diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 9b0025a78..72a8a6313 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.40.0
+0.41.0
diff --git a/protocol/messenger.go b/protocol/messenger.go
index 8b013d789..9428a4ac5 100644
--- a/protocol/messenger.go
+++ b/protocol/messenger.go
@@ -367,17 +367,15 @@ func NewMessenger(
 		logger: logger,
 	}
 
-	// Start all services immediately.
-	// TODO: consider removing identity as an argument to Start().
-	if err := encryptionProtocol.Start(identity); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
 	logger.Debug("messages persistence", zap.Bool("enabled", c.messagesPersistenceEnabled))
 
 	return messenger, nil
 }
 
+func (m *Messenger) Start() error {
+	return m.encryptor.Start(m.identity)
+}
+
 // Init analyzes chats and contacts in order to setup filters
 // which are responsible for retrieving messages.
 func (m *Messenger) Init() error {
diff --git a/services/ext/api.go b/services/ext/api.go
index 80fd0be8e..3d3188c85 100644
--- a/services/ext/api.go
+++ b/services/ext/api.go
@@ -330,6 +330,10 @@ func (api *PublicAPI) ChatMessages(chatID, cursor string, limit int) (*Applicati
 	}, nil
 }
 
+func (api *PublicAPI) StartMessenger() error {
+	return api.service.StartMessenger()
+}
+
 func (api *PublicAPI) DeleteMessage(id string) error {
 	return api.service.messenger.DeleteMessage(id)
 }
diff --git a/services/ext/service.go b/services/ext/service.go
index 12b9bc51a..547bc5cc2 100644
--- a/services/ext/service.go
+++ b/services/ext/service.go
@@ -165,12 +165,15 @@ func (s *Service) InitProtocol(identity *ecdsa.PrivateKey, db *sql.DB) error { /
 	}
 	s.accountsDB = accounts.NewDB(db)
 	s.messenger = messenger
+	return messenger.Init()
+}
+
+func (s *Service) StartMessenger() error {
 	// Start a loop that retrieves all messages and propagates them to status-react.
 	s.cancelMessenger = make(chan struct{})
 	go s.retrieveMessagesLoop(time.Second, s.cancelMessenger)
 	go s.verifyTransactionLoop(30*time.Second, s.cancelMessenger)
-
-	return s.messenger.Init()
+	return s.messenger.Start()
 }
 
 func (s *Service) retrieveMessagesLoop(tick time.Duration, cancel <-chan struct{}) {
diff --git a/services/shhext/api_nimbus.go b/services/shhext/api_nimbus.go
index 4ec231749..7fd4c686a 100644
--- a/services/shhext/api_nimbus.go
+++ b/services/shhext/api_nimbus.go
@@ -521,6 +521,10 @@ func (api *NimbusPublicAPI) UpdateMessageOutgoingStatus(id, newOutgoingStatus st
 	return api.service.messenger.UpdateMessageOutgoingStatus(id, newOutgoingStatus)
 }
 
+func (api *PublicAPI) StartMessenger() error {
+	return api.service.StartMessenger()
+}
+
 func (api *NimbusPublicAPI) SendChatMessage(ctx context.Context, message *protocol.Message) (*protocol.MessengerResponse, error) {
 	return api.service.messenger.SendChatMessage(ctx, message)
 }
diff --git a/vendor/github.com/status-im/status-go/protocol/messenger.go b/vendor/github.com/status-im/status-go/protocol/messenger.go
index 8b013d789..9428a4ac5 100644
--- a/vendor/github.com/status-im/status-go/protocol/messenger.go
+++ b/vendor/github.com/status-im/status-go/protocol/messenger.go
@@ -367,17 +367,15 @@ func NewMessenger(
 		logger: logger,
 	}
 
-	// Start all services immediately.
-	// TODO: consider removing identity as an argument to Start().
-	if err := encryptionProtocol.Start(identity); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
 	logger.Debug("messages persistence", zap.Bool("enabled", c.messagesPersistenceEnabled))
 
 	return messenger, nil
 }
 
+func (m *Messenger) Start() error {
+	return m.encryptor.Start(m.identity)
+}
+
 // Init analyzes chats and contacts in order to setup filters
 // which are responsible for retrieving messages.
 func (m *Messenger) Init() error {