diff --git a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/bookmarked_statuses/index.jsx b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/bookmarked_statuses/index.jsx
index fe8b883de5..c674c82547 100644
--- a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/bookmarked_statuses/index.jsx
+++ b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/bookmarked_statuses/index.jsx
@@ -15,13 +15,14 @@ import { addColumn, removeColumn, moveColumn } from 'flavours/glitch/actions/col
 import ColumnHeader from 'flavours/glitch/components/column_header';
 import StatusList from 'flavours/glitch/components/status_list';
 import Column from 'flavours/glitch/features/ui/components/column';
+import { getStatusList } from 'flavours/glitch/selectors';
 
 const messages = defineMessages({
   heading: { id: 'column.bookmarks', defaultMessage: 'Bookmarks' },
 });
 
 const mapStateToProps = state => ({
-  statusIds: state.getIn(['status_lists', 'bookmarks', 'items']),
+  statusIds: getStatusList(state, 'bookmarks'),
   isLoading: state.getIn(['status_lists', 'bookmarks', 'isLoading'], true),
   hasMore: !!state.getIn(['status_lists', 'bookmarks', 'next']),
 });
diff --git a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/community_timeline/index.jsx b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/community_timeline/index.jsx
index 127e7cf182..ca11adb464 100644
--- a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/community_timeline/index.jsx
+++ b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/community_timeline/index.jsx
@@ -142,11 +142,8 @@ class CommunityTimeline extends PureComponent {
           <ColumnSettingsContainer columnId={columnId} />
         </ColumnHeader>
 
-        <DismissableBanner id='community_timeline'>
-          <FormattedMessage id='dismissable_banner.community_timeline' defaultMessage='These are the most recent public posts from people whose accounts are hosted by {domain}.' values={{ domain }} />
-        </DismissableBanner>
-
         <StatusListContainer
+          prepend={<DismissableBanner id='community_timeline'><FormattedMessage id='dismissable_banner.community_timeline' defaultMessage='These are the most recent public posts from people whose accounts are hosted by {domain}.' values={{ domain }} /></DismissableBanner>}
           trackScroll={!pinned}
           scrollKey={`community_timeline-${columnId}`}
           timelineId={`community${onlyMedia ? ':media' : ''}`}
diff --git a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/explore/links.jsx b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/explore/links.jsx
index ca7d948625..88976c4ea6 100644
--- a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/explore/links.jsx
+++ b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/explore/links.jsx
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ class Links extends PureComponent {
 
     const banner = (
       <DismissableBanner id='explore/links'>
-        <FormattedMessage id='dismissable_banner.explore_links' defaultMessage='These news stories are being talked about by people on this and other servers of the decentralized network right now.' />
+        <FormattedMessage id='dismissable_banner.explore_links' defaultMessage='These are news stories being shared the most on the social web today. Newer news stories posted by more different people are ranked higher.' />
       </DismissableBanner>
     );
 
diff --git a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/explore/statuses.jsx b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/explore/statuses.jsx
index 212980c28f..ce484ef77c 100644
--- a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/explore/statuses.jsx
+++ b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/explore/statuses.jsx
@@ -11,9 +11,10 @@ import { debounce } from 'lodash';
 import { fetchTrendingStatuses, expandTrendingStatuses } from 'flavours/glitch/actions/trends';
 import DismissableBanner from 'flavours/glitch/components/dismissable_banner';
 import StatusList from 'flavours/glitch/components/status_list';
+import { getStatusList } from 'flavours/glitch/selectors';
 
 const mapStateToProps = state => ({
-  statusIds: state.getIn(['status_lists', 'trending', 'items']),
+  statusIds: getStatusList(state, 'trending'),
   isLoading: state.getIn(['status_lists', 'trending', 'isLoading'], true),
   hasMore: !!state.getIn(['status_lists', 'trending', 'next']),
 });
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ class Statuses extends PureComponent {
     return (
       <>
         <DismissableBanner id='explore/statuses'>
-          <FormattedMessage id='dismissable_banner.explore_statuses' defaultMessage='These posts from this and other servers in the decentralized network are gaining traction on this server right now.' />
+          <FormattedMessage id='dismissable_banner.explore_statuses' defaultMessage='These are posts from across the social web that are gaining traction today. Newer posts with more boosts and favourites are ranked higher.' />
         </DismissableBanner>
 
