diff --git a/Dockerfile.onbuild b/Dockerfile.onbuild
index 8fe4cd824..ac88bd509 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.onbuild
+++ b/Dockerfile.onbuild
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ ONBUILD ARG TALK_DEFAULT_LANG=en
 ONBUILD ARG TALK_WHITELISTED_LANGUAGES
 ONBUILD ARG TALK_PLUGINS_JSON
 ONBUILD ARG TALK_WEBPACK_SOURCE_MAP
+ONBUILD ARG TALK_DEFAULT_LAZY_RENDER
 
 # Bundle app source
 ONBUILD COPY . /usr/src/app
diff --git a/client/coral-embed/src/Stream.js b/client/coral-embed/src/Stream.js
index f17693870..7b882f0fa 100644
--- a/client/coral-embed/src/Stream.js
+++ b/client/coral-embed/src/Stream.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import pym from 'pym.js';
 import EventEmitter from 'eventemitter2';
 import { buildUrl } from 'coral-framework/utils/url';
 import Snackbar from './Snackbar';
+import onIntersect from './onIntersect';
 import {
   createStorage,
   connectStorageToPym,
@@ -50,15 +51,62 @@ export default class Stream {
       ...opts
     } = config;
 
+    this.onAuthChanged = onAuthChanged;
+    this.el = el;
+    this.talkBaseUrl = talkBaseUrl;
     this.opts = opts;
-
-    this.emitter = new EventEmitter({ wildcard: true });
-    this.pym = new pym.Parent(el.id, buildStreamIframeUrl(talkBaseUrl, query), {
-      title: opts.title,
-      id: `${el.id}_iframe`,
-      name: `${el.id}_iframe`,
-    });
     this.snackBar = new Snackbar(snackBarStyles || {});
+    this.emitter = new EventEmitter({ wildcard: true });
+    // Attach to the events emitted by the pym parent.
+    if (events) {
+      events(this.emitter);
+    }
+    if (config.lazy || process.env.TALK_DEFAULT_LAZY_RENDER === 'TRUE') {
+      const renderOnIntersect = () => onIntersect(this.el, () => this.render());
+      if (!window.IntersectionObserver) {
+        // Include a polyfill for the intersection observer.
+        import('intersection-observer')
+          .then(() => {
+            // Polyfill applied.
+            renderOnIntersect();
+          })
+          .catch(e => {
+            console.error(e);
+            // Loading polyfill failed, just render it directly.
+            this.render();
+          });
+      } else {
+        // No need for polyfill.
+        renderOnIntersect();
+      }
+    } else {
+      this.render();
+    }
+  }
+
+  assertRendered() {
+    if (!this.pym) {
+      throw new Error('Stream Embed must be rendered first');
+    }
+  }
+
+  isRendered() {
+    return !!this.pym;
+  }
+
+  render() {
+    if (this.pym) {
+      throw new Error('Stream Embed already rendered');
+    }
+    this.pym = new pym.Parent(
+      this.el.id,
+      buildStreamIframeUrl(this.talkBaseUrl, this.query),
+      {
+        title: this.opts.title,
+        id: `${this.el.id}_iframe`,
+        name: `${this.el.id}_iframe`,
+      }
+    );
 
     // Workaround: IOS Safari ignores `width` but respects `min-width` value.
     this.pym.el.firstChild.style.width = '1px';
@@ -73,19 +121,14 @@ export default class Stream {
       }
     });
 
-    // Attach to the events emitted by the pym parent.
-    if (events) {
-      events(this.emitter);
-    }
-
     this.pym.onMessage('getConfig', () => {
-      this.pym.sendMessage('config', JSON.stringify(opts));
+      this.pym.sendMessage('config', JSON.stringify(this.opts));
     });
 
     // If the auth changes, and someone is listening for it, then re-emit it.
-    if (onAuthChanged) {
+    if (this.onAuthChanged) {
       this.pym.onMessage('coral-auth-changed', message => {
-        onAuthChanged(message ? JSON.parse(message) : null);
+        this.onAuthChanged(message ? JSON.parse(message) : null);
       });
     }
 
