diff --git a/src/domain/session/room/RoomViewModel.js b/src/domain/session/room/RoomViewModel.js
index 9c0dfd65..7e8591af 100644
--- a/src/domain/session/room/RoomViewModel.js
+++ b/src/domain/session/room/RoomViewModel.js
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ export class RoomViewModel extends ViewModel {
     dispose() {
         super.dispose();
         this._room.off("change", this._onRoomChange);
+        if (this._room.isArchived) {
+            this._room.release();
+        }
         if (this._clearUnreadTimout) {
             this._clearUnreadTimout.abort();
             this._clearUnreadTimout = null;
diff --git a/src/matrix/Session.js b/src/matrix/Session.js
index 20f303fb..527b7e6c 100644
--- a/src/matrix/Session.js
+++ b/src/matrix/Session.js
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ export class Session {
         this._sessionInfo = sessionInfo;
         this._rooms = new ObservableMap();
         this._roomUpdateCallback = (room, params) => this._rooms.update(room.id, params);
+        this._activeArchivedRooms = new Map();
         this._invites = new ObservableMap();
         this._inviteUpdateCallback = (invite, params) => this._invites.update(invite.id, params);
         this._user = new User(sessionInfo.userId);
@@ -399,18 +400,21 @@ export class Session {
     }
 
     /** @internal */
-    createArchivedRoom(roomId) {
-        return new ArchivedRoom({
+    _createArchivedRoom(roomId) {
+        const room = new ArchivedRoom({
             roomId,
             getSyncToken: this._getSyncToken,
             storage: this._storage,
             emitCollectionChange: () => {},
+            releaseCallback: () => this._activeArchivedRooms.delete(roomId),
             hsApi: this._hsApi,
             mediaRepository: this._mediaRepository,
             user: this._user,
             createRoomEncryption: this._createRoomEncryption,
             platform: this._platform
         });
+        this._activeArchivedRooms.set(roomId, room);
+        return room;
     }
 
     get invites() {
@@ -641,6 +645,8 @@ export class Session {
             return RoomStatus.joined;
         } else {
             const isInvited = !!this._invites.get(roomId);
+            const txn = await this._storage.readTxn([this._storage.storeNames.archivedRoomSummary]);
+            const isArchived = await txn.archivedRoomSummary.has(roomId);
             if (isInvited && isArchived) {
                 return RoomStatus.invitedAndArchived;
             } else if (isInvited) {
@@ -668,13 +674,18 @@ export class Session {
     loadArchivedRoom(roomId, log = null) {
         return this._platform.logger.wrapOrRun(log, "loadArchivedRoom", async log => {
             log.set("id", roomId);
+            const activeArchivedRoom = this._activeArchivedRooms.get(roomId);
+            if (activeArchivedRoom) {
+                activeArchivedRoom.retain();
+                return activeArchivedRoom;
+            }
             const txn = await this._storage.readTxn([
                 this._storage.storeNames.archivedRoomSummary,
                 this._storage.storeNames.roomMembers,
             ]);
             const summary = await txn.archivedRoomSummary.get(roomId);
             if (summary) {
-                const room = this.createArchivedRoom(roomId);
+                const room = this._createArchivedRoom(roomId);
                 await room.load(summary, txn, log);
                 return room;
             }
diff --git a/src/matrix/Sync.js b/src/matrix/Sync.js
index cde134e4..ac0da4b2 100644
--- a/src/matrix/Sync.js
+++ b/src/matrix/Sync.js
@@ -309,7 +309,10 @@ export class Sync {
     _afterSync(sessionState, inviteStates, roomStates, archivedRoomStates, log) {
         log.wrap("session", log => this._session.afterSync(sessionState.changes, log), log.level.Detail);
         for(let ars of archivedRoomStates) {
-            log.wrap("archivedRoom", log => ars.archivedRoom.afterSync(ars.changes, log), log.level.Detail);
+            log.wrap("archivedRoom", log => {
+                ars.archivedRoom.afterSync(ars.changes, log);
+                ars.archivedRoom.release();
+            }, log.level.Detail);
         }
         for(let rs of roomStates) {
             log.wrap("room", log => rs.room.afterSync(rs.changes, log), log.level.Detail);
@@ -407,12 +410,12 @@ export class Sync {
             // when adding a joined room during incremental sync,
             // always create the archived room to write the removal
             // of the archived summary
-            archivedRoom = this._session.createArchivedRoom(roomId);
+            archivedRoom = await this._session.loadArchivedRoom(roomId, log);
         } else if (membership === "leave") {
             if (roomState) {
                 // we still have a roomState, so we just left it
                 // in this case, create a new archivedRoom
-                archivedRoom = this._session.createArchivedRoom(roomId);
+                archivedRoom = await this._session.loadArchivedRoom(roomId, log);
             } else {
                 // this is an update of an already left room, restore
                 // it from storage first, so we can increment it.
diff --git a/src/matrix/room/ArchivedRoom.js b/src/matrix/room/ArchivedRoom.js
index a7f6525e..fa95270b 100644
--- a/src/matrix/room/ArchivedRoom.js
+++ b/src/matrix/room/ArchivedRoom.js
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ import {RoomMember} from "./members/RoomMember.js";
 export class ArchivedRoom extends BaseRoom {
     constructor(options) {
         super(options);
+        // archived rooms are reference counted,
+        // as they are not kept in memory when not needed
+        this._releaseCallback = options.releaseCallback;
+        this._retentionCount = 1;
         /**
         Some details from our own member event when being kicked or banned.
         We can't get this from the member store, because we don't store the reason field there.
@@ -29,6 +33,17 @@ export class ArchivedRoom extends BaseRoom {
         this._kickedBy = null;
     }
 
+    retain() {
+        this._retentionCount += 1;
+    }
+
+    release() {
+        this._retentionCount -= 1;
+        if (this._retentionCount === 0) {
+            this._releaseCallback();
+        }
+    }
+
     async _getKickAuthor(sender, txn) {
         const senderMember = await txn.roomMembers.get(this.id, sender);
         if (senderMember) {