diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/components/alert/alert.stories.tsx b/app/javascript/mastodon/components/alert/alert.stories.tsx
index 4d5f8acb65b..f12f06751d7 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/components/alert/alert.stories.tsx
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/components/alert/alert.stories.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const meta = {
   component: Alert,
   args: {
     isActive: true,
+    isLoading: false,
     animateFrom: 'side',
     title: '',
     message: '',
@@ -20,6 +21,12 @@ const meta = {
       type: 'boolean',
       description: 'Animate to the active (displayed) state of the alert',
     },
+    isLoading: {
+      control: 'boolean',
+      type: 'boolean',
+      description:
+        'Display a loading indicator in the alert, replacing the dismiss button if present',
+    },
     animateFrom: {
       control: 'radio',
       type: 'string',
@@ -108,3 +115,11 @@ export const InSizedContainer: Story = {
     </div>
   ),
 };
+
+export const WithLoadingIndicator: Story = {
+  args: {
+    ...WithDismissButton.args,
+    isLoading: true,
+  },
+  render: InSizedContainer.render,
+};
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/components/alert/index.tsx b/app/javascript/mastodon/components/alert/index.tsx
index 1009e77524b..72fee0a4a30 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/components/alert/index.tsx
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/components/alert/index.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { useIntl } from 'react-intl';
 import classNames from 'classnames';
 
 import CloseIcon from '@/material-icons/400-24px/close.svg?react';
+import { LoadingIndicator } from 'mastodon/components/loading_indicator';
 
 import { IconButton } from '../icon_button';
 
@@ -10,21 +11,23 @@ import { IconButton } from '../icon_button';
  * Snackbar/Toast-style notification component.
  */
 export const Alert: React.FC<{
-  isActive?: boolean;
-  animateFrom?: 'side' | 'below';
   title?: string;
   message: string;
   action?: string;
   onActionClick?: () => void;
   onDismiss?: () => void;
+  isActive?: boolean;
+  isLoading?: boolean;
+  animateFrom?: 'side' | 'below';
 }> = ({
-  isActive,
-  animateFrom = 'side',
   title,
   message,
   action,
   onActionClick,
   onDismiss,
+  isActive,
+  isLoading,
+  animateFrom = 'side',
 }) => {
   const intl = useIntl();
 
@@ -51,7 +54,13 @@ export const Alert: React.FC<{
         </button>
       )}
 
-      {onDismiss && (
+      {isLoading && (
+        <span className='notification-bar__loading-indicator'>
+          <LoadingIndicator />
+        </span>
+      )}
+
+      {onDismiss && !isLoading && (
         <IconButton
           title={intl.formatMessage({
             id: 'dismissable_banner.dismiss',
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/components/exit_animation_wrapper.tsx b/app/javascript/mastodon/components/exit_animation_wrapper.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ab0642b8b23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/components/exit_animation_wrapper.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+
+/**
+ * A helper component for managing the rendering of components that
+ * need to stay in the DOM a bit longer to finish their CSS exit animation.
+ *
+ * In the future, replace this component with plain CSS once that is feasible.
+ * This will require broader support for `transition-behavior: allow-discrete`
+ * and https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/overlay.
+ */
+export const ExitAnimationWrapper: React.FC<{
+  /**
+   * Set this to true to indicate that the nested component should be rendered
+   */
+  isActive: boolean;
+  /**
+   * How long the component should be rendered after `isActive` was set to `false`
+   */
+  delayMs?: number;
+  /**
+   * Set this to true to also delay the entry of the nested component until after
+   * another one has exited full.
+   */
+  withEntryDelay?: boolean;
+  /**
+   * Render prop that provides the nested component with the `delayedIsActive` flag
+   */
+  children: (delayedIsActive: boolean) => React.ReactNode;
+}> = ({ isActive = false, delayMs = 500, withEntryDelay, children }) => {
+  const [delayedIsActive, setDelayedIsActive] = useState(false);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (isActive && !withEntryDelay) {
+      setDelayedIsActive(true);
+
+      return () => '';
+    } else {
+      const timeout = setTimeout(() => {
+        setDelayedIsActive(isActive);
+      }, delayMs);
+
+      return () => {
+        clearTimeout(timeout);
+      };
+    }
+  }, [isActive, delayMs, withEntryDelay]);
+
+  if (!isActive && !delayedIsActive) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  return children(isActive && delayedIsActive);
+};
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/status/components/refresh_controller.tsx b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/status/components/refresh_controller.tsx
index 9788b2849f3..34faaf1d5d2 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/status/components/refresh_controller.tsx
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/status/components/refresh_controller.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { useEffect, useState, useCallback } from 'react';
 
