diff --git a/static/js/message_list.js b/static/js/message_list.js
index daedcd4706..e5bb988b57 100644
--- a/static/js/message_list.js
+++ b/static/js/message_list.js
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ export class MessageList {
         const selected_id = this.data.selected_id();
 
         if (selected_id !== -1) {
-            this.select_id(this.data.selected_id(), {from_rendering: true});
+            this.select_id(this.data.selected_id(), {from_rendering: true, mark_read: false});
         }
     }