diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/common.css.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/common.css.scss
index 078674a11..27fd53c72 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/common.css.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/common.css.scss
@@ -971,6 +971,14 @@ p#contributorGuidance {
   font-weight: bold;
 }
 
+.inbox-row .inbox-mark-read {
+  display: none;
+}
+
+.inbox-row-unread .inbox-mark-unread {
+  display: none;
+}
+
 /* Rules for "flash" notice boxes shown at the top of the content area */
 
 #error {
diff --git a/app/views/message/_message_summary.html.erb b/app/views/message/_message_summary.html.erb
index 82d528a04..6d09d5c71 100644
--- a/app/views/message/_message_summary.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/message/_message_summary.html.erb
@@ -4,11 +4,8 @@
   <td class="inbox-sender" bgcolor="<%= this_colour %>"><%= link_to h(message_summary.sender.display_name), :controller => 'user', :action => 'view', :display_name => message_summary.sender.display_name %></td>
   <td class="inbox-subject" bgcolor="<%= this_colour %>"><%= link_to h(message_summary.title), :controller => 'message', :action => 'read', :message_id => message_summary.id  %></td>
   <td class="inbox-sent nowrap" bgcolor="<%= this_colour %>"><%= l message_summary.sent_on, :format => :friendly %></td>
-  <% if message_summary.message_read? %>
-    <td><%= button_to t('message.message_summary.unread_button'), {:controller => 'message', :action => 'mark', :message_id => message_summary.id, :mark => 'unread'}, { :remote => true } %></td>
-  <% else %>
-    <td><%= button_to t('message.message_summary.read_button'), {:controller => 'message', :action => 'mark', :message_id => message_summary.id, :mark => 'read'}, { :remote => true } %></td>
-  <% end %>
+  <td class="inbox-mark-unread"><%= button_to t('message.message_summary.unread_button'), {:controller => 'message', :action => 'mark', :message_id => message_summary.id, :mark => 'unread'}, { :remote => true } %></td>
+  <td class="inbox-mark-read"><%= button_to t('message.message_summary.read_button'), {:controller => 'message', :action => 'mark', :message_id => message_summary.id, :mark => 'read'}, { :remote => true } %></td>
   <td><%= button_to t('message.message_summary.reply_button'), :controller => 'message', :action => 'reply', :message_id => message_summary.id %></td>
   <td><%= button_to t('message.message_summary.delete_button'), :controller => 'message', :action => 'delete', :message_id => message_summary.id, :referer => request.fullpath %></td>
 </tr>
diff --git a/app/views/message/mark.js.erb b/app/views/message/mark.js.erb
index 2e545b62e..d67e74ace 100644
--- a/app/views/message/mark.js.erb
+++ b/app/views/message/mark.js.erb
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
 $("#inboxanchor").replaceWith("<%=j render :partial => "layouts/inbox" %>");
 $("#inbox-count").replaceWith("<%=j render :partial => "message_count" %>");
-$("#inbox-<%= @message.id %>").replaceWith("<%=j render :partial => "message_summary", :object => @message %>");
+<% if @message.message_read? -%>
+$("#inbox-<%= @message.id %>").removeClass("inbox-row-unread").addClass("inbox-row");
+<% else -%>
+$("#inbox-<%= @message.id %>").removeClass("inbox-row").addClass("inbox-row-unread");
+<% end -%>