diff --git a/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/storage/MessagesDynamoDb.java b/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/storage/MessagesDynamoDb.java
index 386431119..3f0992c28 100644
--- a/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/storage/MessagesDynamoDb.java
+++ b/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/storage/MessagesDynamoDb.java
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import java.util.UUID;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 import java.util.function.Predicate;
-import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
 import org.reactivestreams.Publisher;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
@@ -118,8 +117,7 @@ public class MessagesDynamoDb extends AbstractDynamoDbStore {
   }
 
   public CompletableFuture<Boolean> mayHaveMessages(final UUID accountIdentifier, final Device device) {
-    return
-        dbAsyncClient.query(QueryRequest.builder()
+    return dbAsyncClient.query(QueryRequest.builder()
             .tableName(tableName)
             .consistentRead(false)
             .limit(1)
@@ -129,6 +127,12 @@ public class MessagesDynamoDb extends AbstractDynamoDbStore {
         .thenApply(queryResponse -> queryResponse.count() > 0);
   }
 
+  public CompletableFuture<Boolean> mayHaveUrgentMessages(final UUID accountIdentifier, final Device device) {
+    return Flux.from(load(accountIdentifier, device, null))
+        .any(MessageProtos.Envelope::getUrgent)
+        .toFuture();
+  }
+
   public Publisher<MessageProtos.Envelope> load(final UUID destinationAccountUuid, final Device device, final Integer limit) {
     QueryRequest.Builder queryRequestBuilder = QueryRequest.builder()
         .tableName(tableName)
diff --git a/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/storage/MessagesManager.java b/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/storage/MessagesManager.java
index 9414be5ea..35ece5bbb 100644
--- a/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/storage/MessagesManager.java
+++ b/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/storage/MessagesManager.java
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@ public class MessagesManager {
             });
   }
 
+  public CompletableFuture<Boolean> mayHaveUrgentPersistedMessages(final UUID destinationUuid, final Device destinationDevice) {
+    return messagesDynamoDb.mayHaveUrgentMessages(destinationUuid, destinationDevice);
+  }
+
   public Mono<Pair<List<Envelope>, Boolean>> getMessagesForDevice(UUID destinationUuid, Device destinationDevice,
       boolean cachedMessagesOnly) {
 
diff --git a/service/src/test/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/storage/MessagesDynamoDbTest.java b/service/src/test/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/storage/MessagesDynamoDbTest.java
index bb44bd815..0ea2206c3 100644
--- a/service/src/test/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/storage/MessagesDynamoDbTest.java
+++ b/service/src/test/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/storage/MessagesDynamoDbTest.java
@@ -304,4 +304,37 @@ class MessagesDynamoDbTest {
 
     assertThat(messagesDynamoDb.mayHaveMessages(destinationUuid, destinationDevice).join()).isTrue();
   }
+
+  @Test
+  void mayHaveUrgentMessages() {
+    final UUID destinationUuid = UUID.randomUUID();
+    final byte destinationDeviceId = (byte) (random.nextInt(Device.MAXIMUM_DEVICE_ID) + 1);
+    final Device destinationDevice = DevicesHelper.createDevice(destinationDeviceId);
+
+    assertThat(messagesDynamoDb.mayHaveUrgentMessages(destinationUuid, destinationDevice).join()).isFalse();
+
+    {
+      final MessageProtos.Envelope nonUrgentMessage = MessageProtos.Envelope.newBuilder()
+          .setUrgent(false)
+          .setServerGuid(UUID.randomUUID().toString())
+          .setDestinationServiceId(UUID.randomUUID().toString())
+          .build();
+
+      messagesDynamoDb.store(List.of(nonUrgentMessage), destinationUuid, destinationDevice);
+    }
+
+    assertThat(messagesDynamoDb.mayHaveUrgentMessages(destinationUuid, destinationDevice).join()).isFalse();
+
+    {
+      final MessageProtos.Envelope urgentMessage = MessageProtos.Envelope.newBuilder()
+          .setUrgent(true)
+          .setServerGuid(UUID.randomUUID().toString())
+          .setDestinationServiceId(UUID.randomUUID().toString())
+          .build();
+
+      messagesDynamoDb.store(List.of(urgentMessage), destinationUuid, destinationDevice);
+    }
+
+    assertThat(messagesDynamoDb.mayHaveUrgentMessages(destinationUuid, destinationDevice).join()).isTrue();
+  }
 }