diff --git a/bindings/matrix-sdk-ffi/src/room/mod.rs b/bindings/matrix-sdk-ffi/src/room/mod.rs
index 2a9e46774..b8489d553 100644
--- a/bindings/matrix-sdk-ffi/src/room/mod.rs
+++ b/bindings/matrix-sdk-ffi/src/room/mod.rs
@@ -1112,7 +1112,7 @@ impl Room {
         let thread_root = EventId::parse(thread_root_event_id)?;
         if subscribed {
             // This is a manual subscription.
-            let automatic = false;
+            let automatic = None;
             self.inner.subscribe_thread(thread_root, automatic).await?;
         } else {
             self.inner.unsubscribe_thread(thread_root).await?;
diff --git a/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/mod.rs b/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/mod.rs
index ed2577209..0317c741f 100644
--- a/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/mod.rs
@@ -3655,35 +3655,63 @@ impl Room {
     ///
     /// - `thread_root`: The ID of the thread root event to subscribe to.
     /// - `automatic`: Whether the subscription was made automatically by a
-    ///   client, not by manual user choice. If there was a previous automatic
-    ///   subscription, and that's set to `true` (i.e. we're now subscribing
-    ///   manually), the subscription will be overridden to a manual one
-    ///   instead.
+    ///   client, not by manual user choice. If set, must include the latest
+    ///   event ID that's known in the thread and that is causing the automatic
+    ///   subscription. If unset (i.e. we're now subscribing manually) and there
+    ///   was a previous automatic subscription, the subscription will be
+    ///   overridden to a manual one instead.
     ///
     /// # Returns
     ///
     /// - A 404 error if the event isn't known, or isn't a thread root.
-    /// - An `Ok` result if the subscription was successful.
-    pub async fn subscribe_thread(&self, thread_root: OwnedEventId, automatic: bool) -> Result<()> {
-        self.client
+    /// - An `Ok` result if the subscription was successful, or if the server
+    ///   skipped an automatic subscription (as the user unsubscribed from the
+    ///   thread after the event causing the automatic subscription).
+    pub async fn subscribe_thread(
+        &self,
+        thread_root: OwnedEventId,
+        automatic: Option<OwnedEventId>,
+    ) -> Result<()> {
+        let is_automatic = automatic.is_some();
+
+        match self
+            .client
             .send(subscribe_thread::unstable::Request::new(
                 self.room_id().to_owned(),
                 thread_root.clone(),
                 automatic,
             ))
-            .await?;
+            .await
+        {
+            Ok(_response) => {
+                trace!("Server acknowledged the thread subscription; saving in db");
+                // Immediately save the result into the database.
+                self.client
+                    .state_store()
+                    .upsert_thread_subscription(
+                        self.room_id(),
+                        &thread_root,
+                        ThreadStatus::Subscribed { automatic: is_automatic },
+                    )
+                    .await?;
 
-        // Immediately save the result into the database.
-        self.client
-            .state_store()
-            .upsert_thread_subscription(
-                self.room_id(),
-                &thread_root,
-                ThreadStatus::Subscribed { automatic },
-            )
-            .await?;
+                Ok(())
+            }
 
-        Ok(())
+            Err(err) => {
+                if let Some(ErrorKind::ConflictingUnsubscription) = err.client_api_error_kind() {
+                    // In this case: the server indicates that the user unsubscribed *after* the
+                    // event ID we've used in an automatic subscription; don't
+                    // save the subscription state in the database, as the
+                    // previous one should be more correct.
+                    trace!("Thread subscription skipped: {err}");
+                    Ok(())
+                } else {
+                    // Forward the error to the caller.
+                    Err(err.into())
+                }
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     /// Unsubscribe from a given thread in this room.
diff --git a/crates/matrix-sdk/src/test_utils/mocks/mod.rs b/crates/matrix-sdk/src/test_utils/mocks/mod.rs
index bf983db88..75e289293 100644
--- a/crates/matrix-sdk/src/test_utils/mocks/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/matrix-sdk/src/test_utils/mocks/mod.rs
@@ -3879,6 +3879,17 @@ impl<'a> MockEndpoint<'a, PutThreadSubscriptionEndpoint> {
         self.respond_with(ResponseTemplate::new(200))
     }
 
+    /// Returns that the server skipped an automated thread subscription,
+    /// because the user unsubscribed to the thread after the event id passed in
+    /// the automatic subscription.
+    pub fn conflicting_unsubscription(mut self) -> MatrixMock<'a> {
+        self.mock = self.mock.and(path_regex(self.endpoint.matchers.endpoint_regexp_uri()));
+        self.respond_with(ResponseTemplate::new(409).set_body_json(json!({
+            "errcode": "IO.ELEMENT.MSC4306.M_CONFLICTING_UNSUBSCRIPTION",
+            "error": "the user unsubscribed after the subscription event id"
+        })))
+    }
+
     /// Match the request parameter against a specific room id.
     pub fn match_room_id(mut self, room_id: OwnedRoomId) -> Self {
         self.endpoint.matchers = self.endpoint.matchers.match_room_id(room_id);
diff --git a/crates/matrix-sdk/tests/integration/room/thread.rs b/crates/matrix-sdk/tests/integration/room/thread.rs
index cd5edc00a..6cfc98800 100644
--- a/crates/matrix-sdk/tests/integration/room/thread.rs
+++ b/crates/matrix-sdk/tests/integration/room/thread.rs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ async fn test_subscribe_thread() {
         .await;
 
     // I can subscribe to a thread.
-    room.subscribe_thread(root_id.clone(), true).await.unwrap();
+    room.subscribe_thread(root_id.clone(), Some(root_id.clone())).await.unwrap();
 
     server
         .mock_get_thread_subscription()
@@ -58,6 +58,23 @@ async fn test_subscribe_thread() {
 
     // Now, if I retry to get the subscription status for this thread, it's
     // unsubscribed.
+    let subscription = room.fetch_thread_subscription(root_id.clone()).await.unwrap();
+    assert_matches!(subscription, Some(ThreadStatus::Unsubscribed));
+
+    // Subscribing automatically to the thread may also return a `M_SKIPPED` error
+    // that should be non-fatal.
+    server
+        .mock_put_thread_subscription()
+        .match_room_id(room_id.to_owned())
+        .match_thread_id(root_id.clone())
+        .conflicting_unsubscription()
+        .mock_once()
+        .mount()
+        .await;
+
+    room.subscribe_thread(root_id.clone(), Some(root_id.clone())).await.unwrap();
+
+    // And in this case, the thread is still unsubscribed.
     let subscription = room.fetch_thread_subscription(root_id).await.unwrap();
     assert_matches!(subscription, Some(ThreadStatus::Unsubscribed));
 }
diff --git a/labs/multiverse/src/widgets/room_view/mod.rs b/labs/multiverse/src/widgets/room_view/mod.rs
index 8366f58d6..bfdfb6c6d 100644
--- a/labs/multiverse/src/widgets/room_view/mod.rs
+++ b/labs/multiverse/src/widgets/room_view/mod.rs
@@ -491,7 +491,7 @@ impl RoomView {
     async fn subscribe_thread(&mut self) {
         if let TimelineKind::Thread { thread_root, .. } = &self.kind {
             self.call_with_room(async |room, status_handle| {
-                if let Err(err) = room.subscribe_thread(thread_root.clone(), false).await {
+                if let Err(err) = room.subscribe_thread(thread_root.clone(), None).await {
                     status_handle.set_message(format!("error when subscribing to a thread: {err}"));
                 } else {
                     status_handle.set_message("Subscribed to thread!".to_owned());