diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/chat/data/network/OfflineFirstChatRepository.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/chat/data/network/OfflineFirstChatRepository.kt
index 751af01da8c..b38f04e5d9c 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/chat/data/network/OfflineFirstChatRepository.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/chat/data/network/OfflineFirstChatRepository.kt
@@ -137,6 +137,9 @@ class OfflineFirstChatRepository @Inject constructor(
     private val _isLoadingFlow: MutableStateFlow<Boolean> = MutableStateFlow(false)
 
     private var newXChatLastCommonRead: Int? = null
+
+    // written on the main thread by handleOnPause/handleOnResume, read from fetch and polling coroutines
+    @Volatile
     private var itIsPaused = false
 
     lateinit var internalConversationId: String
@@ -363,6 +366,10 @@ class OfflineFirstChatRepository @Inject constructor(
      * [ChatMessageSyncer.tryCloseBacklog]'s round budget and just burns requests before falling
      * back anyway.
      *
+     * Server push notifications are only cleared while the chat is on screen: when the chat is
+     * paused (background, another screen) the request carries markNotificationsAsRead=0, so the
+     * fetch does not dismiss notifications for messages the user has not seen yet.
+     *
      * @return `true` if at least one new message was received and persisted.
      */
     override suspend fun fetchNewMessages(): Boolean {
@@ -381,6 +388,7 @@ class OfflineFirstChatRepository @Inject constructor(
             fromMessageId = lastHttpSyncedMessageId,
             limit = 200,
             lastCommonRead = newXChatLastCommonRead,
+            markNotificationsAsRead = !itIsPaused,
             events = syncEvents
         )
         return outcome.persistedNewMessages
diff --git a/app/src/test/java/com/nextcloud/talk/chat/data/network/OfflineFirstChatRepositoryTest.kt b/app/src/test/java/com/nextcloud/talk/chat/data/network/OfflineFirstChatRepositoryTest.kt
index 12e3fa3780c..b32c18b34fa 100644
--- a/app/src/test/java/com/nextcloud/talk/chat/data/network/OfflineFirstChatRepositoryTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/test/java/com/nextcloud/talk/chat/data/network/OfflineFirstChatRepositoryTest.kt
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ import org.junit.Before
 import org.junit.Test
 import org.mockito.kotlin.any
 import org.mockito.kotlin.argumentCaptor
+import org.mockito.kotlin.atLeastOnce
 import org.mockito.kotlin.eq
 import org.mockito.kotlin.doSuspendableAnswer
 import org.mockito.kotlin.mock
@@ -212,6 +213,22 @@ class OfflineFirstChatRepositoryTest {
             verifyBlocking(network, never()) { pullChatMessages(any(), any(), any()) }
         }
 
+    @Test
+    fun `fetchNewMessages keeps notifications only while the chat is paused`() =
+        runTest {
+            givenHttpSyncedAnchor()
+            repository.fetchNewMessages()
+            assertFalse(lastRequestFieldMap().containsKey("markNotificationsAsRead"))
+
+            repository.handleOnPause()
+            repository.fetchNewMessages()
+            assertEquals(0, lastRequestFieldMap()["markNotificationsAsRead"])
+
+            repository.handleOnResume()
+            repository.fetchNewMessages()
+            assertFalse(lastRequestFieldMap().containsKey("markNotificationsAsRead"))
+        }
+
     @Test
     fun `addTemporaryMessage upserts a pending local echo and emits it on success`() =
         runTest {
@@ -307,6 +324,22 @@ class OfflineFirstChatRepositoryTest {
             .thenReturn(flowOf(block))
     }
 
+    private fun lastRequestFieldMap(): HashMap<String, Int> {
+        val fieldMapCaptor = argumentCaptor<HashMap<String, Int>>()
+        verifyBlocking(network, atLeastOnce()) { pullChatMessages(any(), any(), fieldMapCaptor.capture()) }
+        assertEquals(51, fieldMapCaptor.lastValue["lastKnownMessageId"]) // insurance request, not the initial load
+        return fieldMapCaptor.lastValue
+    }
+
+    /** Records an HTTP sync anchor via the initial load, so fetchNewMessages does not skip. */
+    private suspend fun givenHttpSyncedAnchor() {
+        givenLatestBlock(block(oldest = 10, newest = 50))
+        repository.updateConversation(conversation(lastReadMessage = 40, unreadMessages = 5))
+        wheneverBlocking { network.pullChatMessages(any(), any(), any()) }
+            .thenReturn(Response.success(overall(message(51))))
+        repository.loadInitialMessages(Bundle())
+    }
+
     private fun singleRequestFieldMap(): HashMap<String, Int> {
         val fieldMapCaptor = argumentCaptor<HashMap<String, Int>>()
         verifyBlocking(network) { pullChatMessages(eq(CREDENTIALS), eq(CHAT_URL), fieldMapCaptor.capture()) }