diff --git a/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js b/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
index 375545f819..7b40980714 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import * as sdk from '../../index';
 
 import {MatrixClientPeg} from '../../MatrixClientPeg';
 import SettingsStore from '../../settings/SettingsStore';
+import {Layout} from "../../settings/Layout";
 import {_t} from "../../languageHandler";
 import {haveTileForEvent} from "../views/rooms/EventTile";
 import {textForEvent} from "../../TextForEvent";
@@ -135,14 +136,13 @@ export default class MessagePanel extends React.Component {
         // whether to show reactions for an event
         showReactions: PropTypes.bool,
 
-        // whether to use the irc layout
-        useIRCLayout: PropTypes.bool,
+        // which layout to use
+        layout: Layout,
 
         // whether or not to show flair at all
         enableFlair: PropTypes.bool,
     };
 
-    // Force props to be loaded for useIRCLayout
     constructor(props) {
         super(props);
 
@@ -612,7 +612,7 @@ export default class MessagePanel extends React.Component {
                         isSelectedEvent={highlight}
                         getRelationsForEvent={this.props.getRelationsForEvent}
                         showReactions={this.props.showReactions}
-                        useIRCLayout={this.props.useIRCLayout}
+                        layout={this.props.layout}
                         enableFlair={this.props.enableFlair}
                     />
                 </TileErrorBoundary>
@@ -810,7 +810,7 @@ export default class MessagePanel extends React.Component {
         }
 
         let ircResizer = null;
-        if (this.props.useIRCLayout) {
+        if (this.props.layout == Layout.IRC) {
             ircResizer = <IRCTimelineProfileResizer
                 minWidth={20}
                 maxWidth={600}
diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx b/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx
index 0ee847fbc9..740c11e53a 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ import RoomViewStore from '../../stores/RoomViewStore';
 import RoomScrollStateStore from '../../stores/RoomScrollStateStore';
 import WidgetEchoStore from '../../stores/WidgetEchoStore';
 import SettingsStore from "../../settings/SettingsStore";
+import {Layout} from "../../settings/Layout";
 import AccessibleButton from "../views/elements/AccessibleButton";
 import RightPanelStore from "../../stores/RightPanelStore";
 import {haveTileForEvent} from "../views/rooms/EventTile";
@@ -180,7 +181,7 @@ export interface IState {
     };
     canReact: boolean;
     canReply: boolean;
-    useIRCLayout: boolean;
+    layout: Layout;
     matrixClientIsReady: boolean;
     showUrlPreview?: boolean;
     e2eStatus?: E2EStatus;
@@ -235,7 +236,7 @@ export default class RoomView extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
             statusBarVisible: false,
             canReact: false,
             canReply: false,
-            useIRCLayout: SettingsStore.getValue("useIRCLayout"),
+            layout: SettingsStore.getValue("layout"),
             matrixClientIsReady: this.context && this.context.isInitialSyncComplete(),
         };
 
@@ -263,7 +264,7 @@ export default class RoomView extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
 
         this.showReadReceiptsWatchRef = SettingsStore.watchSetting("showReadReceipts", null,
             this.onReadReceiptsChange);
-        this.layoutWatcherRef = SettingsStore.watchSetting("useIRCLayout", null, this.onLayoutChange);
+        this.layoutWatcherRef = SettingsStore.watchSetting("layout", null, this.onLayoutChange);
     }
 
     // TODO: [REACT-WARNING] Move into constructor
@@ -624,7 +625,7 @@ export default class RoomView extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
 
     private onLayoutChange = () => {
         this.setState({
-            useIRCLayout: SettingsStore.getValue("useIRCLayout"),
+            layout: SettingsStore.getValue("layout"),
         });
     };
 
@@ -1915,8 +1916,8 @@ export default class RoomView extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
         const messagePanelClassNames = classNames(
             "mx_RoomView_messagePanel",
             {
-                "mx_IRCLayout": this.state.useIRCLayout,
-                "mx_GroupLayout": !this.state.useIRCLayout,
+                "mx_IRCLayout": this.state.layout == Layout.IRC,
+                "mx_GroupLayout": this.state.layout == Layout.Group,
             });
 
