diff --git a/src/Model/Post.php b/src/Model/Post.php
index f4ab71eac6..bdefda76c3 100644
--- a/src/Model/Post.php
+++ b/src/Model/Post.php
@@ -607,6 +607,17 @@ class Post
 		return self::selectFirstForUser($uid, $original_selected, ['uri-id' => $result['thr-parent-id'], 'uid' => [0, $uid]], $params);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Retrieves a list of up to 100 unseen posts for a user
+	 * @param int $uid User ID
+	 * @return array Array containing the URI IDs of unseen posts
+	 */
+	public static function getUnseenPosts(int $uid): array
+	{
+		$posts = DBA::selectToArray('post-user', ['uri-id'], ['unseen' => true, 'uid' => $uid], ['limit' => 100]);
+		return array_column($posts, 'uri-id');
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Update existing post entries
 	 *
diff --git a/src/Module/Conversation/Network.php b/src/Module/Conversation/Network.php
index ce4b8d9dd3..46e6de58e6 100644
--- a/src/Module/Conversation/Network.php
+++ b/src/Module/Conversation/Network.php
@@ -35,13 +35,11 @@ use Friendica\Core\L10n;
 use Friendica\Core\PConfig\Capability\IManagePersonalConfigValues;
 use Friendica\Core\Renderer;
 use Friendica\Core\Session\Capability\IHandleUserSessions;
-use Friendica\Core\Worker;
 use Friendica\Database\DBA;
 use Friendica\Database\Database;
 use Friendica\Event\ArrayFilterEvent;
 use Friendica\Model\Contact;
 use Friendica\Model\Circle;
-use Friendica\Model\Post;
 use Friendica\Model\Profile;
 use Friendica\Module\Response;
 use Friendica\Module\Security\Login;
@@ -522,16 +520,8 @@ class Network extends Timeline
 			return $items;
 		}
 
-		$this->setItemsSeenByCondition(['unseen' => true, 'uid' => $this->session->getLocalUserId(), 'parent-uri-id' => array_column($items, 'uri-id')]);
+		$this->setItemsSeenForUser($this->session->getLocalUserId());
 
-		$posts = Post::selectToArray(['uri-id'], ['unseen' => true, 'uid' => $this->session->getLocalUserId()], ['limit' => 100]);
-		if (!empty($posts)) {
-			$this->setItemsSeenByCondition(['unseen' => true, 'uid' => $this->session->getLocalUserId(), 'uri-id' => array_column($posts, 'uri-id')]);
-		}
-
-		if (count($posts) == 100) {
-			Worker::add(Worker::PRIORITY_MEDIUM, 'SetSeen', $this->session->getLocalUserId());
-		}
 		return $items;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/Module/Conversation/Timeline.php b/src/Module/Conversation/Timeline.php
index 95ad1946ad..4cd568af93 100644
--- a/src/Module/Conversation/Timeline.php
+++ b/src/Module/Conversation/Timeline.php
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ use Friendica\Core\L10n;
 use Friendica\Core\PConfig\Capability\IManagePersonalConfigValues;
 use Friendica\Core\Renderer;
 use Friendica\Core\Session\Capability\IHandleUserSessions;
+use Friendica\Core\Worker;
 use Friendica\Model\Contact;
 use Friendica\Model\User;
 use Friendica\Database\Database;
@@ -295,8 +296,7 @@ class Timeline extends BaseModule
 			$selected_items = $items;
 		}
 
-		$condition = ['unseen' => true, 'uid' => $uid, 'parent-uri-id' => array_column($selected_items, 'uri-id')];
-		$this->setItemsSeenByCondition($condition);
+		$this->setItemsSeenForUser($uid);
 
 		return $selected_items;
 	}
@@ -443,8 +443,7 @@ class Timeline extends BaseModule
 			$items = array_reverse($items, true);
 		}
 
-		$condition = ['unseen' => true, 'uid' => $uid, 'parent-uri-id' => array_column($items, 'uri-id')];
-		$this->setItemsSeenByCondition($condition);
+		$this->setItemsSeenForUser($uid);
 
 		return $items;
 	}
@@ -701,12 +700,6 @@ class Timeline extends BaseModule
 		}
 
 		if ($maxpostperauthor === 0) {
-			$this->setItemsSeenByCondition([
-				'unseen'        => true,
-				'uid'           => $this->session->getLocalUserId(),
-				'parent-uri-id' => array_column($items, 'uri-id')
-			]);
-
 			return $items;
 		}
 
@@ -749,9 +742,6 @@ class Timeline extends BaseModule
 			}
 		}
 
-		$condition = ['unseen' => true, 'uid' => $this->session->getLocalUserId(), 'parent-uri-id' => array_column($selected_items, 'uri-id')];
-		$this->setItemsSeenByCondition($condition);
-
 		return $selected_items;
 	}
 
@@ -834,22 +824,18 @@ class Timeline extends BaseModule
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Sets items as seen
-	 *
-	 * @param array $condition The array with the SQL condition
-	 * @throws \Friendica\Network\HTTPException\InternalServerErrorException
+	 * Sets all unseen items for a user as seen
+	 * @param int $uid User ID
 	 */
-	protected function setItemsSeenByCondition(array $condition)
+	protected function setItemsSeenForUser(int $uid)
 	{
-		if (empty($condition) || $this->ping) {
-			return;
+		$posts = Post::getUnseenPosts($uid);
+		if (!empty($posts)) {
+			Item::update(['unseen' => false], ['unseen' => true, 'uid' => $uid, 'uri-id' => $posts]);
 		}
 
-		$unseen = Post::exists($condition);
-
-		if ($unseen) {
-			/// @todo handle huge "unseen" updates in the background to avoid timeout errors
-			Item::update(['unseen' => false], $condition);
+		if (count($posts) == 100) {
+			Worker::add(Worker::PRIORITY_MEDIUM, 'SetSeen', $uid);
 		}
 	}
 }