diff --git a/build.zig.zon b/build.zig.zon
index 4356f6b..4da4df6 100644
--- a/build.zig.zon
+++ b/build.zig.zon
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
             .hash = "1220affeb3fe37ef09411b5a213b5fdf9bb6568e9913bade204694648983a8b2776d",
         },
         .vaxis = .{
-            .url = "git+https://github.com/rockorager/libvaxis#bcc1d027cb2ede571bb76669441d2e09944bd3d3",
-            .hash = "1220fca568653885767394bc659714e0e9ccda935e5c02d4333b1d60b064bc6ac0bc",
+            .url = "git+https://github.com/rockorager/libvaxis#72f1e223332aa15b48d606570f7af0b686325403",
+            .hash = "1220e7560c2499f2edca94a918c4b0fadb31c85b92ec4164bef4d39bf762c17b23b2",
         },
         .zeit = .{
             .url = "git+https://github.com/rockorager/zeit?ref=main#d943bc4bfe9e18490460dfdd64f48e997065eba8",
diff --git a/src/app.zig b/src/app.zig
index 06c31bd..a59b214 100644
--- a/src/app.zig
+++ b/src/app.zig
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ pub const App = struct {
     ctx: ?*vxfw.EventContext,
     last_height: u16,
 
+    /// Whether the application has focus or not
+    has_focus: bool,
+
     const default_rhs: vxfw.Text = .{ .text = "TODO: update this text" };
 
     /// initialize vaxis, lua state
@@ -115,6 +118,7 @@ pub const App = struct {
             .title_buf = undefined,
             .ctx = null,
             .last_height = 0,
+            .has_focus = true,
         };
 
         self.lua = try Lua.init(&self.alloc);
@@ -242,6 +246,9 @@ pub const App = struct {
                     }
                 }
             },
+            .focus_out => self.has_focus = false,
+            .focus_in => self.has_focus = true,
+
             else => {},
         }
     }
@@ -329,9 +336,6 @@ pub const App = struct {
     }
 
     pub fn nextChannel(self: *App) void {
-        // When leaving a channel we mark it as read, so we make sure that's done
-        // before we change to the new channel.
-        self.markSelectedChannelRead();
         if (self.ctx) |ctx| {
             self.buffer_list.nextItem(ctx);
             if (self.selectedBuffer()) |buffer| {
@@ -348,9 +352,6 @@ pub const App = struct {
     }
 
     pub fn prevChannel(self: *App) void {
-        // When leaving a channel we mark it as read, so we make sure that's done
-        // before we change to the new channel.
-        self.markSelectedChannelRead();
         if (self.ctx) |ctx| {
             self.buffer_list.prevItem(ctx);
             if (self.selectedBuffer()) |buffer| {
@@ -555,7 +556,6 @@ pub const App = struct {
     }
 
     pub fn selectBuffer(self: *App, buffer: irc.Buffer) void {
-        self.markSelectedChannelRead();
         var i: u32 = 0;
         switch (buffer) {
             .client => |target| {
@@ -591,17 +591,6 @@ pub const App = struct {
             },
         }
     }
-
-    pub fn markSelectedChannelRead(self: *App) void {
-        const buffer = self.selectedBuffer() orelse return;
-
-        switch (buffer) {
-            .channel => |channel| {
-                if (channel.messageViewIsAtBottom()) channel.markRead() catch return;
-            },
-            else => {},
-        }
-    }
 };
 
 /// this loop is run in a separate thread and handles writes to all clients.
diff --git a/src/irc.zig b/src/irc.zig
index 8ef9fde..cc1f76e 100644
--- a/src/irc.zig
+++ b/src/irc.zig
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ pub const Channel = struct {
     // The location of the last read indicator. This doesn't necessarily match the state of
     // last_read
     last_read_indicator: u32 = 0,
-    scroll_to_last_read: bool = true,
+    scroll_to_last_read: bool = false,
     has_unread: bool = false,
     has_unread_highlight: bool = false,
 
@@ -382,6 +382,9 @@ pub const Channel = struct {
     pub fn doSelect(self: *Channel) void {
         // Set the state of the last_read_indicator
         self.last_read_indicator = self.last_read;
+        if (self.has_unread) {
+            self.scroll_to_last_read = true;
+        }
     }
 
     fn typeErasedEventHandler(ptr: *anyopaque, ctx: *vxfw.EventContext, event: vxfw.Event) anyerror!void {
@@ -912,7 +915,13 @@ pub const Channel = struct {
         // True when we *don't* need to scroll to last message. False if we do. We will turn this
         // true when we have it the last message
         var did_scroll_to_last_read = !self.scroll_to_last_read;
+        // We track whether we need to reposition the viewport based on the position of the
+        // last_read scroll
+        var needs_reposition = true;
         while (iter.next()) |msg| {
+            if (row >= 0 and did_scroll_to_last_read) {
+                needs_reposition = false;
+            }
             // Break if we have gone past the top of the screen
             if (row < 0 and did_scroll_to_last_read) break;
 
@@ -1157,7 +1166,7 @@ pub const Channel = struct {
         // check that we have messages, and if we do that the top message is outside the viewport.
         // If we don't have messages, or the top message is within the viewport, we don't have to
         // reposition
-        if (self.scroll_to_last_read and
+        if (needs_reposition and
             children.items.len > 0 and
             children.getLast().origin.row < 0)
         {
@@ -1175,7 +1184,7 @@ pub const Channel = struct {
             self.scroll_to_last_read = false;
         }
 
-        if (self.has_unread and self.messageViewIsAtBottom()) {
+        if (self.has_unread and self.client.app.has_focus and self.messageViewIsAtBottom()) {
             try self.markRead();
         }
 
@@ -2225,14 +2234,9 @@ pub const Client = struct {
                         channel.has_unread_highlight = has_highlight;
                         channel.has_unread = true;
                     }
-                    // If we get a message from the current user mark the channel as
-                    // read, since they must have just sent the message.
-                    const sender = msg2.senderNick() orelse "";
-                    if (std.mem.eql(u8, sender, client.nickname())) {
-                        self.app.markSelectedChannelRead();
-                    }
 
                     // Set the typing time to 0
+                    const sender = msg2.senderNick() orelse "";
                     for (channel.members.items) |*member| {
                         if (!std.mem.eql(u8, member.user.nick, sender)) {
                             continue;