diff --git a/apps/nsqd/options.go b/apps/nsqd/options.go
index 8aa19f028..b6799066e 100644
--- a/apps/nsqd/options.go
+++ b/apps/nsqd/options.go
@@ -198,5 +198,12 @@ func nsqdFlagSet(opts *nsqd.Options) *flag.FlagSet {
 	flagSet.Int("max-deflate-level", opts.MaxDeflateLevel, "max deflate compression level a client can negotiate (> values == > nsqd CPU usage)")
 	flagSet.Bool("snappy", opts.SnappyEnabled, "enable snappy feature negotiation (client compression)")
 
+	experiments := app.StringArray{}
+	var validExperiments []string
+	for _, e := range nsqd.AllExperiments {
+		validExperiments = append(validExperiments, fmt.Sprintf("'%s'", string(e)))
+	}
+	flagSet.Var(&experiments, "enable-experiment", fmt.Sprintf("enable experimental feature (may be given multiple times) (valid options: %s)", strings.Join(validExperiments, ", ")))
+
 	return flagSet
 }
diff --git a/nsqd/channel.go b/nsqd/channel.go
index 218790570..f2452ee27 100644
--- a/nsqd/channel.go
+++ b/nsqd/channel.go
@@ -48,11 +48,12 @@ type Channel struct {
 
 	backend BackendQueue
 
-	zoneLocalMsgChan   chan *Message
-	regionLocalMsgChan chan *Message
-	memoryMsgChan      chan *Message
-	exitFlag           int32
-	exitMutex          sync.RWMutex
+	topologyAwareConsumption bool
+	zoneLocalMsgChan         chan *Message
+	regionLocalMsgChan       chan *Message
+	memoryMsgChan            chan *Message
+	exitFlag                 int32
+	exitMutex                sync.RWMutex
 
 	// state tracking
 	clients        map[int64]Consumer
@@ -78,13 +79,14 @@ func NewChannel(topicName string, channelName string, nsqd *NSQD,
 	deleteCallback func(*Channel)) *Channel {
 
 	c := &Channel{
-		topicName:      topicName,
-		name:           channelName,
-		memoryMsgChan:  nil,
-		clients:        make(map[int64]Consumer),
-		deleteCallback: deleteCallback,
-		nsqd:           nsqd,
-		ephemeral:      strings.HasSuffix(channelName, "#ephemeral"),
+		topicName:                topicName,
+		name:                     channelName,
+		memoryMsgChan:            nil,
+		clients:                  make(map[int64]Consumer),
+		deleteCallback:           deleteCallback,
+		nsqd:                     nsqd,
+		ephemeral:                strings.HasSuffix(channelName, "#ephemeral"),
+		topologyAwareConsumption: nsqd.getOpts().HasExperiment(TopologyAwareConsumption),
 	}
 
 	if nsqd.getOpts().TopologyRegion != "" {
@@ -313,15 +315,17 @@ func (c *Channel) PutMessage(m *Message) error {
 }
 
 func (c *Channel) put(m *Message) error {
-	select {
-	case c.zoneLocalMsgChan <- m:
-		return nil
-	default:
-	}
-	select {
-	case c.regionLocalMsgChan <- m:
-		return nil
-	default:
+	if c.topologyAwareConsumption {
+		select {
+		case c.zoneLocalMsgChan <- m:
+			return nil
+		default:
+		}
+		select {
+		case c.regionLocalMsgChan <- m:
+			return nil
+		default:
+		}
 	}
 	select {
 	case c.memoryMsgChan <- m:
diff --git a/nsqd/options.go b/nsqd/options.go
index 35586eef6..f1505501d 100644
--- a/nsqd/options.go
+++ b/nsqd/options.go
@@ -86,6 +86,28 @@ type Options struct {
 	DeflateEnabled  bool `flag:"deflate"`
 	MaxDeflateLevel int  `flag:"max-deflate-level"`
 	SnappyEnabled   bool `flag:"snappy"`
+
+	// experimental features
+	Experiments []string `flag:"enable-experiment" cfg:"enable_experiment"`
+}
+
+type Experiment string
+
+const (
+	TopologyAwareConsumption Experiment = "topology-aware-consumption"
+)
+
+var AllExperiments = []Experiment{
+	TopologyAwareConsumption,
+}
+
+func (o Options) HasExperiment(e Experiment) bool {
+	for _, v := range o.Experiments {
+		if string(e) == v {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
 }
 
 func NewOptions() *Options {
diff --git a/nsqd/protocol_v2.go b/nsqd/protocol_v2.go
index c875cddb5..26358061e 100644
--- a/nsqd/protocol_v2.go
+++ b/nsqd/protocol_v2.go
@@ -312,10 +312,11 @@ func (p *protocolV2) messagePump(client *clientV2, startedChan chan bool) {
 			}
 
 			msgTimeout = identifyData.MsgTimeout
-			if identifyData.TopologyZone == p.nsqd.getOpts().TopologyZone {
+			isToplogyAware := p.nsqd.getOpts().HasExperiment(TopologyAwareConsumption)
+			if identifyData.TopologyZone == p.nsqd.getOpts().TopologyZone && isToplogyAware {
 				zoneLocal = true
 			}
-			if identifyData.TopologyRegion == p.nsqd.getOpts().TopologyRegion {
+			if identifyData.TopologyRegion == p.nsqd.getOpts().TopologyRegion && isToplogyAware {
 				regionLocal = true
 			}
 		case <-heartbeatChan:
diff --git a/nsqd/protocol_v2_test.go b/nsqd/protocol_v2_test.go
index 712a509d8..b20f32356 100644
--- a/nsqd/protocol_v2_test.go
+++ b/nsqd/protocol_v2_test.go
@@ -211,6 +211,7 @@ func TestMultipleConsumerV2(t *testing.T) {
 // if it's message pump is waiting
 func TestSameZoneConsumerV2(t *testing.T) {
 	opts := NewOptions()
+	opts.Experiments = []string{string(TopologyAwareConsumption)}
 	opts.Logger = test.NewTestLogger(t)
 	opts.ClientTimeout = 60 * time.Second
 	opts.TopologyRegion = "region"