diff --git a/src/components/structures/NotificationPanel.tsx b/src/components/structures/NotificationPanel.tsx
index b4f13f6b37..6c22835447 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/NotificationPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/components/structures/NotificationPanel.tsx
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ export default class NotificationPanel extends React.PureComponent<IProps> {
                     showUrlPreview={false}
                     tileShape="notif"
                     empty={emptyState}
+                    alwaysShowTimestamps={true}
                 />
             );
         } else {
diff --git a/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js b/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
index 6300c7532e..a8b0dc88dd 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
@@ -120,6 +120,9 @@ class TimelinePanel extends React.Component {
 
         // which layout to use
         layout: LayoutPropType,
+
+        // whether to always show timestamps for an event
+        alwaysShowTimestamps: PropTypes.bool,
     }
 
     // a map from room id to read marker event timestamp
@@ -1440,7 +1443,7 @@ class TimelinePanel extends React.Component {
                 onFillRequest={this.onMessageListFillRequest}
                 onUnfillRequest={this.onMessageListUnfillRequest}
                 isTwelveHour={this.state.isTwelveHour}
-                alwaysShowTimestamps={this.state.alwaysShowTimestamps}
+                alwaysShowTimestamps={this.props.alwaysShowTimestamps || this.state.alwaysShowTimestamps}
                 className={this.props.className}
                 tileShape={this.props.tileShape}
                 resizeNotifier={this.props.resizeNotifier}