diff --git a/app/components/post_list/post_list_base.js b/app/components/post_list/post_list_base.js
index 47973de0d..5ccf6723d 100644
--- a/app/components/post_list/post_list_base.js
+++ b/app/components/post_list/post_list_base.js
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ export default class PostListBase extends PureComponent {
         onPostPress: PropTypes.func,
         onRefresh: PropTypes.func,
         postIds: PropTypes.array.isRequired,
-        renderFooter: PropTypes.func,
+        renderFooter: PropTypes.oneOfType([PropTypes.func, PropTypes.object]),
         renderReplies: PropTypes.bool,
         serverURL: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
         shouldRenderReplyButton: PropTypes.bool,
diff --git a/app/screens/thread/__snapshots__/thread.test.js.snap b/app/screens/thread/__snapshots__/thread.test.js.snap
index e78b7839e..79f7f0539 100644
--- a/app/screens/thread/__snapshots__/thread.test.js.snap
+++ b/app/screens/thread/__snapshots__/thread.test.js.snap
@@ -46,7 +46,13 @@ exports[`thread should match snapshot, has root post 1`] = `
           "post_id_2",
         ]
       }
-      renderFooter={[Function]}
+      renderFooter={
+        <Loading
+          color="grey"
+          size="large"
+          style={Object {}}
+        />
+      }
     />
     <Connect(PostTextbox)
       channelId="channel_id"
@@ -104,44 +110,105 @@ exports[`thread should match snapshot, no root post, loading 1`] = `
 `;
 
 exports[`thread should match snapshot, render footer 1`] = `
-<Loading
-  color="grey"
-  size="large"
-  style={Object {}}
-/>
-`;
-
-exports[`thread should match snapshot, render footer 2`] = `null`;
-
-exports[`thread should match snapshot, render footer 3`] = `
-<DeletedPost
-  theme={
+<Connect(PostList)
+  currentUserId="member_user_id"
+  indicateNewMessages={true}
+  navigator={
     Object {
-      "awayIndicator": "#ffbc42",
-      "buttonBg": "#166de0",
-      "buttonColor": "#ffffff",
-      "centerChannelBg": "#ffffff",
-      "centerChannelColor": "#3d3c40",
-      "codeTheme": "github",
-      "dndIndicator": "#f74343",
-      "errorTextColor": "#fd5960",
-      "linkColor": "#2389d7",
-      "mentionBj": "#ffffff",
-      "mentionColor": "#145dbf",
-      "mentionHighlightBg": "#ffe577",
-      "mentionHighlightLink": "#166de0",
-      "newMessageSeparator": "#ff8800",
-      "onlineIndicator": "#06d6a0",
-      "sidebarBg": "#145dbf",
-      "sidebarHeaderBg": "#1153ab",
-      "sidebarHeaderTextColor": "#ffffff",
-      "sidebarText": "#ffffff",
-      "sidebarTextActiveBorder": "#579eff",
-      "sidebarTextActiveColor": "#ffffff",
-      "sidebarTextHoverBg": "#4578bf",
-      "sidebarUnreadText": "#ffffff",
-      "type": "Mattermost",
+      "dismissModal": [MockFunction],
+      "pop": [MockFunction],
+      "resetTo": [MockFunction],
+      "setTitle": [MockFunction] {
+        "calls": Array [
+          Array [
+            Object {
+              "title": undefined,
+            },
+          ],
+        ],
+        "results": Array [
+          Object {
+            "isThrow": false,
+            "value": undefined,
+          },
+        ],
+      },
     }
   }
+  postIds={
+    Array [
+      "root_id",
+      "post_id_1",
+      "post_id_2",
+    ]
+  }
+  renderFooter={
+    <Loading
+      color="grey"
+      size="large"
+      style={Object {}}
+    />
+  }
 />
 `;
+
+exports[`thread should match snapshot, render footer 2`] = `
+<Connect(PostList)
+  currentUserId="member_user_id"
+  indicateNewMessages={true}
+  lastViewedAt={0}
+  navigator={
+    Object {
+      "dismissModal": [MockFunction],
+      "pop": [MockFunction],
+      "resetTo": [MockFunction],
+      "setTitle": [MockFunction] {
+        "calls": Array [
+          Array [
+            Object {
+              "title": undefined,
+            },
+          ],
+        ],
+        "results": Array [
+          Object {
+            "isThrow": false,
+            "value": undefined,
+          },
+        ],
+      },
+    }
+  }
+  postIds={
+    Array [
+      "root_id",
+      "post_id_1",
+      "post_id_2",
+    ]
+  }
+  renderFooter={null}
+/>
+`;
+
+exports[`thread should match snapshot, render footer 3`] = `
+<Connect(SafeAreaIos)
+  excludeHeader={true}
+  keyboardOffset={20}
+>
+  <Connect(StatusBar) />
+  <KeyboardLayout
+    style={
+      Object {
+        "backgroundColor": "#ffffff",
+        "flex": 1,
+      }
+    }
+  >
+    <Loading
+      color="grey"
+      size="large"
+      style={Object {}}
+    />
+  </KeyboardLayout>
+</Connect(SafeAreaIos)>
+`;
diff --git a/app/screens/thread/thread.js b/app/screens/thread/thread.js
index ee568d1b7..1f8dc0445 100644
--- a/app/screens/thread/thread.js
+++ b/app/screens/thread/thread.js
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ export default class Thread extends PureComponent {
         if (this.hasRootPost()) {
             content = (
                 <PostList
-                    renderFooter={this.renderFooter}
+                    renderFooter={this.renderFooter()}
                     indicateNewMessages={true}
                     postIds={postIds}
                     currentUserId={myMember.user_id}
diff --git a/app/screens/thread/thread.test.js b/app/screens/thread/thread.test.js
index 9557f5693..d12e55f9e 100644
--- a/app/screens/thread/thread.test.js
+++ b/app/screens/thread/thread.test.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {shallow} from 'enzyme';
 
 import Preferences from 'mattermost-redux/constants/preferences';
 import {General, RequestStatus} from 'mattermost-redux/constants';
+import PostList from 'app/components/post_list';
 
 import Thread from './thread.js';
 
@@ -89,15 +90,15 @@ describe('thread', () => {
         );
 
         // return loading
-        expect(wrapper.instance().renderFooter()).toMatchSnapshot();
+        expect(wrapper.find(PostList).getElement()).toMatchSnapshot();
 
         // return null
         wrapper.setProps({threadLoadingStatus: {status: RequestStatus.SUCCESS}});
-        expect(wrapper.instance().renderFooter()).toMatchSnapshot();
+        expect(wrapper.find(PostList).getElement()).toMatchSnapshot();
 
         // return deleted post
         const newPostIds = ['post_id_1', 'post_id_2'];
         wrapper.setProps({postIds: newPostIds});
-        expect(wrapper.instance().renderFooter()).toMatchSnapshot();
+        expect(wrapper.getElement()).toMatchSnapshot();
     });
 });