diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/scrolling-post-stream.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/scrolling-post-stream.js.es6
index db395dd2ee9..a1f101a8dc0 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/scrolling-post-stream.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/scrolling-post-stream.js.es6
@@ -236,15 +236,21 @@ export default MountWidget.extend({
     }
 
     const onscreenPostNumbers = [];
+    const readPostNumbers = [];
+
     const prev = this._previouslyNearby;
     const newPrev = {};
     nearby.forEach(idx => {
       const post = posts.objectAt(idx);
       const postNumber = post.post_number;
+
       delete prev[postNumber];
 
       if (onscreen.indexOf(idx) !== -1) {
         onscreenPostNumbers.push(postNumber);
+        if (post.read) {
+          readPostNumbers.push(postNumber);
+        }
       }
       newPrev[postNumber] = post;
       uncloak(post, this);
@@ -253,7 +259,7 @@ export default MountWidget.extend({
     Object.values(prev).forEach(node => cloak(node, this));
 
     this._previouslyNearby = newPrev;
-    this.screenTrack.setOnscreen(onscreenPostNumbers);
+    this.screenTrack.setOnscreen(onscreenPostNumbers, readPostNumbers);
   },
 
   _scrollTriggered() {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/lib/screen-track.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/lib/screen-track.js.es6
index 58982a1829e..3050de3a1d5 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/lib/screen-track.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/lib/screen-track.js.es6
@@ -54,8 +54,9 @@ export default class {
     }
   }
 
-  setOnscreen(onscreen) {
+  setOnscreen(onscreen, readOnscreen) {
     this._onscreen = onscreen;
+    this._readOnscreen = readOnscreen;
   }
 
   // Reset our timers
@@ -68,6 +69,8 @@ export default class {
     this._totalTimings = {};
     this._topicTime = 0;
     this._onscreen = [];
+    this._readOnscreen = [];
+    this._readPosts = {};
     this._inProgress = false;
   }
 
@@ -112,6 +115,7 @@ export default class {
     if (!$.isEmptyObject(newTimings)) {
       if (this.currentUser) {
         this._inProgress = true;
+
         ajax("/topics/timings", {
           data: {
             timings: newTimings,
@@ -198,20 +202,27 @@ export default class {
     const nextFlush = this.siteSettings.flush_timings_secs * 1000;
 
     const rush = Object.keys(timings).some(postNumber => {
-      return timings[postNumber] > 0 && !totalTimings[postNumber];
+      return (
+        timings[postNumber] > 0 &&
+        !totalTimings[postNumber] &&
+        !this._readPosts[postNumber]
+      );
     });
 
     if (!this._inProgress && (this._lastFlush > nextFlush || rush)) {
       this.flush();
     }
 
-    // Don't track timings if we're not in focus
-    if (!Discourse.get("hasFocus")) return;
+    if (Discourse.get("hasFocus")) {
+      this._topicTime += diff;
 
-    this._topicTime += diff;
+      this._onscreen.forEach(
+        postNumber => (timings[postNumber] = (timings[postNumber] || 0) + diff)
+      );
 
-    this._onscreen.forEach(
-      postNumber => (timings[postNumber] = (timings[postNumber] || 0) + diff)
-    );
+      this._readOnscreen.forEach(postNumber => {
+        this._readPosts[postNumber] = true;
+      });
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/config/site_settings.yml b/config/site_settings.yml
index 86ae8b3c31d..ac714ca5a0f 100644
--- a/config/site_settings.yml
+++ b/config/site_settings.yml
@@ -1443,7 +1443,7 @@ developer:
     max: 99000
   flush_timings_secs:
     client: true
-    default: 20
+    default: 60
   active_user_rate_limit_secs: 60
   verbose_localization:
     default: false
diff --git a/test/javascripts/lib/screen-track-test.js.es6 b/test/javascripts/lib/screen-track-test.js.es6
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b356dc9b9f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/javascripts/lib/screen-track-test.js.es6
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+import TopicTrackingState from "discourse/models/topic-tracking-state";
+import Session from "discourse/models/session";
+import ScreenTrack from "discourse/lib/screen-track";
+
+let clock;
+
+QUnit.module("lib:screen-track", {
+  beforeEach() {
+    clock = sinon.useFakeTimers(new Date(2012, 11, 31, 12, 0).getTime());
+  },
+
+  afterEach() {
+    clock.restore();
+  }
+});
+
+QUnit.test("Correctly flushes posts as needed", assert => {
+  const timings = [];
+
+  // prettier-ignore
+  server.post("/topics/timings", t => { //eslint-disable-line
+    timings.push(t);
+    return [200, {}, ""];
+  });
+
+  const trackingState = TopicTrackingState.create();
+  const siteSettings = {
+    flush_timings_secs: 60
+  };
+
+  const currentUser = { id: 1, username: "sam" };
+
+  const tracker = new ScreenTrack(
+    trackingState,
+    siteSettings,
+    Session.current(),
+    currentUser
+  );
+
+  const topicController = null;
+
+  Discourse.set("hasFocus", true);
+
+  tracker.reset();
+  tracker.start(1, topicController);
+
+  tracker.setOnscreen([1, 2, 3], [1, 2, 3]);
+
+  clock.tick(1050);
+  clock.tick(1050);
+
+  // no ajax yet
+  assert.equal(0, timings.length);
+
+  tracker.setOnscreen([1, 2, 3, 4], [1, 2, 3]);
+
+  clock.tick(1050);
+  clock.tick(1050);
+
+  // we should be rushed now cause there is a new thing on the screen
+  assert.equal(1, timings.length);
+
+  const req =
+    "timings%5B1%5D=3000&timings%5B2%5D=3000&timings%5B3%5D=3000&timings%5B4%5D=1000&topic_time=3000&topic_id=1";
+  assert.equal(timings[0].requestBody, req);
+
+  tracker.stop();
+
+  assert.equal(2, timings.length);
+
+  const req2 =
+    "timings%5B1%5D=1200&timings%5B2%5D=1200&timings%5B3%5D=1200&timings%5B4%5D=1200&topic_time=1200&topic_id=1";
+
+  assert.equal(timings[1].requestBody, req2);
+});