diff --git a/js/models/messages.js b/js/models/messages.js
index 2c1ea257e..d03eebe84 100644
--- a/js/models/messages.js
+++ b/js/models/messages.js
@@ -596,6 +596,7 @@
         quote: this.getPropsForQuote(options),
         authorAvatarPath,
         isExpired: this.hasExpired,
+        isUnread: this.isUnread(),
         expirationLength,
         expirationTimestamp,
         isPublic: !!this.get('isPublic'),
@@ -618,6 +619,7 @@
         onRetrySend: () => this.retrySend(),
         onShowDetail: () => this.trigger('show-message-detail', this),
         onClickLinkPreview: url => this.trigger('navigate-to', url),
+        markRead: readAt => this.markRead(readAt),
 
         onShowUserDetails: pubkey =>
           window.Whisper.events.trigger('onShowUserDetails', {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7592f992f..840fdf340 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@
     "react-emoji": "^0.5.0",
     "react-emoji-render": "^1.2.4",
     "react-h5-audio-player": "^3.2.0",
+    "react-intersection-observer": "^8.30.3",
     "react-mentions": "^4.0.2",
     "react-portal": "^4.2.0",
     "react-qr-svg": "^2.2.1",
diff --git a/ts/components/conversation/Message.tsx b/ts/components/conversation/Message.tsx
index 6d16cfa5c..142402685 100644
--- a/ts/components/conversation/Message.tsx
+++ b/ts/components/conversation/Message.tsx
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import { SessionIcon, SessionIconSize, SessionIconType } from '../session/icon';
 import _ from 'lodash';
 import { animation, contextMenu, Item, Menu } from 'react-contexify';
 import uuid from 'uuid';
+import { InView } from 'react-intersection-observer';
 
 // Same as MIN_WIDTH in ImageGrid.tsx
 const MINIMUM_LINK_PREVIEW_IMAGE_WIDTH = 200;
@@ -97,6 +98,7 @@ export interface Props {
   // whether or not to show check boxes
   multiSelectMode: boolean;
   firstMessageOfSeries: boolean;
+  isUnread: boolean;
 
   onClickAttachment?: (attachment: AttachmentType) => void;
   onClickLinkPreview?: (url: string) => void;
@@ -110,6 +112,7 @@ export interface Props {
   onBanUser?: () => void;
   onShowDetail: () => void;
   onShowUserDetails: (userPubKey: string) => void;
+  markRead: (readAt: number) => Promise<void>;
 }
 
 interface State {
@@ -987,7 +990,8 @@ export class Message extends React.PureComponent<Props, State> {
       conversationType,
       isPublic,
       text,
-      firstMessageOfSeries,
+      isUnread,
+      markRead,
     } = this.props;
     const { expired, expiring } = this.state;
 
@@ -1008,6 +1012,7 @@ export class Message extends React.PureComponent<Props, State> {
 
     const isIncoming = direction === 'incoming';
     const shouldHightlight = mentionMe && isIncoming && isPublic;
+    const shouldMarkReadWhenVisible = isIncoming && isUnread;
     const divClasses = ['session-message-wrapper'];
 
     if (shouldHightlight) {
@@ -1021,10 +1026,23 @@ export class Message extends React.PureComponent<Props, State> {
       divClasses.push('public-chat-message-wrapper');
     }
 
+    const onVisible = (inView: boolean) => {
+      if (inView && shouldMarkReadWhenVisible) {
+        // mark the message as read.
+        // this will trigger the expire timer.
+        void markRead(Date.now());
+      }
+    };
+
     return (
-      <div
+      <InView
         id={id}
+        as="div"
         className={classNames(divClasses)}
+        onChange={onVisible}
+        threshold={1}
+        delay={200}
+        triggerOnce={true}
         onContextMenu={this.handleContextMenu}
       >
         {this.renderAvatar()}
@@ -1099,7 +1117,7 @@ export class Message extends React.PureComponent<Props, State> {
           {this.renderError(!isIncoming)}
           {this.renderContextMenu()}
         </div>
-      </div>
+      </InView>
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 5d1614d00..57301b223 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -8778,6 +8778,11 @@ react-icons@^2.2.7:
   dependencies:
     react-icon-base "2.1.0"
 
+react-intersection-observer@^8.30.3:
+  version "8.30.3"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/react-intersection-observer/-/react-intersection-observer-8.30.3.tgz#99850f0aacc5b474dddb04976e58d7ee9315ba19"
+  integrity sha512-hKYTJUrU99hAf7h1lNY3pjYXt+09BaPNC6fcLw1B8OLJJUDXTWrwzu4hRuztougeRgPYpxmNaTn1FS4F3EQnhA==
+
 react-is@^16.12.0, react-is@^16.7.0, react-is@^16.8.1:
   version "16.13.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/react-is/-/react-is-16.13.0.tgz#0f37c3613c34fe6b37cd7f763a0d6293ab15c527"