diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/components/dismissable_banner.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/components/dismissable_banner.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1ee0320564
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/components/dismissable_banner.js
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import IconButton from './icon_button';
+import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
+import { injectIntl, defineMessages } from 'react-intl';
+import { bannerSettings } from 'mastodon/settings';
+
+const messages = defineMessages({
+  dismiss: { id: 'dismissable_banner.dismiss', defaultMessage: 'Dismiss' },
+});
+
+export default @injectIntl
+class DismissableBanner extends React.PureComponent {
+
+  static propTypes = {
+    id: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+    children: PropTypes.node,
+    intl: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
+  };
+
+  state = {
+    visible: !bannerSettings.get(this.props.id),
+  };
+
+  handleDismiss = () => {
+    const { id } = this.props;
+    this.setState({ visible: false }, () => bannerSettings.set(id, true));
+  }
+
+  render () {
+    const { visible } = this.state;
+
+    if (!visible) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    const { children, intl } = this.props;
+
+    return (
+      <div className='dismissable-banner'>
+        <div className='dismissable-banner__message'>
+          {children}
+        </div>
+
+        <div className='dismissable-banner__action'>
+          <IconButton icon='times' title={intl.formatMessage(messages.dismiss)} onClick={this.handleDismiss} />
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/community_timeline/index.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/community_timeline/index.js
index afa7b3ed47..7575218025 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/community_timeline/index.js
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/community_timeline/index.js
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import { addColumn, removeColumn, moveColumn } from '../../actions/columns';
 import ColumnSettingsContainer from './containers/column_settings_container';
 import { connectCommunityStream } from '../../actions/streaming';
 import { Helmet } from 'react-helmet';
+import { domain } from 'mastodon/initial_state';
+import DismissableBanner from 'mastodon/components/dismissable_banner';
 
 const messages = defineMessages({
   title: { id: 'column.community', defaultMessage: 'Local timeline' },
@@ -134,6 +136,10 @@ class CommunityTimeline extends React.PureComponent {
           <ColumnSettingsContainer columnId={columnId} />
         </ColumnHeader>
 
+        <DismissableBanner id='community_timeline'>
+          <FormattedMessage id='dismissable_banner.community_timeline' defaultMessage='These are the most recent public posts from people whose accounts are hosted by {domain}.' values={{ domain }} />
+        </DismissableBanner>
+
         <StatusListContainer
           trackScroll={!pinned}
           scrollKey={`community_timeline-${columnId}`}
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/explore/links.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/explore/links.js
index d3aaa9cddf..b47fc8fcf7 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/explore/links.js
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/explore/links.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import LoadingIndicator from 'mastodon/components/loading_indicator';
 import { connect } from 'react-redux';
 import { fetchTrendingLinks } from 'mastodon/actions/trends';
 import { FormattedMessage } from 'react-intl';
+import DismissableBanner from 'mastodon/components/dismissable_banner';
 
 const mapStateToProps = state => ({
   links: state.getIn(['trends', 'links', 'items']),
@@ -29,9 +30,17 @@ class Links extends React.PureComponent {
   render () {
     const { isLoading, links } = this.props;
 
+    const banner = (
+      <DismissableBanner id='explore/links'>
+        <FormattedMessage id='dismissable_banner.explore_links' defaultMessage='These news stories are being talked about by people on this and other servers of the decentralized network right now.' />
+      </DismissableBanner>
+    );
+
     if (!isLoading && links.isEmpty()) {
       return (
         <div className='explore__links scrollable scrollable--flex'>
+          {banner}
+
           <div className='empty-column-indicator'>
             <FormattedMessage id='empty_column.explore_statuses' defaultMessage='Nothing is trending right now. Check back later!' />
           </div>
@@ -41,6 +50,8 @@ class Links extends React.PureComponent {
 
     return (
       <div className='explore__links'>
+        {banner}
+
         {isLoading ? (<LoadingIndicator />) : links.map(link => (
           <Story
             key={link.get('id')}
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/explore/statuses.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/explore/statuses.js
index 33e5b41796..791f11b9fa 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/explore/statuses.js
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/explore/statuses.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { FormattedMessage } from 'react-intl';
 import { connect } from 'react-redux';
 import { fetchTrendingStatuses, expandTrendingStatuses } from 'mastodon/actions/trends';
 import { debounce } from 'lodash';
+import DismissableBanner from 'mastodon/components/dismissable_banner';
 
 const mapStateToProps = state => ({
   statusIds: state.getIn(['status_lists', 'trending', 'items']),
@@ -40,17 +41,23 @@ class Statuses extends React.PureComponent {
     const emptyMessage = <FormattedMessage id='empty_column.explore_statuses' defaultMessage='Nothing is trending right now. Check back later!' />;
 
