diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomSublist2.tsx b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomSublist2.tsx
index 58ebf54bf7..6682527254 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomSublist2.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomSublist2.tsx
@@ -91,6 +91,12 @@ export default class RoomSublist2 extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
         return (this.props.rooms || []).length;
     }
 
+    private get numVisibleTiles(): number {
+        if (!this.props.layout) return 0;
+        const nVisible = Math.floor(this.props.layout.visibleTiles);
+        return Math.min(nVisible, this.numTiles);
+    }
+
     public componentDidUpdate() {
         this.state.notificationState.setRooms(this.props.rooms);
     }
@@ -107,7 +113,7 @@ export default class RoomSublist2 extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
     private onResize = (e: React.MouseEvent, data: ResizeCallbackData) => {
         const direction = e.movementY < 0 ? -1 : +1;
         const tileDiff = this.props.layout.pixelsToTiles(Math.abs(e.movementY)) * direction;
-        this.props.layout.visibleTiles += tileDiff;
+        this.props.layout.setVisibleTilesWithin(tileDiff, this.numTiles);
         this.forceUpdate(); // because the layout doesn't trigger a re-render
     };
 
@@ -173,13 +179,17 @@ export default class RoomSublist2 extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
         }
     };
 
-    private renderTiles(): React.ReactElement[] {
-        if (this.props.layout && this.props.layout.isCollapsed) return []; // don't waste time on rendering
+    private renderVisibleTiles(): React.ReactElement[] {
+        if (this.props.layout && this.props.layout.isCollapsed) {
+            // don't waste time on rendering
+            return [];
+        }
 
         const tiles: React.ReactElement[] = [];
 
         if (this.props.rooms) {
-            for (const room of this.props.rooms) {
+            const visibleRooms = this.props.rooms.slice(0, this.numVisibleTiles);
+            for (const room of visibleRooms) {
                 tiles.push(
                     <RoomTile2
                         room={room}
@@ -338,7 +348,7 @@ export default class RoomSublist2 extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
     public render(): React.ReactElement {
         // TODO: Error boundary: https://github.com/vector-im/riot-web/issues/14185
 
-        const tiles = this.renderTiles();
+        const visibleTiles = this.renderVisibleTiles();
 
         const classes = classNames({
             'mx_RoomSublist2': true,
@@ -347,13 +357,10 @@ export default class RoomSublist2 extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
         });
 
         let content = null;
-        if (tiles.length > 0) {
+        if (visibleTiles.length > 0) {
             const layout = this.props.layout; // to shorten calls
 
-            const nVisible = Math.floor(layout.visibleTiles);
-            const visibleTiles = tiles.slice(0, nVisible);
-
-            const maxTilesFactored = layout.tilesWithResizerBoxFactor(tiles.length);
+            const maxTilesFactored = layout.tilesWithResizerBoxFactor(this.numTiles);
             const showMoreBtnClasses = classNames({
                 'mx_RoomSublist2_showNButton': true,
                 'mx_RoomSublist2_isCutting': this.state.isResizing && layout.visibleTiles < maxTilesFactored,
@@ -363,9 +370,9 @@ export default class RoomSublist2 extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
             // floats above the resize handle, if we have one present. If the user has all
             // tiles visible, it becomes 'show less'.
             let showNButton = null;
-            if (tiles.length > nVisible) {
+            if (this.numTiles > this.numVisibleTiles) {
                 // we have a cutoff condition - add the button to show all
-                const numMissing = tiles.length - visibleTiles.length;
+                const numMissing = this.numTiles - visibleTiles.length;
                 let showMoreText = (
                     <span className='mx_RoomSublist2_showNButtonText'>
                         {_t("Show %(count)s more", {count: numMissing})}
@@ -380,7 +387,7 @@ export default class RoomSublist2 extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
                         {showMoreText}
                     </div>
                 );
-            } else if (tiles.length <= nVisible && tiles.length > this.props.layout.defaultVisibleTiles) {
+            } else if (this.numTiles <= this.numVisibleTiles && this.numTiles > this.props.layout.defaultVisibleTiles) {
                 // we have all tiles visible - add a button to show less
                 let showLessText = (
                     <span className='mx_RoomSublist2_showNButtonText'>
@@ -400,7 +407,7 @@ export default class RoomSublist2 extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
 
             // Figure out if we need a handle
             let handles = ['s'];
-            if (layout.visibleTiles >= tiles.length && tiles.length <= layout.minVisibleTiles) {
+            if (layout.visibleTiles >= this.numTiles && this.numTiles <= layout.minVisibleTiles) {
                 handles = []; // no handles, we're at a minimum
             }
 
@@ -419,9 +426,9 @@ export default class RoomSublist2 extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
             if (showNButton) padding += SHOW_N_BUTTON_HEIGHT;
             padding += RESIZE_HANDLE_HEIGHT; // always append the handle height
 
-            const relativeTiles = layout.tilesWithPadding(tiles.length, padding);
+            const relativeTiles = layout.tilesWithPadding(this.numTiles, padding);
             const minTilesPx = layout.calculateTilesToPixelsMin(relativeTiles, layout.minVisibleTiles, padding);
-            const maxTilesPx = layout.tilesToPixelsWithPadding(tiles.length, padding);
+            const maxTilesPx = layout.tilesToPixelsWithPadding(this.numTiles, padding);
             const tilesWithoutPadding = Math.min(relativeTiles, layout.visibleTiles);
             const tilesPx = layout.calculateTilesToPixelsMin(relativeTiles, tilesWithoutPadding, padding);
 
diff --git a/src/stores/room-list/ListLayout.ts b/src/stores/room-list/ListLayout.ts
index d8564bf947..528276e801 100644
--- a/src/stores/room-list/ListLayout.ts
+++ b/src/stores/room-list/ListLayout.ts
@@ -89,6 +89,14 @@ export class ListLayout {
         return 10 + RESIZER_BOX_FACTOR;
     }
 
+    public setVisibleTilesWithin(diff: number, maxPossible: number) {
+        if (this.visibleTiles > maxPossible) {
+            this.visibleTiles = maxPossible + diff;
+        } else {
+            this.visibleTiles += diff;
+        }
+    }
+
     public calculateTilesToPixelsMin(maxTiles: number, n: number, possiblePadding: number): number {
         // Only apply the padding if we're about to use maxTiles as we need to
         // plan for the padding. If we're using n, the padding is already accounted