diff --git a/src/Unread.js b/src/Unread.js
index 8a70291cf2..8fffc2a429 100644
--- a/src/Unread.js
+++ b/src/Unread.js
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ limitations under the License.
 */
 
 var MatrixClientPeg = require('./MatrixClientPeg');
+import UserSettingsStore from './UserSettingsStore';
+import shouldHideEvent from './shouldHideEvent';
 var sdk = require('./index');
 
 module.exports = {
@@ -63,6 +65,7 @@ module.exports = {
         // we have and the read receipt. We could fetch more history to try & find out,
         // but currently we just guess.
 
+        const syncedSettings = UserSettingsStore.getSyncedSettings();
         // Loop through messages, starting with the most recent...
         for (var i = room.timeline.length - 1; i >= 0; --i) {
             var ev = room.timeline[i];
@@ -72,7 +75,7 @@ module.exports = {
                 // that counts and we can stop looking because the user's read
                 // this and everything before.
                 return false;
-            } else if (this.eventTriggersUnreadCount(ev)) {
+            } else if (!shouldHideEvent(ev, syncedSettings) && this.eventTriggersUnreadCount(ev)) {
                 // We've found a message that counts before we hit
                 // the read marker, so this room is definitely unread.
                 return true;
diff --git a/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js b/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
index 9251ff2bdb..6f4a5460f6 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
@@ -14,12 +14,14 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
-var React = require('react');
-var ReactDOM = require("react-dom");
-var dis = require("../../dispatcher");
-var sdk = require('../../index');
+import React from 'react';
+import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
+import UserSettingsStore from '../../UserSettingsStore';
+import shouldHideEvent from '../../shouldHideEvent';
+import dis from "../../dispatcher";
+import sdk from '../../index';
 
-var MatrixClientPeg = require('../../MatrixClientPeg');
+import MatrixClientPeg from '../../MatrixClientPeg';
 
 const MILLIS_IN_DAY = 86400000;
 
@@ -90,9 +92,6 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
         // show timestamps always
         alwaysShowTimestamps: React.PropTypes.bool,
-
-        // hide redacted events as per old behaviour
-        hideRedactions: React.PropTypes.bool,
     },
 
     componentWillMount: function() {
@@ -113,6 +112,8 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         // Velocity requires
         this._readMarkerGhostNode = null;
 
+        this._syncedSettings = UserSettingsStore.getSyncedSettings();
+
         this._isMounted = true;
     },
 
@@ -238,8 +239,20 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         return !this._isMounted;
     },
 
-    _getEventTiles: function() {
+    // TODO: Implement granular (per-room) hide options
+    _shouldShowEvent: function(mxEv) {
         const EventTile = sdk.getComponent('rooms.EventTile');
+        if (!EventTile.haveTileForEvent(mxEv)) {
+            return false; // no tile = no show
+        }
+
+        // Always show highlighted event
+        if (this.props.highlightedEventId === mxEv.getId()) return true;
+
+        return !shouldHideEvent(mxEv, this._syncedSettings);
+    },
+
+    _getEventTiles: function() {
         const DateSeparator = sdk.getComponent('messages.DateSeparator');
         const MemberEventListSummary = sdk.getComponent('views.elements.MemberEventListSummary');
 
@@ -249,20 +262,21 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
         // first figure out which is the last event in the list which we're
         // actually going to show; this allows us to behave slightly
-        // differently for the last event in the list.
+        // differently for the last event in the list. (eg show timestamp)
         //
         // we also need to figure out which is the last event we show which isn't
         // a local echo, to manage the read-marker.
-        var lastShownEventIndex = -1;
+        let lastShownEvent;
+
         var lastShownNonLocalEchoIndex = -1;
         for (i = this.props.events.length-1; i >= 0; i--) {
             var mxEv = this.props.events[i];
-            if (!EventTile.haveTileForEvent(mxEv)) {
+            if (!this._shouldShowEvent(mxEv)) {
                 continue;
             }
 
-            if (lastShownEventIndex < 0) {
-                lastShownEventIndex = i;
+            if (lastShownEvent === undefined) {
+                lastShownEvent = mxEv;
             }
 
             if (mxEv.status) {
@@ -288,25 +302,18 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             this.currentGhostEventId = null;
         }
 
-        var isMembershipChange = (e) => e.getType() === 'm.room.member';
+        const isMembershipChange = (e) => e.getType() === 'm.room.member';
 
         for (i = 0; i < this.props.events.length; i++) {
             let mxEv = this.props.events[i];
-            let wantTile = true;
             let eventId = mxEv.getId();
             let readMarkerInMels = false;
+            let last = (mxEv === lastShownEvent);
 
