diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/topic.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/topic.js.es6
index 95ebbe4b6..174aee1a4 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/topic.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/topic.js.es6
@@ -628,20 +628,27 @@ export default Ember.Controller.extend(SelectedPostsCount, BufferedContent, {
   }.observes('model.currentPost'),
 
   readPosts(topicId, postNumbers) {
-    const postStream = this.get('model.postStream');
+    const topic = this.get("model"),
+          postStream = topic.get("postStream");
 
-    if (postStream.get('topic.id') === topicId){
-      _.each(postStream.get('posts'), function(post){
-        // optimise heavy loop
-        // TODO identity map for postNumber
-        if(_.include(postNumbers,post.post_number) && !post.read){
+    if (topic.get("id") === topicId) {
+      // TODO identity map for postNumber
+      _.each(postStream.get('posts'), post => {
+        if (_.include(postNumbers, post.post_number) && !post.read) {
           post.set("read", true);
         }
       });
 
       const max = _.max(postNumbers);
-      if(max > this.get('model.last_read_post_number')){
-        this.set('model.last_read_post_number', max);
+      if (max > topic.get("last_read_post_number")) {
+        topic.set("last_read_post_number", max);
+      }
+
+      if (this.siteSettings.automatically_unpin_topics && this.currentUser) {
+        // automatically unpin topics when the user reaches the bottom
+        if (topic.get("pinned") && max >= topic.get("highest_post_number")) {
+          Em.run.next(() => topic.clearPin());
+        }
       }
     }
   },
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/topic.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/topic.js.es6
index 993f756df..186dc0f9e 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/topic.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/topic.js.es6
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import ClickTrack from 'discourse/lib/click-track';
 import { listenForViewEvent } from 'discourse/lib/app-events';
 import { categoryBadgeHTML } from 'discourse/helpers/category-link';
 import Scrolling from 'discourse/mixins/scrolling';
-import isElementInViewport from "discourse/lib/is-element-in-viewport";
 
 const TopicView = Ember.View.extend(AddCategoryClass, AddArchetypeClass, Scrolling, {
   templateName: 'topic',
@@ -95,7 +94,6 @@ const TopicView = Ember.View.extend(AddCategoryClass, AddArchetypeClass, Scrolli
 
   // The user has scrolled the window, or it is finished rendering and ready for processing.
   scrolled() {
-
     if (this.isDestroyed || this.isDestroying || this._state !== 'inDOM') {
       return;
     }
@@ -118,14 +116,6 @@ const TopicView = Ember.View.extend(AddCategoryClass, AddArchetypeClass, Scrolli
       headerController.set('showExtraInfo', topic.get('postStream.firstPostNotLoaded'));
     }
 
-    // automatically unpin topics when the user reaches the bottom
-    if (topic.get("pinned")) {
-      const $topicFooterButtons = $("#topic-footer-buttons");
-      if ($topicFooterButtons.length > 0 && isElementInViewport($topicFooterButtons)) {
-        Em.run.next(() => topic.clearPin());
-      }
-    }
-
     // Trigger a scrolled event
     this.appEvents.trigger('topic:scrolled', offset);
   },
diff --git a/config/locales/server.en.yml b/config/locales/server.en.yml
index 3f1952d92..8ee1d22c4 100644
--- a/config/locales/server.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/server.en.yml
@@ -1183,6 +1183,8 @@ en:
 
     disable_edit_notifications: "Disables edit notifications by the system user when 'download_remote_images_to_local' is active."
 
+    automatically_unpin_topics: "Automatically unpin topics when the user reaches the bottom."
+
     full_name_required: "Full name is a required field of a user's profile."
     enable_names: "Show the user's full name on their profile, user card, and emails. Disable to hide full name everywhere."
     display_name_on_posts: "Show a user's full name on their posts in addition to their @username."
diff --git a/config/site_settings.yml b/config/site_settings.yml
index 149713872..fdbaf39a5 100644
--- a/config/site_settings.yml
+++ b/config/site_settings.yml
@@ -999,6 +999,10 @@ uncategorized:
     default: -1
     hidden: true
 
+  automatically_unpin_topics:
+    default: true
+    client: true
+
 user_preferences:
   default_email_digest_frequency:
     enum: 'DigestEmailSiteSetting'