diff --git a/static/js/click_handlers.js b/static/js/click_handlers.js
index 0e109e9f14..10f6bcc1e0 100644
--- a/static/js/click_handlers.js
+++ b/static/js/click_handlers.js
@@ -592,7 +592,12 @@ export function initialize() {
             $(".tooltip").remove();
         });
 
-    function do_render_buddy_list_tooltip($elem, title_data) {
+    function do_render_buddy_list_tooltip(
+        $elem,
+        title_data,
+        parent_element_to_append = null,
+        is_custom_observer_needed = true,
+    ) {
         let placement = "left";
         let observer;
         if (window.innerWidth < media_breakpoints_num.md) {
@@ -611,9 +616,14 @@ export function initialize() {
             showOnCreate: true,
             onHidden: (instance) => {
                 instance.destroy();
-                observer.disconnect();
+                if (is_custom_observer_needed) {
+                    observer.disconnect();
+                }
             },
             onShow: (instance) => {
+                if (!is_custom_observer_needed) {
+                    return;
+                }
                 // For both buddy list and top left corner pm list, `target_node`
                 // is their parent `ul` element. We cannot use MutationObserver
                 // directly on the reference element because it will be removed
@@ -638,7 +648,7 @@ export function initialize() {
                 observer = new MutationObserver(callback);
                 observer.observe(target_node, config);
             },
-            appendTo: () => document.body,
+            appendTo: () => parent_element_to_append || document.body,
         });
     }
 
@@ -663,6 +673,19 @@ export function initialize() {
         do_render_buddy_list_tooltip($elem, title_data);
     });
 
+    // Recent conversations PMs
+    $("body").on("mouseenter", ".recent_topic_stream .pm_status_icon", (e) => {
+        e.stopPropagation();
+        const $elem = $(e.currentTarget);
+        const user_ids_string = $elem.attr("data-user-ids-string");
+        // Don't show tooltip for group PMs.
+        if (!user_ids_string || user_ids_string.split(",").length !== 1) {
+            return;
+        }
+        const title_data = recent_topics_ui.get_pm_tooltip_data(user_ids_string);
+        do_render_buddy_list_tooltip($elem, title_data, undefined, false);
+    });
+
     // MISC
 
     {
diff --git a/static/js/recent_topics_ui.js b/static/js/recent_topics_ui.js
index 4c3eb35d4d..f8d9754940 100644
--- a/static/js/recent_topics_ui.js
+++ b/static/js/recent_topics_ui.js
@@ -318,6 +318,43 @@ function message_to_conversation_unread_count(msg) {
     return unread.num_unread_for_topic(msg.stream_id, msg.topic);
 }
 
+export function get_pm_tooltip_data(user_ids_string) {
+    const user_id = Number.parseInt(user_ids_string, 10);
+    const person = people.get_by_user_id(user_id);
+
+    if (person.is_bot) {
+        const bot_owner = people.get_bot_owner_user(person);
+
+        if (bot_owner) {
+            const bot_owner_name = $t(
+                {defaultMessage: "Owner: {name}"},
+                {name: bot_owner.full_name},
+            );
+
+            return {
+                first_line: person.full_name,
+                second_line: bot_owner_name,
+            };
+        }
+
+        // Bot does not have an owner.
+        return {
+            first_line: person.full_name,
+            second_line: "",
+            third_line: "",
+        };
+    }
+
+    const last_seen = buddy_data.user_last_seen_time_status(user_id);
+
+    // Users does not have a status.
+    return {
+        first_line: last_seen,
+        second_line: "",
+        third_line: "",
+    };
+}
+
 function format_conversation(conversation_data) {
     const context = {};
     const last_msg = message_store.get(conversation_data.last_msg_id);
@@ -379,9 +416,15 @@ function format_conversation(conversation_data) {
         senders = all_senders.slice(-MAX_AVATAR).map((sender) => sender.id);
 
         if (!context.is_group) {
-            context.user_circle_class = buddy_data.get_user_circle_class(
-                Number.parseInt(last_msg.to_user_ids, 10),
-            );
+            const user_id = Number.parseInt(last_msg.to_user_ids, 10);
+            const user = people.get_by_user_id(user_id);
+            if (user.is_bot) {
+                // Bots do not have status emoji, and are modeled as
+                // always present.
+                context.user_circle_class = "user_circle_green";
+            } else {
+                context.user_circle_class = buddy_data.get_user_circle_class(user_id);
+            }
         }
 
