diff --git a/android/src/androidTest/java/io/ably/lib/test/android/AndroidPushTest.java b/android/src/androidTest/java/io/ably/lib/test/android/AndroidPushTest.java
index 3ecd0407c..f3d4b7252 100644
--- a/android/src/androidTest/java/io/ably/lib/test/android/AndroidPushTest.java
+++ b/android/src/androidTest/java/io/ably/lib/test/android/AndroidPushTest.java
@@ -136,6 +136,11 @@ public class Options {
                 activationContext.setAbly(rest);
                 rest.setAndroidContext(context);
 
+                DebugOptions anonymousAblyOptions = new DebugOptions();
+                anonymousAblyOptions.httpListener = httpTracker;
+                AblyRest anonymousAbly = new AblyRest(anonymousAblyOptions);
+                activationContext.setAnonymousAbly(anonymousAbly);
+
                 adminRest = new AblyRest(options);
                 adminRest.auth.authorize(new Auth.TokenParams() {{
                     clientId = Auth.WILDCARD_CLIENTID;
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/io/ably/lib/push/ActivationContext.java b/android/src/main/java/io/ably/lib/push/ActivationContext.java
index bac35a557..1af86dcb4 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/io/ably/lib/push/ActivationContext.java
+++ b/android/src/main/java/io/ably/lib/push/ActivationContext.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import android.content.SharedPreferences;
 import android.preference.PreferenceManager;
 
+import androidx.annotation.VisibleForTesting;
 import com.google.firebase.messaging.FirebaseMessaging;
 
 import java.util.WeakHashMap;
@@ -11,6 +12,7 @@
 import io.ably.lib.rest.AblyRest;
 import io.ably.lib.types.AblyException;
 import io.ably.lib.types.Callback;
+import io.ably.lib.types.ClientOptions;
 import io.ably.lib.types.ErrorInfo;
 import io.ably.lib.types.RegistrationToken;
 import io.ably.lib.util.Log;
@@ -75,6 +77,24 @@ AblyRest getAbly() throws AblyException {
         return (ably = new AblyRest(deviceIdentityToken));
     }
 
+    @VisibleForTesting
+    public void setAnonymousAbly(AblyRest ably) {
+        this.anonymousAbly = ably;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return AblyRest instance without any options including key or token auth. We use this instance to perform
+     * deregistration calls in push activation flow.
+     */
+    AblyRest getAnonymousAbly() throws AblyException {
+        if (anonymousAbly == null) {
+            ClientOptions options = new ClientOptions();
+            options.authCallback = params -> null;
+            anonymousAbly = new AblyRest(options);
+        }
+        return anonymousAbly;
+    }
+
     public boolean setClientId(String clientId, boolean propagateGotPushDeviceDetails) {
         Log.v(TAG, "setClientId(): clientId=" + clientId + ", propagateGotPushDeviceDetails=" + propagateGotPushDeviceDetails);
         boolean updated = !clientId.equals(this.clientId);
@@ -168,6 +188,7 @@ public static void setActivationContext(Context applicationContext, ActivationCo
     }
 
     protected AblyRest ably;
+    private AblyRest anonymousAbly;
     protected String clientId;
     protected ActivationStateMachine activationStateMachine;
     protected LocalDevice localDevice;
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/io/ably/lib/push/ActivationStateMachine.java b/android/src/main/java/io/ably/lib/push/ActivationStateMachine.java
index 586f72a9f..4175dc9f8 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/io/ably/lib/push/ActivationStateMachine.java
+++ b/android/src/main/java/io/ably/lib/push/ActivationStateMachine.java
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 import io.ably.lib.rest.DeviceDetails;
 import io.ably.lib.types.AblyException;
 import io.ably.lib.types.Callback;
-import io.ably.lib.types.ClientOptions;
 import io.ably.lib.types.ErrorInfo;
 import io.ably.lib.types.Param;
 import io.ably.lib.types.RegistrationToken;
@@ -753,7 +752,7 @@ private void deregister() {
             final AblyRest ably;
             try {
                 // RSH3d2b: use `deviceIdentityToken` to perform request
-                ably = new AblyRest(new ClientOptions());
+                ably = activationContext.getAnonymousAbly();
             } catch(AblyException ae) {
                 ErrorInfo reason = ae.errorInfo;
                 Log.e(TAG, "exception registering " + device.id + ": " + reason.toString());