diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/discovery-topics-list.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/discovery-topics-list.js.es6
index 907c2135993..10a73fcd5ec 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/discovery-topics-list.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/discovery-topics-list.js.es6
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ const DiscoveryTopicsListComponent = Ember.Component.extend(
       }
     },
 
+    @observes("topicTrackingState.states")
+    _updateTopics() {
+      this.topicTrackingState.updateTopics(this.model.topics);
+    },
+
     @observes("incomingCount")
     _updateTitle() {
       Discourse.updateContextCount(this.incomingCount);
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/topic-tracking-state.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/topic-tracking-state.js.es6
index 0b4ef2ca93c..5c726069d37 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/topic-tracking-state.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/topic-tracking-state.js.es6
@@ -69,13 +69,10 @@ const TopicTrackingState = Discourse.Model.extend({
       if (["new_topic", "unread", "read"].includes(data.message_type)) {
         tracker.notify(data);
         const old = tracker.states["t" + data.topic_id];
-
-        // don't add tracking state for read stuff that was not tracked in first place
-        if (old || data.message_type !== "read") {
-          if (!_.isEqual(old, data.payload)) {
-            tracker.states["t" + data.topic_id] = data.payload;
-            tracker.incrementMessageCount();
-          }
+        if (!_.isEqual(old, data.payload)) {
+          tracker.states["t" + data.topic_id] = data.payload;
+          tracker.notifyPropertyChange("states");
+          tracker.incrementMessageCount();
         }
       }
     };
diff --git a/test/javascripts/acceptance/topic-discovery-test.js.es6 b/test/javascripts/acceptance/topic-discovery-test.js.es6
index e060c94d66f..b29891853f8 100644
--- a/test/javascripts/acceptance/topic-discovery-test.js.es6
+++ b/test/javascripts/acceptance/topic-discovery-test.js.es6
@@ -76,3 +76,32 @@ QUnit.test("Clearing state after leaving a category", async assert => {
     "it doesn't expand all pinned in the latest category"
   );
 });
+
+QUnit.test("Live update unread state", async assert => {
+  await visit("/");
+  assert.ok(
+    exists(".topic-list-item:not(.visited) a[data-topic-id='11995']"),
+    "shows the topic unread"
+  );
+
+  // Mimic a messagebus message
+  window.MessageBus.callbacks.filterBy("channel", "/latest").map(c =>
+    c.func({
+      message_type: "read",
+      topic_id: 11995,
+      payload: {
+        highest_post_number: 1,
+        last_read_post_number: 2,
+        notification_level: 1,
+        topic_id: 11995
+      }
+    })
+  );
+
+  await visit("/"); // We're already there, but use this to wait for re-render
+
+  assert.ok(
+    exists(".topic-list-item.visited a[data-topic-id='11995']"),
+    "shows the topic read"
+  );
+});