diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/widgets/topic-timeline.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/widgets/topic-timeline.js.es6
index 23d32c1424f..ca925d343db 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/widgets/topic-timeline.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/widgets/topic-timeline.js.es6
@@ -199,16 +199,13 @@ createWidget('timeline-scrollarea', {
       this.attach('timeline-padding', { height: after })
     ];
 
-    if (position.lastRead > 1 && position.total > 5) {
+    if (hasBackPosition) {
       const lastReadTop = Math.round(position.lastReadPercentage * SCROLLAREA_HEIGHT);
-      if (hasBackPosition) {
-        result.push(this.attach('timeline-last-read', {
-          top: lastReadTop,
-          lastRead: position.lastRead,
-          showButton
-        }));
-      }
-      result.push(this.attach('timeline-unread-area', { top: lastReadTop}));
+      result.push(this.attach('timeline-last-read', {
+        top: lastReadTop,
+        lastRead: position.lastRead,
+        showButton
+      }));
     }
 
     return result;
@@ -244,21 +241,6 @@ createWidget('timeline-scrollarea', {
   }
 });
 
-createWidget('timeline-unread-area', {
-  tagName: 'div.timeline-unread',
-
-  buildAttributes(attrs) {
-
-    const top = attrs.top + (LAST_READ_HEIGHT / 2);
-    if (top) {
-      return {
-        style: `top: ${top}px; height: ${SCROLLAREA_HEIGHT - top}px`
-      };
-    }
-  }
-
-});
-
 createWidget('topic-timeline-container', {
   tagName: 'div.timeline-container',
   buildClasses(attrs) {
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/topic-timeline.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/topic-timeline.scss
index 0cc8adacafc..42869627fd0 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/topic-timeline.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/topic-timeline.scss
@@ -17,15 +17,6 @@
   position: fixed;
   -webkit-transform: translate3d(0,0,0);
 
-  .timeline-unread {
-    left: -1px;
-    position: absolute;
-    border-left: 3px solid;
-    border-color: $tertiary;
-    width: 10px;
-    z-index: 500;
-  }
-
   &.timeline-docked {
     position: absolute;
   }
@@ -61,9 +52,6 @@
     box-shadow: 0px -2px 4px -1px rgba(0,0,0,.25);
     padding-top: 20px;
     z-index: 100000;
-    .timeline-unread {
-      display: none;
-    }
     .back-button {
       display: none;
     }