diff --git a/src/com/android/email/activity/MessageListItem.java b/src/com/android/email/activity/MessageListItem.java
index afbbe4f39..edac776ac 100644
--- a/src/com/android/email/activity/MessageListItem.java
+++ b/src/com/android/email/activity/MessageListItem.java
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ public class MessageListItem extends View {
     /**
      * Sets message subject and snippet safely, ensuring the cache is invalidated.
      */
-    public void setText(String subject, String snippet) {
+    public void setText(String subject, String snippet, boolean forceUpdate) {
         boolean changed = false;
         if (!Objects.equal(mSubject, subject)) {
             mSubject = subject;
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ public class MessageListItem extends View {
             changed = true;
         }
 
-        if (changed || (mSubject == null && mSnippet == null) /* first time */) {
+        if (forceUpdate || changed || (mSubject == null && mSnippet == null) /* first time */) {
             SpannableStringBuilder ssb = new SpannableStringBuilder();
             boolean hasSubject = false;
             if (!TextUtils.isEmpty(mSubject)) {
diff --git a/src/com/android/email/activity/MessagesAdapter.java b/src/com/android/email/activity/MessagesAdapter.java
index 5586f9e26..9d568d97d 100644
--- a/src/com/android/email/activity/MessagesAdapter.java
+++ b/src/com/android/email/activity/MessagesAdapter.java
@@ -184,12 +184,18 @@ import java.util.Set;
         MessageListItem itemView = (MessageListItem) view;
         itemView.bindViewInit(this);
 
+        // TODO: just move thise all to a MessageListItem.bindTo(cursor) so that the fields can
+        // be private, and their inter-dependence when they change can be abstracted away.
+
         // Load the public fields in the view (for later use)
         itemView.mMessageId = cursor.getLong(COLUMN_ID);
         itemView.mMailboxId = cursor.getLong(COLUMN_MAILBOX_KEY);
         final long accountId = cursor.getLong(COLUMN_ACCOUNT_KEY);
         itemView.mAccountId = accountId;
-        itemView.mRead = cursor.getInt(COLUMN_READ) != 0;
+
+        boolean isRead = cursor.getInt(COLUMN_READ) != 0;
+        boolean readChanged = isRead != itemView.mRead;
+        itemView.mRead = isRead;
         itemView.mIsFavorite = cursor.getInt(COLUMN_FAVORITE) != 0;
         final int flags = cursor.getInt(COLUMN_FLAGS);
         itemView.mHasInvite = (flags & Message.FLAG_INCOMING_MEETING_INVITE) != 0;
@@ -198,7 +204,8 @@ import java.util.Set;
         itemView.mHasAttachment = cursor.getInt(COLUMN_ATTACHMENTS) != 0;
         itemView.setTimestamp(cursor.getLong(COLUMN_DATE));
         itemView.mSender = cursor.getString(COLUMN_DISPLAY_NAME);
-        itemView.setText(cursor.getString(COLUMN_SUBJECT), cursor.getString(COLUMN_SNIPPET));
+        itemView.setText(
+                cursor.getString(COLUMN_SUBJECT), cursor.getString(COLUMN_SNIPPET), readChanged);
         itemView.mColorChipPaint =
             mShowColorChips ? mResourceHelper.getAccountColorPaint(accountId) : null;