diff --git a/cmd/callbacks.go b/cmd/callbacks.go
index 66a6ba9f2784540811ad192334d8270ded4005d1..13900622395ed2e6b787df1b2d7d22c426cb8c61 100644
--- a/cmd/callbacks.go
+++ b/cmd/callbacks.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 	"gitlab.com/elixxir/client/xxdk"
 
 	jww "github.com/spf13/jwalterweatherman"
@@ -46,10 +47,12 @@ func (a *authCallbacks) Request(requestor contact.Contact,
 	if a.autoConfirm {
 		jww.INFO.Printf("Channel Request: %s",
 			requestor.ID)
-		_, err := a.client.GetAuth().Confirm(requestor)
-		if err != nil {
-			jww.FATAL.Panicf("%+v", err)
+		if viper.GetBool("verify-sends") { // Verify message sends were successful
+			acceptChannelVerified(a.client, requestor.ID)
+		} else {
+			acceptChannel(a.client, requestor.ID)
 		}
+
 		a.confCh <- requestor.ID
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 2f0c0c013d1093b942e2bf4bf3fc2597099a7f92..bd49ab29c517a2b51a7f2058f3dba526624f0a76 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -263,12 +263,11 @@ var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		// Accept auth request for this recipient
 		authConfirmed := false
 		paramsE2E := e2e.GetDefaultParams()
-		roundTimeout := paramsE2E.CMIXParams.SendTimeout
 		if viper.GetBool("accept-channel") {
 			// Verify that the confirmation message makes it to the
 			// original sender
 			if viper.GetBool("verify-sends") {
-				acceptChannelVerified(client, recipientID, roundTimeout)
+				acceptChannelVerified(client, recipientID)
 			} else {
 				// Accept channel, agnostic of round result
 				acceptChannel(client, recipientID)
@@ -832,8 +831,10 @@ func resetAuthenticatedChannel(client *xxdk.E2e, recipientID *id.ID,
 	}
 }
 
-func acceptChannelVerified(client *xxdk.E2e, recipientID *id.ID,
-	roundTimeout time.Duration) {
+func acceptChannelVerified(client *xxdk.E2e, recipientID *id.ID) {
+	paramsE2E := e2e.GetDefaultParams()
+	roundTimeout := paramsE2E.CMIXParams.SendTimeout
+
 	done := make(chan struct{}, 1)
 	retryChan := make(chan struct{}, 1)
 	for {