diff --git a/src/matrixroomhandler.ts b/src/matrixroomhandler.ts
index 4107f2078e60e740a190b921968a99e87a590a4e..e777253d6de339decdf689f1bcf0829c4eb384ed 100644
--- a/src/matrixroomhandler.ts
+++ b/src/matrixroomhandler.ts
@@ -120,7 +120,10 @@ export class MatrixRoomHandler {
       return this.discord.ProcessMatrixRedact(event);
     } else if (event.type === "m.room.message" || event.type === "m.sticker") {
         log.verbose(`Got ${event.type} event`);
-        if (event.type === "m.room.message" && event.content.body && event.content.body.startsWith("!discord")) {
+        const isBotCommand = event.type === "m.room.message" &&
+            event.content.body &&
+            event.content.body.startsWith("!discord");
+        if (isBotCommand) {
             return this.ProcessCommand(event, context);
         } else if (context.rooms.remote) {
             const srvChanPair = context.rooms.remote.roomId.substr("_discord".length).split("_", ROOM_NAME_PARTS);
@@ -168,6 +171,15 @@ export class MatrixRoomHandler {
   }
 
   public async ProcessCommand(event: any, context: any) {
+      const intent = this.bridge.getIntent();
+      // Due to #257 we need to check if we are joined.
+      try {
+          await intent.getClient().sendReadReceipt(event.event_id);
+      } catch (ex) {
+          log.warn("Couldn't send a read reciept into the room:", ex, ". Ignoring command.");
+          return;
+      }
+
       if (!this.config.bridge.enableSelfServiceBridging) {
           // We can do this here because the only commands we support are self-service bridging
           return this.bridge.getIntent().sendMessage(event.room_id, {
diff --git a/test/test_matrixroomhandler.ts b/test/test_matrixroomhandler.ts
index 0bfefe5e45be2aab7401b65d23c24f451da4f639..31a0c45a025ce77b458c2353aac85fe6b7e0faee 100644
--- a/test/test_matrixroomhandler.ts
+++ b/test/test_matrixroomhandler.ts
@@ -147,6 +147,9 @@ function createRH(opts: any = {}) {
         setRoomDirectoryVisibilityAppService: () => {
             return Promise.resolve();
         },
+        sendReadReceipt: () => {
+            return Promise.resolve();
+        },
     };
     const provisioner = {
         AskBridgePermission: () => {