diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/feeds/GxsChannelGroupItem.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/feeds/GxsChannelGroupItem.cpp
index 4c63fc030..c00422373 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/feeds/GxsChannelGroupItem.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/feeds/GxsChannelGroupItem.cpp
@@ -36,20 +36,22 @@
 GxsChannelGroupItem::GxsChannelGroupItem(FeedHolder *feedHolder, uint32_t feedId, const RsGxsGroupId &groupId, bool isHome, bool autoUpdate) :
     GxsGroupFeedItem(feedHolder, feedId, groupId, isHome, rsGxsChannels, autoUpdate)
 {
-    mIsLoading = false;
+    mLoadingGroup = false;
+    mLoadingStatus = NO_DATA;
+
     setup();
 	requestGroup();
     addEventHandler();
 }
 
-GxsChannelGroupItem::GxsChannelGroupItem(FeedHolder *feedHolder, uint32_t feedId, const RsGxsChannelGroup &group, bool isHome, bool autoUpdate) :
-    GxsGroupFeedItem(feedHolder, feedId, group.mMeta.mGroupId, isHome, rsGxsChannels, autoUpdate)
-{
-    mIsLoading = false;
-    setup();
-    setGroup(group);
-    addEventHandler();
-}
+//GxsChannelGroupItem::GxsChannelGroupItem(FeedHolder *feedHolder, uint32_t feedId, const RsGxsChannelGroup &group, bool isHome, bool autoUpdate) :
+//    GxsGroupFeedItem(feedHolder, feedId, group.mMeta.mGroupId, isHome, rsGxsChannels, autoUpdate)
+//{
+//    mIsLoading = false;
+//    setup();
+//    setGroup(group);
+//    addEventHandler();
+//}
 
 void GxsChannelGroupItem::addEventHandler()
 {
@@ -68,7 +70,7 @@ void GxsChannelGroupItem::addEventHandler()
                 case RsChannelEventCode::SUBSCRIBE_STATUS_CHANGED:
                 case RsChannelEventCode::UPDATED_CHANNEL:
                 case RsChannelEventCode::RECEIVED_PUBLISH_KEY:
-                    loadGroup();
+                    mLoadingStatus = NO_DATA;
                     break;
                 default:
                     break;
@@ -77,11 +79,37 @@ void GxsChannelGroupItem::addEventHandler()
     }, mEventHandlerId, RsEventType::GXS_CHANNELS );
 }
 
+void GxsChannelGroupItem::paintEvent(QPaintEvent *e)
+{
+    /* This method employs a trick to trigger a deferred loading. The post and group is requested only
+     * when actually displayed on the screen. */
+
+    if(mLoadingStatus != FILLED && !mGroup.mMeta.mGroupId.isNull())
+        mLoadingStatus = HAS_DATA;
+
+    if(mGroup.mMeta.mGroupId.isNull() && !mLoadingGroup)
+        loadGroup();
+
+    switch(mLoadingStatus)
+    {
+    case FILLED:
+    case NO_DATA:
+    default:
+        break;
+
+    case HAS_DATA:
+        fill();
+        mLoadingStatus = FILLED;
+        break;
+    }
+
+    GxsGroupFeedItem::paintEvent(e) ;
+}
 GxsChannelGroupItem::~GxsChannelGroupItem()
 {
     auto timeout = std::chrono::steady_clock::now() + std::chrono::milliseconds(GROUP_ITEM_LOADING_TIMEOUT_ms);
 
-    while( mIsLoading && std::chrono::steady_clock::now() < timeout )
+    while( mLoadingGroup && std::chrono::steady_clock::now() < timeout )
     {
         RsDbg() << __PRETTY_FUNCTION__ << " is Waiting for data to load " << std::endl;
         std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(100));
@@ -115,23 +143,9 @@ void GxsChannelGroupItem::setup()
 	ui->expandFrame->hide();
 }
 
-bool GxsChannelGroupItem::setGroup(const RsGxsChannelGroup &group)
-{
-	if (groupId() != group.mMeta.mGroupId) {
-		std::cerr << "GxsChannelGroupItem::setContent() - Wrong id, cannot set post";
-		std::cerr << std::endl;
-		return false;
-	}
-
-	mGroup = group;
-	fill();
-
-	return true;
-}
-
 void GxsChannelGroupItem::loadGroup()
 {
-    mIsLoading = true;
+    mLoadingGroup = true;
 
 	RsThread::async([this]()
 	{
@@ -143,7 +157,7 @@ void GxsChannelGroupItem::loadGroup()
 		if(!rsGxsChannels->getChannelsInfo(groupIds,groups))
 		{
 			RsErr() << "PostedItem::loadGroup() ERROR getting data" << std::endl;
-            mIsLoading = false;
+            mLoadingGroup = false;
             return;
 		}
 
