diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/conversationlist/ConversationsListActivity.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/conversationlist/ConversationsListActivity.kt
index 68b0e14e1d..c28561b109 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/conversationlist/ConversationsListActivity.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/conversationlist/ConversationsListActivity.kt
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ class ConversationsListActivity :
         if (adapter == null) {
             adapter = FlexibleAdapter(conversationItems, this, true)
         } else {
-            binding.loadingContent?.visibility = View.GONE
+            binding.loadingContent.visibility = View.GONE
         }
         adapter!!.addListener(this)
         prepareViews()
@@ -373,6 +373,9 @@ class ConversationsListActivity :
         lifecycleScope.launch {
             conversationsListViewModel.getRoomsFlow
                 .onEach { list ->
+                    // Refreshes conversation messages in the background asynchronously
+                    list.refreshMessages()
+
                     // Update Conversations
                     conversationItems.clear()
                     conversationItemsWithHeader.clear()
@@ -446,6 +449,34 @@ class ConversationsListActivity :
         updateFilterConversationButtonColor()
     }
 
+    private fun List<ConversationModel>.refreshMessages() {
+        val previous = conversationItems.associate {
+            (it as ConversationItem)
+            val unreadMessages = it.model.unreadMessages
+            val roomToken = it.model.token
+            Pair(roomToken, unreadMessages)
+        }
+
+        val current = this.associateWith { model ->
+            val unreadMessages = model.unreadMessages
+            unreadMessages
+        }
+
+        val result = current.map {  (model, unreadMessages) ->
+            val previousUnreadMessages = previous[model.token] // Check if this conversation exists in last list
+            previousUnreadMessages?.let {
+                Pair(model, unreadMessages - previousUnreadMessages)
+            }
+        }.filterNotNull()
+
+        val url = userManager.currentUser.blockingGet().baseUrl!!
+        for (pair in result) {
+            if (pair.second > 0) {
+                conversationsListViewModel.updateRoomMessages(pair.first, pair.second, credentials!!, url)
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     private fun filter(conversation: ConversationModel): Boolean {
         var result = true
         for ((k, v) in filterState) {
@@ -674,7 +705,7 @@ class ConversationsListActivity :
                     if (!hasFilterEnabled()) filterableConversationItems = searchableConversationItems
                     adapter!!.updateDataSet(filterableConversationItems, false)
                     adapter!!.showAllHeaders()
-                    binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView?.isEnabled = false
+                    binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView.isEnabled = false
                     searchBehaviorSubject.onNext(true)
                     return true
                 }
@@ -688,9 +719,9 @@ class ConversationsListActivity :
                         // cancel any pending searches
                         searchHelper!!.cancelSearch()
                     }
-                    binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView?.isRefreshing = false
+                    binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView.isRefreshing = false
                     searchBehaviorSubject.onNext(false)
-                    binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView?.isEnabled = true
+                    binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView.isEnabled = true
                     searchView!!.onActionViewCollapsed()
 
                     binding.conversationListAppbar.stateListAnimator = AnimatorInflater.loadStateListAnimator(
@@ -703,7 +734,7 @@ class ConversationsListActivity :
                         viewThemeUtils.platform.resetStatusBar(this@ConversationsListActivity)
                     }
 
-                    val layoutManager = binding.recyclerView?.layoutManager as SmoothScrollLinearLayoutManager?
+                    val layoutManager = binding.recyclerView.layoutManager as SmoothScrollLinearLayoutManager?
                     layoutManager?.scrollToPositionWithOffset(0, 0)
                     return true
                 }
@@ -797,18 +828,18 @@ class ConversationsListActivity :
 
