diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 73420c4..e3ac09c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ MATRIX_WHITELIST=
 # Matrix Feature Flags (optional)
 MATRIX_AUTOJOIN=true
 MATRIX_ENCRYPTION=true
+# If you turn threads off you will have problems if you don't set CHATGPT_CONTEXT=room
+MATRIX_THREADS=true
 MATRIX_PREFIX_DM=false
 MATRIX_RICH_TEXT=true
 ```
diff --git a/src/env.ts b/src/env.ts
index 8f4b0d3..98e0714 100644
--- a/src/env.ts
+++ b/src/env.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ export const {
   /** Matrix Bot Features */
   MATRIX_AUTOJOIN,
   MATRIX_ENCRYPTION,
+  MATRIX_THREADS,
   MATRIX_PREFIX_DM,
   MATRIX_RICH_TEXT,
   /** Matrix Access Control */
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ export const {
   /** Matrix Bot Features */
   MATRIX_AUTOJOIN:             { schema: z.boolean().default(true),                description: "Set to true if you want the bot to autojoin when invited" },
   MATRIX_ENCRYPTION:           { schema: z.boolean().default(true),                description: "Set to true if you want the bot to support encrypted channels" },
+  MATRIX_THREADS:              { schema: z.boolean().default(true),                description: "Set to true if you want the bot to answer always in a new thread/conversation" },
   MATRIX_PREFIX_DM:            { schema: z.boolean().default(false),               description: "Set to false if you want the bot to answer to all messages in a one-to-one room" },
   MATRIX_RICH_TEXT:            { schema: z.boolean().default(true),                description: "Set to true if you want the bot to answer with enriched text" },
   /** Matrix Access Control */
diff --git a/src/handlers.ts b/src/handlers.ts
index 635054f..6c75be4 100644
--- a/src/handlers.ts
+++ b/src/handlers.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 import { ChatGPTAPIBrowser } from "chatgpt";
 import { LogService, MatrixClient, UserID } from "matrix-bot-sdk";
-import { CHATGPT_CONTEXT, CHATGPT_TIMEOUT, MATRIX_DEFAULT_PREFIX_REPLY, MATRIX_DEFAULT_PREFIX, MATRIX_BLACKLIST, MATRIX_WHITELIST, MATRIX_RICH_TEXT, MATRIX_PREFIX_DM } from "./env.js";
+import { CHATGPT_CONTEXT, CHATGPT_TIMEOUT, MATRIX_DEFAULT_PREFIX_REPLY, MATRIX_DEFAULT_PREFIX, MATRIX_BLACKLIST, MATRIX_WHITELIST, MATRIX_RICH_TEXT, MATRIX_PREFIX_DM, MATRIX_THREADS } from "./env.js";
 import { RelatesTo, MessageEvent, StoredConversation, StoredConversationConfig } from "./interfaces.js";
-import { sendChatGPTMessage, sendError, sendThreadReply } from "./utils.js";
+import { sendChatGPTMessage, sendError, sendReply } from "./utils.js";
 
 export default class CommandHandler {
 
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ export default class CommandHandler {
       const result = await sendChatGPTMessage(this.chatGPT, await bodyWithoutPrefix, storedConversation);
       await Promise.all([
         this.client.setTyping(roomId, false, 500),
-        sendThreadReply(this.client, roomId, this.getRootEventId(event), `${result.response}`, MATRIX_RICH_TEXT)
+        sendReply(this.client, roomId, this.getRootEventId(event), `${result.response}`, MATRIX_THREADS, MATRIX_RICH_TEXT)
       ]);
 
       const storedConfig = ((storedConversation !== undefined && storedConversation.config !== undefined) ? storedConversation.config : {})
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 6319aa9..00cbcce 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import {
 } from "matrix-bot-sdk";
 
 import * as path from "path";
-import { DATA_PATH, OPENAI_EMAIL, OPENAI_PASSWORD, OPENAI_LOGIN_TYPE, OPENAI_PRO, MATRIX_HOMESERVER_URL, MATRIX_ACCESS_TOKEN, MATRIX_AUTOJOIN, MATRIX_BOT_PASSWORD, MATRIX_BOT_USERNAME, MATRIX_ENCRYPTION } from './env.js'
+import { DATA_PATH, OPENAI_EMAIL, OPENAI_PASSWORD, OPENAI_LOGIN_TYPE, OPENAI_PRO, MATRIX_HOMESERVER_URL, MATRIX_ACCESS_TOKEN, MATRIX_AUTOJOIN, MATRIX_BOT_PASSWORD, MATRIX_BOT_USERNAME, MATRIX_ENCRYPTION, MATRIX_THREADS, CHATGPT_CONTEXT } from './env.js'
 import { parseMatrixUsernamePretty } from './utils.js';
 import CommandHandler from "./handlers.js"
 import { ChatGPTAPIBrowser } from 'chatgpt'
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ async function main() {
     console.log("Set MATRIX_ACCESS_TOKEN to above token, MATRIX_BOT_PASSWORD can now be blank")
     return;
   }
+  if (!MATRIX_THREADS && CHATGPT_CONTEXT !== "room") throw Error("You must set CHATGPT_CONTEXT to 'room' if you set MATRIX_THREADS to false")
   const client: MatrixClient = new MatrixClient(MATRIX_HOMESERVER_URL, MATRIX_ACCESS_TOKEN, storage, cryptoStore);
 
   // use puppeteer to bypass cloudflare (headful because of captchas)  
diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.ts
index d7ea2a9..124e623 100644
--- a/src/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils.ts
@@ -28,13 +28,17 @@ export async function sendError(client: MatrixClient, text: string, roomId: stri
  * @param {string} roomId the room ID the event being replied to resides in
  * @param {string} rootEventId the root event of the thread
  * @param {string} text the plain text to reply with
+ * @param {boolean} thread reply as a thread
  * @param {boolean} rich should the plain text be rendered to html using markdown?
  */
-export async function sendThreadReply(client: MatrixClient, roomId: string, rootEventId: string, text: string, rich:boolean = false): Promise<void> {
+export async function sendReply(client: MatrixClient, roomId: string, rootEventId: string, text: string, thread: boolean = false, rich:boolean = false): Promise<void> {
 
   const contentCommon = {
     body: text,
     msgtype: "m.text",
+  }
+
+  const contentThreadOnly = {
     "m.relates_to": {
       event_id: rootEventId,
       is_falling_back: true,
@@ -67,8 +71,9 @@ export async function sendThreadReply(client: MatrixClient, roomId: string, root
   }
 
   const content = rich ? { ...contentCommon, ...contentRichOnly } : { ...contentCommon, ...contentTextOnly };
+  const finalContent = thread ? { ...content, ...contentThreadOnly } : content
 
-  await client.sendEvent(roomId, "m.room.message", content);
+  await client.sendEvent(roomId, "m.room.message", finalContent);
 }
 
 export async function sendChatGPTMessage(chatGPT: ChatGPTAPIBrowser, question: string, storedConversation: StoredConversation) {