diff --git a/res/css/views/rooms/_IRCLayout.scss b/res/css/views/rooms/_IRCLayout.scss
index 48505fbb53..cf61ce569d 100644
--- a/res/css/views/rooms/_IRCLayout.scss
+++ b/res/css/views/rooms/_IRCLayout.scss
@@ -115,8 +115,7 @@ $irc-line-height: $font-18px;
         .mx_EventTile_line {
             .mx_EventTile_e2eIcon,
             .mx_TextualEvent,
-            .mx_MTextBody,
-            .mx_ReplyThread_wrapper_empty {
+            .mx_MTextBody {
                 display: inline-block;
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/components/views/elements/ReplyThread.js b/src/components/views/elements/ReplyThread.js
index 870803995d..c336f34b51 100644
--- a/src/components/views/elements/ReplyThread.js
+++ b/src/components/views/elements/ReplyThread.js
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ export default class ReplyThread extends React.Component {
 
     static makeThread(parentEv, onHeightChanged, permalinkCreator, ref, layout) {
         if (!ReplyThread.getParentEventId(parentEv)) {
-            return <div className="mx_ReplyThread_wrapper_empty" />;
+            return null;
         }
         return <ReplyThread
             parentEv={parentEv}
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.tsx b/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.tsx
index 884669e398..c85945be7a 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.tsx
@@ -649,6 +649,11 @@ export default class EventTile extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
         let left = 0;
 
         const receipts = this.props.readReceipts || [];
+
+        if (receipts.length === 0) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
         for (let i = 0; i < receipts.length; ++i) {
             const receipt = receipts[i];
 
@@ -699,10 +704,14 @@ export default class EventTile extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
             }
         }
 
-        return <span className="mx_EventTile_readAvatars">
-            { remText }
-            { avatars }
-        </span>;
+        return (
+            <div className="mx_EventTile_msgOption">
+                <span className="mx_EventTile_readAvatars">
+                    { remText }
+                    { avatars }
+                </span>;
+            </div>
+        )
     }
 
     onSenderProfileClick = event => {
@@ -1032,11 +1041,7 @@ export default class EventTile extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
         let msgOption;
         if (this.props.showReadReceipts) {
             const readAvatars = this.getReadAvatars();
-            msgOption = (
-                <div className="mx_EventTile_msgOption">
-                    { readAvatars }
-                </div>
-            );
+            msgOption = readAvatars;
         }
 
         switch (this.props.tileShape) {