@@ -163,22 +206,27 @@ export default class Stream {
   }
 
   enablePluginsDebug() {
+    this.assertRendered();
     this.pym.sendMessage('enablePluginsDebug');
   }
 
   disablePluginsDebug() {
+    this.assertRendered();
     this.pym.sendMessage('disablePluginsDebug');
   }
 
   login(token) {
+    this.assertRendered();
     this.pym.sendMessage('login', token);
   }
 
   logout() {
+    this.assertRendered();
     this.pym.sendMessage('logout');
   }
 
   remove() {
+    this.assertRendered();
     // Remove the event listeners.
     document.removeEventListener('click', this.handleClick.bind(this));
     this.emitter.removeAllListeners();
@@ -191,6 +239,7 @@ export default class Stream {
   }
 
   handleClick() {
+    this.assertRendered();
     this.pym.sendMessage('click');
   }
 }
diff --git a/client/coral-embed/src/index.js b/client/coral-embed/src/index.js
index 2f456c4e2..17afd4c92 100644
--- a/client/coral-embed/src/index.js
+++ b/client/coral-embed/src/index.js
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ export class Talk {
    * @param {String} [config.asset_url] - Asset URL
    * @param {String} [config.asset_id] - Asset ID
    * @param {String} [config.auth_token] - (optional) A jwt representing the session
+   * @param {String} [config.lazy] - (optional) If set the stream will only render lazily.
    * @return {Object}
    *
    * Example:
diff --git a/client/coral-embed/src/onIntersect.js b/client/coral-embed/src/onIntersect.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9814c178c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/coral-embed/src/onIntersect.js
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+export default function onIntersect(el, callback) {
+  if (!IntersectionObserver) {
+    // tslint:disable-next-line:no-console
+    console.warn('IntersectionObserver not available');
+    callback();
+    return;
+  }
+  const options = {
+    rootMargin: '100px',
+    threshold: 1.0,
+  };
+
+  const observer = new IntersectionObserver(entries => {
+    if (entries[0].isIntersecting) {
+      observer.disconnect();
+      callback();
+    }
+  }, options);
+  observer.observe(el);
+}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e4b6088c3..3c341fe2c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -237,6 +237,7 @@
     "eslint-plugin-mocha": "^4.11.0",
     "husky": "^0.14.3",
     "identity-obj-proxy": "^3.0.0",
+    "intersection-observer": "^0.5.1",
     "jest-junit": "^3.6.0",
     "lint-staged": "^7.2.0",
     "mocha": "^3.1.2",
diff --git a/webpack.config.js b/webpack.config.js
index 3d815e53b..547dd2612 100644
--- a/webpack.config.js
+++ b/webpack.config.js
@@ -159,6 +159,9 @@ const config = {
       'process.env': {
         VERSION: `"${require('./package.json').version}"`,
         NODE_ENV: `${JSON.stringify(process.env.NODE_ENV)}`,
+        TALK_DEFAULT_LAZY_RENDER: `${JSON.stringify(
+          process.env.TALK_DEFAULT_LAZY_RENDER
+        )}`,
       },
     }),
     new webpack.EnvironmentPlugin({
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 14380061b..66d21c752 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -6042,6 +6042,11 @@ interpret@^1.0.0, interpret@^1.0.1:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/interpret/-/interpret-1.1.0.tgz#7ed1b1410c6a0e0f78cf95d3b8440c63f78b8614"
   integrity sha1-ftGxQQxqDg94z5XTuEQMY/eLhhQ=
 
+intersection-observer@^0.5.1:
+  version "0.5.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/intersection-observer/-/intersection-observer-0.5.1.tgz#e340fc56ce74290fe2b2394d1ce88c4353ac6dfa"
+  integrity sha512-Zd7Plneq82kiXFixs7bX62YnuZ0BMRci9br7io88LwDyF3V43cQMI+G5IiTlTNTt+LsDUppl19J/M2Fp9UkH6g==
+
 invariant@^2.0.0, invariant@^2.2.0, invariant@^2.2.1, invariant@^2.2.2:
   version "2.2.4"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/invariant/-/invariant-2.2.4.tgz#610f3c92c9359ce1db616e538008d23ff35158e6"