diff --git a/lib/reducers/thread-reducer.js b/lib/reducers/thread-reducer.js
--- a/lib/reducers/thread-reducer.js
+++ b/lib/reducers/thread-reducer.js
@@ -372,60 +372,40 @@
   } else if (action.type === setThreadUnreadStatusActionTypes.started) {
     const { threadID, unread } = action.payload;
     const threadInfo = state.threadInfos[threadID];
-    // TODO (atul): Try to get rid of this ridiculous branching.
-    if (threadInfo.minimallyEncoded) {
-      const updatedThreadInfo = {
-        ...threadInfo,
-        currentUser: {
-          ...threadInfo.currentUser,
-          unread,
-        },
-      };
-      const threadStoreOperations = [
-        {
-          type: 'replace',
-          payload: {
-            id: threadID,
-            threadInfo: updatedThreadInfo,
+    const updatedThreadInfo = threadInfo.minimallyEncoded
+      ? {
+          ...threadInfo,
+          currentUser: {
+            ...threadInfo.currentUser,
+            unread,
           },
-        },
-      ];
-      const updatedThreadStore = processThreadStoreOperations(
-        state,
-        threadStoreOperations,
-      );
-      return {
-        threadStore: updatedThreadStore,
-        newThreadInconsistencies: [],
-        threadStoreOperations,
-      };
-    } else {
-      const updatedThreadInfo = {
-        ...threadInfo,
-        currentUser: {
-          ...threadInfo.currentUser,
-          unread,
-        },
-      };
-      const threadStoreOperations = [
-        {
-          type: 'replace',
-          payload: {
-            id: threadID,
-            threadInfo: updatedThreadInfo,
+        }
+      : {
+          ...threadInfo,
+          currentUser: {
+            ...threadInfo.currentUser,
+            unread,
           },
+        };
+
+    const threadStoreOperations = [
+      {
+        type: 'replace',
+        payload: {
+          id: threadID,
+          threadInfo: updatedThreadInfo,
         },
-      ];
-      const updatedThreadStore = processThreadStoreOperations(
-        state,
-        threadStoreOperations,
-      );
-      return {
-        threadStore: updatedThreadStore,
-        newThreadInconsistencies: [],
-        threadStoreOperations,
-      };
-    }
+      },
+    ];
+    const updatedThreadStore = processThreadStoreOperations(
+      state,
+      threadStoreOperations,
+    );
+    return {
+      threadStore: updatedThreadStore,
+      newThreadInconsistencies: [],
+      threadStoreOperations,
+    };
   } else if (action.type === setThreadUnreadStatusActionTypes.success) {
     const { threadID, resetToUnread } = action.payload;
     const currentUser = state.threadInfos[threadID].currentUser;