diff --git a/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js b/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
index ac4a7cbffc..07e534a359 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
@@ -513,11 +513,16 @@ var TimelinePanel = React.createClass({
 
             // do a quick-reset of our unreadNotificationCount to avoid having
             // to wait from the remote echo from the homeserver.
-            this.props.timelineSet.room.setUnreadNotificationCount('total', 0);
-            this.props.timelineSet.room.setUnreadNotificationCount('highlight', 0);
-            dis.dispatch({
-                action: 'on_room_read',
-            });
+            // we only do this if we're right at the end, because we're just assuming
+            // that sending an RR for the latest message will set our notif counter
+            // to zero: it may not do this if we send an RR for somewhere before the end.
+            if (this.isAtEndOfLiveTimeline()) {
+                this.props.timelineSet.room.setUnreadNotificationCount('total', 0);
+                this.props.timelineSet.room.setUnreadNotificationCount('highlight', 0);
+                dis.dispatch({
+                    action: 'on_room_read',
+                });
+            }
         }
     },