diff --git a/app/__init__.py b/app/__init__.py
index 8a0f0c5aa..ac2e6da5d 100644
--- a/app/__init__.py
+++ b/app/__init__.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import os
 from flask import request, url_for, g, jsonify
 from flask import Flask, _request_ctx_stack
 from flask.ext.sqlalchemy import SQLAlchemy
-from flask.ext.redis import FlaskRedis
 from flask_marshmallow import Marshmallow
 from monotonic import monotonic
 from werkzeug.local import LocalProxy
@@ -16,6 +15,7 @@ from app.clients.sms.firetext import FiretextClient
 from app.clients.sms.loadtesting import LoadtestingClient
 from app.clients.email.aws_ses import AwsSesClient
 from app.clients.statsd.statsd_client import StatsdClient
+from app.clients.redis.redis_client import RedisClient
 from app.encryption import Encryption
 
 
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ mmg_client = MMGClient()
 aws_ses_client = AwsSesClient()
 encryption = Encryption()
 statsd_client = StatsdClient()
-redis_store = FlaskRedis()
+redis_store = RedisClient()
 
 clients = Clients()
 
diff --git a/app/clients/redis/redis_client.py b/app/clients/redis/redis_client.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..57ef8df91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/clients/redis/redis_client.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+from flask.ext.redis import FlaskRedis
+
+
+class RedisClient:
+    active = False
+    redis_store = FlaskRedis()
+
+    def init_app(self, app):
+        self.active = app.config.get('REDIS_ENABLED')
+
+        if self.active:
+            self.redis_store.init_app(app)
+
+    def set(self, key, value):
+        if self.active:
+            self.redis_store.set(key, value)
+
+    def get(self, key):
+        if self.active:
+            self.redis_store.get(key)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/notifications/rest.py b/app/notifications/rest.py
index b2053d7ee..eaf6c531a 100644
--- a/app/notifications/rest.py
+++ b/app/notifications/rest.py
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ from app.schemas import (
 )
 from app.service.utils import service_allowed_to_send_to
 from app.utils import pagination_links
+from app import redis_store
 
 notifications = Blueprint('notifications', __name__)
 
@@ -205,6 +206,8 @@ def get_notification_statistics_for_day():
 
 @notifications.route('/notifications/<string:notification_type>', methods=['POST'])
 def send_notification(notification_type):
+    redis_store.set('key1', 'value')
+
     if notification_type not in ['sms', 'email']:
         assert False
 
diff --git a/config.py b/config.py
index 23f73f251..e009e4b5f 100644
--- a/config.py
+++ b/config.py
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ class Config(object):
     STATSD_HOST = "statsd.hostedgraphite.com"
     STATSD_PORT = 8125
 
-    REDIS_ENABLED = True
+    REDIS_ENABLED = False
     REDIS_URL = "redis://localhost:6379/0"
 
     SENDING_NOTIFICATIONS_TIMEOUT_PERIOD = 259200