diff --git a/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/PreferencesUserSettingsTab.tsx b/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/PreferencesUserSettingsTab.tsx
index 1519e39a0d..4e19924857 100644
--- a/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/PreferencesUserSettingsTab.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/PreferencesUserSettingsTab.tsx
@@ -214,7 +214,10 @@ export default class PreferencesUserSettingsTab extends React.Component<IProps,
                         { _t("Share your activity and status with others.") }
                     </span>
                     <SettingsFlag
-                        disabled={!this.state.disablingReadReceiptsSupported}
+                        disabled={
+                            !this.state.disablingReadReceiptsSupported
+                            && SettingsStore.getValue("sendReadReceipts") // Make sure the feature can always be enabled
+                        }
                         disabledDescription={_t("Your server doesn't support disabling sending read receipts.")}
                         name="sendReadReceipts"
                         level={SettingLevel.ACCOUNT}
diff --git a/test/components/views/settings/tabs/user/PreferencesUserSettingsTab-test.tsx b/test/components/views/settings/tabs/user/PreferencesUserSettingsTab-test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..de4e68b24e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/components/views/settings/tabs/user/PreferencesUserSettingsTab-test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2022 The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+import React from "react";
+import { fireEvent, render, RenderResult, waitFor } from "@testing-library/react";
+import "@testing-library/jest-dom";
+
+import PreferencesUserSettingsTab from
+    "../../../../../../src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/PreferencesUserSettingsTab";
+import { MatrixClientPeg } from "../../../../../../src/MatrixClientPeg";
+import { mockPlatformPeg, stubClient } from "../../../../../test-utils";
+import SettingsStore from "../../../../../../src/settings/SettingsStore";
+import { SettingLevel } from "../../../../../../src/settings/SettingLevel";
+
+describe("PreferencesUserSettingsTab", () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+        mockPlatformPeg();
+    });
+
+    const renderTab = (): RenderResult => {
+        return render(<PreferencesUserSettingsTab closeSettingsFn={() => {}} />);
+    };
+
+    describe("send read receipts", () => {
+        beforeEach(() => {
+            stubClient();
+            jest.spyOn(SettingsStore, "setValue");
+            jest.spyOn(window, "matchMedia").mockReturnValue({ matches: false } as MediaQueryList);
+        });
+
+        afterEach(() => {
+            jest.resetAllMocks();
+        });
+
+        const getToggle = () => renderTab().getByRole("switch", { name: "Send read receipts" });
+
+        const mockIsVersionSupported = (val: boolean) => {
+            const client = MatrixClientPeg.get();
+            jest.spyOn(client, "isVersionSupported").mockImplementation(async (version: string) => {
+                if (version === "v1.4") return val;
+            });
+        };
+
+        const mockGetValue = (val: boolean) => {
+            const copyOfGetValueAt = SettingsStore.getValueAt;
+
+            SettingsStore.getValueAt = (level: SettingLevel, name: string, roomId?: string, isExplicit?: boolean) => {
+                if (name === "sendReadReceipts") return val;
+                return copyOfGetValueAt(level, name, roomId, isExplicit);
+            };
+        };
+
+        const expectSetValueToHaveBeenCalled = (
+            name: string,
+            roomId: string,
+            level: SettingLevel,
+            value: boolean,
+        ) => expect(SettingsStore.setValue).toHaveBeenCalledWith(name, roomId, level, value);
+
+        describe("with server support", () => {
+            beforeEach(() => {
+                mockIsVersionSupported(true);
+            });
+
+            it("can be enabled", async () => {
+                mockGetValue(false);
+                const toggle = getToggle();
+
+                await waitFor(() => expect(toggle).toHaveAttribute("aria-disabled", "false"));
+                fireEvent.click(toggle);
+                expectSetValueToHaveBeenCalled("sendReadReceipts", undefined, SettingLevel.ACCOUNT, true);
+            });
+
+            it("can be disabled", async () => {
+                mockGetValue(true);
+                const toggle = getToggle();
+
+                await waitFor(() => expect(toggle).toHaveAttribute("aria-disabled", "false"));
+                fireEvent.click(toggle);
+                expectSetValueToHaveBeenCalled("sendReadReceipts", undefined, SettingLevel.ACCOUNT, false);
+            });
+        });
+
+        describe("without server support", () => {
+            beforeEach(() => {
+                mockIsVersionSupported(false);
+            });
+
+            it("can be enabled", async () => {
+                mockGetValue(false);
+                const toggle = getToggle();
+
+                await waitFor(() => expect(toggle).toHaveAttribute("aria-disabled", "false"));
+                fireEvent.click(toggle);
+                expectSetValueToHaveBeenCalled("sendReadReceipts", undefined, SettingLevel.ACCOUNT, true);
+            });
+
+            it("cannot be disabled", async () => {
+                mockGetValue(true);
+                const toggle = getToggle();
+
+                await waitFor(() => expect(toggle).toHaveAttribute("aria-disabled", "true"));
+                fireEvent.click(toggle);
+                expect(SettingsStore.setValue).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+            });
+        });
+    });
+});
diff --git a/test/test-utils/test-utils.ts b/test/test-utils/test-utils.ts
index 0647f2604d..2e01f3a4d8 100644
--- a/test/test-utils/test-utils.ts
+++ b/test/test-utils/test-utils.ts
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ export function createTestClient(): MatrixClient {
         getIdentityAccount: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({}),
         getTerms: jest.fn().mockResolvedValueOnce(undefined),
         doesServerSupportUnstableFeature: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+        isVersionSupported: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
         getPushRules: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
         getPushers: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ pushers: [] }),
         getThreePids: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ threepids: [] }),