diff --git a/src/libs/ReportUtils.ts b/src/libs/ReportUtils.ts
index e619cb3c80dd..545dbf664771 100644
--- a/src/libs/ReportUtils.ts
+++ b/src/libs/ReportUtils.ts
@@ -1095,13 +1095,25 @@ function getReportNotificationPreference(report: OnyxEntry<Report>): string | nu
 }
 
 /**
- * Returns whether or not the author of the action is this user
- *
+ * Checks if the current user is the action's author
  */
-function isActionCreator(reportAction: OnyxEntry<ReportAction>): boolean {
+function isActionCreator(reportAction: OnyxEntry<ReportAction> | Partial<ReportAction>): boolean {
     return reportAction?.actorAccountID === currentUserAccountID;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Returns the notification preference of the action's child report if it exists.
+ * Otherwise, calculates it based on the action's authorship.
+ */
+function getChildReportNotificationPreference(reportAction: OnyxEntry<ReportAction> | Partial<ReportAction>): NotificationPreference {
+    const childReportNotificationPreference = reportAction?.childReportNotificationPreference ?? '';
+    if (childReportNotificationPreference) {
+        return childReportNotificationPreference;
+    }
+
+    return isActionCreator(reportAction) ? CONST.REPORT.NOTIFICATION_PREFERENCE.ALWAYS : CONST.REPORT.NOTIFICATION_PREFERENCE.HIDDEN;
+}
+
 /**
  * Can only delete if the author is this user and the action is an ADDCOMMENT action or an IOU action in an unsettled report, or if the user is a
  * policy admin
@@ -4533,6 +4545,7 @@ export {
     shouldAutoFocusOnKeyPress,
     shouldDisplayThreadReplies,
     shouldDisableThread,
+    getChildReportNotificationPreference,
 };
 
 export type {ExpenseOriginalMessage, OptionData, OptimisticChatReport, OptimisticCreatedReportAction};
diff --git a/src/libs/actions/Report.ts b/src/libs/actions/Report.ts
index 55e91834a803..90ef14c96128 100644
--- a/src/libs/actions/Report.ts
+++ b/src/libs/actions/Report.ts
@@ -739,7 +739,7 @@ function navigateToAndOpenChildReport(childReportID = '0', parentReportAction: P
             '',
             undefined,
             undefined,
-            CONST.REPORT.NOTIFICATION_PREFERENCE.HIDDEN,
+            ReportUtils.getChildReportNotificationPreference(parentReportAction),
             parentReportAction.reportActionID,
             parentReportID,
         );
diff --git a/src/pages/home/HeaderView.js b/src/pages/home/HeaderView.js
index edf6b65b2f4a..2e6fbf61240d 100644
--- a/src/pages/home/HeaderView.js
+++ b/src/pages/home/HeaderView.js
@@ -109,9 +109,7 @@ function HeaderView(props) {
     const isAutomatedExpensifyAccount = ReportUtils.hasSingleParticipant(props.report) && ReportUtils.hasAutomatedExpensifyAccountIDs(participants);
     const parentReportAction = ReportActionsUtils.getParentReportAction(props.report);
     const isCanceledTaskReport = ReportUtils.isCanceledTaskReport(props.report, parentReportAction);
-    const lastVisibleMessage = ReportActionsUtils.getLastVisibleMessage(props.report.reportID);
     const isWhisperAction = ReportActionsUtils.isWhisperAction(parentReportAction);
-    const isEmptyChat = !props.report.lastMessageText && !props.report.lastMessageTranslationKey && !lastVisibleMessage.lastMessageText && !lastVisibleMessage.lastMessageTranslationKey;
     const isUserCreatedPolicyRoom = ReportUtils.isUserCreatedPolicyRoom(props.report);
     const isPolicyMember = useMemo(() => !_.isEmpty(props.policy), [props.policy]);
     const canLeaveRoom = ReportUtils.canLeaveRoom(props.report, isPolicyMember);
@@ -153,7 +151,7 @@ function HeaderView(props) {
         ),
     );
 
