diff --git a/ElementX/Sources/Application/AppSettings.swift b/ElementX/Sources/Application/AppSettings.swift
index d25eb8e60..f4d0e75df 100644
--- a/ElementX/Sources/Application/AppSettings.swift
+++ b/ElementX/Sources/Application/AppSettings.swift
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ final class AppSettings {
         case shareLocationEnabled
         case hasShownWelcomeScreen
         case notificationSettingsEnabled
+        case timelineDiffableAnimationsEnabled
     }
     
     private static var suiteName: String = InfoPlistReader.main.appGroupIdentifier
@@ -226,4 +227,7 @@ final class AppSettings {
     
     @UserPreference(key: UserDefaultsKeys.notificationSettingsEnabled, defaultValue: false, storageType: .userDefaults(store))
     var notificationSettingsEnabled
+
+    @UserPreference(key: UserDefaultsKeys.timelineDiffableAnimationsEnabled, defaultValue: false, storageType: .userDefaults(store))
+    var timelineDiffableAnimationsEnabled
 }
diff --git a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/RoomScreen/View/TimelineTableViewController.swift b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/RoomScreen/View/TimelineTableViewController.swift
index 9988c7206..dd5c40c96 100644
--- a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/RoomScreen/View/TimelineTableViewController.swift
+++ b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/RoomScreen/View/TimelineTableViewController.swift
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ class TimelineTableViewController: UIViewController {
     private var previousLayout: LayoutDescriptor?
     /// Whether or not the view has been shown on screen yet.
     private var hasAppearedOnce = false
+    /// Whether the scroll and the animations should happen
+    private var shouldAnimate = false
     
     init(coordinator: TimelineView.Coordinator,
          timelineStyle: TimelineStyle,
@@ -168,6 +170,11 @@ class TimelineTableViewController: UIViewController {
         guard !hasAppearedOnce else { return }
         scrollToBottom(animated: false)
         hasAppearedOnce = true
+        // This is to prevent the SS proxy issue that forces a full refresh of all the timeline items
+        // the first time the timeline is opened
+        DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + 2) {
+            self.shouldAnimate = ServiceLocator.shared.settings.timelineDiffableAnimationsEnabled
+        }
     }
     
     override func didMove(toParent parent: UIViewController?) {
@@ -231,8 +238,7 @@ class TimelineTableViewController: UIViewController {
             return cell
         }
 
-//        dataSource?.defaultRowAnimation = .automatic
-        
+        dataSource?.defaultRowAnimation = .fade
         tableView.delegate = self
     }
     
@@ -249,13 +255,14 @@ class TimelineTableViewController: UIViewController {
         snapshot.appendSections([.main])
         snapshot.appendItems(timelineItemsIDs)
 
-        MXLog.verbose("DIFF: \(snapshot.itemIdentifiers.difference(from: dataSource.snapshot().itemIdentifiers))")
-        dataSource.apply(snapshot, animatingDifferences: false)
-        
-        // Probably redundant now we observe content size changes…
-        // Leaving in place for the release and will reassess after.
-        updateTopPadding()
-        
+        let currentSnapshot = dataSource.snapshot()
+        MXLog.verbose("DIFF: \(snapshot.itemIdentifiers.difference(from: currentSnapshot.itemIdentifiers))")
+
+        // We only animate if the last item has changed
+        // We don't care to animate backpagination since we want to keep the scrolling position when that happens
+        let animated = shouldAnimate && snapshot.itemIdentifiers.last != currentSnapshot.itemIdentifiers.last
+        dataSource.apply(snapshot, animatingDifferences: animated)
+
         if previousLayout.isBottomVisible {
             scrollToBottom(animated: false)
         } else if let pinnedItem = previousLayout.pinnedItem {
diff --git a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/Settings/DeveloperOptionsScreen/DeveloperOptionsScreenModels.swift b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/Settings/DeveloperOptionsScreen/DeveloperOptionsScreenModels.swift
index f9f615104..68d8aa4c2 100644
--- a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/Settings/DeveloperOptionsScreen/DeveloperOptionsScreenModels.swift
+++ b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/Settings/DeveloperOptionsScreen/DeveloperOptionsScreenModels.swift
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ struct DeveloperOptionsScreenViewStateBindings {
     var locationEventsEnabled: Bool
     var shareLocationEnabled: Bool
     var notificationSettingsEnabled: Bool
+    var timelineDiffableAnimationsEnabled: Bool
 }
 
