diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/actions/markers.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/actions/markers.js
index c3a5fe86f14..9cc061a8766 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/actions/markers.js
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/actions/markers.js
@@ -1,30 +1,81 @@
-export const submitMarkers = () => (dispatch, getState) => {
+import api from '../api';
+import { debounce } from 'lodash';
+import compareId from '../compare_id';
+import { showAlertForError } from './alerts';
+
+export const MARKERS_SUBMIT_SUCCESS = 'MARKERS_SUBMIT_SUCCESS';
+
+export const synchronouslySubmitMarkers = () => (dispatch, getState) => {
   const accessToken = getState().getIn(['meta', 'access_token'], '');
-  const params      = {};
-
-  const lastHomeId         = getState().getIn(['timelines', 'home', 'items', 0]);
-  const lastNotificationId = getState().getIn(['notifications', 'items', 0, 'id']);
-
-  if (lastHomeId) {
-    params.home = {
-      last_read_id: lastHomeId,
-    };
-  }
-
-  if (lastNotificationId) {
-    params.notifications = {
-      last_read_id: lastNotificationId,
-    };
-  }
+  const params      = _buildParams(getState());
 
   if (Object.keys(params).length === 0) {
     return;
   }
 
-  const client = new XMLHttpRequest();
+  if (window.fetch) {
+    fetch('/api/v1/markers', {
+      keepalive: true,
+      method: 'POST',
+      headers: {
+        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
+        'Authorization': `Bearer ${accessToken}`,
+      },
+      body: JSON.stringify(params),
+    });
+  } else {
+    const client = new XMLHttpRequest();
 
-  client.open('POST', '/api/v1/markers', false);
-  client.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'application/json');
-  client.setRequestHeader('Authorization', `Bearer ${accessToken}`);
-  client.send(JSON.stringify(params));
+    client.open('POST', '/api/v1/markers', false);
+    client.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'application/json');
+    client.setRequestHeader('Authorization', `Bearer ${accessToken}`);
+    client.SUBMIT(JSON.stringify(params));
+  }
+};
+
+const _buildParams = (state) => {
+  const params = {};
+
+  const lastHomeId         = state.getIn(['timelines', 'home', 'items', 0]);
+  const lastNotificationId = state.getIn(['notifications', 'items', 0, 'id']);
+
+  if (lastHomeId && compareId(lastHomeId, state.getIn(['markers', 'home'])) > 0) {
+    params.home = {
+      last_read_id: lastHomeId,
+    };
+  }
+
+  if (lastNotificationId && compareId(lastNotificationId, state.getIn(['markers', 'notifications'])) > 0) {
+    params.notifications = {
+      last_read_id: lastNotificationId,
+    };
+  }
+
+  return params;
+};
+
+const debouncedSubmitMarkers = debounce((dispatch, getState) => {
+  const params = _buildParams(getState());
+
+  if (Object.keys(params).length === 0) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  api().post('/api/v1/markers', params).then(() => {
+    dispatch(submitMarkersSuccess(params));
+  }).catch(error => {
+    dispatch(showAlertForError(error));
+  });
+}, 300000, { leading: true, trailing: true });
+
+export function submitMarkersSuccess({ home, notifications }) {
+  return {
+    type: MARKERS_SUBMIT_SUCCESS,
+    home: (home || {}).last_read_id,
+    notifications: (notifications || {}).last_read_id,
+  };
+};
+
+export function submitMarkers() {
+  return (dispatch, getState) => debouncedSubmitMarkers(dispatch, getState);
 };
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/actions/notifications.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/actions/notifications.js
index 8a066b896a0..a26844f8482 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/actions/notifications.js
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/actions/notifications.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
   importFetchedStatus,
   importFetchedStatuses,
 } from './importer';
+import { submitMarkers } from './markers';
 import { saveSettings } from './settings';
 import { defineMessages } from 'react-intl';
 import { List as ImmutableList } from 'immutable';
@@ -70,6 +71,8 @@ export function updateNotifications(notification, intlMessages, intlLocale) {
       filtered = regex && regex.test(searchIndex);
     }
 
+    dispatch(submitMarkers());
+
     if (showInColumn) {
       dispatch(importFetchedAccount(notification.account));
 