     private fun initOverallLayout(isConversationListNotEmpty: Boolean) {
         if (isConversationListNotEmpty) {
-            if (binding.emptyLayout?.visibility != View.GONE) {
-                binding.emptyLayout?.visibility = View.GONE
+            if (binding.emptyLayout.visibility != View.GONE) {
+                binding.emptyLayout.visibility = View.GONE
             }
-            if (binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView?.visibility != View.VISIBLE) {
-                binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView?.visibility = View.VISIBLE
+            if (binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView.visibility != View.VISIBLE) {
+                binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView.visibility = View.VISIBLE
             }
         } else {
-            if (binding.emptyLayout?.visibility != View.VISIBLE) {
-                binding.emptyLayout?.visibility = View.VISIBLE
+            if (binding.emptyLayout.visibility != View.VISIBLE) {
+                binding.emptyLayout.visibility = View.VISIBLE
             }
-            if (binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView?.visibility != View.GONE) {
-                binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView?.visibility = View.GONE
+            if (binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView.visibility != View.GONE) {
+                binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView.visibility = View.GONE
             }
         }
     }
@@ -988,24 +1019,24 @@ class ConversationsListActivity :
                 }
             }
         })
-        binding.recyclerView?.setOnTouchListener { v: View, _: MotionEvent? ->
+        binding.recyclerView.setOnTouchListener { v: View, _: MotionEvent? ->
             if (!isDestroyed) {
                 val imm = getSystemService(Context.INPUT_METHOD_SERVICE) as InputMethodManager
                 imm.hideSoftInputFromWindow(v.windowToken, 0)
             }
             false
         }
-        binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView?.setOnRefreshListener {
+        binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView.setOnRefreshListener {
             fetchRooms()
             fetchPendingInvitations()
         }
-        binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView?.let { viewThemeUtils.androidx.themeSwipeRefreshLayout(it) }
-        binding.emptyLayout?.setOnClickListener { showNewConversationsScreen() }
-        binding.floatingActionButton?.setOnClickListener {
+        binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView.let { viewThemeUtils.androidx.themeSwipeRefreshLayout(it) }
+        binding.emptyLayout.setOnClickListener { showNewConversationsScreen() }
+        binding.floatingActionButton.setOnClickListener {
             run(context)
             showNewConversationsScreen()
         }
-        binding.floatingActionButton?.let { viewThemeUtils.material.themeFAB(it) }
+        binding.floatingActionButton.let { viewThemeUtils.material.themeFAB(it) }
 
         binding.switchAccountButton.setOnClickListener {
             if (resources != null && resources!!.getBoolean(R.bool.multiaccount_support)) {
@@ -1177,7 +1208,7 @@ class ConversationsListActivity :
 
     @SuppressLint("CheckResult") // handled by helper
     private fun startMessageSearch(search: String?) {
-        binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView?.isRefreshing = true
+        binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView.isRefreshing = true
         searchHelper?.startMessageSearch(search!!)
             ?.subscribeOn(Schedulers.io())
             ?.observeOn(AndroidSchedulers.mainThread())
@@ -1423,8 +1454,8 @@ class ConversationsListActivity :
             filesToShare?.forEach {
                 UploadAndShareFilesWorker.upload(
                     it,
-                    selectedConversation!!.token!!,
-                    selectedConversation!!.displayName!!,
+                    selectedConversation!!.token,
+                    selectedConversation!!.displayName,
                     null
                 )
             }
@@ -1832,15 +1863,15 @@ class ConversationsListActivity :
                 }
                 // add unified search result at the end of the list
                 adapter!!.addItems(adapter!!.mainItemCount + adapter!!.scrollableHeaders.size, adapterItems)
-                binding.recyclerView?.scrollToPosition(0)
+                binding.recyclerView.scrollToPosition(0)
             }
         }
-        binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView?.isRefreshing = false
+        binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView.isRefreshing = false
     }
 
     private fun onMessageSearchError(throwable: Throwable) {
         handleHttpExceptions(throwable)
-        binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView?.isRefreshing = false
+        binding.swipeRefreshLayoutView.isRefreshing = false
         showErrorDialog()
     }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/conversationlist/viewmodels/ConversationsListViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/conversationlist/viewmodels/ConversationsListViewModel.kt
index f70cf134a0..c6c599afd6 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/conversationlist/viewmodels/ConversationsListViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/conversationlist/viewmodels/ConversationsListViewModel.kt
@@ -10,9 +10,11 @@ import android.util.Log
 import androidx.lifecycle.LiveData
 import androidx.lifecycle.MutableLiveData
 import androidx.lifecycle.ViewModel
+import com.nextcloud.talk.chat.data.ChatMessageRepository
 import com.nextcloud.talk.conversationlist.data.OfflineConversationsRepository
 import com.nextcloud.talk.invitation.data.InvitationsModel
 import com.nextcloud.talk.invitation.data.InvitationsRepository
+import com.nextcloud.talk.models.domain.ConversationModel
 import com.nextcloud.talk.users.UserManager
 import io.reactivex.Observer
 import io.reactivex.android.schedulers.AndroidSchedulers
@@ -24,6 +26,7 @@ import javax.inject.Inject
 
 class ConversationsListViewModel @Inject constructor(
     private val repository: OfflineConversationsRepository,
+    private val chatRepository: ChatMessageRepository,
     var userManager: UserManager
 ) :
     ViewModel() {
@@ -84,6 +87,10 @@ class ConversationsListViewModel @Inject constructor(
         repository.getRooms()
     }
 
+    fun updateRoomMessages(model: ConversationModel, limit: Int, credentials: String, baseUrl: String) {
+        // TODO need to edit fetch init messages to include a limit this is rough
+    }
+
     inner class FederatedInvitationsObserver : Observer<InvitationsModel> {
         override fun onSubscribe(d: Disposable) {
             // unused atm