diff --git a/static/js/message_list_view.js b/static/js/message_list_view.js
index dd6b4816ca..3782233488 100644
--- a/static/js/message_list_view.js
+++ b/static/js/message_list_view.js
@@ -555,6 +555,12 @@ MessageListView.prototype = {
 
         var self = this;
 
+        // If we start with the message feed scrolled up (i.e.
+        // the bottom message is not visible), then we will respect
+        // the user's current position after rendering, rather
+        // than auto-scrolling.
+        var started_scrolled_up = message_viewport.is_scrolled_up();
+
         // The messages we are being asked to render are shared with between
         // all messages lists. To prevent having both list views overwriting
         // each others data we will make a new message object to add data to
@@ -742,6 +748,9 @@ MessageListView.prototype = {
         }
 
         if (list === current_msg_list && messages_are_new) {
+            if (started_scrolled_up) {
+                return;
+            }
             var new_messages_height = self._new_messages_height(new_dom_elements);
             self._maybe_autoscroll(new_messages_height);
         }
@@ -841,17 +850,6 @@ MessageListView.prototype = {
             scroll_amount = scroll_limit;
         }
 
-        // Let's work our way back to whether the user was already dealing
-        // with messages off the screen, in which case we shouldn't autoscroll.
-        var bottom_last_visible = last_visible.offset().top + last_visible.height();
-        var bottom_old_last_visible = bottom_last_visible - new_messages_height;
-        var bottom_viewport = info.visible_top + info.visible_height;
-
-        // Exit if the user was already past the bottom.
-        if (bottom_old_last_visible > bottom_viewport) {
-            return;
-        }
-
         // Ok, we are finally ready to actually scroll.
         if (scroll_amount > 0) {
             message_viewport.system_initiated_animate_scroll(scroll_amount);
diff --git a/static/js/message_viewport.js b/static/js/message_viewport.js
index 807bc6ff64..e1b28365eb 100644
--- a/static/js/message_viewport.js
+++ b/static/js/message_viewport.js
@@ -65,6 +65,30 @@ exports.is_below_visible_bottom = function (offset) {
     return offset > exports.scrollTop() + exports.height() - $("#compose").height();
 };
 
+exports.is_scrolled_up = function () {
+    // Let's determine whether the user was already dealing
+    // with messages off the screen, which can guide auto
+    // scrolling decisions.
+    var last_row = rows.last_visible();
+    if (last_row.length === 0) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    var offset = exports.offset_from_bottom(last_row);
+
+    return offset > 0;
+};
+
+exports.offset_from_bottom = function (last_row) {
+    // A positive return value here means the last row is
+    // below the bottom of the feed (i.e. obscured by the compose
+    // box or even further below the bottom).
+    var message_bottom = last_row.offset().top + last_row.height();
+    var info = exports.message_viewport_info();
+
+    return message_bottom - info.visible_bottom;
+};
+
 exports.set_message_position = function (message_top, message_height, viewport_info, ratio) {
     // message_top = offset of the top of a message that you are positioning
     // message_height = height of the message that you are positioning