diff --git a/src/components/conversation/conversation.js b/src/components/conversation/conversation.js
index e663ba15..0abb7abd 100644
--- a/src/components/conversation/conversation.js
+++ b/src/components/conversation/conversation.js
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ const conversation = {
   data () {
     return {
       highlight: null,
-      expanded: false
+      expanded: false,
+      threadDisplayStatusObject: {} // id => 'showing' | 'hidden'
     }
   },
   props: [
@@ -56,6 +57,9 @@ const conversation = {
     }
   },
   computed: {
+    maxDepthToShowByDefault () {
+      return 4
+    },
     displayStyle () {
       return this.$store.state.config.conversationDisplay
     },
@@ -112,15 +116,14 @@ const conversation = {
         const id = cur.id
         a.forest[id] = this.getReplies(id)
           .map(s => s.id)
-          .sort((a, b) => reverseLookupTable[a] - reverseLookupTable[b])
 
-        a.topLevel = a.topLevel.filter(k => a.forest[id].contains(k))
         return a
       }, {
         forest: {},
-        topLevel: this.conversation.map(s => s.id)
       })
 
+      debug('threads = ', threads)
+
       const walk = (forest, topLevel, depth = 0, processed = {}) => topLevel.map(id => {
         if (processed[id]) {
           return []
@@ -131,18 +134,63 @@ const conversation = {
           status: this.conversation[reverseLookupTable[id]],
           id,
           depth
-        }, walk(forest, forest[child], depth + 1, processed)].reduce((a, b) => a.concat(b), [])
+        }, walk(forest, forest[id], depth + 1, processed)].reduce((a, b) => a.concat(b), [])
       }).reduce((a, b) => a.concat(b), [])
 
-      const linearized = walk(threads.forest, threads.topLevel)
+      const linearized = walk(threads.forest, this.topLevel.map(k => k.id))
 
       return linearized
     },
+    replyIds () {
+      return this.conversation.map(k => k.id)
+        .reduce((res, id) => {
+          res[id] = (this.replies[id] || []).map(k => k.id)
+          return res
+        }, {})
+    },
+    totalReplyCount () {
+      debug('replyIds=', this.replyIds)
+      const sizes = {}
+      const subTreeSizeFor = (id) => {
+        if (sizes[id]) {
+          return sizes[id]
+        }
+        sizes[id] = 1 + this.replyIds[id].map(cid => subTreeSizeFor(cid)).reduce((a, b) => a + b, 0)
+        return sizes[id]
+      }
+      this.conversation.map(k => k.id).map(subTreeSizeFor)
+      debug('totalReplyCount=', sizes)
+      return Object.keys(sizes).reduce((res, id) => {
+        res[id] = sizes[id] - 1 // exclude itself
+        return res
+      }, {})
+    },
+    totalReplyDepth () {
+      const depths = {}
+      const subTreeDepthFor = (id) => {
+        if (depths[id]) {
+          return depths[id]
+        }
+        depths[id] = 1 + this.replyIds[id].map(cid => subTreeDepthFor(cid)).reduce((a, b) => a > b ? a : b, 0)
+        return depths[id]
+      }
+      this.conversation.map(k => k.id).map(subTreeDepthFor)
+      return Object.keys(depths).reduce((res, id) => {
+        res[id] = depths[id] - 1 // exclude itself
+        return res
+      }, {})
+    },
+    depths () {
+      debug('threadTree', this.threadTree)
+      return this.threadTree.reduce((a, k) => {
+        a[k.id] = k.depth
+        return a
+      }, {})
+    },
     topLevel () {
       const topLevel = this.conversation.reduce((tl, cur) =>
         tl.filter(k => this.getReplies(cur.id).map(v => v.id).indexOf(k.id) === -1), this.conversation)
       debug("toplevel =", topLevel)
-      debug("toplevel =", topLevel)
       return topLevel
     },
     replies () {
@@ -169,6 +217,25 @@ const conversation = {
     hiddenStyle () {
       const height = (this.status && this.status.virtualHeight) || '120px'
       return this.virtualHidden ? { height } : {}
+    },
+    threadDisplayStatus () {
+      return this.conversation.reduce((a, k) => {
+        const id = k.id
+        const depth = this.depths[id]
+        const status = (() => {
+          if (this.threadDisplayStatusObject[id]) {
+            return this.threadDisplayStatusObject[id]
+          }
+          if (depth <= this.maxDepthToShowByDefault) {
+            return 'showing'
+          } else {
+            return 'hidden'
+          }
+        })()
+
+        a[id] = status
+        return a
+      }, {})
     }
   },
   components: {
@@ -235,6 +302,30 @@ const conversation = {
     getConversationId (statusId) {
       const status = this.$store.state.statuses.allStatusesObject[statusId]
       return get(status, 'retweeted_status.statusnet_conversation_id', get(status, 'statusnet_conversation_id'))
+    },
+    setThreadDisplay (id, nextStatus) {
+      this.threadDisplayStatusObject = {
+        ...this.threadDisplayStatusObject,
+        [id]: nextStatus
+      }
+    },
+    toggleThreadDisplay (id) {
+      const depth = this.depths[id]
+      debug('depth = ', depth)
+      debug(
+        'threadDisplayStatus = ', this.threadDisplayStatus,
+        'threadDisplayStatusObject = ', this.threadDisplayStatusObject)
+      const curStatus = this.threadDisplayStatus[id]
+      const nextStatus = curStatus === 'showing' ? 'hidden' : 'showing'
+      debug('toggling', id, 'to', nextStatus)
+      this.setThreadDisplay(id, nextStatus)
+    },
+    setThreadDisplayRecursively (id, nextStatus) {
+      this.setThreadDisplay(id, nextStatus)
+      this.getReplies(id).map(k => k.id).map(id => this.setThreadDisplayRecursively(id, nextStatus))
+    },
+    showThreadRecursively (id) {
+      this.setThreadDisplayRecursively(id, 'showing')
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/components/conversation/conversation.vue b/src/components/conversation/conversation.vue
index cea5f88f..783cc894 100644
--- a/src/components/conversation/conversation.vue
+++ b/src/components/conversation/conversation.vue
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
         v-for="status in topLevel"
         :key="status.id"
         ref="statusComponent"
+        :depth="0"
 
