diff --git a/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js b/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
index 6713d41574..4238e22bd9 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     },
 
     componentWillMount: function() {
+        this._editingEnabled = SettingsStore.isFeatureEnabled("feature_message_editing");
         // the event after which we put a visible unread marker on the last
         // render cycle; null if readMarkerVisible was false or the RM was
         // suppressed (eg because it was at the end of the timeline)
@@ -576,7 +577,6 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         const scrollToken = mxEv.status ? undefined : eventId;
 
         const readReceipts = this._readReceiptsByEvent[eventId];
-        const editingEnabled = SettingsStore.isFeatureEnabled("feature_message_editing");
 
         ret.push(
             <li key={eventId}
@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 <EventTile mxEvent={mxEv}
                     continuation={continuation}
                     isRedacted={mxEv.isRedacted()}
-                    replacingEventId={editingEnabled && mxEv.replacingEventId()}
+                    replacingEventId={this._editingEnabled && mxEv.replacingEventId()}
                     editState={isEditing && this.props.editState}
                     onHeightChanged={this._onHeightChanged}
                     readReceipts={readReceipts}