diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/InNetMessagePool.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/InNetMessagePool.java
index 790a343553..afdb8a8f67 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/InNetMessagePool.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/InNetMessagePool.java
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ public class InNetMessagePool implements Service {
     private SharedShortCircuitGatewayJob _shortCircuitGatewayJob;
 
     private boolean _alive;
-    private boolean _dispatchThreaded;
+    private final boolean _dispatchThreaded;
     
     /** Make this >= the max I2NP message type number (currently 24) */
     private static final int MAX_I2NP_MESSAGE_TYPE = 31;
@@ -56,20 +56,40 @@ public class InNetMessagePool implements Service {
      * if this is set to false, the messages will be queued up in the jobQueue,
      * using the jobQueue's single thread.
      *
+     * There's three possible cases that might work:
+     * DISPATCH_DIRECT=true (default, unqueued)
+     * DISPATCH_DIRECT=false with router.dispatchThreaded=false (job queue)
+     * DISPATCH_DIRECT=false with router.dispatchThreaded=true (INMP queue)
+     *
+     * The fourth case,
+     * DISPATCH_DIRECT=true with router.dispatchThreaded=true
+     * will never work, is now prevented below.
+     *
+     * Both must be configured before starting.
+     * Changing defaults not recommended, non-default code to be removed.
+     * Ref: Ticket 2688
      */
-    public static final String PROP_DISPATCH_THREADED = "router.dispatchThreaded";
-    public static final boolean DEFAULT_DISPATCH_THREADED = false;
+    private static final String PROP_DISPATCH_THREADED = "router.dispatchThreaded";
+    private static final boolean DEFAULT_DISPATCH_THREADED = false;
     /**
      * If we aren't doing threaded dispatch for tunnel messages, should we
      * call the actual dispatch() method inline (on the same thread which
      * called add())?  If false, we queue it up in a shared short circuit
      * job.
+     *
+     * false = job queue
+     * true = INMP queue
      */
-    private static final boolean DISPATCH_DIRECT = true;
+    private static final String PROP_DISPATCH_DIRECT = "router.dispatchDirect";
+    private static final boolean DEFAULT_DISPATCH_DIRECT = true;
+    private final boolean DISPATCH_DIRECT;
     
     public InNetMessagePool(RouterContext context) {
         _context = context;
         _handlerJobBuilders = new HandlerJobBuilder[MAX_I2NP_MESSAGE_TYPE + 1];
+        _dispatchThreaded = _context.getProperty(PROP_DISPATCH_THREADED, DEFAULT_DISPATCH_THREADED);
+        // must be false if threaded is true
+        DISPATCH_DIRECT = !_dispatchThreaded && _context.getProperty(PROP_DISPATCH_DIRECT, DEFAULT_DISPATCH_DIRECT);
         if (DISPATCH_DIRECT) {
             // keep the compiler happy since they are final
             _pendingDataMessages = null;
@@ -128,8 +148,8 @@ public class InNetMessagePool implements Service {
     public int add(I2NPMessage messageBody, RouterIdentity fromRouter, Hash fromRouterHash) {
         long exp = messageBody.getMessageExpiration();
         
-        if (_log.shouldLog(Log.INFO))
-                _log.info("Rcvd" 
+        if (_log.shouldDebug())
+                _log.debug("Rcvd" 
                           + " ID " + messageBody.getUniqueId()
                           + " exp. " + new Date(exp)
                           + " type " + messageBody.getClass().getSimpleName());
@@ -313,8 +333,8 @@ public class InNetMessagePool implements Service {
     }
 
     private void doShortCircuitTunnelGateway(I2NPMessage messageBody) {
-        if (_log.shouldLog(Log.DEBUG))
-            _log.debug("Shortcut dispatch tunnelGateway message " + messageBody);
+        //if (_log.shouldLog(Log.DEBUG))
+        //    _log.debug("Shortcut dispatch tunnelGateway message " + messageBody);
         _context.tunnelDispatcher().dispatch((TunnelGatewayMessage)messageBody);
     }
     
@@ -333,8 +353,8 @@ public class InNetMessagePool implements Service {
         }
     }
     private void doShortCircuitTunnelData(I2NPMessage messageBody, Hash from) {
-        if (_log.shouldLog(Log.DEBUG))
-            _log.debug("Shortcut dispatch tunnelData message " + messageBody);
+        //if (_log.shouldLog(Log.DEBUG))
+        //    _log.debug("Shortcut dispatch tunnelData message " + messageBody);
         _context.tunnelDispatcher().dispatch((TunnelDataMessage)messageBody, from);
     }
     
@@ -362,11 +382,6 @@ public class InNetMessagePool implements Service {
     /** does nothing since we aren't threaded */
     public synchronized void startup() {
         _alive = true;
-        _dispatchThreaded = DEFAULT_DISPATCH_THREADED;
-        String threadedStr = _context.getProperty(PROP_DISPATCH_THREADED);
-        if (threadedStr != null) {
-            _dispatchThreaded = Boolean.parseBoolean(threadedStr);
-        }
         if (_dispatchThreaded) {
             _context.statManager().createRateStat("pool.dispatchDataTime", "How long a tunnel dispatch takes", "Tunnels", new long[] { 10*60*1000l, 60*60*1000l, 24*60*60*1000l });
             _context.statManager().createRateStat("pool.dispatchGatewayTime", "How long a tunnel gateway dispatch takes", "Tunnels", new long[] { 10*60*1000l, 60*60*1000l, 24*60*60*1000l });