diff --git a/mod/forum/lang/en/forum.php b/mod/forum/lang/en/forum.php
index 43680353211..35dfa960bb8 100644
--- a/mod/forum/lang/en/forum.php
+++ b/mod/forum/lang/en/forum.php
@@ -288,6 +288,10 @@ $string['mailnow'] = 'Send forum post notifications with no editing-time delay';
 $string['manydiscussions'] = 'Discussions per page';
 $string['markalldread'] = 'Mark all posts in this discussion read.';
 $string['markallread'] = 'Mark all posts in this forum read.';
+$string['markasreadonnotification'] = 'When sending forum post notifications';
+$string['markasreadonnotificationno'] = 'Do not mark the post as read';
+$string['markasreadonnotificationyes'] = 'Mark the post as read';
+$string['markasreadonnotification_help'] = 'When you are notified of a forum post, you can choose whether this should mark the post as read for the purpose of forum tracking.';
 $string['markread'] = 'Mark read';
 $string['markreadbutton'] = 'Mark<br />read';
 $string['markunread'] = 'Mark unread';
@@ -503,6 +507,7 @@ $string['timedposts'] = 'Timed posts';
 $string['timedvisible'] = 'Timed status: Visible to all users';
 $string['timestartenderror'] = 'Display end date cannot be earlier than the start date';
 $string['trackforum'] = 'Track unread posts';
+$string['trackreadposts_header'] = 'Forum tracking';
 $string['tracking'] = 'Track';
 $string['trackingoff'] = 'Off';
 $string['trackingon'] = 'Forced';
diff --git a/mod/forum/lib.php b/mod/forum/lib.php
index 31d95b9b2ea..621553e62a2 100644
--- a/mod/forum/lib.php
+++ b/mod/forum/lib.php
@@ -888,7 +888,10 @@ function forum_cron() {
             }
 
             // Mark processed posts as read.
-            forum_tp_mark_posts_read($userto, $userto->markposts);
+            if (get_user_preferences('forum_markasreadonnotification', 1, $userto->id) == 1) {
+                forum_tp_mark_posts_read($userto, $userto->markposts);
+            }
+
             unset($userto);
         }
     }
@@ -1202,7 +1205,9 @@ function forum_cron() {
                     $usermailcount++;
 
                     // Mark post as read if forum_usermarksread is set off
-                    forum_tp_mark_posts_read($userto, $userto->markposts);
+                    if (get_user_preferences('forum_markasreadonnotification', 1, $userto->id) == 1) {
+                        forum_tp_mark_posts_read($userto, $userto->markposts);
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/user/forum.php b/user/forum.php
index bd1052da433..03dc07ff417 100644
--- a/user/forum.php
+++ b/user/forum.php
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ list($user, $course) = useredit_setup_preference_page($userid, $courseid);
 // Create form.
 $forumform = new user_edit_forum_form(null, array('userid' => $user->id));
 
+$user->markasreadonnotification = get_user_preferences('forum_markasreadonnotification', 1, $user->id);
 $forumform->set_data($user);
 
 $redirect = new moodle_url("/user/preferences.php", array('userid' => $user->id));
@@ -49,8 +50,13 @@ if ($forumform->is_cancelled()) {
     $user->autosubscribe = $data->autosubscribe;
     if (!empty($CFG->forum_trackreadposts)) {
         $user->trackforums = $data->trackforums;
+        if (property_exists($data, 'markasreadonnotification')) {
+            $user->preference_forum_markasreadonnotification = $data->markasreadonnotification;
+        }
     }
+    unset($user->markasreadonnotification);
 
+    useredit_update_user_preference($user);
     user_update_user($user, false, false);
 
     // Trigger event.
diff --git a/user/forum_form.php b/user/forum_form.php
index 49fb5c5bed2..17037522389 100644
--- a/user/forum_form.php
+++ b/user/forum_form.php
@@ -62,11 +62,21 @@ class user_edit_forum_form extends moodleform {
         $mform->setDefault('autosubscribe', core_user::get_property_default('autosubscribe'));
 
         if (!empty($CFG->forum_trackreadposts)) {
+            $mform->addElement('header', 'trackreadposts', get_string('trackreadposts_header', 'mod_forum'));
             $choices = array();
             $choices['0'] = get_string('trackforumsno');
             $choices['1'] = get_string('trackforumsyes');
             $mform->addElement('select', 'trackforums', get_string('trackforums'), $choices);
             $mform->setDefault('trackforums', core_user::get_property_default('trackforums'));
+
+            $choices = [
+                1   => get_string('markasreadonnotificationyes', 'mod_forum'),
+                0   => get_string('markasreadonnotificationno', 'mod_forum'),
+            ];
+            $mform->addElement('select', 'markasreadonnotification', get_string('markasreadonnotification', 'mod_forum'), $choices);
+            $mform->addHelpButton('markasreadonnotification', 'markasreadonnotification', 'mod_forum');
+            $mform->disabledIf('markasreadonnotification', 'trackforums', 'eq', "0");
+            $mform->setDefault('markasreadonnotification', 1);
         }
 
         // Add some extra hidden fields.