diff --git a/app/views/RoomView/List.js b/app/views/RoomView/List.js
index fcafe65e7..ed05af242 100644
--- a/app/views/RoomView/List.js
+++ b/app/views/RoomView/List.js
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ export class List extends React.Component {
 				.observeWithColumns(['_updated_at']);
 		}
 
+		this.unsubscribeMessages();
 		this.messagesSubscription = this.messagesObservable
 			.subscribe((data) => {
 				this.interaction = InteractionManager.runAfterInteractions(() => {
@@ -109,9 +110,7 @@ export class List extends React.Component {
 	}
 
 	componentWillUnmount() {
-		if (this.messagesSubscription && this.messagesSubscription.unsubscribe) {
-			this.messagesSubscription.unsubscribe();
-		}
+		this.unsubscribeMessages();
 		if (this.interaction && this.interaction.cancel) {
 			this.interaction.cancel();
 		}
@@ -161,6 +160,12 @@ export class List extends React.Component {
 		this.update();
 	}, 300)
 
+	unsubscribeMessages = () => {
+		if (this.messagesSubscription && this.messagesSubscription.unsubscribe) {
+			this.messagesSubscription.unsubscribe();
+		}
+	}
+
 	renderFooter = () => {
 		const { loading } = this.state;
 		if (loading) {
diff --git a/app/views/RoomView/index.js b/app/views/RoomView/index.js
index e57ff2e12..68487a042 100644
--- a/app/views/RoomView/index.js
+++ b/app/views/RoomView/index.js
@@ -202,6 +202,10 @@ class RoomView extends React.Component {
 		if (appState === 'foreground' && appState !== prevProps.appState) {
 			this.onForegroundInteraction = InteractionManager.runAfterInteractions(() => {
 				this.init();
+				// Fire List.init() just to keep observables working
+				if (this.list && this.list.current) {
+					this.list.current.init();
+				}
 			});
 		}
 		if (appState === 'background' && appState !== prevProps.appState) {