diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/models/chatter/chatter.js b/addons/mail/static/src/models/chatter/chatter.js
index c9411e5e869..19f89aaf07a 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/models/chatter/chatter.js
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/models/chatter/chatter.js
@@ -26,11 +26,10 @@ registerModel({
     identifyingFields: ['id'],
     lifecycleHooks: {
         _created() {
-            this._attachmentsLoaderTimeout = undefined;
             this._isPreparingAttachmentsLoading = undefined;
         },
         _willDelete() {
-            this._stopAttachmentsLoading();
+            this.messaging.browser.clearTimeout(this.attachmentsLoaderTimeout);
         },
     },
     recordMethods: {
@@ -173,6 +172,13 @@ registerModel({
                 thread: this.thread ? link(this.thread) : unlink(),
             });
         },
+        /**
+         * @private
+         */
+        _onAttachmentsLoadingTimeout() {
+            this.update({ isShowingAttachmentsLoading: true });
+            this._isPreparingAttachmentsLoading = false;
+        },
         /**
          * @private
          */
@@ -231,17 +237,19 @@ registerModel({
          */
         _prepareAttachmentsLoading() {
             this._isPreparingAttachmentsLoading = true;
-            this._attachmentsLoaderTimeout = this.messaging.browser.setTimeout(() => {
-                this.update({ isShowingAttachmentsLoading: true });
-                this._isPreparingAttachmentsLoading = false;
-            }, this.messaging.loadingBaseDelayDuration);
+            this.update({
+                attachmentsLoaderTimeout: this.messaging.browser.setTimeout(
+                    this._onAttachmentsLoadingTimeout,
+                    this.messaging.loadingBaseDelayDuration,
+                ),
+            });
         },
         /**
          * @private
          */
         _stopAttachmentsLoading() {
-            this.messaging.browser.clearTimeout(this._attachmentsLoaderTimeout);
-            this._attachmentsLoaderTimeout = null;
+            this.messaging.browser.clearTimeout(this.attachmentsLoaderTimeout);
+            this.update({ attachmentsLoaderTimeout: clear() });
             this._isPreparingAttachmentsLoading = false;
         },
     },
@@ -255,6 +263,7 @@ registerModel({
             inverse: 'chatter',
             isCausal: true,
         }),
+        attachmentsLoaderTimeout: attr(),
         /**
          * States the OWL Chatter component of this chatter.
          */