diff --git a/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/create.json.jbuilder b/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/create.json.jbuilder
index 3fd338c4aaca..a9ac26750d1b 100644
--- a/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/create.json.jbuilder
+++ b/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/create.json.jbuilder
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 json.payload do
   json.contact do
-    json.partial! 'api/v1/models/contact.json.jbuilder', resource: @contact
+    json.partial! 'api/v1/models/contact.json.jbuilder', resource: @contact, with_contact_inboxes: true
   end
   json.contact_inbox do
     json.inbox @contact_inbox&.inbox
diff --git a/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/index.json.jbuilder b/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/index.json.jbuilder
index 892e5fbdd014..b033133edfd2 100644
--- a/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/index.json.jbuilder
+++ b/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/index.json.jbuilder
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 json.payload do
   json.array! @contacts do |contact|
-    json.partial! 'api/v1/models/contact.json.jbuilder', resource: contact
+    json.partial! 'api/v1/models/contact.json.jbuilder', resource: contact, with_contact_inboxes: true
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/search.json.jbuilder b/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/search.json.jbuilder
index 892e5fbdd014..b033133edfd2 100644
--- a/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/search.json.jbuilder
+++ b/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/search.json.jbuilder
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 json.payload do
   json.array! @contacts do |contact|
-    json.partial! 'api/v1/models/contact.json.jbuilder', resource: contact
+    json.partial! 'api/v1/models/contact.json.jbuilder', resource: contact, with_contact_inboxes: true
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/show.json.jbuilder b/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/show.json.jbuilder
index 276a6323e0f0..64f6c9c3105c 100644
--- a/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/show.json.jbuilder
+++ b/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/show.json.jbuilder
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 json.payload do
-  json.partial! 'api/v1/models/contact.json.jbuilder', resource: @contact
+  json.partial! 'api/v1/models/contact.json.jbuilder', resource: @contact, with_contact_inboxes: true
 end
diff --git a/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/update.json.jbuilder b/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/update.json.jbuilder
index 276a6323e0f0..64f6c9c3105c 100644
--- a/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/update.json.jbuilder
+++ b/app/views/api/v1/accounts/contacts/update.json.jbuilder
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 json.payload do
-  json.partial! 'api/v1/models/contact.json.jbuilder', resource: @contact
+  json.partial! 'api/v1/models/contact.json.jbuilder', resource: @contact, with_contact_inboxes: true
 end
diff --git a/app/views/api/v1/models/_contact.json.jbuilder b/app/views/api/v1/models/_contact.json.jbuilder
index 80f449a13525..b1e3b1dcb5c0 100644
--- a/app/views/api/v1/models/_contact.json.jbuilder
+++ b/app/views/api/v1/models/_contact.json.jbuilder
@@ -5,8 +5,12 @@ json.id resource.id
 json.name resource.name
 json.phone_number resource.phone_number
 json.thumbnail resource.avatar_url
-json.contact_inboxes do
-  json.array! resource.contact_inboxes do |contact_inbox|
-    json.partial! 'api/v1/models/contact_inbox.json.jbuilder', resource: contact_inbox
+
+# we only want to output contact inbox when its /contacts endpoints
+if defined?(with_contact_inboxes) && with_contact_inboxes.present?
+  json.contact_inboxes do
+    json.array! resource.contact_inboxes do |contact_inbox|
+      json.partial! 'api/v1/models/contact_inbox.json.jbuilder', resource: contact_inbox
+    end
   end
 end