diff --git a/app/lib/lnd/methods/channelController.js b/app/lib/lnd/methods/channelController.js
index d7884457cc6..d57ab823bb4 100644
--- a/app/lib/lnd/methods/channelController.js
+++ b/app/lib/lnd/methods/channelController.js
@@ -19,13 +19,14 @@ function ensurePeerConnected(lnd, pubkey, host) {
  * @return {[type]}         [description]
  */
 export function connectAndOpen(lnd, event, payload) {
-  const { pubkey, host, localamt } = payload
+  const { pubkey, host, localamt, private: privateChannel } = payload
 
   return ensurePeerConnected(lnd, pubkey, host)
     .then(() => {
       const call = lnd.openChannel({
         node_pubkey: Buffer.from(pubkey, 'hex'),
-        local_funding_amount: Number(localamt)
+        local_funding_amount: Number(localamt),
+        private: privateChannel
       })
 
       call.on('data', data => event.sender.send('pushchannelupdated', { pubkey, data }))
diff --git a/app/reducers/channels.js b/app/reducers/channels.js
index 5402a4ea36f..d62b9d24507 100644
--- a/app/reducers/channels.js
+++ b/app/reducers/channels.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { createSelector } from 'reselect'
 import { ipcRenderer } from 'electron'
+import Store from 'electron-store'
 import { btc } from 'lib/utils'
 import { showNotification } from 'lib/utils/notifications'
 import { requestSuggestedNodes } from 'lib/utils/api'
@@ -191,7 +192,16 @@ export const openChannel = ({ pubkey, host, local_amt }) => (dispatch, getState)
   dispatch(openingChannel())
   dispatch(addLoadingPubkey(pubkey))
 
-  ipcRenderer.send('lnd', { msg: 'connectAndOpen', data: { pubkey, host, localamt } })
+  // Grab the activeConnection type from our local store. If the active connection type is local (light clients using
+  // neutrino) we will flag manually created channels as private. Other connections like remote node and BTCPay Server
+  // we will announce to the network as these users are using Zap to drive nodes that are online 24/7
+  const store = new Store({ name: 'settings' })
+  const { type } = store.get('activeConnection', {})
+
+  ipcRenderer.send('lnd', {
+    msg: 'connectAndOpen',
+    data: { pubkey, host, localamt, private: type === 'local' }
+  })
 }
 
 // TODO: Decide how to handle streamed updates for channels
diff --git a/test/unit/reducers/channels.spec.js b/test/unit/reducers/channels.spec.js
index 6beb81b85d9..fd7dca5644e 100644
--- a/test/unit/reducers/channels.spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/reducers/channels.spec.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+// @flow
+
 import channelsReducer, {
   SET_CHANNEL_FORM,
   SET_CHANNEL,