         // console.info("ShowUrlPreview for %s is %s", this.state.room.roomId, this.state.showUrlPreview);
@@ -1939,7 +1940,7 @@ export default class RoomView extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
                 permalinkCreator={this.getPermalinkCreatorForRoom(this.state.room)}
                 resizeNotifier={this.props.resizeNotifier}
                 showReactions={true}
-                useIRCLayout={this.state.useIRCLayout}
+                layout={this.state.layout}
             />);
 
         let topUnreadMessagesBar = null;
diff --git a/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js b/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
index 27a384ddb2..2d322b378d 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 */
 
 import SettingsStore from "../../settings/SettingsStore";
+import {Layout} from "../../settings/Layout";
 import React, {createRef} from 'react';
 import ReactDOM from "react-dom";
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
@@ -111,8 +112,8 @@ class TimelinePanel extends React.Component {
         // whether to show reactions for an event
         showReactions: PropTypes.bool,
 
-        // whether to use the irc layout
-        useIRCLayout: PropTypes.bool,
+        // which layout to use
+        layout: Layout,
     }
 
     // a map from room id to read marker event timestamp
@@ -1442,7 +1443,7 @@ class TimelinePanel extends React.Component {
                 getRelationsForEvent={this.getRelationsForEvent}
                 editState={this.state.editState}
                 showReactions={this.props.showReactions}
-                useIRCLayout={this.props.useIRCLayout}
+                layout={this.props.layout}
                 enableFlair={SettingsStore.getValue(UIFeature.Flair)}
             />
         );
diff --git a/src/components/views/elements/EventTilePreview.tsx b/src/components/views/elements/EventTilePreview.tsx
index 20cca35d62..49c97831bc 100644
--- a/src/components/views/elements/EventTilePreview.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/elements/EventTilePreview.tsx
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import * as Avatar from '../../../Avatar';
 import { MatrixClientPeg } from '../../../MatrixClientPeg';
 import EventTile from '../rooms/EventTile';
 import SettingsStore from "../../../settings/SettingsStore";
+import {Layout} from "../../../settings/Layout";
 import {UIFeature} from "../../../settings/UIFeature";
 
 interface IProps {
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ interface IProps {
     /**
      * Whether to use the irc layout or not
      */
-    useIRCLayout: boolean;
+    layout: Layout;
 
     /**
      * classnames to apply to the wrapper of the preview
@@ -121,14 +122,14 @@ export default class EventTilePreview extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
         const event = this.fakeEvent(this.state);
 
         const className = classnames(this.props.className, {
-            "mx_IRCLayout": this.props.useIRCLayout,
-            "mx_GroupLayout": !this.props.useIRCLayout,
+            "mx_IRCLayout": this.props.layout == Layout.IRC,
+            "mx_GroupLayout": this.props.layout == Layout.Group,
         });
 
         return <div className={className}>
             <EventTile
                 mxEvent={event}
-                useIRCLayout={this.props.useIRCLayout}
+                layout={this.props.layout}
                 enableFlair={SettingsStore.getValue(UIFeature.Flair)}
             />
         </div>;
diff --git a/src/components/views/elements/ReplyThread.js b/src/components/views/elements/ReplyThread.js
index 24b49f2b13..74aa715642 100644
--- a/src/components/views/elements/ReplyThread.js
+++ b/src/components/views/elements/ReplyThread.js
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import {wantsDateSeparator} from '../../../DateUtils';
 import {MatrixEvent} from 'matrix-js-sdk';
 import {makeUserPermalink, RoomPermalinkCreator} from "../../../utils/permalinks/Permalinks";
 import SettingsStore from "../../../settings/SettingsStore";
+import {Layout} from "../../../settings/Layout";
 import escapeHtml from "escape-html";
 import MatrixClientContext from "../../../contexts/MatrixClientContext";
 import {Action} from "../../../dispatcher/actions";
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ export default class ReplyThread extends React.Component {
         onHeightChanged: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
         permalinkCreator: PropTypes.instanceOf(RoomPermalinkCreator).isRequired,
         // Specifies which layout to use.
-        useIRCLayout: PropTypes.bool,
+        layout: Layout,
     };
 
     static contextType = MatrixClientContext;
@@ -209,7 +210,7 @@ export default class ReplyThread extends React.Component {
         };
     }
 
-    static makeThread(parentEv, onHeightChanged, permalinkCreator, ref, useIRCLayout) {
+    static makeThread(parentEv, onHeightChanged, permalinkCreator, ref, layout) {
         if (!ReplyThread.getParentEventId(parentEv)) {
             return <div className="mx_ReplyThread_wrapper_empty" />;
         }
@@ -218,7 +219,7 @@ export default class ReplyThread extends React.Component {
             onHeightChanged={onHeightChanged}
             ref={ref}
             permalinkCreator={permalinkCreator}
-            useIRCLayout={useIRCLayout}
+            layout={layout}
         />;
     }
 