     return (
-      <StatusList
-        trackScroll
-        statusIds={statusIds}
-        scrollKey='explore-statuses'
-        hasMore={hasMore}
-        isLoading={isLoading}
-        onLoadMore={this.handleLoadMore}
-        emptyMessage={emptyMessage}
-        bindToDocument={!multiColumn}
-        withCounters
-      />
+      <>
+        <DismissableBanner id='explore/statuses'>
+          <FormattedMessage id='dismissable_banner.explore_statuses' defaultMessage='These posts from this and other servers in the decentralized network are gaining traction on this server right now.' />
+        </DismissableBanner>
+
+        <StatusList
+          trackScroll
+          statusIds={statusIds}
+          scrollKey='explore-statuses'
+          hasMore={hasMore}
+          isLoading={isLoading}
+          onLoadMore={this.handleLoadMore}
+          emptyMessage={emptyMessage}
+          bindToDocument={!multiColumn}
+          withCounters
+        />
+      </>
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/explore/tags.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/explore/tags.js
index 6cd3a6fb10..258dc392f2 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/explore/tags.js
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/explore/tags.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import LoadingIndicator from 'mastodon/components/loading_indicator';
 import { connect } from 'react-redux';
 import { fetchTrendingHashtags } from 'mastodon/actions/trends';
 import { FormattedMessage } from 'react-intl';
+import DismissableBanner from 'mastodon/components/dismissable_banner';
 
 const mapStateToProps = state => ({
   hashtags: state.getIn(['trends', 'tags', 'items']),
@@ -29,9 +30,17 @@ class Tags extends React.PureComponent {
   render () {
     const { isLoading, hashtags } = this.props;
 
+    const banner = (
+      <DismissableBanner id='explore/tags'>
+        <FormattedMessage id='dismissable_banner.explore_tags' defaultMessage='These hashtags are gaining traction among people on this and other servers of the decentralized network right now.' />
+      </DismissableBanner>
+    );
+
     if (!isLoading && hashtags.isEmpty()) {
       return (
         <div className='explore__links scrollable scrollable--flex'>
+          {banner}
+
           <div className='empty-column-indicator'>
             <FormattedMessage id='empty_column.explore_statuses' defaultMessage='Nothing is trending right now. Check back later!' />
           </div>
@@ -41,6 +50,8 @@ class Tags extends React.PureComponent {
 
     return (
       <div className='explore__links'>
+        {banner}
+
         {isLoading ? (<LoadingIndicator />) : hashtags.map(hashtag => (
           <Hashtag key={hashtag.get('name')} hashtag={hashtag} />
         ))}
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/public_timeline/index.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/public_timeline/index.js
index 5b1b7c650e..8dbef98c0b 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/public_timeline/index.js
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/public_timeline/index.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { addColumn, removeColumn, moveColumn } from '../../actions/columns';
 import ColumnSettingsContainer from './containers/column_settings_container';
 import { connectPublicStream } from '../../actions/streaming';
 import { Helmet } from 'react-helmet';
+import DismissableBanner from 'mastodon/components/dismissable_banner';
 
 const messages = defineMessages({
   title: { id: 'column.public', defaultMessage: 'Federated timeline' },
@@ -137,6 +138,10 @@ class PublicTimeline extends React.PureComponent {
           <ColumnSettingsContainer columnId={columnId} />
         </ColumnHeader>
 
+        <DismissableBanner id='public_timeline'>
+          <FormattedMessage id='dismissable_banner.public_timeline' defaultMessage='These are the most recent public posts from people on this and other servers of the decentralized network that this server knows about.' />
+        </DismissableBanner>
+
         <StatusListContainer
           timelineId={`public${onlyRemote ? ':remote' : ''}${onlyMedia ? ':media' : ''}`}
           onLoadMore={this.handleLoadMore}
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/settings.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/settings.js
index 7643a508ea..46cfadfa36 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/settings.js
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/settings.js
@@ -45,3 +45,4 @@ export default class Settings {
 
 export const pushNotificationsSetting = new Settings('mastodon_push_notification_data');
 export const tagHistory = new Settings('mastodon_tag_history');
+export const bannerSettings = new Settings('mastodon_banner_settings');
diff --git a/app/javascript/styles/mastodon/components.scss b/app/javascript/styles/mastodon/components.scss
index cc8455ce3c..02c2a14bff 100644
--- a/app/javascript/styles/mastodon/components.scss
+++ b/app/javascript/styles/mastodon/components.scss
@@ -8312,3 +8312,28 @@ noscript {
     }
   }
 }
+
+.dismissable-banner {
+  background: $ui-base-color;
+  border-bottom: 1px solid lighten($ui-base-color, 8%);
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 30px;
+
+  &__message {
+    flex: 1 1 auto;
+    padding: 20px 15px;
+    cursor: default;
+    font-size: 14px;
+    line-height: 18px;
+    color: $primary-text-color;
+  }
+
+  &__action {
+    padding: 15px;
+    flex: 0 0 auto;
+    display: flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    justify-content: center;
+  }
+}