diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 8c145ec946..dbb0bf51ce 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ Bugfix 🐛:
  - Simplifies draft management and should fix bunch of draft issues (#952, #683)
  - Very long topic cannot be fully visible (#1957)
  - Properly detect cross signing keys reset
+ - Don't set presence when handling a push notification or polling (#2156)
 
 Translations 🗣:
  - Move store data to `/fastlane/metadata/android` (#812)
diff --git a/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/SyncPresence.kt b/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/SyncPresence.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..18e17c7d13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/SyncPresence.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2020 The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.session.sync
+
+/**
+ * For `set_presence` parameter in the /sync request
+ *
+ * Controls whether the client is automatically marked as online by polling this API. If this parameter
+ * is omitted then the client is automatically marked as online when it uses this API. Otherwise if the
+ * parameter is set to "offline" then the client is not marked as being online when it uses this API.
+ * When set to "unavailable", the client is marked as being idle. One of: ["offline", "online", "unavailable"]
+ */
+enum class SyncPresence(val value: String) {
+    Offline("offline"),
+    Online("online"),
+    Unavailable("unavailable")
+}
diff --git a/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/SyncTask.kt b/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/SyncTask.kt
index 9393d4703f..303bb45419 100644
--- a/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/SyncTask.kt
+++ b/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/SyncTask.kt
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 package org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.session.sync
 
+import org.greenrobot.eventbus.EventBus
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.R
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.di.UserId
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.network.executeRequest
@@ -25,13 +26,15 @@ import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.session.homeserver.GetHomeServerCapabilit
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.session.sync.model.SyncResponse
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.session.user.UserStore
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.task.Task
-import org.greenrobot.eventbus.EventBus
 import timber.log.Timber
 import javax.inject.Inject
 
 internal interface SyncTask : Task<SyncTask.Params, Unit> {
 
-    data class Params(var timeout: Long = 6_000L)
+    data class Params(
+            val timeout: Long,
+            val presence: SyncPresence?
+    )
 }
 
 internal class DefaultSyncTask @Inject constructor(
@@ -63,6 +66,7 @@ internal class DefaultSyncTask @Inject constructor(
         }
         requestParams["timeout"] = timeout.toString()
         requestParams["filter"] = filterRepository.getFilter()
+        params.presence?.let { requestParams["set_presence"] = it.value }
 
         val isInitialSync = token == null
         if (isInitialSync) {
diff --git a/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/job/SyncService.kt b/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/job/SyncService.kt
index ccd7f770fb..6d100a71f9 100644
--- a/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/job/SyncService.kt
+++ b/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/job/SyncService.kt
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.failure.isTokenError
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.Session
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.sync.SyncState
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.network.NetworkConnectivityChecker
+import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.session.sync.SyncPresence
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.session.sync.SyncTask
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.task.TaskExecutor
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.util.BackgroundDetectionObserver
@@ -147,7 +148,7 @@ abstract class SyncService : Service() {
 
     private suspend fun doSync() {
         Timber.v("## Sync: Execute sync request with timeout $syncTimeoutSeconds seconds")
-        val params = SyncTask.Params(syncTimeoutSeconds * 1000L)
+        val params = SyncTask.Params(syncTimeoutSeconds * 1000L, SyncPresence.Offline)
         try {
             // never do that in foreground, let the syncThread work
             syncTask.execute(params)
diff --git a/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/job/SyncThread.kt b/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/job/SyncThread.kt
index 4aaca991dd..cfd7865269 100644
--- a/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/job/SyncThread.kt
+++ b/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/job/SyncThread.kt
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
 import kotlinx.coroutines.runBlocking
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.call.MxCall
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.session.call.ActiveCallHandler
+import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.session.sync.SyncPresence
 import timber.log.Timber
 import java.net.SocketTimeoutException
 import java.util.Timer
@@ -161,7 +162,7 @@ internal class SyncThread @Inject constructor(private val syncTask: SyncTask,
                 // No timeout after a pause
                 val timeout = state.let { if (it is SyncState.Running && it.afterPause) 0 else DEFAULT_LONG_POOL_TIMEOUT }
                 Timber.v("Execute sync request with timeout $timeout")
-                val params = SyncTask.Params(timeout)
+                val params = SyncTask.Params(timeout, SyncPresence.Online)
                 val sync = syncScope.launch {
                     doSync(params)
                 }
diff --git a/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/job/SyncWorker.kt b/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/job/SyncWorker.kt
index 17baa91cec..211b643516 100644
--- a/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/job/SyncWorker.kt
+++ b/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/job/SyncWorker.kt
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.failure.isTokenError
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.di.WorkManagerProvider
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.network.NetworkConnectivityChecker
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.session.SessionComponent
+import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.session.sync.SyncPresence
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.session.sync.SyncTask
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.task.TaskExecutor
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.worker.SessionSafeCoroutineWorker
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ internal class SyncWorker(context: Context,
     }
 
     private suspend fun doSync(timeout: Long) {
-        val taskParams = SyncTask.Params(timeout * 1000)
+        val taskParams = SyncTask.Params(timeout * 1000, SyncPresence.Offline)
         syncTask.execute(taskParams)
     }