase :: AgentClient -> ByteString -> SwitchPhase -> ExceptT AgentErrorType IO ()
-phase c connId p =
+phase :: AgentClient -> ByteString -> QueueDirection -> SwitchPhase -> ExceptT AgentErrorType IO ()
+phase c connId d p =
   get c >>= \(_, connId', msg) -> do
     liftIO $ connId `shouldBe` connId'
     case msg of
-      SWITCH p' _ -> liftIO $ p `shouldBe` p'
-      ERR (AGENT A_DUPLICATE) -> phase c connId p
+      SWITCH d' p' _ -> liftIO $ do
+        d `shouldBe` d'
+        p `shouldBe` p'
+      ERR (AGENT A_DUPLICATE) -> phase c connId d p
       r -> do
         liftIO . putStrLn $ "expected: " <> show p <> ", received: " <> show r
-        SWITCH _ _ <- pure r
+        SWITCH _ _ _ <- pure r
         pure ()
 
 testSwitchAsync :: InitialAgentServers -> IO ()
@@ -698,13 +700,13 @@ testSwitchAsync servers = do
       withB' = session withB aId
   withA' $ \a -> do
     switchConnectionAsync a "" bId
-    phase a bId SPStarted
-  withB' $ \b -> phase b aId SPStarted
-  withA' $ \a -> phase a bId SPConfirmed
+    phase a bId QDRcv SPStarted
+  withB' $ \b -> phase b aId QDSnd SPStarted
+  withA' $ \a -> phase a bId QDRcv SPConfirmed
   withB' $ \b -> do
-    phase b aId SPConfirmed
-    phase b aId SPCompleted
-  withA' $ \a -> phase a bId SPCompleted
+    phase b aId QDSnd SPConfirmed
+    phase b aId QDSnd SPCompleted
+  withA' $ \a -> phase a bId QDRcv SPCompleted
   Right () <- withA $ \a -> withB $ \b -> runExceptT $ do
     subscribeConnection a bId
     subscribeConnection b aId
@@ -733,7 +735,7 @@ testSwitchDelete servers = do
     exchangeGreetingsMsgId 4 a bId b aId
     disconnectAgentClient b
     switchConnectionAsync a "" bId
-    phase a bId SPStarted
+    phase a bId QDRcv SPStarted
     deleteConnectionAsync a "1" bId
     ("1", bId', OK) <- get a
     liftIO $ bId `shouldBe` bId'