         // Collect extra senders fullname for tooltip.
diff --git a/static/styles/recent_topics.css b/static/styles/recent_topics.css
index 119d2d6ac3..abcc8a6c79 100644
--- a/static/styles/recent_topics.css
+++ b/static/styles/recent_topics.css
@@ -170,6 +170,10 @@
             /* Flex container to fit in user circle and group icon */
             display: flex;
             justify-content: space-between;
+
+            .tippy-content {
+                font-weight: 400;
+            }
         }
 
         .flex_container {
@@ -382,29 +386,39 @@
             }
         }
 
-        .pm_status_icon {
-            display: flex;
-            justify-content: center;
-            align-items: center;
-            /* Increasing vertical padding any further will increase
-               the height of the row. */
-            padding: 5px 0 5px 8px;
-            /* To accommodate fa-group icon */
-            width: 14px;
-            height: 14px;
-
-            .fa-group {
-                font-size: 0.8rem;
-                /* color: hsl(105, 2%, 50%); */
-                opacity: 0.6;
+        .private_conversation_row {
+            .recent_topic_stream {
+                /* Reduce padding of stream section so that user status
+                   icon can have more padding without impacting height of the row */
+                padding: 5px 0 5px 8px;
             }
 
-            .user_circle {
-                /* Shrink the user activity circle for the recent topics context. */
-                width: 7px;
-                height: 7px;
-                float: left;
-                position: unset;
+            .pm_status_icon {
+                display: flex;
+                justify-content: center;
+                align-items: center;
+                /* Increasing vertical padding any further will increase
+                the height of the row. */
+                padding: 8px;
+                position: relative;
+                right: -8px; /* To cancel padding-right */
+                /* To accommodate fa-group icon */
+                width: 14px;
+                height: 14px;
+
+                .fa-group {
+                    font-size: 0.8rem;
+                    /* color: hsl(105, 2%, 50%); */
+                    opacity: 0.6;
+                }
+
+                .user_circle {
+                    /* Shrink the user activity circle for the recent topics context. */
+                    width: 7px;
+                    height: 7px;
+                    float: left;
+                    position: unset;
+                }
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/static/templates/recent_topic_row.hbs b/static/templates/recent_topic_row.hbs
index 155a5b082b..43cdc81e7d 100644
--- a/static/templates/recent_topic_row.hbs
+++ b/static/templates/recent_topic_row.hbs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<tr id="recent_conversation:{{conversation_key}}" {{#if unread_count}}class="unread_topic"{{/if}} data-unread-count="{{unread_count}}" data-muted="{{muted}}" data-participated="{{participated}}" data-private="{{is_private}}">
+<tr id="recent_conversation:{{conversation_key}}" class="{{#if unread_count}}unread_topic{{/if}} {{#if is_private}}private_conversation_row{{/if}}" data-unread-count="{{unread_count}}" data-muted="{{muted}}" data-participated="{{participated}}" data-private="{{is_private}}">
     <td class="recent_topic_stream">
         <div class="flex_container flex_container_pm">
             <div class="left_part recent_topics_focusable">
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
             {{!-- For presence/group indicator --}}
             {{#if is_private}}
             <div class="right_part">
-                <span class="pm_status_icon">
+                <span class="pm_status_icon {{#unless is_group}}show-tooltip{{/unless}}" data-tippy-placement="top" data-user-ids-string="{{user_ids_string}}">
                     {{#if is_group}}
                     <span class="fa fa-group"></span>
                     {{else}}