 enum DeveloperOptionsScreenViewAction {
@@ -42,5 +43,6 @@ enum DeveloperOptionsScreenViewAction {
     case changedLocationEventsEnabled
     case changedShareLocationEnabled
     case changedNotificationSettingsEnabled
+    case changedTimelineDiffableAnimationsEnabled
     case clearCache
 }
diff --git a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/Settings/DeveloperOptionsScreen/DeveloperOptionsScreenViewModel.swift b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/Settings/DeveloperOptionsScreen/DeveloperOptionsScreenViewModel.swift
index 33796519f..82e366009 100644
--- a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/Settings/DeveloperOptionsScreen/DeveloperOptionsScreenViewModel.swift
+++ b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/Settings/DeveloperOptionsScreen/DeveloperOptionsScreenViewModel.swift
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ class DeveloperOptionsScreenViewModel: DeveloperOptionsScreenViewModelType, Deve
                                                                isEncryptionSyncEnabled: appSettings.isEncryptionSyncEnabled,
                                                                locationEventsEnabled: appSettings.locationEventsEnabled,
                                                                shareLocationEnabled: appSettings.shareLocationEnabled,
-                                                               notificationSettingsEnabled: appSettings.notificationSettingsEnabled)
+                                                               notificationSettingsEnabled: appSettings.notificationSettingsEnabled,
+                                                               timelineDiffableAnimationsEnabled: appSettings.timelineDiffableAnimationsEnabled)
         let state = DeveloperOptionsScreenViewState(bindings: bindings)
         
         super.init(initialViewState: state)
@@ -58,6 +59,8 @@ class DeveloperOptionsScreenViewModel: DeveloperOptionsScreenViewModelType, Deve
             appSettings.shareLocationEnabled = state.bindings.shareLocationEnabled
         case .changedNotificationSettingsEnabled:
             appSettings.notificationSettingsEnabled = state.bindings.notificationSettingsEnabled
+        case .changedTimelineDiffableAnimationsEnabled:
+            appSettings.timelineDiffableAnimationsEnabled = state.bindings.timelineDiffableAnimationsEnabled
         case .clearCache:
             callback?(.clearCache)
         }
diff --git a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/Settings/DeveloperOptionsScreen/View/DeveloperOptionsScreen.swift b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/Settings/DeveloperOptionsScreen/View/DeveloperOptionsScreen.swift
index 82935f274..b62fd321d 100644
--- a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/Settings/DeveloperOptionsScreen/View/DeveloperOptionsScreen.swift
+++ b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/Settings/DeveloperOptionsScreen/View/DeveloperOptionsScreen.swift
@@ -79,6 +79,13 @@ struct DeveloperOptionsScreen: View {
                 .onChange(of: context.userSuggestionsEnabled) { _ in
                     context.send(viewAction: .changedUserSuggestionsEnabled)
                 }
+
+                Toggle(isOn: $context.timelineDiffableAnimationsEnabled) {
+                    Text("Enable diffable animations in the timeline")
+                }
+                .onChange(of: context.timelineDiffableAnimationsEnabled) { _ in
+                    context.send(viewAction: .changedTimelineDiffableAnimationsEnabled)
+                }
             }
             
             Section {
diff --git a/ElementX/Sources/Services/Timeline/TimelineController/RoomTimelineController.swift b/ElementX/Sources/Services/Timeline/TimelineController/RoomTimelineController.swift
index 98fbade41..7cbb078f2 100644
--- a/ElementX/Sources/Services/Timeline/TimelineController/RoomTimelineController.swift
+++ b/ElementX/Sources/Services/Timeline/TimelineController/RoomTimelineController.swift
@@ -355,8 +355,7 @@ class RoomTimelineController: RoomTimelineControllerProtocol {
                 let date = Date(timeIntervalSince1970: TimeInterval(timestamp / 1000))
                 let dateString = date.formatted(date: .complete, time: .omitted)
                 
-                // Separators without stable identifiers cause UI glitches
-                let identifier = "\(chunkIndex)-\(dateString)"
+                let identifier = date.formatted(.iso8601.dateSeparator(.dash))
                 return SeparatorRoomTimelineItem(id: .init(timelineID: identifier), text: dateString)
             case .readMarker:
                 return ReadMarkerRoomTimelineItem()