-            if (!EventTile.haveTileForEvent(mxEv)) {
-                wantTile = false;
-            }
-
-            let last = (i == lastShownEventIndex);
+            const wantTile = this._shouldShowEvent(mxEv);
 
             // Wrap consecutive member events in a ListSummary, ignore if redacted
-            if (isMembershipChange(mxEv) &&
-                EventTile.haveTileForEvent(mxEv) &&
-                !mxEv.isRedacted()
-            ) {
+            if (isMembershipChange(mxEv) && wantTile) {
                 let ts1 = mxEv.getTs();
                 // Ensure that the key of the MemberEventListSummary does not change with new
                 // member events. This will prevent it from being re-created unnecessarily, and
@@ -325,35 +332,36 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
                 let summarisedEvents = [mxEv];
                 for (;i + 1 < this.props.events.length; i++) {
-                    let collapsedMxEv = this.props.events[i + 1];
-
-                    // Ignore redacted member events
-                    if (!EventTile.haveTileForEvent(collapsedMxEv)) {
-                        continue;
-                    }
+                    const collapsedMxEv = this.props.events[i + 1];
 
                     if (!isMembershipChange(collapsedMxEv) ||
                         this._wantsDateSeparator(this.props.events[i], collapsedMxEv.getDate())) {
                         break;
                     }
+
+                    // If RM event is in MELS mark it as such and the RM will be appended after MELS.
+                    if (collapsedMxEv.getId() === this.props.readMarkerEventId) {
+                        readMarkerInMels = true;
+                    }
+
+                    // Ignore redacted/hidden member events
+                    if (!this._shouldShowEvent(collapsedMxEv)) {
+                        continue;
+                    }
+
                     summarisedEvents.push(collapsedMxEv);
                 }
-                // At this point, i = the index of the last event in the summary sequence
 
-                let eventTiles = summarisedEvents.map(
-                    (e) => {
-                        if (e.getId() === this.props.readMarkerEventId) {
-                            readMarkerInMels = true;
-                        }
-                        // In order to prevent DateSeparators from appearing in the expanded form
-                        // of MemberEventListSummary, render each member event as if the previous
-                        // one was itself. This way, the timestamp of the previous event === the
-                        // timestamp of the current event, and no DateSeperator is inserted.
-                        let ret = this._getTilesForEvent(e, e);
-                        prevEvent = e;
-                        return ret;
-                    }
-                ).reduce((a, b) => a.concat(b));
+                // At this point, i = the index of the last event in the summary sequence
+                let eventTiles = summarisedEvents.map((e) => {
+                    // In order to prevent DateSeparators from appearing in the expanded form
+                    // of MemberEventListSummary, render each member event as if the previous
+                    // one was itself. This way, the timestamp of the previous event === the
+                    // timestamp of the current event, and no DateSeperator is inserted.
+                    const ret = this._getTilesForEvent(e, e, e === lastShownEvent);
+                    prevEvent = e;
+                    return ret;
+                }).reduce((a, b) => a.concat(b));
 
                 if (eventTiles.length === 0) {
                     eventTiles = null;
@@ -466,8 +474,6 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             continuation = false;
         }
 
-        if (mxEv.isRedacted() && this.props.hideRedactions) return ret;
-
         var eventId = mxEv.getId();
         var highlight = (eventId == this.props.highlightedEventId);
 
diff --git a/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js b/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
index dc9c0fc9ba..0aee19545c 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
@@ -181,9 +181,6 @@ var TimelinePanel = React.createClass({
 
             // always show timestamps on event tiles?
             alwaysShowTimestamps: syncedSettings.alwaysShowTimestamps,
-
-            // hide redacted events as per old behaviour
-            hideRedactions: syncedSettings.hideRedactions,
         };
     },
 