         <StatusList
diff --git a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/explore/tags.jsx b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/explore/tags.jsx
index 5f672a90d1..e3a8a45fdf 100644
--- a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/explore/tags.jsx
+++ b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/explore/tags.jsx
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class Tags extends PureComponent {
 
     const banner = (
       <DismissableBanner id='explore/tags'>
-        <FormattedMessage id='dismissable_banner.explore_tags' defaultMessage='These hashtags are gaining traction among people on this and other servers of the decentralized network right now.' />
+        <FormattedMessage id='dismissable_banner.explore_tags' defaultMessage='These are hashtags that are gaining traction on the social web today. Hashtags that are used by more different people are ranked higher.' />
       </DismissableBanner>
     );
 
diff --git a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/favourited_statuses/index.jsx b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/favourited_statuses/index.jsx
index 08152063c7..ed11f2b8ce 100644
--- a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/favourited_statuses/index.jsx
+++ b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/favourited_statuses/index.jsx
@@ -15,13 +15,14 @@ import { fetchFavouritedStatuses, expandFavouritedStatuses } from 'flavours/glit
 import ColumnHeader from 'flavours/glitch/components/column_header';
 import StatusList from 'flavours/glitch/components/status_list';
 import Column from 'flavours/glitch/features/ui/components/column';
+import { getStatusList } from 'flavours/glitch/selectors';
 
 const messages = defineMessages({
   heading: { id: 'column.favourites', defaultMessage: 'Favourites' },
 });
 
 const mapStateToProps = state => ({
-  statusIds: state.getIn(['status_lists', 'favourites', 'items']),
+  statusIds: getStatusList(state, 'favourites'),
   isLoading: state.getIn(['status_lists', 'favourites', 'isLoading'], true),
   hasMore: !!state.getIn(['status_lists', 'favourites', 'next']),
 });
diff --git a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/home_timeline/components/explore_prompt.jsx b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/home_timeline/components/explore_prompt.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..972dedd3be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/home_timeline/components/explore_prompt.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import React from 'react';
+
+import { FormattedMessage } from 'react-intl';
+
+import { Link } from 'react-router-dom';
+
+import DismissableBanner from 'flavours/glitch/components/dismissable_banner';
+import background from 'mastodon/../images/friends-cropped.png';
+
+
+export const ExplorePrompt = () => (
+  <DismissableBanner id='home.explore_prompt'>
+    <img src={background} alt='' className='dismissable-banner__background-image' />
+
+    <h1><FormattedMessage id='home.explore_prompt.title' defaultMessage='This is your home base within Mastodon.' /></h1>
+    <p><FormattedMessage id='home.explore_prompt.body' defaultMessage="Your home feed will have a mix of posts from the hashtags you've chosen to follow, the people you've chosen to follow, and the posts they boost. It's looking pretty quiet right now, so how about:" /></p>
+
+    <div className='dismissable-banner__message__actions'>
+      <Link to='/explore' className='button'><FormattedMessage id='home.actions.go_to_explore' defaultMessage="See what's trending" /></Link>
+      <Link to='/explore/suggestions' className='button button-tertiary'><FormattedMessage id='home.actions.go_to_suggestions' defaultMessage='Find people to follow' /></Link>
+    </div>
+  </DismissableBanner>
+);
diff --git a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/home_timeline/index.jsx b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/home_timeline/index.jsx
index 791c310557..7036857020 100644
--- a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/home_timeline/index.jsx
+++ b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/home_timeline/index.jsx
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@ import { defineMessages, injectIntl, FormattedMessage } from 'react-intl';
 
 import classNames from 'classnames';
 import { Helmet } from 'react-helmet';
-import { Link } from 'react-router-dom';
 
+import { List as ImmutableList } from 'immutable';
 import { connect } from 'react-redux';
+import { createSelector } from 'reselect';
 
 import { fetchAnnouncements, toggleShowAnnouncements } from 'flavours/glitch/actions/announcements';
 import { addColumn, removeColumn, moveColumn } from 'flavours/glitch/actions/columns';
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ import { NotSignedInIndicator } from 'flavours/glitch/components/not_signed_in_i
 import AnnouncementsContainer from 'flavours/glitch/features/getting_started/containers/announcements_container';
 import StatusListContainer from 'flavours/glitch/features/ui/containers/status_list_container';
 
+import { ExplorePrompt } from './components/explore_prompt';
 import ColumnSettingsContainer from './containers/column_settings_container';
 
