diff --git a/protobufs b/protobufs
index d8213ad13..a72983993 160000
--- a/protobufs
+++ b/protobufs
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit d8213ad133c42fb59a052326659e2cbfde3db6d6
+Subproject commit a72983993ccd9c2dabb1ef9e17b2fe79bd94d671
diff --git a/src/mesh/generated/localonly.pb.h b/src/mesh/generated/localonly.pb.h
index eac4444da..28c282ff0 100644
--- a/src/mesh/generated/localonly.pb.h
+++ b/src/mesh/generated/localonly.pb.h
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ extern const pb_msgdesc_t LocalModuleConfig_msg;
 
 /* Maximum encoded size of messages (where known) */
 #define LocalConfig_size                         333
-#define LocalModuleConfig_size                   268
+#define LocalModuleConfig_size                   270
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 } /* extern "C" */
diff --git a/src/mesh/generated/module_config.pb.h b/src/mesh/generated/module_config.pb.h
index e7e99b6b3..b79b74ac6 100644
--- a/src/mesh/generated/module_config.pb.h
+++ b/src/mesh/generated/module_config.pb.h
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ typedef struct _ModuleConfig_MQTTConfig {
     char username[32];
     char password[32];
     bool encryption_enabled;
+    bool json_enabled;
 } ModuleConfig_MQTTConfig;
 
 typedef struct _ModuleConfig_RangeTestConfig { 
@@ -152,7 +153,7 @@ extern "C" {
 
 /* Initializer values for message structs */
 #define ModuleConfig_init_default                {0, {ModuleConfig_MQTTConfig_init_default}}
-#define ModuleConfig_MQTTConfig_init_default     {0, "", "", "", 0}
+#define ModuleConfig_MQTTConfig_init_default     {0, "", "", "", 0, 0}
 #define ModuleConfig_SerialConfig_init_default   {0, 0, 0, 0, _ModuleConfig_SerialConfig_Serial_Baud_MIN, 0, _ModuleConfig_SerialConfig_Serial_Mode_MIN}
 #define ModuleConfig_ExternalNotificationConfig_init_default {0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}
 #define ModuleConfig_StoreForwardConfig_init_default {0, 0, 0, 0, 0}
@@ -160,7 +161,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #define ModuleConfig_TelemetryConfig_init_default {0, 0, 0, 0, 0}
 #define ModuleConfig_CannedMessageConfig_init_default {0, 0, 0, 0, _ModuleConfig_CannedMessageConfig_InputEventChar_MIN, _ModuleConfig_CannedMessageConfig_InputEventChar_MIN, _ModuleConfig_CannedMessageConfig_InputEventChar_MIN, 0, 0, "", 0}
 #define ModuleConfig_init_zero                   {0, {ModuleConfig_MQTTConfig_init_zero}}
-#define ModuleConfig_MQTTConfig_init_zero        {0, "", "", "", 0}
+#define ModuleConfig_MQTTConfig_init_zero        {0, "", "", "", 0, 0}
 #define ModuleConfig_SerialConfig_init_zero      {0, 0, 0, 0, _ModuleConfig_SerialConfig_Serial_Baud_MIN, 0, _ModuleConfig_SerialConfig_Serial_Mode_MIN}
 #define ModuleConfig_ExternalNotificationConfig_init_zero {0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}
 #define ModuleConfig_StoreForwardConfig_init_zero {0, 0, 0, 0, 0}
@@ -191,6 +192,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #define ModuleConfig_MQTTConfig_username_tag     3
 #define ModuleConfig_MQTTConfig_password_tag     4
 #define ModuleConfig_MQTTConfig_encryption_enabled_tag 5
+#define ModuleConfig_MQTTConfig_json_enabled_tag 6
 #define ModuleConfig_RangeTestConfig_enabled_tag 1
 #define ModuleConfig_RangeTestConfig_sender_tag  2
 #define ModuleConfig_RangeTestConfig_save_tag    3
@@ -243,7 +245,8 @@ X(a, STATIC,   SINGULAR, BOOL,     enabled,           1) \
 X(a, STATIC,   SINGULAR, STRING,   address,           2) \
 X(a, STATIC,   SINGULAR, STRING,   username,          3) \
 X(a, STATIC,   SINGULAR, STRING,   password,          4) \
-X(a, STATIC,   SINGULAR, BOOL,     encryption_enabled,   5)
+X(a, STATIC,   SINGULAR, BOOL,     encryption_enabled,   5) \
+X(a, STATIC,   SINGULAR, BOOL,     json_enabled,      6)
 #define ModuleConfig_MQTTConfig_CALLBACK NULL
 #define ModuleConfig_MQTTConfig_DEFAULT NULL
 
@@ -330,12 +333,12 @@ extern const pb_msgdesc_t ModuleConfig_CannedMessageConfig_msg;
 /* Maximum encoded size of messages (where known) */
 #define ModuleConfig_CannedMessageConfig_size    49
 #define ModuleConfig_ExternalNotificationConfig_size 20
-#define ModuleConfig_MQTTConfig_size             103
+#define ModuleConfig_MQTTConfig_size             105
 #define ModuleConfig_RangeTestConfig_size        10
 #define ModuleConfig_SerialConfig_size           26
 #define ModuleConfig_StoreForwardConfig_size     22
 #define ModuleConfig_TelemetryConfig_size        18
-#define ModuleConfig_size                        105
+#define ModuleConfig_size                        107
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 } /* extern "C" */
diff --git a/src/mqtt/MQTT.cpp b/src/mqtt/MQTT.cpp
index 71fabed66..9e8427b54 100644
--- a/src/mqtt/MQTT.cpp
+++ b/src/mqtt/MQTT.cpp
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ void MQTT::onPublish(char *topic, byte *payload, unsigned int length)
 {
     // parsing ServiceEnvelope
     ServiceEnvelope e = ServiceEnvelope_init_default;
-    if (!pb_decode_from_bytes(payload, length, ServiceEnvelope_fields, &e)) {
+    if (moduleConfig.mqtt.json_enabled && !pb_decode_from_bytes(payload, length, ServiceEnvelope_fields, &e)) {
 
         // check if this is a json payload message
         using namespace json11;
@@ -238,13 +238,15 @@ void MQTT::onSend(const MeshPacket &mp, ChannelIndex chIndex)
 
         pubSub.publish(topic.c_str(), bytes, numBytes, false);
 
-        // handle json topic
-        using namespace json11;
-        auto jsonString = this->downstreamPacketToJson((MeshPacket *)&mp);
-        if (jsonString.length() != 0) {
-            String topicJson = jsonTopic + channelId + "/" + owner.id;
-            DEBUG_MSG("publish json message to %s, %u bytes: %s\n", topicJson.c_str(), jsonString.length(), jsonString.c_str());
-            pubSub.publish(topicJson.c_str(), jsonString.c_str(), false);
+        if (moduleConfig.mqtt.json_enabled) {
+            // handle json topic
+            using namespace json11;
+            auto jsonString = this->downstreamPacketToJson((MeshPacket *)&mp);
+            if (jsonString.length() != 0) {
+                String topicJson = jsonTopic + channelId + "/" + owner.id;
+                DEBUG_MSG("publish json message to %s, %u bytes: %s\n", topicJson.c_str(), jsonString.length(), jsonString.c_str());
+                pubSub.publish(topicJson.c_str(), jsonString.c_str(), false);
+            }
         }
     }
 }