diff --git a/app/helpers/cable_ready/view_helper.rb b/app/helpers/cable_ready/view_helper.rb
index c9b9fca0..8f027605 100644
--- a/app/helpers/cable_ready/view_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/cable_ready/view_helper.rb
@@ -27,12 +27,13 @@ def cable_ready_stream_from(*keys, html_options: {})
       tag.cable_ready_stream_from(**build_options(*keys, html_options))
     end
 
-    def cable_ready_updates_for(*keys, url: nil, debounce: nil, only: nil, ignore_inner_updates: false, html_options: {}, &block)
+    def cable_ready_updates_for(*keys, url: nil, debounce: nil, only: nil, ignore_inner_updates: false, observe_appearance: false, html_options: {}, &block)
       options = build_options(*keys, html_options)
       options[:url] = url if url
       options[:debounce] = debounce if debounce
       options[:only] = only if only
       options[:"ignore-inner-updates"] = "" if ignore_inner_updates
+      options[:"observe-appearance"] = "" if observe_appearance
       tag.cable_ready_updates_for(**options) { capture(&block) }
     end
 
diff --git a/javascript/elements/updates_for_element.js b/javascript/elements/updates_for_element.js
index 9a17a1ee..08630fac 100644
--- a/javascript/elements/updates_for_element.js
+++ b/javascript/elements/updates_for_element.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import ActiveElement from '../active_element'
 import CableConsumer from '../cable_consumer'
 import Log from '../updatable/log'
 import { BoundedQueue } from '../utils'
+import { AppearanceObserver } from '../observers/appearance_observer'
 
 const template = `
 <style>
@@ -36,6 +37,11 @@ export default class UpdatesForElement extends SubscribingElement {
 
     this.triggerElementLog = new BoundedQueue(10)
     this.targetElementLog = new BoundedQueue(10)
+
+    this.appearanceObserver = new AppearanceObserver(this)
+
+    this.visible = false
+    this.didTransitionToVisible = false
   }
 
   async connectedCallback () {
@@ -51,6 +57,16 @@ export default class UpdatesForElement extends SubscribingElement {
         'The `cable_ready_updates_for` helper cannot connect. You must initialize CableReady with an Action Cable consumer.'
       )
     }
+
+    if (this.observeAppearance) {
+      this.appearanceObserver.start()
+    }
+  }
+
+  disconnectedCallback () {
+    if (this.observeAppearance) {
+      this.appearanceObserver.stop()
+    }
   }
 
   async update (data) {
@@ -77,7 +93,8 @@ export default class UpdatesForElement extends SubscribingElement {
     }
 
     // first <cable-ready-updates-for> element in the DOM *at any given moment* updates all of the others
-    if (blocks[0].element !== this) {
+    // if the element becomes visible though, we have to overrule and load it
+    if (blocks[0].element !== this && !this.didTransitionToVisible) {
       this.triggerElementLog.push(
         `${new Date().toLocaleString()}: ${Log.cancel(
           this.lastUpdateTimestamp,
@@ -128,6 +145,19 @@ export default class UpdatesForElement extends SubscribingElement {
     })
   }
 
+  appearedInViewport () {
+    if (!this.visible) {
+      // transition from invisible to visible forces update
+      this.didTransitionToVisible = true
+      this.update({})
+    }
+    this.visible = true
+  }
+
+  disappearedFromViewport () {
+    this.visible = false
+  }
+
   get query () {
     return `${this.tagName}[identifier="${this.identifier}"]`
   }
@@ -141,6 +171,10 @@ export default class UpdatesForElement extends SubscribingElement {
       ? parseInt(this.getAttribute('debounce'))
       : 20
   }
+
+  get observeAppearance () {
+    return this.hasAttribute('observe-appearance')
+  }
 }
 
 class Block {
@@ -186,6 +220,7 @@ class Block {
       onBeforeElUpdated: shouldMorph(operation),
       onElUpdated: _ => {
         this.element.removeAttribute('updating')
+        this.element.didTransitionToVisible = false
         dispatch(this.element, 'cable-ready:after-update', operation)
         assignFocus(operation.focusSelector)
       }
@@ -237,7 +272,11 @@ class Block {
 
   shouldUpdate (data) {
     // if everything that could prevent an update is false, update this block
-    return !this.ignoresInnerUpdates && this.hasChangesSelectedForUpdate(data)
+    return (
+      !this.ignoresInnerUpdates &&
+      this.hasChangesSelectedForUpdate(data) &&
+      (!this.observeAppearance || this.visible)
+    )
   }
 
   hasChangesSelectedForUpdate (data) {
@@ -272,4 +311,12 @@ class Block {
   get query () {
     return this.element.query
   }
+
+  get visible () {
+    return this.element.visible
+  }
+
+  get observeAppearance () {
+    return this.element.observeAppearance
+  }
 }
diff --git a/javascript/observers/appearance_observer.js b/javascript/observers/appearance_observer.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6cf64b96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/javascript/observers/appearance_observer.js
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+export class AppearanceObserver {
+  constructor (delegate, element = null) {
+    this.delegate = delegate
+    this.element = element || delegate
+    this.started = false
+    this.intersecting = false
+
+    this.intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver(this.intersect)
+  }
+
+  start () {
+    if (!this.started) {
+      this.started = true
+      this.intersectionObserver.observe(this.element)
+      this.observeVisibility()
+    }
+  }
+
+  stop () {
+    if (this.started) {
+      this.started = false
+      this.intersectionObserver.unobserve(this.element)
+      this.unobserveVisibility()
+    }
+  }
+
+  observeVisibility = () => {
+    document.addEventListener('visibilitychange', this.handleVisibilityChange)
+  }
+
+  unobserveVisibility = () => {
+    document.removeEventListener(
+      'visibilitychange',
+      this.handleVisibilityChange
+    )
+  }
+
+  intersect = entries => {
+    entries.forEach(entry => {
+      if (entry.target === this.element) {
+        if (entry.isIntersecting && document.visibilityState === 'visible') {
+          this.intersecting = true
+          this.delegate.appearedInViewport()
+        } else {
+          this.intersecting = false
+          this.delegate.disappearedFromViewport()
+        }
+      }
+    })
+  }
+
+  handleVisibilityChange = event => {
+    if (document.visibilityState === 'visible' && this.intersecting) {
+      this.delegate.appearedInViewport()
+    } else {
+      this.delegate.disappearedFromViewport()
+    }
+  }
+}