diff --git a/src/components/structures/FilePanel.js b/src/components/structures/FilePanel.js
index 71e8143f0a..c96f8770ad 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/FilePanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/FilePanel.js
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ const FilePanel = createReactClass({
 
                 if (client.isRoomEncrypted(roomId) && eventIndex !== null) {
                     const timeline = timelineSet.getLiveTimeline();
-                    await eventIndex.populateFileTimeline(timelineSet, timeline, room, 1);
+                    await eventIndex.populateFileTimeline(timelineSet, timeline, room, 10);
                 }
 
                 this.setState({ timelineSet: timelineSet });
diff --git a/src/indexing/EventIndex.js b/src/indexing/EventIndex.js
index c081440233..93c640cf8e 100644
--- a/src/indexing/EventIndex.js
+++ b/src/indexing/EventIndex.js
@@ -476,6 +476,16 @@ export default class EventIndex {
                                fromEvent = null, direction = EventTimeline.BACKWARDS) {
         const matrixEvents = await this.loadFileEvents(room, limit, fromEvent, direction);
 
+        // If this is a normal fill request, not a pagination request, we need
+        // to get our events in the BACKWARDS direction but populate them in the
+        // forwards direction.
+        // This needs to happen because a fill request might come with an
+        // exisitng timeline e.g. if you close and re-open the FilePanel.
+        if (fromEvent === null) {
+            matrixEvents.reverse();
+            direction = direction == EventTimeline.BACKWARDS ? EventTimeline.FORWARDS: EventTimeline.BACKWARDS;
+        }
+
         // Add the events to the live timeline of the file panel.
         matrixEvents.forEach(e => {
             if (!timelineSet.eventIdToTimeline(e.getId())) {