diff --git a/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js b/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
index 2fb9a2df29..388c248a61 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
@@ -650,6 +650,7 @@ export default class MessagePanel extends React.Component {
                     as="li"
                     data-scroll-tokens={scrollToken}
                     ref={this._collectEventNode.bind(this, eventId)}
+                    alwaysShowTimestamps={this.props.alwaysShowTimestamps}
                     mxEvent={mxEv}
                     continuation={continuation}
                     isRedacted={mxEv.isRedacted()}
diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx b/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx
index bb4e06bcfd..2b50309d52 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ import { objectHasDiff } from "../../utils/objects";
 import SpaceRoomView from "./SpaceRoomView";
 import { IOpts } from "../../createRoom";
 import {replaceableComponent} from "../../utils/replaceableComponent";
-import _ from 'lodash';
+import { omit } from 'lodash';
 
 const DEBUG = false;
 let debuglog = function(msg: string) {};
@@ -532,14 +532,16 @@ export default class RoomView extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
     shouldComponentUpdate(nextProps, nextState) {
         const hasPropsDiff = objectHasDiff(this.props, nextProps);
 
+        // React only shallow comparison and we only want to trigger
+        // a component re-render if a room requires an upgrade
         const newUpgradeRecommendation = nextState.upgradeRecommendation || {}
 
-        const state = _.omit(this.state, ['upgradeRecommendation']);
-        const newState = _.omit(nextState, ['upgradeRecommendation'])
+        const state = omit(this.state, ['upgradeRecommendation']);
+        const newState = omit(nextState, ['upgradeRecommendation'])
 
         const hasStateDiff =
             objectHasDiff(state, newState) ||
-            (newUpgradeRecommendation && newUpgradeRecommendation.needsUpgrade === true)
+            (newUpgradeRecommendation.needsUpgrade === true)
 
         return hasPropsDiff || hasStateDiff;
     }
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.tsx b/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.tsx
index bd89acaef8..54f5be7f21 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.tsx
@@ -280,6 +280,9 @@ interface IProps {
 
     // Symbol of the root node
     as?: string
+
+    // whether or not to always show timestamps
+    alwaysShowTimestamps?: boolean
 }
 
 interface IState {
@@ -979,7 +982,8 @@ export default class EventTile extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
             onFocusChange={this.onActionBarFocusChange}
         /> : undefined;
 
-        const timestamp = this.props.mxEvent.getTs() && this.state.hover ?
+        const showTimestamp = this.props.mxEvent.getTs() && (this.props.alwaysShowTimestamps || this.state.hover);
+        const timestamp = showTimestamp ?
             <MessageTimestamp showTwelveHour={this.props.isTwelveHour} ts={this.props.mxEvent.getTs()} /> : null;
 
         const keyRequestHelpText =