diff --git a/src/Velociraptor.js b/src/Velociraptor.js
index 81ecd9e55..df6b3c95d 100644
--- a/src/Velociraptor.js
+++ b/src/Velociraptor.js
@@ -37,7 +37,16 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 var oldNode = ReactDom.findDOMNode(self.nodes[old.key]);
 
                 if (oldNode.style.left != c.props.style.left) {
-                    Velocity(oldNode, { left: c.props.style.left }, self.props.transition);
+                    Velocity(oldNode, { left: c.props.style.left }, self.props.transition).then(function() {
+                        // special case visibility because it's nonsensical to animate an invisible element
+                        // so we always hidden->visible pre-transition and visible->hidden after
+                        if (oldNode.style.visibility == 'visible' && c.props.style.visibility == 'hidden') {
+                            oldNode.style.visibility = c.props.style.visibility;
+                        }
+                    });
+                    if (oldNode.style.visibility == 'hidden' && c.props.style.visibility == 'visible') {
+                        oldNode.style.visibility = c.props.style.visibility;
+                    }
                     //console.log("translation: "+oldNode.style.left+" -> "+c.props.style.left);
                 }
                 self.children[c.key] = old;
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/views/molecules/EventTile.js b/src/skins/vector/views/molecules/EventTile.js
index 39722c7c6..fa1604f91 100644
--- a/src/skins/vector/views/molecules/EventTile.js
+++ b/src/skins/vector/views/molecules/EventTile.js
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     },
 
     getInitialState: function() {
-        return {menu: false};
+        return {menu: false, allReadAvatars: false};
     },
 
     componentDidUpdate: function() {
@@ -82,6 +82,12 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         this.setState({menu: true});
     },
 
+    toggleAllReadAvatars: function() {
+        this.setState({
+            allReadAvatars: !this.state.allReadAvatars
+        });
+    },
+
     getReadAvatars: function() {
         var avatars = [];
 
@@ -136,25 +142,39 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 });
             }
 
+            var style = {
+                left: left+'px',
+                top: '0px',
+                visibility: i < MAX_READ_AVATARS || this.state.allReadAvatars ? 'visible' : 'hidden'
+            };
+
             // add to the start so the most recent is on the end (ie. ends up rightmost)
             avatars.unshift(
                 <MemberAvatar key={member.userId} member={member}
                     width={14} height={14} resizeMethod="crop"
-                    style={ { left: left+'px', top: '0px' } }
+                    style={style}
                     startStyle={startStyles}
                     enterTransitionOpts={enterTransitionOpts}
                     id={'mx_readAvatar'+member.userId}
+                    onClick={this.toggleAllReadAvatars}
                 />
             );
-            left -= 15;
-            if (i + 1 >= MAX_READ_AVATARS) {
-                break;
+            // TODO: we keep the extra read avatars in the dom to make animation simpler
+            // we could optimise this to reduce the dom size.
+            if (i < MAX_READ_AVATARS - 1 || this.state.allReadAvatars) {
+                left -= 15;
             }
         }
-        var remainder = receipts.length - MAX_READ_AVATARS;
-        var remText;
-        if (remainder > 0) {
-            remText = <span className="mx_EventTile_readAvatarRemainder" style={ {left: left} }>+{ remainder }</span>;
+        if (!this.state.allReadAvatars) {
+            var remainder = receipts.length - MAX_READ_AVATARS;
+            var remText;
+            left -= 15;
+            if (remainder > 0) {
+                remText = <span className="mx_EventTile_readAvatarRemainder"
+                    onClick={this.toggleAllReadAvatars}
+                    style={ {left: left} }>+{ remainder }
+                </span>;
+            }
         }
 
         return <span className="mx_EventTile_readAvatars" ref={this.collectReadAvatarNode}>