-    const canJoinOrLeave = (isChatThread && !isEmptyChat) || isUserCreatedPolicyRoom || canLeaveRoom;
+    const canJoinOrLeave = isChatThread || isUserCreatedPolicyRoom || canLeaveRoom;
     const canJoin = canJoinOrLeave && !isWhisperAction && props.report.notificationPreference === CONST.REPORT.NOTIFICATION_PREFERENCE.HIDDEN;
     const canLeave = canJoinOrLeave && ((isChatThread && props.report.notificationPreference.length) || isUserCreatedPolicyRoom || canLeaveRoom);
     if (canJoin) {
diff --git a/src/pages/home/report/ContextMenu/ContextMenuActions.js b/src/pages/home/report/ContextMenu/ContextMenuActions.js
index f22eda58ce7f..eb48dafbe584 100644
--- a/src/pages/home/report/ContextMenu/ContextMenuActions.js
+++ b/src/pages/home/report/ContextMenu/ContextMenuActions.js
@@ -156,14 +156,10 @@ export default [
         successTextTranslateKey: '',
         successIcon: null,
         shouldShow: (type, reportAction, isArchivedRoom, betas, anchor, isChronosReport, reportID) => {
-            let childReportNotificationPreference = lodashGet(reportAction, 'childReportNotificationPreference', '');
-            if (!childReportNotificationPreference) {
-                const isActionCreator = ReportUtils.isActionCreator(reportAction);
-                childReportNotificationPreference = isActionCreator ? CONST.REPORT.NOTIFICATION_PREFERENCE.ALWAYS : CONST.REPORT.NOTIFICATION_PREFERENCE.HIDDEN;
-            }
+            const childReportNotificationPreference = ReportUtils.getChildReportNotificationPreference(reportAction);
             const isDeletedAction = ReportActionsUtils.isDeletedAction(reportAction);
             const shouldDisplayThreadReplies = ReportUtils.shouldDisplayThreadReplies(reportAction, reportID);
-            const subscribed = childReportNotificationPreference !== 'hidden';
+            const subscribed = childReportNotificationPreference !== CONST.REPORT.NOTIFICATION_PREFERENCE.HIDDEN;
             const isCommentAction = reportAction.actionName === CONST.REPORT.ACTIONS.TYPE.ADDCOMMENT && !ReportUtils.isThreadFirstChat(reportAction, reportID);
             const isReportPreviewAction = reportAction.actionName === CONST.REPORT.ACTIONS.TYPE.REPORTPREVIEW;
             const isIOUAction = reportAction.actionName === CONST.REPORT.ACTIONS.TYPE.IOU && !ReportActionsUtils.isSplitBillAction(reportAction);
@@ -171,11 +167,7 @@ export default [
             return !subscribed && !isWhisperAction && (isCommentAction || isReportPreviewAction || isIOUAction) && (!isDeletedAction || shouldDisplayThreadReplies);
         },
         onPress: (closePopover, {reportAction, reportID}) => {
-            let childReportNotificationPreference = lodashGet(reportAction, 'childReportNotificationPreference', '');
-            if (!childReportNotificationPreference) {
-                const isActionCreator = ReportUtils.isActionCreator(reportAction);
-                childReportNotificationPreference = isActionCreator ? CONST.REPORT.NOTIFICATION_PREFERENCE.ALWAYS : CONST.REPORT.NOTIFICATION_PREFERENCE.HIDDEN;
-            }
+            const childReportNotificationPreference = ReportUtils.getChildReportNotificationPreference(reportAction);
             if (closePopover) {
                 hideContextMenu(false, () => {
                     ReportActionComposeFocusManager.focus();
@@ -196,14 +188,10 @@ export default [
         successTextTranslateKey: '',
         successIcon: null,
         shouldShow: (type, reportAction, isArchivedRoom, betas, anchor, isChronosReport, reportID) => {
-            let childReportNotificationPreference = lodashGet(reportAction, 'childReportNotificationPreference', '');
-            if (!childReportNotificationPreference) {
-                const isActionCreator = ReportUtils.isActionCreator(reportAction);
-                childReportNotificationPreference = isActionCreator ? CONST.REPORT.NOTIFICATION_PREFERENCE.ALWAYS : CONST.REPORT.NOTIFICATION_PREFERENCE.HIDDEN;
-            }
+            const childReportNotificationPreference = ReportUtils.getChildReportNotificationPreference(reportAction);
             const isDeletedAction = ReportActionsUtils.isDeletedAction(reportAction);
             const shouldDisplayThreadReplies = ReportUtils.shouldDisplayThreadReplies(reportAction, reportID);
-            const subscribed = childReportNotificationPreference !== 'hidden';
+            const subscribed = childReportNotificationPreference !== CONST.REPORT.NOTIFICATION_PREFERENCE.HIDDEN;
             if (type !== CONST.CONTEXT_MENU_TYPES.REPORT_ACTION) {
                 return false;
             }
@@ -213,11 +201,7 @@ export default [
             return subscribed && (isCommentAction || isReportPreviewAction || isIOUAction) && (!isDeletedAction || shouldDisplayThreadReplies);
         },
         onPress: (closePopover, {reportAction, reportID}) => {
-            let childReportNotificationPreference = lodashGet(reportAction, 'childReportNotificationPreference', '');
-            if (!childReportNotificationPreference) {
-                const isActionCreator = ReportUtils.isActionCreator(reportAction);
-                childReportNotificationPreference = isActionCreator ? CONST.REPORT.NOTIFICATION_PREFERENCE.ALWAYS : CONST.REPORT.NOTIFICATION_PREFERENCE.HIDDEN;
-            }
+            const childReportNotificationPreference = ReportUtils.getChildReportNotificationPreference(reportAction);
             if (closePopover) {
                 hideContextMenu(false, () => {
                     ReportActionComposeFocusManager.focus();