diff --git a/src/utils/notifications.ts b/src/utils/notifications.ts
index 45ae7566048..a5c13ebb046 100644
--- a/src/utils/notifications.ts
+++ b/src/utils/notifications.ts
@@ -66,14 +66,7 @@ export function localNotificationsAreSilenced(cli: MatrixClient): boolean {
  * @returns a promise that resolves when the room has been marked as read
  */
 export async function clearRoomNotification(room: Room, client: MatrixClient): Promise<{} | undefined> {
-    const roomEvents = room.getLiveTimeline().getEvents();
-    const lastThreadEvents = room.lastThread?.events;
-
-    const lastRoomEvent = roomEvents?.[roomEvents?.length - 1];
-    const lastThreadLastEvent = lastThreadEvents?.[lastThreadEvents?.length - 1];
-
-    const lastEvent =
-        (lastRoomEvent?.getTs() ?? 0) > (lastThreadLastEvent?.getTs() ?? 0) ? lastRoomEvent : lastThreadLastEvent;
+    const lastEvent = room.getLastLiveEvent();
 
     try {
         if (lastEvent) {
diff --git a/test/utils/notifications-test.ts b/test/utils/notifications-test.ts
index 36c8e418c94..005444a142c 100644
--- a/test/utils/notifications-test.ts
+++ b/test/utils/notifications-test.ts
@@ -114,31 +114,51 @@ describe("notifications", () => {
         let sendReadReceiptSpy: jest.SpyInstance;
         const ROOM_ID = "123";
         const USER_ID = "@bob:example.org";
+        let message: MatrixEvent;
+        let sendReceiptsSetting = true;
 
         beforeEach(() => {
             stubClient();
             client = mocked(MatrixClientPeg.get());
             room = new Room(ROOM_ID, client, USER_ID);
+            message = mkMessage({
+                event: true,
+                room: ROOM_ID,
+                user: USER_ID,
+                msg: "Hello",
+            });
+            room.addLiveEvents([message]);
             sendReadReceiptSpy = jest.spyOn(client, "sendReadReceipt").mockResolvedValue({});
             jest.spyOn(client, "getRooms").mockReturnValue([room]);
             jest.spyOn(SettingsStore, "getValue").mockImplementation((name) => {
-                return name === "sendReadReceipts";
+                return name === "sendReadReceipts" && sendReceiptsSetting;
             });
         });
 
         it("sends a request even if everything has been read", () => {
             clearRoomNotification(room, client);
-            expect(sendReadReceiptSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+            expect(sendReadReceiptSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(message, ReceiptType.Read, true);
         });
 
         it("marks the room as read even if the receipt failed", async () => {
             room.setUnreadNotificationCount(NotificationCountType.Total, 5);
-            sendReadReceiptSpy = jest.spyOn(client, "sendReadReceipt").mockReset().mockRejectedValue({});
-            try {
+            sendReadReceiptSpy = jest.spyOn(client, "sendReadReceipt").mockReset().mockRejectedValue({ error: 42 });
+
+            await expect(async () => {
                 await clearRoomNotification(room, client);
-            } finally {
-                expect(room.getUnreadNotificationCount(NotificationCountType.Total)).toBe(0);
-            }
+            }).rejects.toEqual({ error: 42 });
+            expect(room.getUnreadNotificationCount(NotificationCountType.Total)).toBe(0);
+        });
+
+        describe("when sendReadReceipts setting is disabled", () => {
+            beforeEach(() => {
+                sendReceiptsSetting = false;
+            });
+
+            it("should send a private read receipt", () => {
+                clearRoomNotification(room, client);
+                expect(sendReadReceiptSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(message, ReceiptType.ReadPrivate, true);
+            });
         });
     });