diff --git a/src/mesh/NextHopRouter.cpp b/src/mesh/NextHopRouter.cpp
index 7ceca2195..608e069e6 100644
--- a/src/mesh/NextHopRouter.cpp
+++ b/src/mesh/NextHopRouter.cpp
@@ -161,6 +161,15 @@ bool NextHopRouter::stopRetransmission(NodeNum from, PacketId id)
     return stopRetransmission(key);
 }
 
+bool NextHopRouter::roleAllowsCancelingFromTxQueue(const meshtastic_MeshPacket *p)
+{
+    // Return true if we're allowed to cancel a packet in the txQueue (so we may never transmit it even once)
+
+    // Return false for roles like ROUTER, REPEATER, ROUTER_LATE which should always transmit the packet at least once.
+
+    return roleAllowsCancelingDupe(p); // same logic as FloodingRouter::roleAllowsCancelingDupe
+}
+
 bool NextHopRouter::stopRetransmission(GlobalPacketId key)
 {
     auto old = findPendingPacket(key);
@@ -170,9 +179,7 @@ bool NextHopRouter::stopRetransmission(GlobalPacketId key)
           to avoid canceling a transmission if it was ACKed super fast via MQTT */
         if (old->numRetransmissions < NUM_RELIABLE_RETX - 1) {
             // We only cancel it if we are the original sender or if we're not a router(_late)/repeater
-            if (isFromUs(p) || (config.device.role != meshtastic_Config_DeviceConfig_Role_ROUTER &&
-                                config.device.role != meshtastic_Config_DeviceConfig_Role_REPEATER &&
-                                config.device.role != meshtastic_Config_DeviceConfig_Role_ROUTER_LATE)) {
+            if (isFromUs(p) || roleAllowsCancelingFromTxQueue(p)) {
                 // remove the 'original' (identified by originator and packet->id) from the txqueue and free it
                 cancelSending(getFrom(p), p->id);
                 // now free the pooled copy for retransmission too
diff --git a/src/mesh/NextHopRouter.h b/src/mesh/NextHopRouter.h
index 6c2764aff..0022644e9 100644
--- a/src/mesh/NextHopRouter.h
+++ b/src/mesh/NextHopRouter.h
@@ -121,6 +121,9 @@ class NextHopRouter : public FloodingRouter
      */
     PendingPacket *startRetransmission(meshtastic_MeshPacket *p, uint8_t numReTx = NUM_INTERMEDIATE_RETX);
 
+    // Return true if we're allowed to cancel a packet in the txQueue (so we may never transmit it even once)
+    bool roleAllowsCancelingFromTxQueue(const meshtastic_MeshPacket *p);
+
     /**
      * Stop any retransmissions we are doing of the specified node/packet ID pair
      *