@@ -1122,7 +1119,6 @@ var TimelinePanel = React.createClass({
         return (
             <MessagePanel ref="messagePanel"
                           hidden={ this.props.hidden }
-                          hideRedactions={ this.state.hideRedactions }
                           backPaginating={ this.state.backPaginating }
                           forwardPaginating={ forwardPaginating }
                           events={ this.state.events }
diff --git a/src/components/structures/UserSettings.js b/src/components/structures/UserSettings.js
index 45c52c7f1d..1e0fcff445 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/UserSettings.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/UserSettings.js
@@ -81,6 +81,10 @@ const SETTINGS_LABELS = [
         id: 'showTwelveHourTimestamps',
         label: 'Show timestamps in 12 hour format (e.g. 2:30pm)',
     },
+    {
+        id: 'hideJoinLeaves',
+        label: 'Hide join/leave messages (invites/kicks/bans unaffected)',
+    },
     {
         id: 'useCompactLayout',
         label: 'Use compact timeline layout',
@@ -1136,7 +1140,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
         const threepidsSection = this.state.threepids.map((val, pidIndex) => {
             const id = "3pid-" + val.address;
-            // TODO; make a separate component to avoid having to rebind onClick
+            // TODO: make a separate component to avoid having to rebind onClick
             // each time we render
             const onRemoveClick = (e) => this.onRemoveThreepidClicked(val);
             return (
diff --git a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
index 86cf8727bb..7b027b6417 100644
--- a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
+++ b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
@@ -342,6 +342,7 @@
     "had": "had",
     "Hangup": "Hangup",
     "Hide Apps": "Hide Apps",
+    "Hide join/leave messages (invites/kicks/bans unaffected)": "Hide join/leave messages (invites/kicks/bans unaffected)",
     "Hide read receipts": "Hide read receipts",
     "Hide Text Formatting Toolbar": "Hide Text Formatting Toolbar",
     "Historical": "Historical",
diff --git a/src/shouldHideEvent.js b/src/shouldHideEvent.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..afc8fdc596
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/shouldHideEvent.js
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+/*
+ Copyright 2017 Michael Telatynski <7t3chguy@gmail.com>
+
+ 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.
+ */
+
+function _isLeaveOrJoin(ev) {
+    const isMemberEvent = ev.getType() === 'm.room.member' && ev.getStateKey() !== undefined;
+    if (!isMemberEvent) {
+        return false; // bail early: all the checks below concern member events only
+    }
+
+    // TODO: These checks are done to make sure we're dealing with membership transitions not avatar changes / dupe joins
+    //       These checks are also being done in TextForEvent and should really reside in the JS SDK as a helper function
+    const membership = ev.getContent().membership;
+    const prevMembership = ev.getPrevContent().membership;
+    if (membership === prevMembership && membership === 'join') {
+        // join -> join : This happens when display names change / avatars are set / genuine dupe joins with no changes.
+        //                Find out which we're dealing with.
+        if (ev.getPrevContent().displayname !== ev.getContent().displayname) {
+            return false; // display name changed
+        }
+        if (ev.getPrevContent().avatar_url !== ev.getContent().avatar_url) {
+            return false; // avatar url changed
+        }
+        // dupe join event, fall through to hide rules
+    }
+
+
+    // this only applies to joins/invited joins/leaves not invites/kicks/bans
+    const isJoin = membership === 'join' && prevMembership !== 'ban';
+    const isLeave = membership === 'leave' && ev.getStateKey() === ev.getSender();
+    return isJoin || isLeave;
+}
+
+export default function(ev, syncedSettings) {
+    // Hide redacted events
+    if (syncedSettings['hideRedactions'] && ev.isRedacted()) return true;
+    if (syncedSettings['hideJoinLeaves'] && _isLeaveOrJoin(ev)) return true;
+    return false;
+}
diff --git a/test/components/structures/MessagePanel-test.js b/test/components/structures/MessagePanel-test.js
index a96d0ed5d1..ad7d9c15c7 100644
--- a/test/components/structures/MessagePanel-test.js
+++ b/test/components/structures/MessagePanel-test.js
@@ -18,10 +18,12 @@ var React = require('react');
 var ReactDOM = require("react-dom");
 var TestUtils = require('react-addons-test-utils');
 var expect = require('expect');
+import sinon from 'sinon';
 
 var sdk = require('matrix-react-sdk');
 
 var MessagePanel = sdk.getComponent('structures.MessagePanel');
+import UserSettingsStore from '../../../src/UserSettingsStore';
 
 var test_utils = require('test-utils');
 var mockclock = require('mock-clock');
@@ -54,9 +56,10 @@ describe('MessagePanel', function () {
         test_utils.beforeEach(this);
         client = test_utils.createTestClient();
         client.credentials = {userId: '@me:here'};
+        UserSettingsStore.getSyncedSettings = sinon.stub().returns({});
     });
 
-    afterEach(function () {
+    afterEach(function() {
         clock.uninstall();
     });