diff --git a/js/src/forum/components/DiscussionListItem.js b/js/src/forum/components/DiscussionListItem.js
index 079a12dce..d0607b052 100644
--- a/js/src/forum/components/DiscussionListItem.js
+++ b/js/src/forum/components/DiscussionListItem.js
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import ItemList from '../../common/utils/ItemList';
 import abbreviateNumber from '../../common/utils/abbreviateNumber';
 import Dropdown from '../../common/components/Dropdown';
 import TerminalPost from './TerminalPost';
-import PostPreview from './PostPreview';
 import SubtreeRetainer from '../../common/utils/SubtreeRetainer';
 import DiscussionControls from '../utils/DiscussionControls';
 import slidable from '../utils/slidable';
@@ -26,7 +25,9 @@ import { escapeRegExp } from 'lodash-es';
  * - `params`
  */
 export default class DiscussionListItem extends Component {
-  init() {
+  oninit(vnode) {
+    super.oninit(vnode);
+
     /**
      * Set up a subtree retainer so that the discussion will not be redrawn
      * unless new data comes in.
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ export default class DiscussionListItem extends Component {
      * @type {SubtreeRetainer}
      */
     this.subtree = new SubtreeRetainer(
-      () => this.props.discussion.freshness,
+      () => this.attrs.discussion.freshness,
       () => {
         const time = app.session.user && app.session.user.markedAllAsReadAt();
         return time && time.getTime();
@@ -43,37 +44,33 @@ export default class DiscussionListItem extends Component {
     );
   }
 
-  attrs() {
+  elementAttrs() {
     return {
       className: classList([
         'DiscussionListItem',
         this.active() ? 'active' : '',
-        this.props.discussion.isHidden() ? 'DiscussionListItem--hidden' : '',
+        this.attrs.discussion.isHidden() ? 'DiscussionListItem--hidden' : '',
       ]),
     };
   }
 
-  view() {
-    const retain = this.subtree.retain();
-
-    if (retain) return retain;
-
-    const discussion = this.props.discussion;
+  view(vnode) {
+    const discussion = this.attrs.discussion;
     const user = discussion.user();
     const isUnread = discussion.isUnread();
     const isRead = discussion.isRead();
     const showUnread = !this.showRepliesCount() && isUnread;
     let jumpTo = 0;
     const controls = DiscussionControls.controls(discussion, this).toArray();
-    const attrs = this.attrs();
+    const attrs = this.elementAttrs();
 
-    if (this.props.params.q) {
+    if (this.attrs.params.q) {
       const post = discussion.mostRelevantPost();
       if (post) {
         jumpTo = post.number();
       }
 
-      const phrase = escapeRegExp(this.props.params.q);
+      const phrase = escapeRegExp(this.attrs.params.q);
       this.highlightRegExp = new RegExp(phrase + '|' + phrase.trim().replace(/\s+/g, '|'), 'gi');
     } else {
       jumpTo = Math.min(discussion.lastPostNumber(), (discussion.lastReadPostNumber() || 0) + 1);
@@ -82,12 +79,14 @@ export default class DiscussionListItem extends Component {
     return (
       <div {...attrs}>
         {controls.length
-          ? Dropdown.component({
-              icon: 'fas fa-ellipsis-v',
-              children: controls,
-              className: 'DiscussionListItem-controls',
-              buttonClassName: 'Button Button--icon Button--flat Slidable-underneath Slidable-underneath--right',
-            })
+          ? Dropdown.component(
+              {
+                icon: 'fas fa-ellipsis-v',
+                className: 'DiscussionListItem-controls',
+                buttonClassName: 'Button Button--icon Button--flat Slidable-underneath Slidable-underneath--right',
+              },
+              controls
+            )
           : ''}
 
         <a
@@ -131,8 +130,8 @@ export default class DiscussionListItem extends Component {
     );
   }
 
-  config(isInitialized) {
-    if (isInitialized) return;
+  oncreate(vnode) {
+    super.oncreate(vnode);
 
     // If we're on a touch device, set up the discussion row to be slidable.
     // This allows the user to drag the row to either side of the screen to
@@ -144,6 +143,12 @@ export default class DiscussionListItem extends Component {
     }
   }
 
+  onbeforeupdate(vnode, old) {
+    super.onbeforeupdate(vnode, old);
+
+    return this.subtree.needsRebuild();
+  }
+
   /**
    * Determine whether or not the discussion is currently being viewed.
    *
@@ -152,7 +157,7 @@ export default class DiscussionListItem extends Component {
   active() {
     const idParam = m.route.param('id');
 
-    return idParam && idParam.split('-')[0] === this.props.discussion.id();
+    return idParam && idParam.split('-')[0] === this.attrs.discussion.id();
   }
 
   /**
@@ -163,7 +168,7 @@ export default class DiscussionListItem extends Component {
    * @return {Boolean}
    */
   showFirstPost() {
-    return ['newest', 'oldest'].indexOf(this.props.params.sort) !== -1;
+    return ['newest', 'oldest'].indexOf(this.attrs.params.sort) !== -1;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -173,14 +178,14 @@ export default class DiscussionListItem extends Component {
    * @return {Boolean}
    */
   showRepliesCount() {
-    return this.props.params.sort === 'replies';
+    return this.attrs.params.sort === 'replies';
   }
 
   /**
    * Mark the discussion as read.
    */
   markAsRead() {
-    const discussion = this.props.discussion;
+    const discussion = this.attrs.discussion;
 
     if (discussion.isUnread()) {
       discussion.save({ lastReadPostNumber: discussion.lastPostNumber() });
@@ -197,8 +202,8 @@ export default class DiscussionListItem extends Component {
   infoItems() {
     const items = new ItemList();
 
-    if (this.props.params.q) {
-      const post = this.props.discussion.mostRelevantPost() || this.props.discussion.firstPost();
+    if (this.attrs.params.q) {
+      const post = this.attrs.discussion.mostRelevantPost() || this.attrs.discussion.firstPost();
 
       if (post && post.contentType() === 'comment') {
         const excerpt = highlight(post.contentPlain(), this.highlightRegExp, 175);
@@ -208,7 +213,7 @@ export default class DiscussionListItem extends Component {
       items.add(
         'terminalPost',
         TerminalPost.component({
-          discussion: this.props.discussion,
+          discussion: this.attrs.discussion,
           lastPost: !this.showFirstPost(),
         })
       );