diff --git a/android/src/main/java/expo/modules/xmtpreactnativesdk/XMTPModule.kt b/android/src/main/java/expo/modules/xmtpreactnativesdk/XMTPModule.kt
index 1436c7ff..dc080891 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/expo/modules/xmtpreactnativesdk/XMTPModule.kt
+++ b/android/src/main/java/expo/modules/xmtpreactnativesdk/XMTPModule.kt
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ class XMTPModule : Module() {
             withContext(Dispatchers.IO) {
                 logV("connectToApiBackend")
                 val api = apiEnvironments(environment, null)
-                val xmtpApiClient = Client().connectToApiBackend(api)
+                val xmtpApiClient = Client.connectToApiBackend(api)
                 apiClient = xmtpApiClient
             }
         }
@@ -310,7 +310,8 @@ class XMTPModule : Module() {
                     authParams,
                     hasPreAuthenticateToInboxCallback,
                 )
-                val randomClient = Client().create(account = privateKey, options = options, apiClient = apiClient)
+                val randomClient =
+                    Client().create(account = privateKey, options = options, apiClient = apiClient)
 
                 ContentJson.Companion
                 clients[randomClient.installationId] = randomClient
@@ -336,7 +337,8 @@ class XMTPModule : Module() {
                     authParams,
                     hasAuthInboxCallback,
                 )
-                val client = Client().create(account = reactSigner, options = options, apiClient = apiClient)
+                val client =
+                    Client().create(account = reactSigner, options = options, apiClient = apiClient)
                 clients[client.installationId] = client
                 apiClient = client.apiClient
                 ContentJson.Companion
@@ -352,7 +354,12 @@ class XMTPModule : Module() {
                     dbEncryptionKey,
                     authParams,
                 )
-                val client = Client().build(address = address, options = options, inboxId = inboxId, apiClient = apiClient)
+                val client = Client().build(
+                    address = address,
+                    options = options,
+                    inboxId = inboxId,
+                    apiClient = apiClient
+                )
                 ContentJson.Companion
                 clients[client.installationId] = client
                 apiClient = client.apiClient
@@ -464,7 +471,8 @@ class XMTPModule : Module() {
                 Client.canMessage(
                     peerAddresses,
                     context,
-                    apiEnvironments(environment, null)
+                    apiEnvironments(environment, null),
+                    apiClient = apiClient
                 )
             }
         }
diff --git a/ios/XMTPModule.swift b/ios/XMTPModule.swift
index c0f335cb..05d36c4f 100644
--- a/ios/XMTPModule.swift
+++ b/ios/XMTPModule.swift
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ actor IsolatedManager<T> {
 public class XMTPModule: Module {
 	var signer: ReactNativeSigner?
 	let clientsManager = ClientsManager()
+	var apiClient: XmtpApiClient?
 	let subscriptionsManager = IsolatedManager<Task<Void, Never>>()
 	private var preAuthenticateToInboxCallbackDeferred: DispatchSemaphore?
 
@@ -219,6 +220,14 @@ public class XMTPModule: Module {
 			try signer?.handleSCW(id: requestID, signature: signature)
 		}
 
+		AsyncFunction("connectToApiBackend") {
+			(environment: String) in
+			let xmtpApiClient = try await XMTP.Client.connectToApiBackend(
+				api: createApiClient(env: environment)
+			)
+			apiClient = xmtpApiClient
+		}
+
 		AsyncFunction("createRandom") {
 			(
 				hasAuthenticateToInboxCallback: Bool?, dbEncryptionKey: [UInt8],
@@ -241,8 +250,8 @@ public class XMTPModule: Module {
 				preAuthenticateToInboxCallback: preAuthenticateToInboxCallback
 			)
 			let client = try await Client.create(
-				account: privateKey, options: options)
-
+				account: privateKey, options: options, apiClient: apiClient)
+			apiClient = client.apiClient
 			await clientsManager.updateClient(
 				key: client.installationID, client: client)
 			return try ClientWrapper.encodeToObj(client)
@@ -277,9 +286,10 @@ public class XMTPModule: Module {
 				preAuthenticateToInboxCallback: preAuthenticateToInboxCallback
 			)
 			let client = try await XMTP.Client.create(
-				account: signer, options: options)
+				account: signer, options: options, apiClient: apiClient)
 			await self.clientsManager.updateClient(
 				key: client.installationID, client: client)
+			apiClient = client.apiClient
 			self.signer = nil
 			self.sendEvent("authed", try ClientWrapper.encodeToObj(client))
 		}
@@ -299,9 +309,11 @@ public class XMTPModule: Module {
 				preAuthenticateToInboxCallback: preAuthenticateToInboxCallback
 			)
 			let client = try await XMTP.Client.build(
-				address: address, options: options, inboxId: inboxId)
+				address: address, options: options, inboxId: inboxId,
+				apiClient: apiClient)
 			await clientsManager.updateClient(
 				key: client.installationID, client: client)
+			apiClient = client.apiClient
 			return try ClientWrapper.encodeToObj(client)
 		}