diff --git a/src/events/EventTileFactory.tsx b/src/events/EventTileFactory.tsx
index ecda002f59..f122329ee5 100644
--- a/src/events/EventTileFactory.tsx
+++ b/src/events/EventTileFactory.tsx
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ import { MatrixEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event";
 import { EventType, MsgType, RelationType } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/@types/event";
 import { M_POLL_START, Optional } from "matrix-events-sdk";
 import { MatrixClient } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/client";
-import { M_BEACON_INFO } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/@types/beacon";
 
 import EditorStateTransfer from "../utils/EditorStateTransfer";
 import { RoomPermalinkCreator } from "../utils/permalinks/Permalinks";
@@ -44,6 +43,7 @@ import { getMessageModerationState, MessageModerationState } from "../utils/Even
 import HiddenBody from "../components/views/messages/HiddenBody";
 import SettingsStore from "../settings/SettingsStore";
 import ViewSourceEvent from "../components/views/messages/ViewSourceEvent";
+import { shouldDisplayAsBeaconTile } from "../utils/beacon/timeline";
 
 // Subset of EventTile's IProps plus some mixins
 export interface EventTileTypeProps {
@@ -219,7 +219,9 @@ export function pickFactory(
     // Try and pick a state event factory, if we can.
     if (mxEvent.isState()) {
         if (
-            M_BEACON_INFO.matches(evType) &&
+            shouldDisplayAsBeaconTile(mxEvent) &&
+            // settings store access here temporarily during labs
+            // only hit when a beacon_info event is hit
             SettingsStore.getValue("feature_location_share_live")
         ) {
             return MessageEventFactory;
diff --git a/src/stores/OwnBeaconStore.ts b/src/stores/OwnBeaconStore.ts
index eabe9ea083..1bef120ae7 100644
--- a/src/stores/OwnBeaconStore.ts
+++ b/src/stores/OwnBeaconStore.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import {
     BeaconIdentifier,
     BeaconEvent,
     MatrixEvent,
-    RelationType,
     Room,
     RoomMember,
     RoomState,
@@ -449,20 +448,12 @@ export class OwnBeaconStore extends AsyncStoreWithClient<OwnBeaconStoreState> {
             ...update,
         };
 
-        const newContent = makeBeaconInfoContent(timeout,
+        const updateContent = makeBeaconInfoContent(timeout,
             live,
             description,
             assetType,
             timestamp,
         );
-        const updateContent = {
-            ...newContent,
-            "m.new_content": newContent,
-            "m.relates_to": {
-                "rel_type": RelationType.Replace,
-                "event_id": beacon.beaconInfoId,
-            },
-        };
 
         await this.matrixClient.unstable_setLiveBeacon(beacon.roomId, updateContent);
     };
diff --git a/src/utils/beacon/timeline.ts b/src/utils/beacon/timeline.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e6e8f2311d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/beacon/timeline.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2020 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 { MatrixEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/matrix";
+import { M_BEACON_INFO } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/@types/beacon";
+
+/**
+ * beacon_info events without live property set to true
+ * should be displayed in the timeline
+ */
+export const shouldDisplayAsBeaconTile = (event: MatrixEvent): boolean => (
+    M_BEACON_INFO.matches(event.getType()) &&
+    !!event.getContent()?.live
+);
diff --git a/test/stores/OwnBeaconStore-test.ts b/test/stores/OwnBeaconStore-test.ts
index b5713f6348..6a95c82ad0 100644
--- a/test/stores/OwnBeaconStore-test.ts
+++ b/test/stores/OwnBeaconStore-test.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import {
     BeaconEvent,
     getBeaconInfoIdentifier,
     MatrixEvent,
-    RelationType,
     RoomStateEvent,
     RoomMember,
 } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/matrix";
@@ -473,14 +472,6 @@ describe('OwnBeaconStore', () => {
             const expectedUpdateContent = {
                 ...prevEventContent,
                 live: false,
-                ["m.new_content"]: {
-                    ...prevEventContent,
-                    live: false,
-                },
-                ["m.relates_to"]: {
-                    event_id: alicesRoom1BeaconInfo.getId(),
-                    rel_type: RelationType.Replace,
-                },
             };
             expect(mockClient.unstable_setLiveBeacon).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
                 room1Id,
@@ -650,14 +641,6 @@ describe('OwnBeaconStore', () => {
             const expectedUpdateContent = {
                 ...prevEventContent,
                 live: false,
-                ["m.new_content"]: {
-                    ...prevEventContent,
-                    live: false,
-                },
-                ["m.relates_to"]: {
-                    event_id: alicesRoom1BeaconInfo.getId(),
-                    rel_type: RelationType.Replace,
-                },
             };
             expect(mockClient.unstable_setLiveBeacon).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
                 room1Id,
@@ -683,14 +666,6 @@ describe('OwnBeaconStore', () => {
             const expectedUpdateContent = {
                 ...prevEventContent,
                 live: false,
-                ["m.new_content"]: {
-                    ...prevEventContent,
-                    live: false,
-                },
-                ["m.relates_to"]: {
-                    event_id: alicesRoom1BeaconInfo.getId(),
-                    rel_type: RelationType.Replace,
-                },
             };
             expect(mockClient.unstable_setLiveBeacon).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
                 room1Id,
diff --git a/test/utils/beacon/timeline-test.ts b/test/utils/beacon/timeline-test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..96be565de7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/utils/beacon/timeline-test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2020 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 { EventType, MatrixEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/matrix";
+
+import { shouldDisplayAsBeaconTile } from "../../../src/utils/beacon/timeline";
+import { makeBeaconInfoEvent } from "../../test-utils";
+
+describe('shouldDisplayAsBeaconTile', () => {
+    const userId = '@user:server';
+    const roomId = '!room:server';
+    const liveBeacon = makeBeaconInfoEvent(userId, roomId, { isLive: true });
+    const notLiveBeacon = makeBeaconInfoEvent(userId, roomId, { isLive: false });
+    const memberEvent = new MatrixEvent({ type: EventType.RoomMember });
+
+    it('returns true for a beacon with live property set to true', () => {
+        expect(shouldDisplayAsBeaconTile(liveBeacon)).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('returns false for a beacon with live property set to false', () => {
+        expect(shouldDisplayAsBeaconTile(notLiveBeacon)).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('returns false for a non beacon event', () => {
+        expect(shouldDisplayAsBeaconTile(memberEvent)).toBe(false);
+    });
+});