diff --git a/stream-chat-android-ui-common/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/chat/android/ui/common/feature/messages/list/MessageListController.kt b/stream-chat-android-ui-common/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/chat/android/ui/common/feature/messages/list/MessageListController.kt
index c6b6ce0de6c..d821ca31f36 100644
--- a/stream-chat-android-ui-common/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/chat/android/ui/common/feature/messages/list/MessageListController.kt
+++ b/stream-chat-android-ui-common/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/chat/android/ui/common/feature/messages/list/MessageListController.kt
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ import io.getstream.chat.android.models.Option
 import io.getstream.chat.android.models.Poll
 import io.getstream.chat.android.models.PollOption
 import io.getstream.chat.android.models.Reaction
+import io.getstream.chat.android.models.SyncStatus
 import io.getstream.chat.android.models.User
 import io.getstream.chat.android.models.Vote
 import io.getstream.chat.android.state.extensions.awaitRepliesAsState
@@ -1719,10 +1720,21 @@ public class MessageListController(
         val itemState = messagesState.messageItems.lastOrNull { messageItem ->
             messageItem is HasMessageListItemState
         } as? HasMessageListItemState
-        val messageId = itemState?.message?.id
-        val messageText = itemState?.message?.text
+        val message = itemState?.message
+        val messageId = message?.id
+        val messageText = message?.text
         logger.d { "[markLastMessageRead] cid: $cid, msgId($isInThread): $messageId, msgText: \"$messageText\"" }
 
+        // Skip when our own message is at the bottom and hasn't been confirmed by the server.
+        // Without this, marking read on an empty channel (only an in-flight optimistic message
+        // exists) causes the server to persist last_read_message_id = "" because its view of
+        // the channel is empty.
+        val currentUserId = clientState.user.value?.id
+        if (message != null && message.user.id == currentUserId && message.syncStatus != SyncStatus.COMPLETED) {
+            logger.v { "[markLastMessageRead] cid: $cid; rejected[$isInThread] (own unsynced): $messageId" }
+            return
+        }
+
         val lastSeenMessageId = this.lastSeenMessageId
         if (lastSeenMessageId == messageId) {
             logger.v { "[markLastMessageRead] cid: $cid; rejected[$isInThread] (already seen msgId): $messageId" }
diff --git a/stream-chat-android-ui-common/src/test/kotlin/io/getstream/chat/android/ui/common/feature/messages/list/MessageListControllerTests.kt b/stream-chat-android-ui-common/src/test/kotlin/io/getstream/chat/android/ui/common/feature/messages/list/MessageListControllerTests.kt
index b72bd8b42cd..2dccad09c87 100644
--- a/stream-chat-android-ui-common/src/test/kotlin/io/getstream/chat/android/ui/common/feature/messages/list/MessageListControllerTests.kt
+++ b/stream-chat-android-ui-common/src/test/kotlin/io/getstream/chat/android/ui/common/feature/messages/list/MessageListControllerTests.kt
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import io.getstream.chat.android.models.Message
 import io.getstream.chat.android.models.MessageType
 import io.getstream.chat.android.models.MessagesState
 import io.getstream.chat.android.models.Reaction
+import io.getstream.chat.android.models.SyncStatus
 import io.getstream.chat.android.models.TypingEvent
 import io.getstream.chat.android.models.User
 import io.getstream.chat.android.models.Vote
@@ -348,9 +349,9 @@ internal class MessageListControllerTests {
     fun `When repetitive markLastMessageRead calls appear only single API call should be sent`() = runTest {
         val chatClient: ChatClient = mock()
         val messages = arrayListOf(
-            randomMessage(id = "1"),
-            randomMessage(id = "2"),
-            randomMessage(id = "3"),
+            randomMessage(id = "1", syncStatus = SyncStatus.COMPLETED),
+            randomMessage(id = "2", syncStatus = SyncStatus.COMPLETED),
+            randomMessage(id = "3", syncStatus = SyncStatus.COMPLETED),
         )
         val messagesState = MutableStateFlow(messages)
         val controller = Fixture(chatClient = chatClient)
@@ -374,6 +375,68 @@ internal class MessageListControllerTests {
         verify(chatClient, times(1)).markRead(any(), any())
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun `When current user's last message is COMPLETED markLastMessageRead should invoke markRead`() = runTest {
+        val chatClient: ChatClient = mock()
+        val messagesState = MutableStateFlow(
+            listOf(randomMessage(id = "1", user = user1, syncStatus = SyncStatus.COMPLETED)),
+        )
+        val controller = Fixture(chatClient = chatClient)
+            .givenCurrentUser()
+            .givenChannelQuery()
+            .givenMarkRead()
+            .givenChannelState(messagesState = messagesState)
+            .get()
+
+        controller.markLastMessageRead()
+        delay(1000)
+
+        verify(chatClient, times(1)).markRead(eq(CHANNEL_TYPE), eq(CHANNEL_ID))
+        controller.lastSeenMessageId `should be equal to` "1"
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `When current user's last message is not COMPLETED markLastMessageRead should not invoke markRead`() = runTest {
+        val chatClient: ChatClient = mock()
+        val messagesState = MutableStateFlow(
+            listOf(randomMessage(id = "1", user = user1, syncStatus = SyncStatus.IN_PROGRESS)),
+        )
+        val controller = Fixture(chatClient = chatClient)
+            .givenCurrentUser()
+            .givenChannelQuery()
+            .givenMarkRead()
+            .givenChannelState(messagesState = messagesState)
+            .get()
+
+        controller.markLastMessageRead()
+        delay(1000)
+
+        verify(chatClient, times(0)).markRead(any(), any())
+        controller.lastSeenMessageId.shouldBeNull()
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `When peer's last message is not COMPLETED markLastMessageRead should still invoke markRead`() = runTest {
+        // syncStatus is local-only and not on the wire. Peer messages inherit the data
+        // class default — the gate must not block them on that.
+        val chatClient: ChatClient = mock()
+        val messagesState = MutableStateFlow(
+            listOf(randomMessage(id = "1", user = user2, syncStatus = SyncStatus.IN_PROGRESS)),
+        )
+        val controller = Fixture(chatClient = chatClient)
+            .givenCurrentUser()
+            .givenChannelQuery()
+            .givenMarkRead()
+            .givenChannelState(messagesState = messagesState)
+            .get()
+
+        controller.markLastMessageRead()
+        delay(1000)
+
+        verify(chatClient, times(1)).markRead(eq(CHANNEL_TYPE), eq(CHANNEL_ID))
+        controller.lastSeenMessageId `should be equal to` "1"
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun `When channelData changes the updated Channel instance must be emitted`() = runTest {
         val chatClient: ChatClient = mock()
@@ -1268,12 +1331,18 @@ internal class MessageListControllerTests {
 
         private fun nowDate() = Date(testCoroutines.dispatcher.scheduler.currentTime)
 
-        private fun nowMessage(author: User, type: String, text: String = randomString()): Message {
+        private fun nowMessage(
+            author: User,
+            type: String,
+            text: String = randomString(),
+            syncStatus: SyncStatus = SyncStatus.COMPLETED,
+        ): Message {
             val nowDate = nowDate()
             return randomMessage(
                 user = author,
                 type = type,
                 text = text,
+                syncStatus = syncStatus,
                 createdAt = nowDate,
                 updatedAt = nowDate,
                 deletedAt = null,