@@ -151,7 +165,7 @@ void GxsChannelGroupItem::loadGroup()
 		{
 			std::cerr << "GxsGxsChannelGroupItem::loadGroup() Wrong number of Items";
 			std::cerr << std::endl;
-            mIsLoading = false;
+            mLoadingGroup = false;
             return;
 		}
 		RsGxsChannelGroup group(groups[0]);
@@ -162,8 +176,8 @@ void GxsChannelGroupItem::loadGroup()
 			 * thread, for example to update the data model with new information
 			 * after a blocking call to RetroShare API complete */
 
-			setGroup(group);
-            mIsLoading = false;
+            mGroup = group;
+            mLoadingGroup = false;
 
 		}, this );
 	});
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/feeds/GxsChannelGroupItem.h b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/feeds/GxsChannelGroupItem.h
index 27d8d7480..5110898d6 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/feeds/GxsChannelGroupItem.h
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/feeds/GxsChannelGroupItem.h
@@ -37,19 +37,27 @@ class GxsChannelGroupItem : public GxsGroupFeedItem
 public:
 	/** Default Constructor */
 	GxsChannelGroupItem(FeedHolder *feedHolder, uint32_t feedId, const RsGxsGroupId &groupId, bool isHome, bool autoUpdate);
-	GxsChannelGroupItem(FeedHolder *feedHolder, uint32_t feedId, const RsGxsChannelGroup &group, bool isHome, bool autoUpdate);
-	~GxsChannelGroupItem();
+    //GxsChannelGroupItem(FeedHolder *feedHolder, uint32_t feedId, const RsGxsChannelGroup &group, bool isHome, bool autoUpdate);
+    virtual ~GxsChannelGroupItem();
 
-	bool setGroup(const RsGxsChannelGroup &group);
     uint64_t uniqueIdentifier() const override { return hash_64bits("GxsChannelGroupItem " + groupId().toStdString()) ; }
-protected:
-	/* FeedItem */
-	virtual void doExpand(bool open);
 
-	/* GxsGroupFeedItem */
-	virtual QString groupName();
+protected:
+    enum LoadingStatus {
+        NO_DATA      =   0x00,
+        HAS_DATA     =   0x01,
+        FILLED       =   0x02
+    };
+
+    /* FeedItem */
+    virtual void doExpand(bool open) override;
+
+    virtual void paintEvent(QPaintEvent *) override;
+
+    /* GxsGroupFeedItem */
+    virtual QString groupName() override;
 	virtual void loadGroup() override;
-	virtual RetroShareLink::enumType getLinkType() { return RetroShareLink::TYPE_CHANNEL; }
+    virtual RetroShareLink::enumType getLinkType() override { return RetroShareLink::TYPE_CHANNEL; }
 
 private slots:
 	/* default stuff */
@@ -62,7 +70,8 @@ private:
 	void setup();
     void addEventHandler();
 
-    bool mIsLoading;
+    LoadingStatus mLoadingStatus;
+    bool mLoadingGroup;
 
 private:
 	RsGxsChannelGroup mGroup;
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/feeds/GxsChannelPostItem.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/feeds/GxsChannelPostItem.cpp
index 703d5e6b9..bc5f385d7 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/feeds/GxsChannelPostItem.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/feeds/GxsChannelPostItem.cpp
@@ -198,12 +198,6 @@ void GxsChannelPostItem::setup()
 }
 
 
-bool GxsChannelPostItem::setPost(const RsGxsChannelPost &post)
-{
-	mPost = post;
-	return true;
-}
-
 QString GxsChannelPostItem::getTitleLabel()
 {
 	return QString::fromUtf8(mPost.mMeta.mMsgName.c_str());
@@ -296,7 +290,7 @@ void GxsChannelPostItem::loadMessage()
 
             RsQThreadUtils::postToObject( [post,this]()
             {
-                setPost(post);
+                mPost = post;
                 mLoadingMessage = false;
                 update();	// this triggers a paintEvent if needed.
 
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/feeds/GxsChannelPostItem.h b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/feeds/GxsChannelPostItem.h
index 44cb27b37..2aa3086fa 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/feeds/GxsChannelPostItem.h
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/feeds/GxsChannelPostItem.h
@@ -62,8 +62,6 @@ protected:
         FILLED       =   0x02
     };
 
-    bool setPost(const RsGxsChannelPost& post);
-
     //void setFileCleanUpWarning(uint32_t time_left);
 
 	QString getTitleLabel();