-import { useIntl, defineMessages, FormattedMessage } from 'react-intl';
+import { useIntl, defineMessages } from 'react-intl';
 
 import {
   fetchContext,
@@ -8,31 +8,80 @@ import {
 } from 'mastodon/actions/statuses';
 import type { AsyncRefreshHeader } from 'mastodon/api';
 import { apiGetAsyncRefresh } from 'mastodon/api/async_refreshes';
+import { Alert } from 'mastodon/components/alert';
+import { ExitAnimationWrapper } from 'mastodon/components/exit_animation_wrapper';
 import { LoadingIndicator } from 'mastodon/components/loading_indicator';
 import { useAppSelector, useAppDispatch } from 'mastodon/store';
 
+const AnimatedAlert: React.FC<
+  React.ComponentPropsWithoutRef<typeof Alert> & { withEntryDelay?: boolean }
+> = ({ isActive = false, withEntryDelay, ...props }) => (
+  <ExitAnimationWrapper withEntryDelay isActive={isActive}>
+    {(delayedIsActive) => <Alert isActive={delayedIsActive} {...props} />}
+  </ExitAnimationWrapper>
+);
+
 const messages = defineMessages({
-  loading: {
+  moreFound: {
+    id: 'status.context.more_replies_found',
+    defaultMessage: 'More replies found',
+  },
+  show: {
+    id: 'status.context.show',
+    defaultMessage: 'Show',
+  },
+  loadingInitial: {
     id: 'status.context.loading',
-    defaultMessage: 'Checking for more replies',
+    defaultMessage: 'Loading',
+  },
+  loadingMore: {
+    id: 'status.context.loading_more',
+    defaultMessage: 'Loading more replies',
+  },
+  success: {
+    id: 'status.context.loading_success',
+    defaultMessage: 'All replies loaded',
+  },
+  error: {
+    id: 'status.context.loading_error',
+    defaultMessage: "Couldn't load new replies",
+  },
+  retry: {
+    id: 'status.context.retry',
+    defaultMessage: 'Retry',
   },
 });
 
+type LoadingState =
+  | 'idle'
+  | 'more-available'
+  | 'loading-initial'
+  | 'loading-more'
+  | 'success'
+  | 'error';
+
 export const RefreshController: React.FC<{
   statusId: string;
 }> = ({ statusId }) => {
   const refresh = useAppSelector(
     (state) => state.contexts.refreshing[statusId],
   );
-  const autoRefresh = useAppSelector(
-    (state) =>
-      !state.contexts.replies[statusId] ||
-      state.contexts.replies[statusId].length === 0,
+  const currentReplyCount = useAppSelector(
+    (state) => state.contexts.replies[statusId]?.length ?? 0,
   );
+  const autoRefresh = !currentReplyCount;
   const dispatch = useAppDispatch();
   const intl = useIntl();
-  const [ready, setReady] = useState(false);
-  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
+
+  const [loadingState, setLoadingState] = useState<LoadingState>(
+    refresh && autoRefresh ? 'loading-initial' : 'idle',
+  );
+
+  const [wasDismissed, setWasDismissed] = useState(false);
+  const dismissPrompt = useCallback(() => {
+    setWasDismissed(true);
+    setLoadingState('idle');
+  }, []);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     let timeoutId: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>;
@@ -45,67 +94,104 @@ export const RefreshController: React.FC<{
 
             if (result.async_refresh.result_count > 0) {
               if (autoRefresh) {
-                void dispatch(fetchContext({ statusId }));
-                return '';
+                void dispatch(fetchContext({ statusId })).then(() => {
+                  setLoadingState('idle');
+                });
+              } else {
+                setLoadingState('more-available');
               }
-
-              setReady(true);
+            } else {
+              setLoadingState('idle');
             }
           } else {
             scheduleRefresh(refresh);
           }
-
-          return '';
         });
       }, refresh.retry * 1000);
     };
 
-    if (refresh) {
+    if (refresh && !wasDismissed) {
       scheduleRefresh(refresh);
+      setLoadingState('loading-initial');
     }
 
     return () => {
       clearTimeout(timeoutId);
     };
-  }, [dispatch, setReady, statusId, refresh, autoRefresh]);
+  }, [dispatch, statusId, refresh, autoRefresh, wasDismissed]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    // Hide success message after a short delay
+    if (loadingState === 'success') {
+      const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => {
+        setLoadingState('idle');
+      }, 3000);
+
+      return () => {
+        clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+      };
+    }
+    return () => '';
+  }, [loadingState]);
 
   const handleClick = useCallback(() => {
-    setLoading(true);
-    setReady(false);
+    setLoadingState('loading-more');
 
     dispatch(fetchContext({ statusId }))
       .then(() => {
-        setLoading(false);
+        setLoadingState('success');
         return '';
       })
       .catch(() => {
-        setLoading(false);
+        setLoadingState('error');
       });
-  }, [dispatch, setReady, statusId]);
+  }, [dispatch, statusId]);
 
-  if (ready && !loading) {
+  if (loadingState === 'loading-initial') {
     return (
-      <button className='load-more load-gap' onClick={handleClick}>
-        <FormattedMessage
-          id='status.context.load_new_replies'
-          defaultMessage='New replies available'
-        />
-      </button>
+      <div
+        className='load-more load-gap'
+        aria-busy
+        aria-live='polite'
+        aria-label={intl.formatMessage(messages.loadingInitial)}
+      >
+        <LoadingIndicator />
+      </div>
     );
   }
 