@@ -157,6 +160,7 @@ export function expandNotifications({ maxId } = {}, done = noOp) {
 
       dispatch(expandNotificationsSuccess(response.data, next ? next.uri : null, isLoadingMore, isLoadingRecent, isLoadingRecent && preferPendingItems));
       fetchRelatedRelationships(dispatch, response.data);
+      dispatch(submitMarkers());
     }).catch(error => {
       dispatch(expandNotificationsFail(error, isLoadingMore));
     }).finally(() => {
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/actions/timelines.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/actions/timelines.js
index 00a7a678926..de1725acf64 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/actions/timelines.js
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/actions/timelines.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { importFetchedStatus, importFetchedStatuses } from './importer';
+import { submitMarkers } from './markers';
 import api, { getLinks } from 'mastodon/api';
 import { Map as ImmutableMap, List as ImmutableList } from 'immutable';
 import compareId from 'mastodon/compare_id';
@@ -36,6 +37,10 @@ export function updateTimeline(timeline, status, accept) {
       status,
       usePendingItems: preferPendingItems,
     });
+
+    if (timeline === 'home') {
+      dispatch(submitMarkers());
+    }
   };
 };
 
@@ -98,6 +103,10 @@ export function expandTimeline(timelineId, path, params = {}, done = noOp) {
       const next = getLinks(response).refs.find(link => link.rel === 'next');
       dispatch(importFetchedStatuses(response.data));
       dispatch(expandTimelineSuccess(timelineId, response.data, next ? next.uri : null, response.status === 206, isLoadingRecent, isLoadingMore, isLoadingRecent && preferPendingItems));
+
+      if (timelineId === 'home') {
+        dispatch(submitMarkers());
+      }
     }).catch(error => {
       dispatch(expandTimelineFail(timelineId, error, isLoadingMore));
     }).finally(() => {
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/ui/index.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/ui/index.js
index 957e8073757..81ffad22ede 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/ui/index.js
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/ui/index.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import { expandNotifications } from '../../actions/notifications';
 import { fetchFilters } from '../../actions/filters';
 import { clearHeight } from '../../actions/height_cache';
 import { focusApp, unfocusApp } from 'mastodon/actions/app';
-import { submitMarkers } from 'mastodon/actions/markers';
+import { synchronouslySubmitMarkers } from 'mastodon/actions/markers';
 import { WrappedSwitch, WrappedRoute } from './util/react_router_helpers';
 import UploadArea from './components/upload_area';
 import ColumnsAreaContainer from './containers/columns_area_container';
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ class UI extends React.PureComponent {
   handleBeforeUnload = e => {
     const { intl, dispatch, isComposing, hasComposingText, hasMediaAttachments } = this.props;
 
-    dispatch(submitMarkers());
+    dispatch(synchronouslySubmitMarkers());
 
     if (isComposing && (hasComposingText || hasMediaAttachments)) {
       // Setting returnValue to any string causes confirmation dialog.
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/reducers/index.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/reducers/index.js
index b9817cd3842..3823bb05e09 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/reducers/index.js
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/reducers/index.js
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import identity_proofs from './identity_proofs';
 import trends from './trends';
 import missed_updates from './missed_updates';
 import announcements from './announcements';
+import markers from './markers';
 
 const reducers = {
   announcements,
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ const reducers = {
   polls,
   trends,
   missed_updates,
+  markers,
 };
 
 export default combineReducers(reducers);
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/reducers/markers.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/reducers/markers.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2e67be82e71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/reducers/markers.js
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import {
+  MARKERS_SUBMIT_SUCCESS,
+} from '../actions/notifications';
+
+const initialState = ImmutableMap({
+  home: '0',
+  notifications: '0',
+});
+
+import { Map as ImmutableMap } from 'immutable';
+
+export default function markers(state = initialState, action) {
+  switch(action.type) {
+  case MARKERS_SUBMIT_SUCCESS:
+    if (action.home) {
+      state = state.set('home', action.home);
+    }
+    if (action.notifications) {
+      state = state.set('notifications', action.notifications);
+    }
+    return state;
+  default:
+    return state;
+  }
+};