diff --git a/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js b/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
index 704ae228be..8b9ada14e7 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import dis from "../../dispatcher";
 import sdk from '../../index';
 
 import MatrixClientPeg from '../../MatrixClientPeg';
-import UserSettingsStore from '../../UserSettingsStore';
 
 const MILLIS_IN_DAY = 86400000;
 
@@ -94,6 +93,9 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
         // hide redacted events as per old behaviour
         hideRedactions: React.PropTypes.bool,
+
+        // hide membership joins and parts
+        hideJoinLeaves: React.PropTypes.bool,
     },
 
     componentWillMount: function() {
@@ -273,7 +275,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
         // this only applies to joins/leaves not invites/kicks/bans
         const isJoinOrLeave = membership === "join" || (membership === "leave" && mxEv.getStateKey() === mxEv.getSender());
-        const hideJoinLeavesGlobally = UserSettingsStore.getSyncedSetting("hideJoinLeaves", false);
+        const hideJoinLeavesGlobally = this.props.hideJoinLeaves;
         if (isJoinOrLeave && hideJoinLeavesGlobally) {
             return false;
         }
diff --git a/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js b/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
index 928e2405aa..9642887fd5 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
@@ -184,6 +184,9 @@ var TimelinePanel = React.createClass({
 
             // hide redacted events as per old behaviour
             hideRedactions: syncedSettings.hideRedactions,
+
+            // hide membership joins and leaves
+            hideJoinLeaves: syncedSettings.hideJoinLeaves,
         };
     },
 
@@ -1122,6 +1125,7 @@ var TimelinePanel = React.createClass({
         return (
             <MessagePanel ref="messagePanel"
                           hidden={ this.props.hidden }
+                          hideJoinLeaves={ this.state.hideJoinLeaves }
                           hideRedactions={ this.state.hideRedactions }
                           backPaginating={ this.state.backPaginating }
                           forwardPaginating={ forwardPaginating }