@@ -386,7 +387,7 @@ export default class ReplyThread extends React.Component {
                     permalinkCreator={this.props.permalinkCreator}
                     isRedacted={ev.isRedacted()}
                     isTwelveHour={SettingsStore.getValue("showTwelveHourTimestamps")}
-                    useIRCLayout={this.props.useIRCLayout}
+                    layout={this.props.layout}
                     enableFlair={SettingsStore.getValue(UIFeature.Flair)}
                     replacingEventId={ev.replacingEventId()}
                 />
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.js b/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.js
index 11277daa57..17ba61732a 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.js
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import * as TextForEvent from "../../../TextForEvent";
 import * as sdk from "../../../index";
 import dis from '../../../dispatcher/dispatcher';
 import SettingsStore from "../../../settings/SettingsStore";
+import {Layout} from "../../../settings/Layout";
 import {EventStatus} from 'matrix-js-sdk';
 import {formatTime} from "../../../DateUtils";
 import {MatrixClientPeg} from '../../../MatrixClientPeg';
@@ -225,8 +226,8 @@ export default class EventTile extends React.Component {
         // whether to show reactions for this event
         showReactions: PropTypes.bool,
 
-        // whether to use the irc layout
-        useIRCLayout: PropTypes.bool,
+        // which layout to use
+        layout: Layout,
 
         // whether or not to show flair at all
         enableFlair: PropTypes.bool,
@@ -732,7 +733,7 @@ export default class EventTile extends React.Component {
             // joins/parts/etc
             avatarSize = 14;
             needsSenderProfile = false;
-        } else if (this.props.useIRCLayout) {
+        } else if (this.props.layout == Layout.IRC) {
             avatarSize = 14;
             needsSenderProfile = true;
         } else if (this.props.continuation && this.props.tileShape !== "file_grid") {
@@ -843,10 +844,11 @@ export default class EventTile extends React.Component {
                 { timestamp }
             </a>;
 
-        const groupTimestamp = !this.props.useIRCLayout ? linkedTimestamp : null;
-        const ircTimestamp = this.props.useIRCLayout ? linkedTimestamp : null;
-        const groupPadlock = !this.props.useIRCLayout && !isBubbleMessage && this._renderE2EPadlock();
-        const ircPadlock = this.props.useIRCLayout && !isBubbleMessage && this._renderE2EPadlock();
+        const useIRCLayout = this.props.layout == Layout.IRC;
+        const groupTimestamp = !useIRCLayout ? linkedTimestamp : null;
+        const ircTimestamp = useIRCLayout ? linkedTimestamp : null;
+        const groupPadlock = !useIRCLayout && !isBubbleMessage && this._renderE2EPadlock();
+        const ircPadlock = useIRCLayout && !isBubbleMessage && this._renderE2EPadlock();
 
         switch (this.props.tileShape) {
             case 'notif': {
@@ -941,7 +943,7 @@ export default class EventTile extends React.Component {
                     this.props.onHeightChanged,
                     this.props.permalinkCreator,
                     this._replyThread,
-                    this.props.useIRCLayout,
+                    this.props.layout,
                 );
 
                 // tab-index=-1 to allow it to be focusable but do not add tab stop for it, primarily for screen readers
diff --git a/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/AppearanceUserSettingsTab.tsx b/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/AppearanceUserSettingsTab.tsx
index c2f010695b..5d3596911f 100644
--- a/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/AppearanceUserSettingsTab.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/AppearanceUserSettingsTab.tsx
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import StyledRadioGroup from "../../../elements/StyledRadioGroup";
 //import classNames from 'classnames';
 import { SettingLevel } from "../../../../../settings/SettingLevel";
 import {UIFeature} from "../../../../../settings/UIFeature";
+import {Layout} from "../../../../../settings/Layout";
 
 interface IProps {
 }
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@ interface IState extends IThemeState {
     useSystemFont: boolean;
     systemFont: string;
     showAdvanced: boolean;
-    useIRCLayout: boolean;
+    layout: Layout;
 }
 
 
@@ -83,7 +84,7 @@ export default class AppearanceUserSettingsTab extends React.Component<IProps, I
             useSystemFont: SettingsStore.getValue("useSystemFont"),
             systemFont: SettingsStore.getValue("systemFont"),
             showAdvanced: false,
-            useIRCLayout: SettingsStore.getValue("useIRCLayout"),
+            layout: SettingsStore.getValue("layout"),
         };
     }
 
