diff --git a/src/Notifier.ts b/src/Notifier.ts
index bc7bae71c4a..3d5e5c03a53 100644
--- a/src/Notifier.ts
+++ b/src/Notifier.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import {
     PermissionChanged as PermissionChangedEvent,
 } from "@matrix-org/analytics-events/types/typescript/PermissionChanged";
 import { ISyncStateData, SyncState } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/sync";
+import { IRoomTimelineData } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/matrix";
 
 import { MatrixClientPeg } from './MatrixClientPeg';
 import { PosthogAnalytics } from "./PosthogAnalytics";
@@ -217,7 +218,7 @@ export const Notifier = {
         this.boundOnRoomReceipt = this.boundOnRoomReceipt || this.onRoomReceipt.bind(this);
         this.boundOnEventDecrypted = this.boundOnEventDecrypted || this.onEventDecrypted.bind(this);
 
-        MatrixClientPeg.get().on(ClientEvent.Event, this.boundOnEvent);
+        MatrixClientPeg.get().on(RoomEvent.Timeline, this.boundOnEvent);
         MatrixClientPeg.get().on(RoomEvent.Receipt, this.boundOnRoomReceipt);
         MatrixClientPeg.get().on(MatrixEventEvent.Decrypted, this.boundOnEventDecrypted);
         MatrixClientPeg.get().on(ClientEvent.Sync, this.boundOnSyncStateChange);
@@ -227,7 +228,7 @@ export const Notifier = {
 
     stop: function(this: typeof Notifier) {
         if (MatrixClientPeg.get()) {
-            MatrixClientPeg.get().removeListener(ClientEvent.Event, this.boundOnEvent);
+            MatrixClientPeg.get().removeListener(RoomEvent.Timeline, this.boundOnEvent);
             MatrixClientPeg.get().removeListener(RoomEvent.Receipt, this.boundOnRoomReceipt);
             MatrixClientPeg.get().removeListener(MatrixEventEvent.Decrypted, this.boundOnEventDecrypted);
             MatrixClientPeg.get().removeListener(ClientEvent.Sync, this.boundOnSyncStateChange);
@@ -368,7 +369,12 @@ export const Notifier = {
         }
     },
 
-    onEvent: function(this: typeof Notifier, ev: MatrixEvent) {
+    onEvent: function(this: typeof Notifier, ev: MatrixEvent, room: Room | undefined,
+        toStartOfTimeline: boolean | undefined,
+        removed: boolean,
+        data: IRoomTimelineData,
+    ) {
+        if (!data.liveEvent) return; // on notify for new things, not old.
         if (!this.isSyncing) return; // don't alert for any messages initially
         if (ev.getSender() === MatrixClientPeg.get().getUserId()) return;
 
diff --git a/test/Notifier-test.ts b/test/Notifier-test.ts
index f15e7984267..9cf7b5ce790 100644
--- a/test/Notifier-test.ts
+++ b/test/Notifier-test.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 import { mocked, MockedObject } from "jest-mock";
 import { ClientEvent, MatrixClient } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/client";
-import { Room } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room";
+import { Room, RoomEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room";
 import { MatrixEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event";
 import { SyncState } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/sync";
 import { waitFor } from "@testing-library/react";
@@ -66,6 +66,13 @@ describe("Notifier", () => {
 
     const userId = "@bob:example.org";
 
+    const emitLiveEvent = (event: MatrixEvent) => {
+        mockClient!.emit(RoomEvent.Timeline, event, testRoom, false, false, {
+            liveEvent: true,
+            timeline: testRoom.getLiveTimeline(),
+        });
+    };
+
     beforeEach(() => {
         accountDataStore = {};
         mockClient = getMockClientWithEventEmitter({
@@ -150,7 +157,7 @@ describe("Notifier", () => {
         });
 
         it('does not create notifications before syncing has started', () => {
-            mockClient!.emit(ClientEvent.Event, event);
+            emitLiveEvent(event);
 
             expect(MockPlatform.displayNotification).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
             expect(MockPlatform.loudNotification).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
@@ -160,7 +167,7 @@ describe("Notifier", () => {
             const ownEvent = new MatrixEvent({ sender: userId });
 
             mockClient!.emit(ClientEvent.Sync, SyncState.Syncing, null);
-            mockClient!.emit(ClientEvent.Event, ownEvent);
+            emitLiveEvent(ownEvent);
 
             expect(MockPlatform.displayNotification).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
             expect(MockPlatform.loudNotification).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
@@ -175,7 +182,7 @@ describe("Notifier", () => {
             });
 
             mockClient!.emit(ClientEvent.Sync, SyncState.Syncing, null);
-            mockClient!.emit(ClientEvent.Event, event);
+            emitLiveEvent(event);
 
             expect(MockPlatform.displayNotification).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
             expect(MockPlatform.loudNotification).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
@@ -183,7 +190,7 @@ describe("Notifier", () => {
 
         it('creates desktop notification when enabled', () => {
             mockClient!.emit(ClientEvent.Sync, SyncState.Syncing, null);
-            mockClient!.emit(ClientEvent.Event, event);
+            emitLiveEvent(event);
 
             expect(MockPlatform.displayNotification).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
                 testRoom.name,
@@ -196,7 +203,7 @@ describe("Notifier", () => {
 
         it('creates a loud notification when enabled', () => {
             mockClient!.emit(ClientEvent.Sync, SyncState.Syncing, null);
-            mockClient!.emit(ClientEvent.Event, event);
+            emitLiveEvent(event);
 
             expect(MockPlatform.loudNotification).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
                 event, testRoom,
@@ -212,7 +219,7 @@ describe("Notifier", () => {
             });
 
             mockClient!.emit(ClientEvent.Sync, SyncState.Syncing, null);
-            mockClient!.emit(ClientEvent.Event, event);
+            emitLiveEvent(event);
 
             // desktop notification created
             expect(MockPlatform.displayNotification).toHaveBeenCalled();
@@ -267,7 +274,7 @@ describe("Notifier", () => {
                 notify: true,
                 tweaks: {},
             });
-
+            Notifier.start();
             Notifier.onSyncStateChange(SyncState.Syncing);
         });
 
@@ -283,7 +290,7 @@ describe("Notifier", () => {
                 content: {},
                 event: true,
             });
-            Notifier.onEvent(callEvent);
+            emitLiveEvent(callEvent);
             return callEvent;
         };