diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/Storage.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/Storage.kt
index ca56717a33..0242386cc1 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/Storage.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/Storage.kt
@@ -228,12 +228,12 @@ open class Storage(context: Context, helper: SQLCipherOpenHelper, private val co
         return threadDb.getLastSeenAndHasSent(threadId)?.first() ?: 0L
     }
 
-    override fun markConversationAsRead(threadId: Long, lastSeenTime: Long) {
+    override fun markConversationAsRead(threadId: Long, lastSeenTime: Long, force: Boolean) {
         val threadDb = DatabaseComponent.get(context).threadDatabase()
         getRecipientForThread(threadId)?.let { recipient ->
             val currentLastRead = threadDb.getLastSeenAndHasSent(threadId).first()
             // don't set the last read in the volatile if we didn't set it in the DB
-            if (!threadDb.markAllAsRead(threadId, recipient.isGroupRecipient, lastSeenTime)) return
+            if (!threadDb.markAllAsRead(threadId, recipient.isGroupRecipient, lastSeenTime, force) && !force) return
 
             // don't process configs for inbox recipients
             if (recipient.isOpenGroupInboxRecipient) return
@@ -500,11 +500,11 @@ open class Storage(context: Context, helper: SQLCipherOpenHelper, private val co
             val threadId = when (conversation) {
                 is Conversation.OneToOne -> getThreadIdFor(conversation.sessionId, null, null, createThread = false)
                 is Conversation.LegacyGroup -> getThreadIdFor("", conversation.groupId,null, createThread = false)
-                is Conversation.Community -> getThreadIdFor("",null, "${conversation.baseCommunityInfo.baseUrl}.${conversation.baseCommunityInfo.room}", createThread = false)
+                is Conversation.Community -> getThreadIdFor("",null, "${conversation.baseCommunityInfo.baseUrl.removeSuffix("/")}.${conversation.baseCommunityInfo.room}", createThread = false)
             }
             if (threadId != null) {
                 if (conversation.lastRead > getLastSeen(threadId)) {
-                    markConversationAsRead(threadId, conversation.lastRead)
+                    markConversationAsRead(threadId, conversation.lastRead, force = true)
                 }
                 updateThread(threadId, false)
             }
@@ -1040,7 +1040,7 @@ open class Storage(context: Context, helper: SQLCipherOpenHelper, private val co
         val volatile = volatileConfig.getOrConstructCommunity(infoServer, infoRoom, pubKey)
         if (volatile.lastRead != 0L) {
             val threadId = getThreadId(openGroup) ?: return
-            markConversationAsRead(threadId, volatile.lastRead)
+            markConversationAsRead(threadId, volatile.lastRead, force = true)
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/ThreadDatabase.java b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/ThreadDatabase.java
index 3737f52a46..6bbf5861c1 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/ThreadDatabase.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/ThreadDatabase.java
@@ -812,9 +812,9 @@ public class ThreadDatabase extends Database {
    * @param lastSeenTime
    * @return true if we have set the last seen for the thread, false if there were no messages in the thread
    */
-  public boolean markAllAsRead(long threadId, boolean isGroupRecipient, long lastSeenTime) {
+  public boolean markAllAsRead(long threadId, boolean isGroupRecipient, long lastSeenTime, boolean force) {
     MmsSmsDatabase mmsSmsDatabase = DatabaseComponent.get(context).mmsSmsDatabase();
-    if (mmsSmsDatabase.getConversationCount(threadId) <= 0) return false;
+    if (mmsSmsDatabase.getConversationCount(threadId) <= 0 && !force) return false;
     List<MarkedMessageInfo> messages = setRead(threadId, lastSeenTime);
     if (isGroupRecipient) {
       for (MarkedMessageInfo message: messages) {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/notifications/MarkReadReceiver.java b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/notifications/MarkReadReceiver.java
index f15ce9c11c..309f2732f8 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/notifications/MarkReadReceiver.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/notifications/MarkReadReceiver.java
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public class MarkReadReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver {
           for (long threadId : threadIds) {
             Log.i(TAG, "Marking as read: " + threadId);
             StorageProtocol storage = MessagingModuleConfiguration.getShared().getStorage();
-            storage.markConversationAsRead(threadId,currentTime);
+            storage.markConversationAsRead(threadId,currentTime, true);
           }
           return null;
         }
diff --git a/libsession/src/main/java/org/session/libsession/database/StorageProtocol.kt b/libsession/src/main/java/org/session/libsession/database/StorageProtocol.kt
index 8e2a05dc81..4fff833835 100644
--- a/libsession/src/main/java/org/session/libsession/database/StorageProtocol.kt
+++ b/libsession/src/main/java/org/session/libsession/database/StorageProtocol.kt
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ interface StorageProtocol {
      * Returns the ID of the `TSIncomingMessage` that was constructed.
      */
     fun persist(message: VisibleMessage, quotes: QuoteModel?, linkPreview: List<LinkPreview?>, groupPublicKey: String?, openGroupID: String?, attachments: List<Attachment>, runThreadUpdate: Boolean): Long?
-    fun markConversationAsRead(threadId: Long, lastSeenTime: Long)
+    fun markConversationAsRead(threadId: Long, lastSeenTime: Long, force: Boolean = false)
     fun getLastSeen(threadId: Long): Long
     fun updateThread(threadId: Long, unarchive: Boolean)
     fun insertDataExtractionNotificationMessage(senderPublicKey: String, message: DataExtractionNotificationInfoMessage, sentTimestamp: Long)
diff --git a/libsession/src/main/java/org/session/libsession/messaging/jobs/BackgroundGroupAddJob.kt b/libsession/src/main/java/org/session/libsession/messaging/jobs/BackgroundGroupAddJob.kt
index a2111b75df..e717b0d45d 100644
--- a/libsession/src/main/java/org/session/libsession/messaging/jobs/BackgroundGroupAddJob.kt
+++ b/libsession/src/main/java/org/session/libsession/messaging/jobs/BackgroundGroupAddJob.kt
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ class BackgroundGroupAddJob(val joinUrl: String): Job {
     }
 
     override suspend fun execute(dispatcherName: String) {
+        Log.d("Loki-DBG", "adding group $joinUrl")
         try {
             val openGroup = OpenGroupUrlParser.parseUrl(joinUrl)
             val storage = MessagingModuleConfiguration.shared.storage