 
@@ -28,12 +30,36 @@ const messages = defineMessages({
   hide_announcements: { id: 'home.hide_announcements', defaultMessage: 'Hide announcements' },
 });
 
+const getHomeFeedSpeed = createSelector([
+  state => state.getIn(['timelines', 'home', 'items'], ImmutableList()),
+  state => state.get('statuses'),
+], (statusIds, statusMap) => {
+  const statuses = statusIds.take(20).map(id => statusMap.get(id));
+  const uniqueAccountIds = (new Set(statuses.map(status => status.get('account')).toArray())).size;
+  const oldest = new Date(statuses.getIn([statuses.size - 1, 'created_at'], 0));
+  const newest = new Date(statuses.getIn([0, 'created_at'], 0));
+  const averageGap = (newest - oldest) / (1000 * (statuses.size + 1)); // Average gap between posts on first page in seconds
+
+  return {
+    unique: uniqueAccountIds,
+    gap: averageGap,
+    newest,
+  };
+});
+
+const homeTooSlow = createSelector(getHomeFeedSpeed, speed =>
+  speed.unique < 5 // If there are fewer than 5 different accounts visible
+  || speed.gap > (30 * 60) // If the average gap between posts is more than 20 minutes
+  || (Date.now() - speed.newest) > (1000 * 3600) // If the most recent post is from over an hour ago
+);
+
 const mapStateToProps = state => ({
   hasUnread: state.getIn(['timelines', 'home', 'unread']) > 0,
   isPartial: state.getIn(['timelines', 'home', 'isPartial']),
   hasAnnouncements: !state.getIn(['announcements', 'items']).isEmpty(),
   unreadAnnouncements: state.getIn(['announcements', 'items']).count(item => !item.get('read')),
   showAnnouncements: state.getIn(['announcements', 'show']),
+  tooSlow: homeTooSlow(state),
   regex: state.getIn(['settings', 'home', 'regex', 'body']),
 });
 
@@ -53,6 +79,7 @@ class HomeTimeline extends PureComponent {
     hasAnnouncements: PropTypes.bool,
     unreadAnnouncements: PropTypes.number,
     showAnnouncements: PropTypes.bool,
+    tooSlow: PropTypes.bool,
     regex: PropTypes.string,
   };
 
@@ -123,11 +150,11 @@ class HomeTimeline extends PureComponent {
   };
 
   render () {
-    const { intl, hasUnread, columnId, multiColumn, hasAnnouncements, unreadAnnouncements, showAnnouncements } = this.props;
+    const { intl, hasUnread, columnId, multiColumn, tooSlow, hasAnnouncements, unreadAnnouncements, showAnnouncements } = this.props;
     const pinned = !!columnId;
     const { signedIn } = this.context.identity;
 
-    let announcementsButton = null;
+    let announcementsButton, banner;
 
     if (hasAnnouncements) {
       announcementsButton = (
@@ -142,6 +169,10 @@ class HomeTimeline extends PureComponent {
       );
     }
 
+    if (tooSlow) {
+      banner = <ExplorePrompt />;
+    }
+
     return (
       <Column bindToDocument={!multiColumn} ref={this.setRef} name='home' label={intl.formatMessage(messages.title)}>
         <ColumnHeader
@@ -161,11 +192,13 @@ class HomeTimeline extends PureComponent {
 
         {signedIn ? (
           <StatusListContainer
+            prepend={banner}
+            alwaysPrepend
             trackScroll={!pinned}
             scrollKey={`home_timeline-${columnId}`}
             onLoadMore={this.handleLoadMore}
             timelineId='home'
-            emptyMessage={<FormattedMessage id='empty_column.home' defaultMessage='Your home timeline is empty! Follow more people to fill it up. {suggestions}' values={{ suggestions: <Link to='/start'><FormattedMessage id='empty_column.home.suggestions' defaultMessage='See some suggestions' /></Link> }} />}
+            emptyMessage={<FormattedMessage id='empty_column.home' defaultMessage='Your home timeline is empty! Follow more people to fill it up.' />}
             bindToDocument={!multiColumn}
             regex={this.props.regex}
           />
diff --git a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/public_timeline/index.jsx b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/public_timeline/index.jsx
index 5bbbea0662..4e4b350f8b 100644
--- a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/public_timeline/index.jsx
+++ b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/features/public_timeline/index.jsx
@@ -146,11 +146,8 @@ class PublicTimeline extends PureComponent {
           <ColumnSettingsContainer columnId={columnId} />
         </ColumnHeader>
 
