diff --git a/lib/src/room.dart b/lib/src/room.dart
index 759ec54b..02a59c3e 100644
--- a/lib/src/room.dart
+++ b/lib/src/room.dart
@@ -508,6 +508,8 @@ class Room {
   }
 
   /// Checks if the last event has a read marker of the user.
+  /// Warning: This compares the origin server timestamp which might not map
+  /// to the real sort order of the timeline.
   bool get hasNewMessages {
     final lastEvent = this.lastEvent;
 
@@ -522,7 +524,13 @@ class Room {
       return false;
     }
 
-    return true;
+    final readAtMilliseconds = roomAccountData['m.receipt']
+            ?.content
+            .tryGetMap<String, dynamic>(client.userID!)
+            ?.tryGet<int>('ts') ??
+        0;
+
+    return readAtMilliseconds < lastEvent.originServerTs.millisecondsSinceEpoch;
   }
 
   /// Returns true if this room is unread. To check if there are new messages
diff --git a/test/room_test.dart b/test/room_test.dart
index ffd49630..6b67186f 100644
--- a/test/room_test.dart
+++ b/test/room_test.dart
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ void main() {
           stateKey: '',
         ),
       );
+      expect(room.hasNewMessages, true);
       expect(room.lastEvent?.body, 'cd');
       room.setState(
         Event(