diff --git a/lib/matrix.dart b/lib/matrix.dart
index bfacf431..12acb3df 100644
--- a/lib/matrix.dart
+++ b/lib/matrix.dart
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ export 'src/database/database_api.dart';
 export 'src/database/hive_database.dart';
 export 'src/database/fluffybox_database.dart';
 export 'src/event.dart';
+export 'src/presence.dart';
 export 'src/event_status.dart';
 export 'src/voip.dart';
 export 'src/voip_content.dart';
diff --git a/lib/src/client.dart b/lib/src/client.dart
index 600b317b..9c6f21df 100644
--- a/lib/src/client.dart
+++ b/lib/src/client.dart
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ class Client extends MatrixApi {
   Map<String, BasicEvent> get accountData => _accountData;
 
   /// Presences of users by a given matrix ID
-  Map<String, Presence> presences = {};
+  Map<String, CachedPresence> presences = {};
 
   int _transactionCounter = 0;
 
@@ -889,8 +889,14 @@ class Client extends MatrixApi {
       StreamController.broadcast();
 
   /// Callback will be called on presences.
+  @Deprecated(
+      'Deprecated, use onPresenceChanged instead which has a timestamp.')
   final StreamController<Presence> onPresence = StreamController.broadcast();
 
+  /// Callback will be called on presence updates.
+  final StreamController<CachedPresence> onPresenceChanged =
+      StreamController.broadcast();
+
   /// Callback will be called on account data updates.
   final StreamController<BasicEvent> onAccountData =
       StreamController.broadcast();
@@ -1467,8 +1473,11 @@ class Client extends MatrixApi {
       }
     }
     for (final newPresence in sync.presence ?? []) {
-      presences[newPresence.senderId] = newPresence;
+      final cachedPresence = CachedPresence.fromMatrixEvent(newPresence);
+      presences[newPresence.senderId] = cachedPresence;
+      // ignore: deprecated_member_use_from_same_package
       onPresence.add(newPresence);
+      onPresenceChanged.add(cachedPresence);
     }
     for (final newAccountData in sync.accountData ?? []) {
       await database?.storeAccountData(
diff --git a/lib/src/presence.dart b/lib/src/presence.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c9ea1901
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/src/presence.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+/*
+ *   Famedly Matrix SDK
+ *   Copyright (C) 2019, 2020, 2021 Famedly GmbH
+ *
+ *   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ *   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
+ *   published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
+ *   License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ *   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ *   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ *   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+ *   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ *   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+ *   along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+import '../matrix.dart';
+
+class CachedPresence {
+  PresenceType presence;
+  DateTime? lastActiveTimestamp;
+  String? statusMsg;
+  bool? currentlyActive;
+  String userid;
+
+  CachedPresence(this.presence, int? lastActiveAgo, this.statusMsg,
+      this.currentlyActive, this.userid) {
+    if (lastActiveAgo != null) {
+      lastActiveTimestamp =
+          DateTime.now().subtract(Duration(milliseconds: lastActiveAgo));
+    }
+  }
+
+  CachedPresence.fromMatrixEvent(Presence event)
+      : this(
+            event.presence.presence,
+            event.presence.lastActiveAgo,
+            event.presence.statusMsg,
+            event.presence.currentlyActive,
+            event.senderId);
+
+  CachedPresence.fromPresenceResponse(GetPresenceResponse event, String userid)
+      : this(event.presence, event.lastActiveAgo, event.statusMsg,
+            event.currentlyActive, userid);
+
+  CachedPresence.neverSeen(String userid)
+      : presence = PresenceType.offline,
+        userid = userid;
+
+  Presence toPresence() {
+    final content = <String, dynamic>{
+      'presence': presence.toString(),
+    };
+    if (currentlyActive != null) content['currently_active'] = currentlyActive!;
+    if (lastActiveTimestamp != null) {
+      content['last_active_ago'] =
+          DateTime.now().difference(lastActiveTimestamp!).inMilliseconds;
+    }
+    if (statusMsg != null) content['status_msg'] = statusMsg!;
+
+    final json = {
+      'content': content,
+      'sender': '@example:localhost',
+      'type': 'm.presence'
+    };
+
+    return Presence.fromJson(json);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/lib/src/user.dart b/lib/src/user.dart
index ef266880..aa53e3f9 100644
--- a/lib/src/user.dart
+++ b/lib/src/user.dart
@@ -158,7 +158,23 @@ class User extends Event {
       );
 
   /// The newest presence of this user if there is any and null if not.
-  Presence? get presence => room.client.presences[id];
+  @Deprecated('Deprecated in favour of currentPresence.')
+  Presence? get presence => room.client.presences[id]?.toPresence();
+
+  /// The newest presence of this user if there is any. Fetches it from the server if necessary or returns offline.
+  Future<CachedPresence> get currentPresence async {
+    final cachedPresence = room.client.presences[id];
+    if (cachedPresence != null) {
+      return cachedPresence;
+    }
+
+    try {
+      final newPresence = await room.client.getPresence(id);
+      return CachedPresence.fromPresenceResponse(newPresence, id);
+    } catch (e) {
+      return CachedPresence.neverSeen(id);
+    }
+  }
 
   /// Whether the client is able to ban/unban this user.
   bool get canBan => room.canBan && powerLevel < room.ownPowerLevel;
diff --git a/test/client_test.dart b/test/client_test.dart
index 286442e7..4e0ed240 100644
--- a/test/client_test.dart
+++ b/test/client_test.dart
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ void main() {
 
       var presenceCounter = 0;
       var accountDataCounter = 0;
-      matrix.onPresence.stream.listen((Presence data) {
+      matrix.onPresenceChanged.stream.listen((CachedPresence data) {
         presenceCounter++;
       });
       matrix.onAccountData.stream.listen((BasicEvent data) {
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ void main() {
       expect(matrix.rooms.length, 2);
       expect(matrix.rooms[1].canonicalAlias,
           "#famedlyContactDiscovery:${matrix.userID!.split(":")[1]}");
-      expect(matrix.presences['@alice:example.com']?.presence.presence,
+      expect(matrix.presences['@alice:example.com']?.presence,
           PresenceType.online);
       expect(presenceCounter, 1);
       expect(accountDataCounter, 9);
diff --git a/test/user_test.dart b/test/user_test.dart
index 2130d524..fee0f421 100644
--- a/test/user_test.dart
+++ b/test/user_test.dart
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ void main() {
           ]
         }
       }));
-      expect(user1.presence?.presence.presence, PresenceType.online);
+      expect((await user1.currentPresence).presence, PresenceType.online);
     });
     test('canBan', () async {
       expect(user1.canBan, false);