diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/stories/viewer/StoryLoadState.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/stories/viewer/StoryLoadState.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fb94699f09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/stories/viewer/StoryLoadState.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+package org.thoughtcrime.securesms.stories.viewer
+
+data class StoryLoadState(
+  val isContentReady: Boolean = false,
+  val isCrossfaderReady: Boolean = false
+) {
+  fun isReady(): Boolean = isContentReady && isCrossfaderReady
+}
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/stories/viewer/StoryViewerFragment.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/stories/viewer/StoryViewerFragment.kt
index 417fb9e266..fb7616cc2d 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/stories/viewer/StoryViewerFragment.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/stories/viewer/StoryViewerFragment.kt
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import androidx.viewpager2.widget.ViewPager2
 import io.reactivex.rxjava3.android.schedulers.AndroidSchedulers
 import org.signal.core.util.getParcelableArrayListCompat
 import org.signal.core.util.getParcelableCompat
+import org.signal.core.util.logging.Log
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.R
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.keyvalue.SignalStore
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.recipients.Recipient
@@ -115,8 +116,11 @@ class StoryViewerFragment :
       if (state.skipCrossfade) {
         viewModel.setCrossfaderIsReady(true)
       }
+    }
 
-      if (state.loadState.isReady()) {
+    lifecycleDisposable += viewModel.loadState.subscribe {
+      if (it.isReady()) {
+        Log.d(TAG, "Content is ready, clearing crossfader.")
         storyCrossfader.alpha = 0f
       }
     }
@@ -203,6 +207,8 @@ class StoryViewerFragment :
   }
 
   companion object {
+    private val TAG = Log.tag(StoryViewerFragment::class.java)
+
     private const val ARGS = "args"
     private const val HIDDEN = "hidden"
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/stories/viewer/StoryViewerState.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/stories/viewer/StoryViewerState.kt
index 3f7c13a051..fb55d2d7b5 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/stories/viewer/StoryViewerState.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/stories/viewer/StoryViewerState.kt
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ data class StoryViewerState(
   val page: Int = -1,
   val crossfadeSource: CrossfadeSource,
   val crossfadeTarget: CrossfadeTarget? = null,
-  val loadState: LoadState = LoadState(),
   val skipCrossfade: Boolean = false,
   val noPosts: Boolean = false
 ) {
@@ -26,11 +25,4 @@ data class StoryViewerState(
     object None : CrossfadeTarget()
     data class Record(val messageRecord: MmsMessageRecord) : CrossfadeTarget()
   }
-
-  data class LoadState(
-    val isContentReady: Boolean = false,
-    val isCrossfaderReady: Boolean = false
-  ) {
-    fun isReady(): Boolean = isContentReady && isCrossfaderReady
-  }
 }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/stories/viewer/StoryViewerViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/stories/viewer/StoryViewerViewModel.kt
index f52e4db0c4..ae96f5064d 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/stories/viewer/StoryViewerViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/stories/viewer/StoryViewerViewModel.kt
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import androidx.lifecycle.LiveData
 import androidx.lifecycle.MutableLiveData
 import androidx.lifecycle.ViewModel
 import androidx.lifecycle.ViewModelProvider
+import io.reactivex.rxjava3.android.schedulers.AndroidSchedulers
 import io.reactivex.rxjava3.core.Flowable
 import io.reactivex.rxjava3.core.Observable
 import io.reactivex.rxjava3.core.Single
@@ -34,10 +35,13 @@ class StoryViewerViewModel(
     )
   )
 
+  private val loadStore = RxStore(StoryLoadState())
+
   private val disposables = CompositeDisposable()
 
   val stateSnapshot: StoryViewerState get() = store.state
   val state: Flowable<StoryViewerState> = store.stateFlowable
+  val loadState: Flowable<StoryLoadState> = loadStore.stateFlowable.distinctUntilChanged().observeOn(AndroidSchedulers.mainThread())
 
   private val hidden = mutableSetOf<RecipientId>()
 
@@ -47,7 +51,7 @@ class StoryViewerViewModel(
   private val childScrollStatePublisher: BehaviorSubject<Boolean> = BehaviorSubject.createDefault(false)
   val allowParentScrolling: Observable<Boolean> = Observable.combineLatest(
     childScrollStatePublisher.distinctUntilChanged(),
-    state.toObservable().map { it.loadState.isReady() }.distinctUntilChanged()
+    loadState.toObservable().map { it.isReady() }.distinctUntilChanged()
   ) { a, b -> !a && b }
 
   var hasConsumedInitialState = false
@@ -80,14 +84,14 @@ class StoryViewerViewModel(
   }
 
   fun setContentIsReady() {
-    store.update {
-      it.copy(loadState = it.loadState.copy(isContentReady = true))
+    loadStore.update {
+      it.copy(isContentReady = true)
     }
   }
 
   fun setCrossfaderIsReady(isReady: Boolean) {
-    store.update {
-      it.copy(loadState = it.loadState.copy(isCrossfaderReady = isReady))
+    loadStore.update {
+      it.copy(isCrossfaderReady = isReady)
     }
   }
 
@@ -151,6 +155,7 @@ class StoryViewerViewModel(
   override fun onCleared() {
     disposables.clear()
     store.dispose()
+    loadStore.dispose()
   }
 
   fun setSelectedPage(page: Int) {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/stories/viewer/page/StoryViewerPageFragment.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/stories/viewer/page/StoryViewerPageFragment.kt
index d9ab24cc47..b42ea73905 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/stories/viewer/page/StoryViewerPageFragment.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/stories/viewer/page/StoryViewerPageFragment.kt
@@ -370,10 +370,12 @@ class StoryViewerPageFragment :
       }
     }
 
-    lifecycleDisposable += sharedViewModel.state.distinctUntilChanged().observeOn(AndroidSchedulers.mainThread()).subscribe { parentState ->
-      viewModel.setIsRunningSharedElementAnimation(!parentState.loadState.isCrossfaderReady)
-      storyContentContainer.visible = parentState.loadState.isCrossfaderReady
+    lifecycleDisposable += sharedViewModel.loadState.subscribe {
+      viewModel.setIsRunningSharedElementAnimation(!it.isCrossfaderReady)
+      storyContentContainer.visible = it.isCrossfaderReady
+    }
 
+    lifecycleDisposable += sharedViewModel.state.distinctUntilChanged().observeOn(AndroidSchedulers.mainThread()).subscribe { parentState ->
       if (parentState.pages.size <= parentState.page) {
         viewModel.setIsSelectedPage(false)
       } else if (storyViewerPageArgs.recipientId == parentState.pages[parentState.page]) {