diff --git a/ts/test-both/util/timelineUtil_test.ts b/ts/test-both/util/timelineUtil_test.ts
index a32290d79..646cd5dc9 100644
--- a/ts/test-both/util/timelineUtil_test.ts
+++ b/ts/test-both/util/timelineUtil_test.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { assert } from 'chai';
 import { times } from 'lodash';
 import { v4 as uuid } from 'uuid';
 import { MINUTE, SECOND } from '../../util/durations';
+import type { MaybeMessageTimelineItemType } from '../../util/timelineUtil';
 import {
   ScrollAnchor,
   areMessagesInSameGroup,
@@ -14,18 +15,20 @@ import {
 
 describe('<Timeline> utilities', () => {
   describe('areMessagesInSameGroup', () => {
-    const defaultNewer = {
+    const defaultNewer: MaybeMessageTimelineItemType = {
       type: 'message' as const,
       data: {
         author: { id: uuid() },
         timestamp: new Date(1998, 10, 21, 12, 34, 56, 123).valueOf(),
+        status: 'delivered',
       },
     };
-    const defaultOlder = {
+    const defaultOlder: MaybeMessageTimelineItemType = {
       ...defaultNewer,
       data: {
         ...defaultNewer.data,
         timestamp: defaultNewer.data.timestamp - MINUTE,
+        status: 'delivered',
       },
     };
 
@@ -115,7 +118,56 @@ describe('<Timeline> utilities', () => {
       assert.isFalse(areMessagesInSameGroup(defaultOlder, true, defaultNewer));
     });
 
-    it('returns true if the everything above works out', () => {
+    it("returns false if they don't have matching sent status (and not delivered)", () => {
+      const older = {
+        ...defaultOlder,
+        data: { ...defaultOlder.data, status: 'sent' as const },
+      };
+
+      assert.isFalse(areMessagesInSameGroup(older, false, defaultNewer));
+    });
+
+    it("returns false if newer is deletedForEveryone and older isn't", () => {
+      const newer = {
+        ...defaultNewer,
+        data: { ...defaultNewer.data, deletedForEveryone: true },
+      };
+
+      assert.isFalse(areMessagesInSameGroup(defaultOlder, false, newer));
+    });
+
+    it("returns true if older is deletedForEveryone and newer isn't", () => {
+      const older = {
+        ...defaultOlder,
+        data: { ...defaultOlder.data, deletedForEveryone: true },
+      };
+
+      assert.isTrue(areMessagesInSameGroup(older, false, defaultNewer));
+    });
+
+    it('returns true if both are deletedForEveryone', () => {
+      const older = {
+        ...defaultOlder,
+        data: { ...defaultOlder.data, deletedForEveryone: true },
+      };
+      const newer = {
+        ...defaultNewer,
+        data: { ...defaultNewer.data, deletedForEveryone: true },
+      };
+
+      assert.isTrue(areMessagesInSameGroup(older, false, newer));
+    });
+
+    it('returns true if they have delivered status or above', () => {
+      const older = {
+        ...defaultOlder,
+        data: { ...defaultOlder.data, status: 'read' as const },
+      };
+
+      assert.isTrue(areMessagesInSameGroup(older, false, defaultNewer));
+    });
+
+    it('returns true if everything above works out', () => {
       assert.isTrue(areMessagesInSameGroup(defaultOlder, false, defaultNewer));
     });
   });
diff --git a/ts/util/timelineUtil.ts b/ts/util/timelineUtil.ts
index 81899cab1..3d40f76f3 100644
--- a/ts/util/timelineUtil.ts
+++ b/ts/util/timelineUtil.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { WidthBreakpoint } from '../components/_util';
 import { MINUTE } from './durations';
 import { missingCaseError } from './missingCaseError';
 import { isSameDay } from './timestamp';
+import type { LastMessageStatus } from '../model-types.d';
 
 const COLLAPSE_WITHIN = 3 * MINUTE;
 
@@ -32,15 +33,17 @@ export enum UnreadIndicatorPlacement {
   JustBelow,
 }
 
-type MessageTimelineItemDataType = Readonly<{
+export type MessageTimelineItemDataType = Readonly<{
   author: { id: string };
+  deletedForEveryone?: boolean;
   reactions?: ReadonlyArray<unknown>;
+  status?: LastMessageStatus;
   timestamp: number;
 }>;
 
 // This lets us avoid passing a full `MessageType`. That's useful for tests and for
 //   documentation.
-type MaybeMessageTimelineItemType = Readonly<
+export type MaybeMessageTimelineItemType = Readonly<
   | undefined
   | TimelineItemType
   | { type: 'message'; data: MessageTimelineItemDataType }
@@ -51,6 +54,10 @@ const getMessageTimelineItemData = (
 ): undefined | MessageTimelineItemDataType =>
   timelineItem?.type === 'message' ? timelineItem.data : undefined;
 
+function isDelivered(status?: LastMessageStatus) {
+  return status === 'delivered' || status === 'read' || status === 'viewed';
+}
+
 export function areMessagesInSameGroup(
   olderTimelineItem: MaybeMessageTimelineItemType,
   unreadIndicator: boolean,
@@ -70,12 +77,20 @@ export function areMessagesInSameGroup(
     return false;
   }
 
+  // We definitely don't want to group if we transition from non-deleted to deleted, since
+  //   deleted messages don't show status.
+  if (newerMessage.deletedForEveryone && !olderMessage.deletedForEveryone) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
   return Boolean(
     !olderMessage.reactions?.length &&
       olderMessage.author.id === newerMessage.author.id &&
       newerMessage.timestamp >= olderMessage.timestamp &&
       newerMessage.timestamp - olderMessage.timestamp < COLLAPSE_WITHIN &&
-      isSameDay(olderMessage.timestamp, newerMessage.timestamp)
+      isSameDay(olderMessage.timestamp, newerMessage.timestamp) &&
+      (olderMessage.status === newerMessage.status ||
+        (isDelivered(newerMessage.status) && isDelivered(olderMessage.status)))
   );
 }