diff --git a/osx/kordophone2/ConversationView.swift b/osx/kordophone2/ConversationView.swift
index 5a8887d..47328cb 100644
--- a/osx/kordophone2/ConversationView.swift
+++ b/osx/kordophone2/ConversationView.swift
@@ -23,5 +23,10 @@ struct ConversationView: View
             entryModel.handleDroppedProviders(providers)
             return true
         }
+
+        .onHover { isHovering in
+            guard isHovering else { return } 
+            transcriptModel.setNeedsMarkAsRead()
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/osx/kordophone2/Transcript/TranscriptView.swift b/osx/kordophone2/Transcript/TranscriptView.swift
index 8514e08..27db24c 100644
--- a/osx/kordophone2/Transcript/TranscriptView.swift
+++ b/osx/kordophone2/Transcript/TranscriptView.swift
@@ -126,11 +126,14 @@ struct TranscriptView: View
     {
         var displayItems: [DisplayItem] = []
         var displayedConversation: Display.Conversation? = nil
-        
+
         internal var needsReload: NeedsReload = .no
         internal var messages: [Display.Message]
         internal let client = XPCClient()
 
+        private var needsMarkAsRead: Bool = false
+        private var lastMarkAsRead: Date = .now
+
         init(messages: [Display.Message] = []) {
             self.messages = messages
             rebuildDisplayItems()
@@ -147,7 +150,20 @@ struct TranscriptView: View
                 await reloadIfNeeded()
             }
         }
-        
+
+        func setNeedsMarkAsRead() {
+            guard needsMarkAsRead == false else { return }
+            guard Date.now.timeIntervalSince(lastMarkAsRead) > 5.0 else { return }
+
+            needsMarkAsRead = true
+            Task { @MainActor [weak self] in
+                guard let self else { return }
+                await markAsRead()
+                needsMarkAsRead = false
+                lastMarkAsRead = .now
+            }
+        }
+
         func attachmentDownloaded(id: String) {
             // TODO: should be smarter here
             setNeedsReload(animated: false)