diff --git a/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js b/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
index d98a464aef..6b80223e42 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
         // show twelve hour timestamps
         isTwelveHour: React.PropTypes.bool,
+
+        // show timestamps always
+        alwaysShowTimestamps: React.PropTypes.bool,
     },
 
     componentWillMount: function() {
@@ -618,8 +621,13 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         var style = this.props.hidden ? { display: 'none' } : {};
         style.opacity = this.props.opacity;
 
+        var className = this.props.className + " mx_fadable";
+        if (this.props.alwaysShowTimestamps) {
+            className += " mx_MessagePanel_alwaysShowTimestamps";
+        }
+
         return (
-            <ScrollPanel ref="scrollPanel" className={ this.props.className + " mx_fadable" }
+            <ScrollPanel ref="scrollPanel" className={ className }
                     onScroll={ this.props.onScroll }
                     onResize={ this.onResize }
                     onFillRequest={ this.props.onFillRequest }
diff --git a/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js b/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
index 5a5132a31e..76004ebbac 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
@@ -176,6 +176,9 @@ var TimelinePanel = React.createClass({
 
             // should the event tiles have twelve hour times
             isTwelveHour: UserSettingsStore.getSyncedSetting('showTwelveHourTimestamps'),
+
+            // always show timestamps on event tiles?
+            alwaysShowTimestamps: UserSettingsStore.getSyncedSetting('alwaysShowTimestamps'),
         };
     },
 
@@ -1127,6 +1130,7 @@ var TimelinePanel = React.createClass({
                     onUnfillRequest={ this.onMessageListUnfillRequest }
                     opacity={ this.props.opacity }
                     isTwelveHour={ this.state.isTwelveHour }
+                    alwaysShowTimestamps={ this.state.alwaysShowTimestamps }
                     className={ this.props.className }
                     tileShape={ this.props.tileShape }
             />