diff --git a/lib/socket/activity-handler.react.js b/lib/socket/activity-handler.react.js
--- a/lib/socket/activity-handler.react.js
+++ b/lib/socket/activity-handler.react.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
   updateActivity,
 } from '../actions/activity-actions.js';
 import { getMostRecentNonLocalMessageID } from '../shared/message-utils.js';
+import { threadIsPending } from '../shared/thread-utils.js';
 import { queueActivityUpdatesActionType } from '../types/activity-types.js';
 import {
   useServerCall,
@@ -62,15 +63,19 @@
 
   React.useEffect(() => {
     const activityUpdates = [];
+    const isActiveThreadPending = threadIsPending(activeThread);
+
     if (activeThread !== prevActiveThread) {
-      if (prevActiveThread) {
+      const isPrevActiveThreadPending = threadIsPending(prevActiveThread);
+
+      if (prevActiveThread && !isPrevActiveThreadPending) {
         activityUpdates.push({
           focus: false,
           threadID: prevActiveThread,
           latestMessage: prevActiveThreadLatestMessage,
         });
       }
-      if (activeThread) {
+      if (activeThread && !isActiveThreadPending) {
         activityUpdates.push({
           focus: true,
           threadID: activeThread,
@@ -83,7 +88,8 @@
       !frozen &&
       connectionStatus !== 'connected' &&
       prevConnectionStatus === 'connected' &&
-      activeThread
+      activeThread &&
+      !isActiveThreadPending
     ) {
       // When the server closes a socket it also deletes any activity rows
       // associated with that socket's session. If that activity is still