         :status="status"
         :in-profile="inProfile"
@@ -37,6 +38,12 @@
         :get-highlight="getHighlight"
         :set-highlight="setHighlight"
         :toggle-expanded="toggleExpanded"
+
+        :toggle-thread-display="toggleThreadDisplay"
+        :thread-display-status="threadDisplayStatus"
+        :show-thread-recursively="showThreadRecursively"
+        :total-reply-count="totalReplyCount"
+        :total-reply-depth="totalReplyDepth"
       />
     </div>
     <div v-if="isLinearView">
diff --git a/src/components/status/status.js b/src/components/status/status.js
index ac481534..0b7ea433 100644
--- a/src/components/status/status.js
+++ b/src/components/status/status.js
@@ -35,7 +35,9 @@ import {
   faStar,
   faEyeSlash,
   faEye,
-  faThumbtack
+  faThumbtack,
+  faAngleDoubleUp,
+  faAngleDoubleDown
 } from '@fortawesome/free-solid-svg-icons'
 
 library.add(
@@ -52,7 +54,9 @@ library.add(
   faEllipsisH,
   faEyeSlash,
   faEye,
-  faThumbtack
+  faThumbtack,
+  faAngleDoubleUp,
+  faAngleDoubleDown
 )
 
 const Status = {
@@ -89,7 +93,10 @@ const Status = {
     'inlineExpanded',
     'showPinned',
     'inProfile',
-    'profileUserId'
+    'profileUserId',
+
+    'controlledThreadDisplayStatus',
+    'controlledToggleThreadDisplay'
   ],
   data () {
     return {
@@ -286,6 +293,12 @@ const Status = {
     },
     isSuspendable () {
       return !this.replying && this.mediaPlaying.length === 0
+    },
+    inThreadForest () {
+      return !!this.controlledThreadDisplayStatus
+    },
+    threadShowing () {
+      return this.controlledThreadDisplayStatus === 'showing'
     }
   },
   methods: {
@@ -335,6 +348,9 @@ const Status = {
     },
     setHeadTailLinks (headTailLinks) {
       this.headTailLinks = headTailLinks
+    },
+    toggleThreadDisplay () {
+      this.controlledToggleThreadDisplay()
     }
   },
   watch: {
diff --git a/src/components/status/status.vue b/src/components/status/status.vue
index 2684e415..4035ced1 100644
--- a/src/components/status/status.vue
+++ b/src/components/status/status.vue
@@ -219,6 +219,19 @@
                     class="fa-scale-110"
                   />
                 </button>
+                <button
+                  v-if="inThreadForest && replies && replies.length"
+                  class="button-unstyled"
+                  :title="threadShowing ? $t('status.thread_hide') : $t('status.thread_show')"
+                  :aria-expanded="threadShowing ? 'true' : 'false'"
+                  @click.prevent="toggleThreadDisplay"
+                >
+                  <FAIcon
+                    fixed-width
+                    class="fa-scale-110"
+                    :icon="threadShowing ? 'angle-double-up' : 'angle-double-down'"
+                  />
+                </button>
               </span>
             </div>
             <div
diff --git a/src/components/thread_tree/thread_tree.js b/src/components/thread_tree/thread_tree.js
index 4f95122a..88b60109 100644
--- a/src/components/thread_tree/thread_tree.js
+++ b/src/components/thread_tree/thread_tree.js
@@ -21,7 +21,14 @@ const ThreadTree = {
     getHighlight: Function,
     getReplies: Function,
     setHighlight: Function,
