diff --git a/src/cheogram/java/com/cheogram/android/ConnectionService.java b/src/cheogram/java/com/cheogram/android/ConnectionService.java
index 630f53efc91648a4c0de6f32f3555fe193568cf0..1c2cbe9ad6ac69836b4e4012d0df2844fec99a78 100644
--- a/src/cheogram/java/com/cheogram/android/ConnectionService.java
+++ b/src/cheogram/java/com/cheogram/android/ConnectionService.java
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ public class ConnectionService extends android.telecom.ConnectionService {
 
 		String tel = PhoneNumberUtils.extractNetworkPortion(rawTel);
 		try {
-			tel = PhoneNumberUtilWrapper.normalize(this, tel);
+			tel = PhoneNumberUtilWrapper.normalize(this, tel, true);
 		} catch (IllegalArgumentException | NumberParseException e) {
 			return Connection.createFailedConnection(
 				new DisconnectCause(DisconnectCause.ERROR)
diff --git a/src/cheogram/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/PhoneNumberUtilWrapper.java b/src/cheogram/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/PhoneNumberUtilWrapper.java
index 4bc18b886c9662fe2a7eb035346a69660de6eb4f..f0a3fa87d5a8d59395b4bf22a80e7e86ff2ae293 100644
--- a/src/cheogram/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/PhoneNumberUtilWrapper.java
+++ b/src/cheogram/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/PhoneNumberUtilWrapper.java
@@ -35,7 +35,11 @@ public class PhoneNumberUtilWrapper {
     }
 
     public static String normalize(Context context, String input) throws IllegalArgumentException, NumberParseException {
-        final Phonenumber.PhoneNumber number = getInstance(context).parse(input, LocationProvider.getUserCountry(context));
+        return normalize(context, input, false);
+    }
+
+    public static String normalize(Context context, String input, boolean preferNetwork) throws IllegalArgumentException, NumberParseException {
+        final Phonenumber.PhoneNumber number = getInstance(context).parse(input, LocationProvider.getUserCountry(context, preferNetwork));
         if (!getInstance(context).isValidNumber(number)) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException(String.format("%s is not a valid phone number", input));
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/EnterJidDialog.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/EnterJidDialog.java
index b18b4cb57ee19a04fa32892fecbead3795173558..35047343b98ac55adacded5f17f323cf508d45dc 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/EnterJidDialog.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/EnterJidDialog.java
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ public class EnterJidDialog extends DialogFragment implements OnBackendConnected
         // Resolve based on local settings before submission
         if (type != null && (type.equals("pstn") || type.equals("sms"))) {
             try {
-                binding.jid.setText(PhoneNumberUtilWrapper.normalize(getActivity(), binding.jid.getText().toString()));
+                binding.jid.setText(PhoneNumberUtilWrapper.normalize(getActivity(), binding.jid.getText().toString(), true));
             } catch (NumberParseException | IllegalArgumentException | NullPointerException e) { }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/XmppActivity.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/XmppActivity.java
index 7db37a4f5acc24e0637f82a74c6b6002f3652d5b..f47ce81c902e5c132d7d74c7f62d3f11e02a4a17 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/XmppActivity.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/XmppActivity.java
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package eu.siacs.conversations.ui;
 
+import android.telephony.TelephonyManager;
+
 import android.Manifest;
 import android.annotation.SuppressLint;
 import android.annotation.TargetApi;
diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/LocationProvider.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/LocationProvider.java
index 3eb786e39a18957a44920b79070384c4500c4098..049772f8f34e26dcbddadcb3251d25eb59e96483 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/LocationProvider.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/LocationProvider.java
@@ -21,19 +21,25 @@ public class LocationProvider {
     public static final GeoPoint FALLBACK = new GeoPoint(0.0, 0.0);
 
     public static String getUserCountry(final Context context) {
+        return getUserCountry(context, false);
+    }
+
+    public static String getUserCountry(final Context context, boolean preferNetwork) {
         try {
             final TelephonyManager tm = ContextCompat.getSystemService(context, TelephonyManager.class);
             if (tm == null) {
                 return getUserCountryFallback();
             }
-            final String simCountry = tm.getSimCountryIso();
+            final String simCountry = tm.getSimOperator().equals("20801") ? "us" : tm.getSimCountryIso();
+            final String networkCountry = tm.getPhoneType() == TelephonyManager.PHONE_TYPE_CDMA ? null : tm.getNetworkCountryIso(); // if device is not 3G would be unreliable
+            if (preferNetwork && networkCountry != null && networkCountry.length() == 2) {
+                return networkCountry.toUpperCase(Locale.US);
+            }
+
             if (simCountry != null && simCountry.length() == 2) { // SIM country code is available
                 return simCountry.toUpperCase(Locale.US);
-            } else if (tm.getPhoneType() != TelephonyManager.PHONE_TYPE_CDMA) { // device is not 3G (would be unreliable)
-                String networkCountry = tm.getNetworkCountryIso();
-                if (networkCountry != null && networkCountry.length() == 2) { // network country code is available
-                    return networkCountry.toUpperCase(Locale.US);
-                }
+            } else if (networkCountry != null && networkCountry.length() == 2) { // network country code is available
+                return networkCountry.toUpperCase(Locale.US);
             }
             return getUserCountryFallback();
         } catch (final Exception e) {
@@ -72,4 +78,4 @@ public class LocationProvider {
         return FALLBACK;
     }
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}