@@ -223,6 +224,16 @@ export default class AppearanceUserSettingsTab extends React.Component<IProps, I
         SettingsStore.setValue("useIRCLayout", null, SettingLevel.DEVICE, val);
     };*/
 
+    private onIRCLayoutChange = (enabled: boolean) => {
+        if (enabled) {
+            this.setState({layout: Layout.IRC});
+            SettingsStore.setValue("layout", null, SettingLevel.DEVICE, Layout.IRC);
+        } else {
+            this.setState({layout: Layout.Group});
+            SettingsStore.setValue("layout", null, SettingLevel.DEVICE, Layout.Group);
+        }
+    }
+
     private renderThemeSection() {
         const themeWatcher = new ThemeWatcher();
         let systemThemeSection: JSX.Element;
@@ -306,7 +317,7 @@ export default class AppearanceUserSettingsTab extends React.Component<IProps, I
             <EventTilePreview
                 className="mx_AppearanceUserSettingsTab_fontSlider_preview"
                 message={this.MESSAGE_PREVIEW_TEXT}
-                useIRCLayout={this.state.useIRCLayout}
+                layout={this.state.layout}
             />
             <div className="mx_AppearanceUserSettingsTab_fontSlider">
                 <div className="mx_AppearanceUserSettingsTab_fontSlider_smallText">Aa</div>
@@ -409,14 +420,15 @@ export default class AppearanceUserSettingsTab extends React.Component<IProps, I
                     name="useCompactLayout"
                     level={SettingLevel.DEVICE}
                     useCheckbox={true}
-                    disabled={this.state.useIRCLayout}
-                />
-                <SettingsFlag
-                    name="useIRCLayout"
-                    level={SettingLevel.DEVICE}
-                    useCheckbox={true}
-                    onChange={(checked) => this.setState({useIRCLayout: checked})}
+                    disabled={this.state.layout == Layout.IRC}
                 />
+                <StyledCheckbox
+                    checked={this.state.layout == Layout.IRC}
+                    onChange={(ev) => this.onIRCLayoutChange(ev.target.checked)}
+                >
+                    {_t("Enable experimental, compact IRC style layout")}
+                </StyledCheckbox>
+
                 <SettingsFlag
                     name="useSystemFont"
                     level={SettingLevel.DEVICE}
diff --git a/src/contexts/RoomContext.ts b/src/contexts/RoomContext.ts
index 082dcc4e6b..b00dc148e4 100644
--- a/src/contexts/RoomContext.ts
+++ b/src/contexts/RoomContext.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 import { createContext } from "react";
 
 import {IState} from "../components/structures/RoomView";
+import {Layout} from "../settings/Layout";
 
 const RoomContext = createContext<IState>({
     roomLoading: true,
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ const RoomContext = createContext<IState>({
     statusBarVisible: false,
     canReact: false,
     canReply: false,
-    useIRCLayout: false,
+    layout: Layout.Group,
     matrixClientIsReady: false,
 });
 RoomContext.displayName = "RoomContext";
diff --git a/src/settings/Settings.ts b/src/settings/Settings.ts
index 6ca009df61..3651e43d7d 100644
--- a/src/settings/Settings.ts
+++ b/src/settings/Settings.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import { isMac } from '../Keyboard';
 import UIFeatureController from "./controllers/UIFeatureController";
 import { UIFeature } from "./UIFeature";
 import { OrderedMultiController } from "./controllers/OrderedMultiController";
+import {Layout} from "./Layout";
 
 // These are just a bunch of helper arrays to avoid copy/pasting a bunch of times
 const LEVELS_ROOM_SETTINGS = [
@@ -623,10 +624,9 @@ export const SETTINGS: {[setting: string]: ISetting} = {
         displayName: _td("IRC display name width"),
         default: 80,
     },
-    "useIRCLayout": {
-        supportedLevels: LEVELS_ACCOUNT_SETTINGS,
-        displayName: _td("Enable experimental, compact IRC style layout"),
-        default: false,
+    "layout": {
+        supportedLevels: LEVELS_ROOM_SETTINGS_WITH_ROOM,
+        default: Layout.Group,
     },
     "showChatEffects": {
         supportedLevels: LEVELS_ACCOUNT_SETTINGS,