diff --git a/spec/unit/thread-utils.spec.ts b/spec/unit/thread-utils.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..eba63d86e8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/unit/thread-utils.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2023 The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+import { IEvent } from "../../src";
+import { randomString } from "../../src/randomstring";
+import { getRelationsThreadFilter } from "../../src/thread-utils";
+
+function makeEvent(relatesToEvent: string, relType: string): Partial<IEvent> {
+    return {
+        event_id: randomString(10),
+        type: "m.room.message",
+        content: {
+            "msgtype": "m.text",
+            "body": "foo",
+            "m.relates_to": {
+                rel_type: relType,
+                event_id: relatesToEvent,
+            },
+        },
+    };
+}
+
+describe("getRelationsThreadFilter", () => {
+    it("should filter out relations directly to the thread root event", () => {
+        const threadId = "thisIsMyThreadRoot";
+
+        const reactionToRoot = makeEvent(threadId, "m.annotation");
+        const editToRoot = makeEvent(threadId, "m.replace");
+        const firstThreadedReply = makeEvent(threadId, "m.thread");
+        const reactionToThreadedEvent = makeEvent(firstThreadedReply.event_id!, "m.annotation");
+
+        const filteredEvents = [reactionToRoot, editToRoot, firstThreadedReply, reactionToThreadedEvent].filter(
+            getRelationsThreadFilter(threadId),
+        );
+
+        expect(filteredEvents).toEqual([firstThreadedReply, reactionToThreadedEvent]);
+    });
+});
diff --git a/src/client.ts b/src/client.ts
index 9ef4550d412..b10949e2242 100644
--- a/src/client.ts
+++ b/src/client.ts
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@ import {
 } from "./secret-storage";
 import { RegisterRequest, RegisterResponse } from "./@types/registration";
 import { MatrixRTCSessionManager } from "./matrixrtc/MatrixRTCSessionManager";
+import { getRelationsThreadFilter } from "./thread-utils";
 
 export type Store = IStore;
 
@@ -5968,14 +5969,14 @@ export class MatrixClient extends TypedEventEmitter<EmittedEvents, ClientEventHa
                 const resOlder: IRelationsResponse = await this.fetchRelations(
                     timelineSet.room.roomId,
                     thread.id,
-                    THREAD_RELATION_TYPE.name,
+                    null,
                     null,
                     { dir: Direction.Backward, from: res.start, recurse: recurse || undefined },
                 );
                 const resNewer: IRelationsResponse = await this.fetchRelations(
                     timelineSet.room.roomId,
                     thread.id,
-                    THREAD_RELATION_TYPE.name,
+                    null,
                     null,
                     { dir: Direction.Forward, from: res.end, recurse: recurse || undefined },
                 );
@@ -5983,10 +5984,11 @@ export class MatrixClient extends TypedEventEmitter<EmittedEvents, ClientEventHa
                     // Order events from most recent to oldest (reverse-chronological).
                     // We start with the last event, since that's the point at which we have known state.
                     // events_after is already backwards; events_before is forwards.
-                    ...resNewer.chunk.reverse().map(mapper),
+                    ...resNewer.chunk.reverse().filter(getRelationsThreadFilter(thread.id)).map(mapper),
                     event,
-                    ...resOlder.chunk.map(mapper),
+                    ...resOlder.chunk.filter(getRelationsThreadFilter(thread.id)).map(mapper),
                 ];
+
                 for (const event of events) {
                     await timelineSet.thread?.processEvent(event);
                 }
@@ -6361,6 +6363,7 @@ export class MatrixClient extends TypedEventEmitter<EmittedEvents, ClientEventHa
                         const stateEvents = res.state.filter(noUnsafeEventProps).map(this.getEventMapper());
                         roomState.setUnknownStateEvents(stateEvents);
                     }
+
                     const token = res.end;
                     const matrixEvents = res.chunk.filter(noUnsafeEventProps).map(this.getEventMapper());
 
@@ -6388,7 +6391,7 @@ export class MatrixClient extends TypedEventEmitter<EmittedEvents, ClientEventHa
             }
 
             const recurse = this.canSupport.get(Feature.RelationsRecursion) !== ServerSupport.Unsupported;
-            promise = this.fetchRelations(eventTimeline.getRoomId() ?? "", thread.id, THREAD_RELATION_TYPE.name, null, {
+            promise = this.fetchRelations(eventTimeline.getRoomId() ?? "", thread.id, null, null, {
                 dir,
                 limit: opts.limit,
                 from: token ?? undefined,
@@ -6396,7 +6399,10 @@ export class MatrixClient extends TypedEventEmitter<EmittedEvents, ClientEventHa
             })
                 .then(async (res) => {
                     const mapper = this.getEventMapper();
-                    const matrixEvents = res.chunk.filter(noUnsafeEventProps).map(mapper);
+                    const matrixEvents = res.chunk
+                        .filter(noUnsafeEventProps)
+                        .filter(getRelationsThreadFilter(thread.id))
+                        .map(mapper);
 
                     // Process latest events first
                     for (const event of matrixEvents.slice().reverse()) {
@@ -7591,7 +7597,7 @@ export class MatrixClient extends TypedEventEmitter<EmittedEvents, ClientEventHa
     public async relations(
         roomId: string,
         eventId: string,
-        relationType?: RelationType | string | null,
+        relationType: RelationType | string | null,
         eventType?: EventType | string | null,
         opts: IRelationsRequestOpts = { dir: Direction.Backward },
     ): Promise<{
@@ -8114,7 +8120,7 @@ export class MatrixClient extends TypedEventEmitter<EmittedEvents, ClientEventHa
     public fetchRelations(
         roomId: string,
         eventId: string,
-        relationType?: RelationType | string | null,
+        relationType: RelationType | string | null,
         eventType?: EventType | string | null,
         opts: IRelationsRequestOpts = { dir: Direction.Backward },
     ): Promise<IRelationsResponse> {
diff --git a/src/models/thread.ts b/src/models/thread.ts
index e4cfdaadb83..71e5d749dbe 100644
--- a/src/models/thread.ts
+++ b/src/models/thread.ts
@@ -609,7 +609,6 @@ export class Thread extends ReadReceipt<ThreadEmittedEvents, ThreadEventHandlerM
                 } else {
                     await this.client.paginateEventTimeline(this.liveTimeline, {
                         backwards: true,
-                        limit: Math.max(1, this.length),
                     });
                 }
                 for (const event of this.replayEvents!) {
diff --git a/src/thread-utils.ts b/src/thread-utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e645ccb7b35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/thread-utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2023 The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+import { IEvent, THREAD_RELATION_TYPE } from "./matrix";
+
+/**
+ * Returns a filter function for the /relations endpoint to filter out relations directly
+ * to the thread root event that should not live in the thread timeline
+ *
+ * @param threadId - the thread ID (ie. the event ID of the root event of the thread)
+ * @returns the filtered list of events
+ */
+export function getRelationsThreadFilter(threadId: string): (e: Partial<IEvent>) => boolean {
+    return (e: Partial<IEvent>) =>
+        e.content?.["m.relates_to"]?.event_id !== threadId ||
+        e.content?.["m.relates_to"]?.rel_type === THREAD_RELATION_TYPE.name;
+}