diff --git a/gradle/libs.versions.toml b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
index c1887e318a..532828e247 100644
--- a/gradle/libs.versions.toml
+++ b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [versions]
-middlewareVersion = "v0.40.0-rc7"
+middlewareVersion = "v0.40.0-rc8"
 kotlinVersion = '2.0.21'
 kspVersion = "2.0.21-1.0.25"
 
diff --git a/protocol/src/main/proto/commands.proto b/protocol/src/main/proto/commands.proto
index 6fbc0333e8..a82465cde6 100644
--- a/protocol/src/main/proto/commands.proto
+++ b/protocol/src/main/proto/commands.proto
@@ -7905,12 +7905,13 @@ message Rpc {
                 string afterOrderId = 4; // OrderId of the message after which to get messages
                 string beforeOrderId = 2; // OrderId of the message before which to get messages
                 int32 limit = 3;
+                bool includeBoundary = 5; // If true, include a message at the boundary (afterOrderId or beforeOrderId)
             }
 
             message Response {
                 Error error = 1;
                 repeated model.ChatMessage messages = 2;
-
+                model.ChatState chatState = 3;
                 message Error {
                     Code code = 1;
                     string description = 2;
@@ -7960,7 +7961,7 @@ message Rpc {
                 Error error = 1;
                 repeated model.ChatMessage messages = 2;  // List of messages
                 int32 numMessagesBefore = 3;  // Number of messages before the returned messages
-
+                model.ChatState chatState = 4;  // Chat state
                 message Error {
                     Code code = 1;
                     string description = 2;
@@ -8017,6 +8018,60 @@ message Rpc {
                 }
             }
         }
+
+        message ReadMessages {
+            enum ReadType {
+                messages = 0;
+                replies = 1;
+            }
+            message Request {
+                ReadType type = 1;
+                string chatObjectId = 2; // id of the chat object
+                string afterOrderId = 3; // read from this orderId; if empty - read from the beginning of the chat
+                string beforeOrderId = 4; // read til this orderId
+                int64 lastDbTimestamp = 5; // dbTimestamp from the last processed ChatState event(or GetMessages). Used to prevent race conditions
+            }
+
+            message Response {
+                Error error = 1;
+                ResponseEvent event = 2;
+                message Error {
+                    Code code = 1;
+                    string description = 2;
+
+                    enum Code {
+                        NULL = 0;
+                        UNKNOWN_ERROR = 1;
+                        BAD_INPUT = 2;
+
+                        MESSAGES_NOT_FOUND = 100; // chat is empty or invalid beforeOrderId/lastDbState
+                        // ...
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        message Unread {
+            message Request {
+                string chatObjectId = 2; // id of the chat object
+                string afterOrderId = 3;
+            }
+
+            message Response {
+                Error error = 1;
+                ResponseEvent event = 2;
+                message Error {
+                    Code code = 1;
+                    string description = 2;
+
+                    enum Code {
+                        NULL = 0;
+                        UNKNOWN_ERROR = 1;
+                        BAD_INPUT = 2;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/protocol/src/main/proto/events.proto b/protocol/src/main/proto/events.proto
index 7ec5066e58..11c4f524ae 100644
--- a/protocol/src/main/proto/events.proto
+++ b/protocol/src/main/proto/events.proto
@@ -116,7 +116,10 @@ message Event {
             Chat.Add chatAdd = 128;
             Chat.Update chatUpdate = 129;
             Chat.UpdateReactions chatUpdateReactions = 130;
+            Chat.UpdateReadStatus chatUpdateReadStatus = 134; // received to update per-message read status (if needed to highlight the unread messages in the UI)
+
             Chat.Delete chatDelete = 131;
+            Chat.UpdateState chatStateUpdate = 133; // in case new unread messages received or chat state changed (e.g. message read on another device)
         }
     }
 
@@ -132,6 +135,7 @@ message Event {
         message Delete {
             string id = 1;
             repeated string subIds = 2;
+            model.ChatState state = 3; // Chat state. dbState should be persisted after rendered
         }
         message Update {
             string id = 1;
@@ -143,6 +147,17 @@ message Event {
             model.ChatMessage.Reactions reactions = 2;
             repeated string subIds = 3;
         }
+
+        message UpdateReadStatus {
+            repeated string ids = 1;
+            bool isRead = 2;
+            repeated string subIds = 3;
+        }
+
+        message UpdateState {
+            model.ChatState state = 1;
+            repeated string subIds = 2;
+        }
     }
 
     message Account {
diff --git a/protocol/src/main/proto/models.proto b/protocol/src/main/proto/models.proto
index d554f28568..5d9b5f38b2 100644
--- a/protocol/src/main/proto/models.proto
+++ b/protocol/src/main/proto/models.proto
@@ -1378,17 +1378,28 @@ message DeviceInfo {
     bool isConnected = 5;
 }
 
+message ChatState {
+    message UnreadState {
+        string oldestOrderId = 1; // oldest(in the lex sorting) unread message order id. Client should ALWAYS scroll through unread messages from the oldest to the newest
+        int32 counter = 2; // total number of unread messages
+    }
+    UnreadState messages = 1; // unread messages
+    UnreadState mentions = 2; // unread mentions
+    int64 dbTimestamp = 3; // reflects the state of the chat db at the moment of sending response/event that includes this state
+}
+
 message ChatMessage {
     string id = 1;        // Unique message identifier
     string orderId = 2;   // Used for subscriptions
     string creator = 3;       // Identifier for the message creator
     int64 createdAt = 4;
     int64 modifiedAt = 9;
+    int64 addedAt = 11; // Message received and added to db at
     string replyToMessageId = 5;   // Identifier for the message being replied to
     MessageContent message = 6;  // Message content
     repeated Attachment attachments = 7;  // Attachments slice
     Reactions reactions = 8;  // Reactions to the message
-
+    bool read = 10; // Message read status
     message MessageContent {
         string text = 1;      // The text content of the message part
         Block.Content.Text.Style style = 2;    // The style/type of the message part