diff --git a/src/stores/RoomViewStore.tsx b/src/stores/RoomViewStore.tsx
index da3ea49bc1..489dd775f8 100644
--- a/src/stores/RoomViewStore.tsx
+++ b/src/stores/RoomViewStore.tsx
@@ -361,7 +361,17 @@ export class RoomViewStore extends EventEmitter {
                 });
             }
 
-            if (room && (payload.view_call || isVideoRoom(room))) {
+            let viewingCall = payload.view_call;
+            if (viewingCall === undefined) {
+                // Default behavior: keep the same call state as before if viewing the same room
+                if (payload.room_id === this.state.roomId) viewingCall = this.state.viewingCall;
+                // Always view the call in video rooms
+                else if (room && isVideoRoom(room)) viewingCall = true;
+                // Otherwise, only view if actively connected
+                else viewingCall = CallStore.instance.getActiveCall(payload.room_id) !== null;
+            }
+
+            if (room && viewingCall) {
                 let call = CallStore.instance.getCall(payload.room_id);
                 // Start a call if not already there
                 if (call === null) {
@@ -421,11 +431,7 @@ export class RoomViewStore extends EventEmitter {
                 replyingToEvent: null,
                 viaServers: payload.via_servers ?? [],
                 wasContextSwitch: payload.context_switch ?? false,
-                viewingCall:
-                    payload.view_call ??
-                    (payload.room_id === this.state.roomId
-                        ? this.state.viewingCall
-                        : CallStore.instance.getActiveCall(payload.room_id) !== null),
+                viewingCall,
             };
 
             // Allow being given an event to be replied to when switching rooms but sanity check its for this room
diff --git a/test/unit-tests/components/structures/PipContainer-test.tsx b/test/unit-tests/components/structures/PipContainer-test.tsx
index e7b7e95862..bce01af202 100644
--- a/test/unit-tests/components/structures/PipContainer-test.tsx
+++ b/test/unit-tests/components/structures/PipContainer-test.tsx
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ describe("PipContainer", () => {
             {
                 action: Action.ViewRoom,
                 room_id: roomId,
+                view_call: false, // We're testing PiP functionality, so view the timeline
                 metricsTrigger: undefined,
             },
             true,
diff --git a/test/unit-tests/stores/RoomViewStore-test.ts b/test/unit-tests/stores/RoomViewStore-test.ts
index 17ba9670c3..2f7c666895 100644
--- a/test/unit-tests/stores/RoomViewStore-test.ts
+++ b/test/unit-tests/stores/RoomViewStore-test.ts
@@ -146,16 +146,6 @@ describe("RoomViewStore", function () {
     const room2 = new Room(roomId2, mockClient, userId);
     getRooms.mockReturnValue([room, room2]);
 
-    const viewCall = async (): Promise<void> => {
-        dis.dispatch<ViewRoomPayload>({
-            action: Action.ViewRoom,
-            room_id: roomId,
-            view_call: true,
-            metricsTrigger: undefined,
-        });
-        await untilDispatch(Action.ViewRoom, dis);
-    };
-
     const dispatchPromptAskToJoin = async () => {
         dis.dispatch({ action: Action.PromptAskToJoin });
         await untilDispatch(Action.PromptAskToJoin, dis);
@@ -404,11 +394,36 @@ describe("RoomViewStore", function () {
         const call = { presented: false } as Call;
         const getCallSpy = jest.spyOn(CallStore.instance, "getCall").mockReturnValue(call);
         await setupAsyncStoreWithClient(CallStore.instance, MatrixClientPeg.safeGet());
-        await viewCall();
+
+        dis.dispatch<ViewRoomPayload>({
+            action: Action.ViewRoom,
+            room_id: roomId,
+            view_call: true,
+            metricsTrigger: undefined,
+        });
+        await untilDispatch(Action.ViewRoom, dis);
+
         expect(getCallSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(roomId);
         expect(call.presented).toEqual(true);
     });
 
+    it("implicitly views an active call", async () => {
+        const call = { presented: false } as Call;
+        jest.spyOn(CallStore.instance, "getCall").mockReturnValue(call);
+        jest.spyOn(CallStore.instance, "getActiveCall").mockImplementation((rId) => (rId === roomId ? call : null));
+        await setupAsyncStoreWithClient(CallStore.instance, MatrixClientPeg.safeGet());
+
+        // View the room without explicitly setting view_call to true
+        dis.dispatch<ViewRoomPayload>({
+            action: Action.ViewRoom,
+            room_id: roomId,
+            metricsTrigger: undefined,
+        });
+        await untilDispatch(Action.ViewRoom, dis);
+
+        expect(call.presented).toEqual(true);
+    });
+
     it("should display an error message when the room is unreachable via the roomId", async () => {
         // When
         // View and wait for the room