diff --git a/src/AddThreepid.js b/src/AddThreepid.js
index 8bd3099002..968f381ab0 100644
--- a/src/AddThreepid.js
+++ b/src/AddThreepid.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 /*
 Copyright 2016 OpenMarket Ltd
 Copyright 2017 Vector Creations Ltd
+Copyright 2019 The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
 
 Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -33,14 +34,12 @@ export default class AddThreepid {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Attempt to add an email threepid. This will trigger a side-effect of
-     * sending an email to the provided email address.
+     * Attempt to add an email threepid to the homeserver.
+     * This will trigger a side-effect of sending an email to the provided email address.
      * @param {string} emailAddress The email address to add
-     * @param {boolean} bind If True, bind this email to this mxid on the Identity Server
      * @return {Promise} Resolves when the email has been sent. Then call checkEmailLinkClicked().
      */
-    addEmailAddress(emailAddress, bind) {
-        this.bind = bind;
+    addEmailAddress(emailAddress) {
         return MatrixClientPeg.get().requestAdd3pidEmailToken(emailAddress, this.clientSecret, 1).then((res) => {
             this.sessionId = res.sid;
             return res;
@@ -55,15 +54,25 @@ export default class AddThreepid {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Attempt to add a msisdn threepid. This will trigger a side-effect of
-     * sending a test message to the provided phone number.
+     * Attempt to bind an email threepid on the identity server via the homeserver.
+     * This will trigger a side-effect of sending an email to the provided email address.
+     * @param {string} emailAddress The email address to add
+     * @return {Promise} Resolves when the email has been sent. Then call checkEmailLinkClicked().
+     */
+    bindEmailAddress(emailAddress) {
+        this.bind = true;
+        // TODO: Actually use a different API here
+        return this.addEmailAddress(emailAddress);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Attempt to add a MSISDN threepid to the homeserver.
+     * This will trigger a side-effect of sending an SMS to the provided phone number.
      * @param {string} phoneCountry The ISO 2 letter code of the country to resolve phoneNumber in
      * @param {string} phoneNumber The national or international formatted phone number to add
-     * @param {boolean} bind If True, bind this phone number to this mxid on the Identity Server
      * @return {Promise} Resolves when the text message has been sent. Then call haveMsisdnToken().
      */
-    addMsisdn(phoneCountry, phoneNumber, bind) {
-        this.bind = bind;
+    addMsisdn(phoneCountry, phoneNumber) {
         return MatrixClientPeg.get().requestAdd3pidMsisdnToken(
             phoneCountry, phoneNumber, this.clientSecret, 1,
         ).then((res) => {
@@ -79,6 +88,19 @@ export default class AddThreepid {
         });
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Attempt to bind a MSISDN threepid on the identity server via the homeserver.
+     * This will trigger a side-effect of sending an SMS to the provided phone number.
+     * @param {string} phoneCountry The ISO 2 letter code of the country to resolve phoneNumber in
+     * @param {string} phoneNumber The national or international formatted phone number to add
+     * @return {Promise} Resolves when the text message has been sent. Then call haveMsisdnToken().
+     */
+    bindMsisdn(phoneCountry, phoneNumber) {
+        this.bind = true;
+        // TODO: Actually use a different API here
+        return this.addMsisdn(phoneCountry, phoneNumber);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Checks if the email link has been clicked by attempting to add the threepid
      * @return {Promise} Resolves if the email address was added. Rejects with an object
diff --git a/src/components/views/dialogs/SetEmailDialog.js b/src/components/views/dialogs/SetEmailDialog.js
index 88baa5fd3e..bedf713c4e 100644
--- a/src/components/views/dialogs/SetEmailDialog.js
+++ b/src/components/views/dialogs/SetEmailDialog.js
@@ -62,9 +62,7 @@ export default createReactClass({
             return;
         }
         this._addThreepid = new AddThreepid();
-        // we always bind emails when registering, so let's do the
-        // same here.
-        this._addThreepid.addEmailAddress(emailAddress, true).done(() => {
+        this._addThreepid.addEmailAddress(emailAddress).done(() => {
             Modal.createTrackedDialog('Verification Pending', '', QuestionDialog, {
                 title: _t("Verification Pending"),
                 description: _t(
diff --git a/src/components/views/settings/account/EmailAddresses.js b/src/components/views/settings/account/EmailAddresses.js
index b7324eb272..a1817b374b 100644
--- a/src/components/views/settings/account/EmailAddresses.js
+++ b/src/components/views/settings/account/EmailAddresses.js
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ export default class EmailAddresses extends React.Component {
         const task = new AddThreepid();
         this.setState({verifying: true, continueDisabled: true, addTask: task});
 
-        task.addEmailAddress(email, false).then(() => {
+        task.addEmailAddress(email).then(() => {
             this.setState({continueDisabled: false});
         }).catch((err) => {
             console.error("Unable to add email address " + email + " " + err);
diff --git a/src/components/views/settings/account/PhoneNumbers.js b/src/components/views/settings/account/PhoneNumbers.js
index f814561c97..e3b1f5d2a7 100644
--- a/src/components/views/settings/account/PhoneNumbers.js
+++ b/src/components/views/settings/account/PhoneNumbers.js
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ export default class PhoneNumbers extends React.Component {
         const task = new AddThreepid();
         this.setState({verifying: true, continueDisabled: true, addTask: task});
 
-        task.addMsisdn(phoneCountry, phoneNumber, false).then((response) => {
+        task.addMsisdn(phoneCountry, phoneNumber).then((response) => {
             this.setState({continueDisabled: false, verifyMsisdn: response.msisdn});
         }).catch((err) => {
             console.error("Unable to add phone number " + phoneNumber + " " + err);
diff --git a/src/components/views/settings/discovery/EmailAddresses.js b/src/components/views/settings/discovery/EmailAddresses.js
index 19e78afb8c..ec641ccff9 100644
--- a/src/components/views/settings/discovery/EmailAddresses.js
+++ b/src/components/views/settings/discovery/EmailAddresses.js
@@ -82,7 +82,11 @@ export class EmailAddress extends React.Component {
             // it with IS binding enabled.
             // See https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-doc/pull/2140/files#r311462052
             await MatrixClientPeg.get().deleteThreePid(medium, address);
-            await task.addEmailAddress(address, bind);
+            if (bind) {
+                await task.bindEmailAddress(address);
+            } else {
+                await task.addEmailAddress(address);
+            }
             this.setState({
                 continueDisabled: false,
                 bound: bind,
diff --git a/src/components/views/settings/discovery/PhoneNumbers.js b/src/components/views/settings/discovery/PhoneNumbers.js
index 99a90f23fb..3462d7a467 100644
--- a/src/components/views/settings/discovery/PhoneNumbers.js
+++ b/src/components/views/settings/discovery/PhoneNumbers.js
@@ -78,7 +78,11 @@ export class PhoneNumber extends React.Component {
             // a leading plus sign to a number in E.164 format (which the 3PID
             // address is), but this goes against the spec.
             // See https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-doc/issues/2222
-            await task.addMsisdn(null, `+${address}`, bind);
+            if (bind) {
+                await task.bindMsisdn(null, `+${address}`);
+            } else {
+                await task.addMsisdn(null, `+${address}`);
+            }
             this.setState({
                 continueDisabled: false,
                 bound: bind,