diff --git a/client/index.js b/client/index.js
index 0970b76831..92f87720fe 100644
--- a/client/index.js
+++ b/client/index.js
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import sendPageAnalytics from './utils/send-page-analytics';
 
 import { App, createApp, provideStore } from '../common/app';
 import { getLangFromPath } from '../common/app/utils/lang';
-import flashReducer, { messagesFoundOnBoot } from '../common/app/Flash/redux';
 
 // client specific epics
 import epics from './epics';
@@ -29,7 +28,6 @@ const {
   document,
   ga,
   __fcc__: {
-    flash = {},
     data: ssrState = {},
     csrf: {
       token: csrfToken
@@ -51,10 +49,6 @@ const defaultState = isColdStored() ?
 const primaryLang = getLangFromPath(location.pathname);
 
 defaultState.app.csrfToken = csrfToken;
-defaultState.flash = flashReducer(
-  defaultState.flash,
-  messagesFoundOnBoot(flash)
-);
 
 const serviceOptions = { xhrPath: '/services', context: { _csrf: csrfToken } };
 
diff --git a/server/boot/home.js b/server/boot/home.js
index 8d5f26cec9..6e79563176 100644
--- a/server/boot/home.js
+++ b/server/boot/home.js
@@ -9,14 +9,15 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
   var router = app.loopback.Router();
   router.get('/', addDefaultImage, index);
   app.use(
-      '/:lang',
-      (req, res, next) => {
-        // add url language to request for all routers
-        req._urlLang = req.params.lang;
-        next();
-      },
-      router
-    );
+    '/:lang',
+    (req, res, next) => {
+      // add url language to request for all routers
+      req._urlLang = req.params.lang;
+      next();
+    },
+    router
+  );
+
   app.use(router);
 
   function addDefaultImage(req, res, next) {
diff --git a/server/boot/react.js b/server/boot/react.js
index 02332feae9..6653e3a3fd 100644
--- a/server/boot/react.js
+++ b/server/boot/react.js
@@ -95,8 +95,9 @@ export default function reactSubRouter(app) {
         const title = titleSelector(state);
         epic.dispose();
         res.expose(state, 'data', { isJSON: true });
-        res.expose(req.flash(), 'flash', { isJSON: true });
-        res.render('layout-react', { markup, title });
+        // note(berks): we render without express-flash dumping our messages
+        // the app will query for these on load
+        res.renderWithoutFlash('layout-react', { markup, title });
       })
       .subscribe(() => log('html rendered and sent'), next);
   }
diff --git a/server/middleware.json b/server/middleware.json
index 7fdf3e8e6d..a9d377440d 100644
--- a/server/middleware.json
+++ b/server/middleware.json
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
     "./middlewares/validator": {}
   },
   "routes:before": {
+    "./middlewares/express-extensions": {},
     "express-flash": {},
     "helmet#xssFilter": {},
     "helmet#noSniff": {},
@@ -52,7 +53,6 @@
     "./middlewares/csurf": {},
     "./middlewares/constant-headers": {},
     "./middlewares/csp": {},
-    "./middlewares/express-rx": {},
     "./middlewares/jade-helpers": {},
     "./middlewares/migrate-completed-challenges": {},
     "./middlewares/add-lang": {},
diff --git a/server/middlewares/express-extensions.js b/server/middlewares/express-extensions.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d875260fa1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/middlewares/express-extensions.js
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import { Observable } from 'rx';
+
+// add rx methods to express
+export default function() {
+  return function expressExtensions(req, res, next) {
+    // express flash will overwrite render with one that will
+    // dump flash messages to locals on every call to render
+    // Use this when that behavior is not wanted
+    res.renderWithoutFlash = res.render;
+    // render to observable stream using build in render
+    res.render$ = Observable.fromNodeCallback(res.render, res);
+    next();
+  };
+}
diff --git a/server/middlewares/express-rx.js b/server/middlewares/express-rx.js
deleted file mode 100644
index d687e38363..0000000000
--- a/server/middlewares/express-rx.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-import { Observable } from 'rx';
-
-// add rx methods to express
-export default function expressRx() {
-  return function expressRx(req, res, next) {
-    // render to observable stream
-    res.render$ = Observable.fromNodeCallback(res.render, res);
-    next();
-  };
-}