diff --git a/plugins/chat/app/services/chat/publisher.rb b/plugins/chat/app/services/chat/publisher.rb
index dd4013a1e81..a14bc288dcd 100644
--- a/plugins/chat/app/services/chat/publisher.rb
+++ b/plugins/chat/app/services/chat/publisher.rb
@@ -15,18 +15,22 @@ module Chat
     end
 
     def self.calculate_publish_targets(channel, message)
-      targets =
-        if message.thread_om?
-          [
-            root_message_bus_channel(channel.id),
-            thread_message_bus_channel(channel.id, message.thread_id),
-          ]
-        elsif message.thread_reply?
-          [thread_message_bus_channel(channel.id, message.thread_id)]
-        else
-          [root_message_bus_channel(channel.id)]
-        end
-      targets
+      return [root_message_bus_channel(channel.id)] if !allow_publish_to_thread?(channel)
+
+      if message.thread_om?
+        [
+          root_message_bus_channel(channel.id),
+          thread_message_bus_channel(channel.id, message.thread_id),
+        ]
+      elsif message.thread_reply?
+        [thread_message_bus_channel(channel.id, message.thread_id)]
+      else
+        [root_message_bus_channel(channel.id)]
+      end
+    end
+
+    def self.allow_publish_to_thread?(channel)
+      SiteSetting.enable_experimental_chat_threaded_discussions && channel.threading_enabled
     end
 
     def self.publish_new!(chat_channel, chat_message, staged_id)
@@ -40,7 +44,7 @@ module Chat
       # NOTE: This means that the read count is only updated in the client
       # for new messages in the main channel stream, maybe in future we want to
       # do this for thread messages as well?
-      if !chat_message.thread_reply?
+      if !chat_message.thread_reply? || !allow_publish_to_thread?(chat_channel)
         MessageBus.publish(
           self.new_messages_message_bus_channel(chat_channel.id),
           {
diff --git a/plugins/chat/spec/services/chat/publisher_spec.rb b/plugins/chat/spec/services/chat/publisher_spec.rb
index d5cc2ec781f..78e3e3d15f3 100644
--- a/plugins/chat/spec/services/chat/publisher_spec.rb
+++ b/plugins/chat/spec/services/chat/publisher_spec.rb
@@ -16,19 +16,149 @@ describe Chat::Publisher do
   end
 
   describe ".calculate_publish_targets" do
-    context "when the chat message is the original message of a thread" do
-      fab!(:thread) { Fabricate(:chat_thread, original_message: message, channel: channel) }
+    context "when enable_experimental_chat_threaded_discussions is false" do
+      before { SiteSetting.enable_experimental_chat_threaded_discussions = false }
 
