diff --git a/backend/open_webui/env.py b/backend/open_webui/env.py
index fe5f8efb21..dc160e1592 100644
--- a/backend/open_webui/env.py
+++ b/backend/open_webui/env.py
@@ -493,6 +493,12 @@ else:
 WEBSOCKET_REDIS_URL = os.getenv('WEBSOCKET_REDIS_URL', REDIS_URL)
 WEBSOCKET_REDIS_CLUSTER = os.getenv('WEBSOCKET_REDIS_CLUSTER', str(REDIS_CLUSTER)).lower() == 'true'
 
+# publishes room-targeted emits on per-room redis channels so instances skip
+# messages for rooms without local members; must be identical across the fleet
+# (toggle with a full restart, not a rolling one), set false for the previous
+# shared-channel-only delivery
+WEBSOCKET_REDIS_ROOM_CHANNELS = os.getenv('WEBSOCKET_REDIS_ROOM_CHANNELS', 'True').lower() == 'true'
+
 websocket_redis_lock_timeout = os.getenv('WEBSOCKET_REDIS_LOCK_TIMEOUT', '60')
 
 try:
diff --git a/backend/open_webui/socket/main.py b/backend/open_webui/socket/main.py
index 659dc3da49..796c08b9cf 100644
--- a/backend/open_webui/socket/main.py
+++ b/backend/open_webui/socket/main.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ from open_webui.env import (
     WEBSOCKET_REDIS_CLUSTER,
     WEBSOCKET_REDIS_LOCK_TIMEOUT,
     WEBSOCKET_REDIS_OPTIONS,
+    WEBSOCKET_REDIS_ROOM_CHANNELS,
     WEBSOCKET_REDIS_URL,
     WEBSOCKET_SENTINEL_HOSTS,
     WEBSOCKET_SENTINEL_PORT,
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ from open_webui.models.chats import Chats
 from open_webui.models.folders import Folders
 from open_webui.models.notes import Notes, NoteUpdateForm
 from open_webui.models.users import UserNameResponse, Users
+from open_webui.socket.redis_room_channels import AsyncRedisRoomChannelManager
 from open_webui.socket.utils import CachedRedisDict, RedisDict, RedisLock, YdocManager
 from open_webui.tasks import (
     REDIS_PUBSUB_MAX_RECONNECT_INTERVAL,
@@ -93,7 +95,8 @@ if WEBSOCKET_MANAGER == 'redis':
         if sentinel_hosts
         else WEBSOCKET_REDIS_URL
     )
-    redis_manager = socketio.AsyncRedisManager(ws_redis_url, redis_options=WEBSOCKET_REDIS_OPTIONS, json=SOCKETIO_JSON)
+    manager_class = AsyncRedisRoomChannelManager if WEBSOCKET_REDIS_ROOM_CHANNELS else socketio.AsyncRedisManager
+    redis_manager = manager_class(ws_redis_url, redis_options=WEBSOCKET_REDIS_OPTIONS, json=SOCKETIO_JSON)
     sio = socketio.AsyncServer(
         cors_allowed_origins=SOCKETIO_CORS_ORIGINS,
         async_mode='asgi',
diff --git a/backend/open_webui/socket/redis_room_channels.py b/backend/open_webui/socket/redis_room_channels.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..715ccc1ea9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/open_webui/socket/redis_room_channels.py
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+"""Per-room redis channels let instances skip the decode and packet encode for rooms with no local members."""
+
+import asyncio
+
+from socketio import AsyncRedisManager
+
+
+class AsyncRedisRoomChannelManager(AsyncRedisManager):
+    name = 'aioredisroomchannel'
+
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+        self._local_room_channels = set()
+
+    # collision-free while namespaces contain no '#' (socket.io default '/'); rooms may contain '#'
+    def _room_channel(self, namespace, room):
+        return f'{self.channel}#{namespace}#{room}'.encode()
+
+    def basic_enter_room(self, sid, namespace, room, eio_sid=None):
+        super().basic_enter_room(sid, namespace, room, eio_sid=eio_sid)
+        if room is not None:
+            self._local_room_channels.add(self._room_channel(namespace, room))
+
+    def basic_leave_room(self, sid, namespace, room):
+        super().basic_leave_room(sid, namespace, room)
+        if room is not None and room not in self.rooms.get(namespace, {}):
+            self._local_room_channels.discard(self._room_channel(namespace, room))
+
+    async def _publish(self, data):
+        if data.get('method') == 'emit' and isinstance(data.get('room'), str):
+            channel = self._room_channel(data['namespace'], data['room'])
+        else:
+            channel = self.channel
+        _, error = self._get_redis_module_and_error()
+        for retries_left in range(1, -1, -1):  # 2 attempts
+            try:
+                if not self.connected:
+                    self._redis_connect()
+                return await self.redis.publish(channel, self.json.dumps(data))
+            except error as exc:
+                if retries_left > 0:
+                    self._get_logger().error('Cannot publish to redis... retrying', extra={'redis_exception': str(exc)})
+                    self.connected = False
+                else:
+                    self._get_logger().error(
+                        'Cannot publish to redis... giving up', extra={'redis_exception': str(exc)}
+                    )
+                    break
+
+    async def _redis_listen_with_retries(self):
+        _, error = self._get_redis_module_and_error()
+        retry_sleep = 1
+        subscribed = False
+        while True:
+            try:
+                if not subscribed:
+                    self._redis_connect()
+                    await self.pubsub.subscribe(self.channel)
+                    await self.pubsub.psubscribe(f'{self.channel}#*')
+                    retry_sleep = 1
+                async for message in self.pubsub.listen():
+                    yield message
+            except error as exc:
+                self._get_logger().error(
+                    f'Cannot receive from redis... retrying in {retry_sleep} secs',
+                    extra={'redis_exception': str(exc)},
+                )
+                subscribed = False
+                await asyncio.sleep(retry_sleep)
+                retry_sleep *= 2
+                if retry_sleep > 60:
+                    retry_sleep = 60
+
+    async def _listen(self):
+        main_channel = self.channel.encode()
+        async for message in self._redis_listen_with_retries():
+            if 'data' not in message:
+                continue
+            if (message['type'] == 'message' and message['channel'] == main_channel) or (
+                message['type'] == 'pmessage' and message['channel'] in self._local_room_channels
+            ):
+                yield message['data']