diff --git a/src/app/features/room/message/Message.tsx b/src/app/features/room/message/Message.tsx
index c61cba5da..8a5cb3426 100644
--- a/src/app/features/room/message/Message.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/room/message/Message.tsx
@@ -1176,6 +1176,18 @@ export const Message = React.memo(
       };
 
       const isThreadedMessage = mEvent.threadRootId !== undefined;
+      // [Gitea #165] A root that already has a thread: the same action opens it,
+      // so say "View Thread (N replies)" rather than "Reply in Thread".
+      // The SDK gives a thread root its own id as threadRootId, so without this
+      // a root (the one message that HAS a thread) got no thread action at all.
+      const isThreadRoot = !!mEvent.getId() && mEvent.threadRootId === mEvent.getId();
+      const showThreadAction = !isThreadedMessage || isThreadRoot;
+      const existingThread = mEvent.getId() ? room.getThread(mEvent.getId()!) : null;
+      const threadReplies = existingThread?.length ?? 0;
+      const threadActionLabel =
+        threadReplies > 0
+          ? `View Thread (${threadReplies} ${threadReplies === 1 ? 'reply' : 'replies'})`
+          : 'Reply in Thread';
 
       // The full action menu, shared by the desktop PopOut and the touch
       // bottom sheet (#166).
@@ -1273,10 +1285,12 @@ export const Message = React.memo(
                 </Text>
               </MenuItem>
             )}
-            {!isThreadedMessage && (
+            {showThreadAction && (
               <MenuItem
                 size="300"
-                after={<Icon src={Icons.ThreadPlus} size="100" />}
+                after={
+                  <Icon src={threadReplies > 0 ? Icons.Thread : Icons.ThreadPlus} size="100" />
+                }
                 radii="300"
                 data-event-id={mEvent.getId()}
                 onClick={(evt: React.MouseEvent<HTMLButtonElement>) => {
@@ -1285,7 +1299,7 @@ export const Message = React.memo(
                 }}
               >
                 <Text className={css.MessageMenuItemText} as="span" size="T300" truncate>
-                  Reply in Thread
+                  {threadActionLabel}
                 </Text>
               </MenuItem>
             )}
@@ -1465,16 +1479,16 @@ export const Message = React.memo(
                   >
                     <Icon src={Icons.ReplyArrow} size="100" />
                   </IconButton>
-                  {!isThreadedMessage && (
+                  {showThreadAction && (
                     <IconButton
                       onClick={(ev) => onReplyClick(ev, true)}
                       data-event-id={mEvent.getId()}
                       variant="SurfaceVariant"
                       size="300"
                       radii="300"
-                      aria-label="Reply in thread"
+                      aria-label={threadReplies > 0 ? 'View thread' : 'Reply in thread'}
                     >
-                      <Icon src={Icons.ThreadPlus} size="100" />
+                      <Icon src={threadReplies > 0 ? Icons.Thread : Icons.ThreadPlus} size="100" />
                     </IconButton>
                   )}
                   {canEditEventOrCaption(mx, mEvent) && onEditId && (