diff --git a/src/components/views/dialogs/CreateRoomDialog.js b/src/components/views/dialogs/CreateRoomDialog.js
index fb08afa5f7..df5f559e3b 100644
--- a/src/components/views/dialogs/CreateRoomDialog.js
+++ b/src/components/views/dialogs/CreateRoomDialog.js
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import { _t } from '../../../languageHandler';
 import {MatrixClientPeg} from '../../../MatrixClientPeg';
 import {Key} from "../../../Keyboard";
 import SettingsStore from "../../../settings/SettingsStore";
+import {privateShouldBeEncrypted} from "../../../createRoom";
 
 export default createReactClass({
     displayName: 'CreateRoomDialog',
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ export default createReactClass({
         const config = SdkConfig.get();
         return {
             isPublic: this.props.defaultPublic || false,
-            isEncrypted: true,
+            isEncrypted: privateShouldBeEncrypted(),
             name: "",
             topic: "",
             alias: "",
diff --git a/src/components/views/dialogs/InviteDialog.js b/src/components/views/dialogs/InviteDialog.js
index 7cbbf8ba64..6b7d2ff69d 100644
--- a/src/components/views/dialogs/InviteDialog.js
+++ b/src/components/views/dialogs/InviteDialog.js
@@ -31,9 +31,8 @@ import dis from "../../../dispatcher";
 import IdentityAuthClient from "../../../IdentityAuthClient";
 import Modal from "../../../Modal";
 import {humanizeTime} from "../../../utils/humanize";
-import createRoom, {canEncryptToAllUsers} from "../../../createRoom";
+import createRoom, {canEncryptToAllUsers, privateShouldBeEncrypted} from "../../../createRoom";
 import {inviteMultipleToRoom} from "../../../RoomInvite";
-import SettingsStore from '../../../settings/SettingsStore';
 import RoomListStore, {TAG_DM} from "../../../stores/RoomListStore";
 import {Key} from "../../../Keyboard";
 
@@ -574,7 +573,7 @@ export default class InviteDialog extends React.PureComponent {
 
         const createRoomOptions = {inlineErrors: true};
 
-        if (SettingsStore.getValue("feature_cross_signing")) {
+        if (privateShouldBeEncrypted()) {
             // Check whether all users have uploaded device keys before.
             // If so, enable encryption in the new room.
             const has3PidMembers = targets.some(t => t instanceof ThreepidMember);
diff --git a/src/components/views/right_panel/UserInfo.js b/src/components/views/right_panel/UserInfo.js
index 478dc90418..68139e5726 100644
--- a/src/components/views/right_panel/UserInfo.js
+++ b/src/components/views/right_panel/UserInfo.js
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import dis from '../../../dispatcher';
 import Modal from '../../../Modal';
 import * as sdk from '../../../index';
 import { _t } from '../../../languageHandler';
-import createRoom from '../../../createRoom';
+import createRoom, {privateShouldBeEncrypted} from '../../../createRoom';
 import DMRoomMap from '../../../utils/DMRoomMap';
 import AccessibleButton from '../elements/AccessibleButton';
 import SdkConfig from '../../../SdkConfig';
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ async function openDMForUser(matrixClient, userId) {
         dmUserId: userId,
     };
 
-    if (SettingsStore.getValue("feature_cross_signing")) {
+    if (privateShouldBeEncrypted()) {
         // Check whether all users have uploaded device keys before.
         // If so, enable encryption in the new room.
         const usersToDevicesMap = await matrixClient.downloadKeys([userId]);
diff --git a/src/createRoom.js b/src/createRoom.js
index a39d2c2216..2573c438c2 100644
--- a/src/createRoom.js
+++ b/src/createRoom.js
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import * as Rooms from "./Rooms";
 import DMRoomMap from "./utils/DMRoomMap";
 import {getAddressType} from "./UserAddress";
 import SettingsStore from "./settings/SettingsStore";
+import SdkConfig from "./SdkConfig";
 
 /**
  * Create a new room, and switch to it.
@@ -227,7 +228,7 @@ export async function ensureDMExists(client, userId) {
         roomId = existingDMRoom.roomId;
     } else {
         let encryption;
-        if (SettingsStore.getValue("feature_cross_signing")) {
+        if (privateShouldBeEncrypted()) {
             encryption = canEncryptToAllUsers(client, [userId]);
         }
         roomId = await createRoom({encryption, dmUserId: userId, spinner: false, andView: false});
@@ -235,3 +236,7 @@ export async function ensureDMExists(client, userId) {
     }
     return roomId;
 }
+
+export function privateShouldBeEncrypted() {
+    return SettingsStore.getValue("feature_cross_signing") && SdkConfig.get().e2ee_default_for_private_rooms !== false;
+}