-  if (!refresh && !loading) {
-    return null;
-  }
-
   return (
-    <div
-      className='load-more load-gap'
-      aria-busy
-      aria-live='polite'
-      aria-label={intl.formatMessage(messages.loading)}
-    >
-      <LoadingIndicator />
+    <div className='column__alert' role='status' aria-live='polite'>
+      <AnimatedAlert
+        isActive={loadingState === 'more-available'}
+        message={intl.formatMessage(messages.moreFound)}
+        action={intl.formatMessage(messages.show)}
+        onActionClick={handleClick}
+        onDismiss={dismissPrompt}
+        animateFrom='below'
+      />
+      <AnimatedAlert
+        isLoading
+        withEntryDelay
+        isActive={loadingState === 'loading-more'}
+        message={intl.formatMessage(messages.loadingMore)}
+        animateFrom='below'
+      />
+      <AnimatedAlert
+        withEntryDelay
+        isActive={loadingState === 'error'}
+        message={intl.formatMessage(messages.error)}
+        action={intl.formatMessage(messages.retry)}
+        onActionClick={handleClick}
+        onDismiss={dismissPrompt}
+        animateFrom='below'
+      />
+      <AnimatedAlert
+        withEntryDelay
+        isActive={loadingState === 'success'}
+        message={intl.formatMessage(messages.success)}
+        animateFrom='below'
+      />
     </div>
   );
 };
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/status/index.jsx b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/status/index.jsx
index fb8f3d81d91..404faf609e4 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/status/index.jsx
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/status/index.jsx
@@ -648,8 +648,8 @@ class Status extends ImmutablePureComponent {
               </div>
             </Hotkeys>
 
-            {remoteHint}
             {descendants}
+            {remoteHint}
           </div>
         </ScrollContainer>
 
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/locales/en.json b/app/javascript/mastodon/locales/en.json
index 7721cc36d3f..f949c303396 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/locales/en.json
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/locales/en.json
@@ -865,8 +865,13 @@
   "status.cannot_quote": "You are not allowed to quote this post",
   "status.cannot_reblog": "This post cannot be boosted",
   "status.contains_quote": "Contains quote",
-  "status.context.load_new_replies": "New replies available",
-  "status.context.loading": "Checking for more replies",
+  "status.context.loading": "Loading more replies",
+  "status.context.loading_error": "Couldn't load new replies",
+  "status.context.loading_more": "Loading more replies",
+  "status.context.loading_success": "All replies loaded",
+  "status.context.more_replies_found": "More replies found",
+  "status.context.retry": "Retry",
+  "status.context.show": "Show",
   "status.continued_thread": "Continued thread",
   "status.copy": "Copy link to post",
   "status.delete": "Delete",
diff --git a/app/javascript/styles/mastodon/components.scss b/app/javascript/styles/mastodon/components.scss
index 079985c404d..d893a358367 100644
--- a/app/javascript/styles/mastodon/components.scss
+++ b/app/javascript/styles/mastodon/components.scss
@@ -2969,7 +2969,6 @@ a.account__display-name {
   flex: 1 1 auto;
   flex-direction: row;
   justify-content: flex-start;
-  overflow-x: auto;
   position: relative;
 
   &.unscrollable {
@@ -3145,6 +3144,29 @@ a.account__display-name {
   }
 }
 
+.column__alert {
+  position: sticky;
+  bottom: 1rem;
+  z-index: 10;
+  box-sizing: border-box;
+  display: grid;
+  width: 100%;
+  max-width: 360px;
+  padding-inline: 10px;
+  margin-top: 1rem;
+  margin-inline: auto;
+
+  @media (max-width: #{$mobile-menu-breakpoint - 1}) {
+    bottom: 4rem;
+  }
+
+  & > * {
+    // Make all nested alerts occupy the same space
+    // rather than stack
+    grid-area: 1 / 1;
+  }
+}
+
 .ui {
   --mobile-bottom-nav-height: 55px;
   --last-content-item-border-width: 2px;
@@ -3185,7 +3207,6 @@ a.account__display-name {
 .column,
 .drawer {
   flex: 1 1 100%;
-  overflow: hidden;
 }
 
 @media screen and (width > $mobile-breakpoint) {
@@ -10397,6 +10418,21 @@ noscript {
   }
 }
 
+.notification-bar__loading-indicator {
+  --spinner-size: 22px;
+
+  position: relative;
+  height: var(--spinner-size);
+  width: var(--spinner-size);
+  margin-inline-start: 2px;
+
+  svg {
+    color: $white;
+    height: var(--spinner-size);
+    width: var(--spinner-size);
+  }
+}
+
 .hashtag-header {
   border-bottom: 1px solid var(--background-border-color);
   padding: 15px;