-        <DismissableBanner id='public_timeline'>
-          <FormattedMessage id='dismissable_banner.public_timeline' defaultMessage='These are the most recent public posts from people on this and other servers of the decentralized network that this server knows about.' />
-        </DismissableBanner>
-
         <StatusListContainer
+          prepend={<DismissableBanner id='public_timeline'><FormattedMessage id='dismissable_banner.public_timeline' defaultMessage='These are the most recent public posts from people on this and other servers of the decentralized network that this server knows about.' /></DismissableBanner>}
           timelineId={`public${onlyRemote ? ':remote' : (allowLocalOnly ? ':allow_local_only' : '')}${onlyMedia ? ':media' : ''}`}
           onLoadMore={this.handleLoadMore}
           trackScroll={!pinned}
diff --git a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/selectors/index.js b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/selectors/index.js
index e02bfab5db..a296ef8ede 100644
--- a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/selectors/index.js
+++ b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/selectors/index.js
@@ -137,3 +137,7 @@ export const getAccountHidden = createSelector([
 ], (hidden, followingOrRequested, isSelf) => {
   return hidden && !(isSelf || followingOrRequested);
 });
+
+export const getStatusList = createSelector([
+  (state, type) => state.getIn(['status_lists', type, 'items']),
+], (items) => items.toList());
diff --git a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/styles/components/columns.scss b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/styles/components/columns.scss
index 533c5eda0f..97c8a84d69 100644
--- a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/styles/components/columns.scss
+++ b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/styles/components/columns.scss
@@ -960,26 +960,70 @@ $ui-header-height: 55px;
 }
 
 .dismissable-banner {
-  background: $ui-base-color;
-  border-bottom: 1px solid lighten($ui-base-color, 8%);
-  display: flex;
-  align-items: center;
-  gap: 30px;
+  position: relative;
+  margin: 10px;
+  margin-bottom: 5px;
+  border-radius: 8px;
+  border: 1px solid $highlight-text-color;
+  background: rgba($highlight-text-color, 0.15);
+  padding-inline-end: 45px;
+  overflow: hidden;
+
+  &__background-image {
+    width: 125%;
+    position: absolute;
+    bottom: -25%;
+    inset-inline-end: -25%;
+    z-index: -1;
+    opacity: 0.15;
+    mix-blend-mode: luminosity;
+  }
 
   &__message {
     flex: 1 1 auto;
-    padding: 20px 15px;
-    cursor: default;
-    font-size: 14px;
-    line-height: 18px;
+    padding: 15px;
+    font-size: 15px;
+    line-height: 22px;
+    font-weight: 500;
     color: $primary-text-color;
+
+    p {
+      margin-bottom: 15px;
+
+      &:last-child {
+        margin-bottom: 0;
+      }
+    }
+
+    h1 {
+      color: $highlight-text-color;
+      font-size: 22px;
+      line-height: 33px;
+      font-weight: 700;
+      margin-bottom: 15px;
+    }
+
+    &__actions {
+      display: flex;
+      align-items: center;
+      gap: 4px;
+      margin-top: 30px;
+    }
+
+    .button-tertiary {
+      background: rgba($ui-base-color, 0.15);
+      backdrop-filter: blur(8px);
+    }
   }
 
   &__action {
-    padding: 15px;
-    flex: 0 0 auto;
-    display: flex;
-    align-items: center;
-    justify-content: center;
+    position: absolute;
+    inset-inline-end: 0;
+    top: 0;
+    padding: 10px;
+
+    .icon-button {
+      color: $highlight-text-color;
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/styles/mastodon-light/diff.scss b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/styles/mastodon-light/diff.scss
index 2294f2d7c2..cfcdd742e1 100644
--- a/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/styles/mastodon-light/diff.scss
+++ b/app/javascript/flavours/glitch/styles/mastodon-light/diff.scss
@@ -653,11 +653,6 @@ html {
   border: 1px solid lighten($ui-base-color, 8%);
 }
 
-.dismissable-banner {
-  border-left: 1px solid lighten($ui-base-color, 8%);
-  border-right: 1px solid lighten($ui-base-color, 8%);
-}
-
 .status__content,
 .reply-indicator__content {
   a {