diff --git a/src/viewmodels/SubscriptionViewModel.ts b/src/viewmodels/SubscriptionViewModel.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..65147d4cc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/viewmodels/SubscriptionViewModel.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2025 New Vector Ltd.
+
+SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only OR GPL-3.0-only OR LicenseRef-Element-Commercial
+Please see LICENSE files in the repository root for full details.
+*/
+
+import { type ViewModel } from "../shared-components/ViewModel";
+import { ViewModelSubscriptions } from "./ViewModelSubscriptions";
+
+export abstract class SubscriptionViewModel<T> implements ViewModel<T> {
+    protected subs: ViewModelSubscriptions;
+
+    protected constructor() {
+        this.subs = new ViewModelSubscriptions(
+            this.addDownstreamSubscriptionWrapper,
+            this.removeDownstreamSubscriptionWrapper,
+        );
+    }
+
+    public subscribe = (listener: () => void): (() => void) => {
+        return this.subs.add(listener);
+    };
+
+    /**
+     * Wrapper around the abstract subscribe callback as we can't assume that the subclassed method
+     * has a bound `this` context.
+     */
+    private addDownstreamSubscriptionWrapper = (): void => {
+        this.addDownstreamSubscription();
+    };
+
+    /**
+     * Wrapper around the abstract unsubscribe callback as we can't call pass an abstract method directly
+     * in the constructor.
+     */
+    private removeDownstreamSubscriptionWrapper = (): void => {
+        this.removeDownstreamSubscription();
+    };
+
+    /**
+     * Called when the first listener subscribes: the subclass should set up any necessary subscriptions
+     * to call this.subs.emit() when the snapshot changes.
+     */
+    protected abstract addDownstreamSubscription(): void;
+
+    /**
+     * Called when the last listener unsubscribes: the subclass should clean up any subscriptions.
+     */
+    protected abstract removeDownstreamSubscription(): void;
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the current snapshot of the view model.
+     */
+    public abstract getSnapshot: () => T;
+}
diff --git a/src/viewmodels/ViewModelSubscriptions.ts b/src/viewmodels/ViewModelSubscriptions.ts
index ffbc89b6f1..97373fcf9f 100644
--- a/src/viewmodels/ViewModelSubscriptions.ts
+++ b/src/viewmodels/ViewModelSubscriptions.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ export class ViewModelSubscriptions {
     private listeners = new Set<() => void>();
 
     /**
-     * @param updateSubscription A function called whenever a listener is added or removed.
+     * @param subscribeCallback Called when the first listener subscribes.
+     * @param unsubscribeCallback Called when the last listener unsubscribes.
      */
     public constructor(
         private subscribeCallback: () => void,
@@ -41,17 +42,9 @@ export class ViewModelSubscriptions {
     /**
      * Emit an update to all subscribed listeners.
      */
-    public emit(): void {
+    public emit = (): void => {
         for (const listener of this.listeners) {
             listener();
         }
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Get the number of listeners currently subscribed to updates.
-     * @returns The number of listeners.
-     */
-    public listenerCount(): number {
-        return this.listeners.size;
-    }
+    };
 }
diff --git a/src/viewmodels/event-tiles/TextualEventViewModel.ts b/src/viewmodels/event-tiles/TextualEventViewModel.ts
index 9d8477b575..d2f56482d7 100644
--- a/src/viewmodels/event-tiles/TextualEventViewModel.ts
+++ b/src/viewmodels/event-tiles/TextualEventViewModel.ts
@@ -10,27 +10,20 @@ import { MatrixEventEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/matrix";
 import { type EventTileTypeProps } from "../../events/EventTileFactory";
 import { MatrixClientPeg } from "../../MatrixClientPeg";
 import { textForEvent } from "../../TextForEvent";
-import { ViewModelSubscriptions } from "../ViewModelSubscriptions";
 import { type TextualEventViewSnapshot } from "../../shared-components/event-tiles/TextualEvent/TextualEvent";
-import { type ViewModel } from "../../shared-components/ViewModel";
-
-export class TextualEventViewModel implements ViewModel<TextualEventViewSnapshot> {
-    private subs: ViewModelSubscriptions;
+import { SubscriptionViewModel } from "../SubscriptionViewModel";
 
+export class TextualEventViewModel extends SubscriptionViewModel<TextualEventViewSnapshot> {
     public constructor(private eventTileProps: EventTileTypeProps) {
-        this.subs = new ViewModelSubscriptions(this.addSubscription, this.removeSubscription);
+        super();
     }
 
-    private addSubscription = (): void => {
-        this.eventTileProps.mxEvent.on(MatrixEventEvent.SentinelUpdated, this.onEventSentinelUpdated);
+    protected addDownstreamSubscription = (): void => {
+        this.eventTileProps.mxEvent.on(MatrixEventEvent.SentinelUpdated, this.subs.emit);
     };
 
-    private removeSubscription = (): void => {
-        this.eventTileProps.mxEvent.off(MatrixEventEvent.SentinelUpdated, this.onEventSentinelUpdated);
-    };
-
-    public subscribe = (listener: () => void): (() => void) => {
-        return this.subs.add(listener);
+    protected removeDownstreamSubscription = (): void => {
+        this.eventTileProps.mxEvent.off(MatrixEventEvent.SentinelUpdated, this.subs.emit);
     };
 
     public getSnapshot = (): TextualEventViewSnapshot => {
@@ -42,8 +35,4 @@ export class TextualEventViewModel implements ViewModel<TextualEventViewSnapshot
         );
         return text;
     };
-
-    private onEventSentinelUpdated = (): void => {
-        this.subs.emit();
-    };
 }
diff --git a/test/viewmodels/event-tiles/TextualEventViewModel-test.ts b/test/viewmodels/event-tiles/TextualEventViewModel-test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..92037df9fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/viewmodels/event-tiles/TextualEventViewModel-test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2025 New Vector Ltd.
+
+SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only OR GPL-3.0-only OR LicenseRef-Element-Commercial
+Please see LICENSE files in the repository root for full details.
+*/
+
+import { MatrixEvent, MatrixEventEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/matrix";
+
+import { TextualEventViewModel } from "../../../src/viewmodels/event-tiles/TextualEventViewModel";
+
+describe("TextualEventViewModel", () => {
+    it("should update when the sentinel updates", () => {
+        const fakeEvent = new MatrixEvent({});
+
+        const vm = new TextualEventViewModel({
+            showHiddenEvents: false,
+            mxEvent: fakeEvent,
+        });
+
+        const cb = jest.fn();
+
+        vm.subscribe(cb);
+
+        fakeEvent.emit(MatrixEventEvent.SentinelUpdated);
+
+        expect(cb).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    });
+});