-      it "generates the correct targets" do
-        targets = described_class.calculate_publish_targets(channel, message)
-        expect(targets).to contain_exactly(
-          "/chat/#{channel.id}",
-          "/chat/#{channel.id}/thread/#{thread.id}",
+      context "when the message is the original message of a thread" do
+        fab!(:thread) { Fabricate(:chat_thread, original_message: message, channel: channel) }
+
+        it "generates the correct targets" do
+          targets = described_class.calculate_publish_targets(channel, message)
+          expect(targets).to contain_exactly("/chat/#{channel.id}")
+        end
+      end
+
+      context "when the message is a thread reply" do
+        fab!(:thread) do
+          Fabricate(
+            :chat_thread,
+            original_message: Fabricate(:chat_message, chat_channel: channel),
+            channel: channel,
+          )
+        end
+
+        before { message.update!(thread: thread) }
+
+        it "generates the correct targets" do
+          targets = described_class.calculate_publish_targets(channel, message)
+          expect(targets).to contain_exactly("/chat/#{channel.id}")
+        end
+      end
+
+      context "when the message is not part of a thread" do
+        it "generates the correct targets" do
+          targets = described_class.calculate_publish_targets(channel, message)
+          expect(targets).to contain_exactly("/chat/#{channel.id}")
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "when threading_enabled is false for the channel" do
+      before do
+        SiteSetting.enable_experimental_chat_threaded_discussions = true
+        channel.update!(threading_enabled: false)
+      end
+
+      context "when the message is the original message of a thread" do
+        fab!(:thread) { Fabricate(:chat_thread, original_message: message, channel: channel) }
+
+        it "generates the correct targets" do
+          targets = described_class.calculate_publish_targets(channel, message)
+          expect(targets).to contain_exactly("/chat/#{channel.id}")
+        end
+      end
+
+      context "when the message is a thread reply" do
+        fab!(:thread) do
+          Fabricate(
+            :chat_thread,
+            original_message: Fabricate(:chat_message, chat_channel: channel),
+            channel: channel,
+          )
+        end
+
+        before { message.update!(thread: thread) }
+
+        it "generates the correct targets" do
+          targets = described_class.calculate_publish_targets(channel, message)
+          expect(targets).to contain_exactly("/chat/#{channel.id}")
+        end
+      end
+
+      context "when the message is not part of a thread" do
+        it "generates the correct targets" do
+          targets = described_class.calculate_publish_targets(channel, message)
+          expect(targets).to contain_exactly("/chat/#{channel.id}")
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "when enable_experimental_chat_threaded_discussions is true and threading_enabled is true for the channel" do
+      before do
+        channel.update!(threading_enabled: true)
+        SiteSetting.enable_experimental_chat_threaded_discussions = true
+      end
+
+      context "when the message is the original message of a thread" do
+        fab!(:thread) { Fabricate(:chat_thread, original_message: message, channel: channel) }
+
+        it "generates the correct targets" do
+          targets = described_class.calculate_publish_targets(channel, message)
+          expect(targets).to contain_exactly(
+            "/chat/#{channel.id}",
+            "/chat/#{channel.id}/thread/#{thread.id}",
+          )
+        end
+      end
+
+      context "when the message is a thread reply" do
+        fab!(:thread) do
+          Fabricate(
+            :chat_thread,
+            original_message: Fabricate(:chat_message, chat_channel: channel),
+            channel: channel,
+          )
+        end
+
+        before { message.update!(thread: thread) }
+
+        it "generates the correct targets" do
+          targets = described_class.calculate_publish_targets(channel, message)
+          expect(targets).to contain_exactly("/chat/#{channel.id}/thread/#{thread.id}")
+        end
+      end
+
+      context "when the message is not part of a thread" do
+        it "generates the correct targets" do
+          targets = described_class.calculate_publish_targets(channel, message)
+          expect(targets).to contain_exactly("/chat/#{channel.id}")
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe ".publish_new!" do
+    let(:staged_id) { 999 }
+
+    context "when the message is not a thread reply" do
+      it "publishes to the new_messages_message_bus_channel" do
+        messages =
+          MessageBus.track_publish(described_class.new_messages_message_bus_channel(channel.id)) do
+            described_class.publish_new!(channel, message, staged_id)
+          end
+        expect(messages.first.data).to eq(
+          {
+            channel_id: channel.id,
+            message_id: message.id,
+            user_id: message.user_id,
+            username: message.user.username,
+            thread_id: nil,
+          },
         )
       end
     end
 
-    context "when the chat message is a thread reply" do
+    context "when the message is a thread reply" do
       fab!(:thread) do
         Fabricate(
           :chat_thread,
@@ -39,16 +169,44 @@ describe Chat::Publisher do
 
       before { message.update!(thread: thread) }
 
-      it "generates the correct targets" do
-        targets = described_class.calculate_publish_targets(channel, message)
-        expect(targets).to contain_exactly("/chat/#{channel.id}/thread/#{thread.id}")
-      end
-    end
+      context "if enable_experimental_chat_threaded_discussions is false" do
+        before { SiteSetting.enable_experimental_chat_threaded_discussions = false }
 
-    context "when the chat message is not part of a thread" do
-      it "generates the correct targets" do
-        targets = described_class.calculate_publish_targets(channel, message)
-        expect(targets).to contain_exactly("/chat/#{channel.id}")
+        it "publishes to the new_messages_message_bus_channel" do
+          messages =
+            MessageBus.track_publish(
+              described_class.new_messages_message_bus_channel(channel.id),
+            ) { described_class.publish_new!(channel, message, staged_id) }
+          expect(messages).not_to be_empty
+        end
+      end
+
+      context "if enable_experimental_chat_threaded_discussions is true" do
+        before { SiteSetting.enable_experimental_chat_threaded_discussions = true }
+
+        context "if threading_enabled is false for the channel" do
+          before { channel.update!(threading_enabled: false) }
+
+          it "publishes to the new_messages_message_bus_channel" do
+            messages =
+              MessageBus.track_publish(
+                described_class.new_messages_message_bus_channel(channel.id),
+              ) { described_class.publish_new!(channel, message, staged_id) }
+            expect(messages).not_to be_empty
+          end
+        end
+
+        context "if threading_enabled is true for the channel" do
+          before { channel.update!(threading_enabled: true) }
+
+          it "does not publish to the new_messages_message_bus_channel" do
+            messages =
+              MessageBus.track_publish(
+                described_class.new_messages_message_bus_channel(channel.id),
+              ) { described_class.publish_new!(channel, message, staged_id) }
+            expect(messages).to be_empty
+          end
+        end
       end
     end
   end