diff --git a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/containers/Stream.js b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/containers/Stream.js
index 271421dea..194bfc5d9 100644
--- a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/containers/Stream.js
+++ b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/containers/Stream.js
@@ -84,6 +84,10 @@ class StreamContainer extends React.Component {
           return prev;
         }
 
+        // Newest top-level comments are only added when sorting by 'newest first'.
+        if (!commentAdded.parent && !this.isSortedByNewestFirst()) {
+          return prev;
+        }
         return insertCommentIntoEmbedQuery(prev, commentAdded);
       },
     });
@@ -163,32 +167,9 @@ class StreamContainer extends React.Component {
   }
 
   componentWillReceiveProps(nextProps) {
-    const prevSortedNewest = this.isSortedByNewestFirst(this.props);
-    const nextSortedNewest = this.isSortedByNewestFirst(nextProps);
-
-    // When switching to 'Newest first' we refetch and subscribe so that
-    // we always have the newest comments.
-    if (!prevSortedNewest && nextSortedNewest) {
+    if (this.props.sortOrder !== nextProps.sortOrder || this.props.sortBy !== nextProps.sortBy) {
       nextProps.data.refetch();
-      this.subscribeToCommentsAdded();
     }
-
-    // When switching away from 'Newest first' unsubscribe from newest comments.
-    if (prevSortedNewest && !nextSortedNewest) {
-      this.unsubscribeCommentsAdded();
-    }
-  }
-
-  shouldComponentUpdate(nextProps) {
-    const prevSortedNewest = this.isSortedByNewestFirst(this.props);
-    const nextSortedNewest = this.isSortedByNewestFirst(nextProps);
-    if (!prevSortedNewest && nextSortedNewest) {
-
-      // When switching to 'Newest first' we refetch => skip
-      // rendering this frame and wait for refetch to kick in.
-      return false;
-    }
-    return true;
   }
 
   userIsDegraged({auth: {user}} = this.props) {