-    toggleExpanded: Function
+    toggleExpanded: Function,
+
+    // to control display of the whole thread forest
+    toggleThreadDisplay: Function,
+    threadDisplayStatus: Object,
+    showThreadRecursively: Function,
+    totalReplyCount: Object,
+    totalReplyDepth: Object
   },
   computed: {
     reverseLookupTable () {
@@ -35,6 +42,9 @@ const ThreadTree = {
       debug('getReplies:', this.getReplies(this.status.id))
       return this.getReplies(this.status.id).map(({ id }) => this.statusById(id))
     },
+    threadShowing () {
+      return this.threadDisplayStatus[this.status.id] === 'showing'
+    }
   },
   methods: {
     statusById (id) {
diff --git a/src/components/thread_tree/thread_tree.vue b/src/components/thread_tree/thread_tree.vue
index 8256eee6..9f591585 100644
--- a/src/components/thread_tree/thread_tree.vue
+++ b/src/components/thread_tree/thread_tree.vue
@@ -13,18 +13,23 @@
       :replies="getReplies(status.id)"
       :in-profile="inProfile"
       :profile-user-id="profileUserId"
-      class="conversation-status status-fadein panel-body"
+      class="conversation-status conversation-status-treeview status-fadein panel-body"
+
+      :controlled-thread-display-status="threadDisplayStatus[status.id]"
+      :controlled-toggle-thread-display="() => toggleThreadDisplay(status.id)"
+
       @goto="setHighlight"
       @toggleExpanded="toggleExpanded"
     />
     <div
-      v-if="currentReplies.length"
+      v-if="currentReplies.length && threadShowing"
       class="thread-tree-replies"
     >
       <thread-tree
         v-for="replyStatus in currentReplies"
         :key="replyStatus.id"
         ref="childComponent"
+        :depth="depth + 1"
         :status="replyStatus"
 
         :in-profile="inProfile"
@@ -40,16 +45,40 @@
         :set-highlight="setHighlight"
         :toggle-expanded="toggleExpanded"
 
-        class="conversation-status status-fadein panel-body"
+        :toggle-thread-display="toggleThreadDisplay"
+        :thread-display-status="threadDisplayStatus"
+        :show-thread-recursively="showThreadRecursively"
+        :total-reply-count="totalReplyCount"
+        :total-reply-depth="totalReplyDepth"
       />
     </div>
+    <div
+      v-if="currentReplies.length && !threadShowing"
+      class="thread-tree-replies thread-tree-replies-hidden"
+    >
+      <button
+        class="button-unstyled -link thread-tree-show-replies-button"
+        @click="showThreadRecursively(status.id)"
+      >
+        {{ $t('status.thread_show_full', { numStatus: totalReplyCount[status.id], depth: totalReplyDepth[status.id] }) }}
+      </button>
+    </div>
   </div>
 </template>
 
 <script src="./thread_tree.js"></script>
 
 <style lang="scss">
+@import '../../_variables.scss';
 .thread-tree-replies {
   margin-left: 1em;
 }
+.thread-tree-replies-hidden {
+  padding: 1em;
+  border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border, #222);
+}
+.conversation-status.conversation-status-treeview:last-child,
+.Conversation.-expanded .conversation-status.conversation-status-treeview:last-child {
+  border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border, #222);
+}
 </style>