diff --git a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/TestCaseChatLink.cs b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/TestCaseChatLink.cs
index eddcd16b93..61c2f47e7d 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/TestCaseChatLink.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/TestCaseChatLink.cs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ using NUnit.Framework;
 using osu.Game.Graphics.Containers;
 using osu.Game.Graphics.Sprites;
 using osu.Game.Overlays;
+using osu.Framework.Configuration;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual
 {
@@ -54,8 +55,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual
             linkColour = colours.Blue;
 
             var chatManager = new ChannelManager();
-            chatManager.AvailableChannels.Add(new Channel { Name = "#english"});
-            chatManager.AvailableChannels.Add(new Channel { Name = "#japanese" });
+            BindableCollection<Channel> availableChannels = (BindableCollection<Channel>)chatManager.AvailableChannels;
+            availableChannels.Add(new Channel { Name = "#english"});
+            availableChannels.Add(new Channel { Name = "#japanese" });
             Dependencies.Cache(chatManager);
 
             Dependencies.Cache(new ChatOverlay());
diff --git a/osu.Game/Online/Chat/ChannelManager.cs b/osu.Game/Online/Chat/ChannelManager.cs
index 73ac7c9df4..29f971078b 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Online/Chat/ChannelManager.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Online/Chat/ChannelManager.cs
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
-using System.Collections.ObjectModel;
 using System.Linq;
 using osu.Framework.Allocation;
 using osu.Framework.Configuration;
@@ -31,6 +30,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Online.Chat
             @"#lobby"
         };
 
+        private readonly BindableCollection<Channel> availableChannels = new BindableCollection<Channel>();
+        private readonly BindableCollection<Channel> joinedChannels = new BindableCollection<Channel>();
+
         /// <summary>
         /// The currently opened channel
         /// </summary>
@@ -39,12 +41,12 @@ namespace osu.Game.Online.Chat
         /// <summary>
         /// The Channels the player has joined
         /// </summary>
-        public ObservableCollection<Channel> JoinedChannels { get; } = new ObservableCollection<Channel>(); //todo: should be publicly readonly
+        public IBindableCollection<Channel> JoinedChannels => joinedChannels;
 
         /// <summary>
         /// The channels available for the player to join
         /// </summary>
-        public ObservableCollection<Channel> AvailableChannels { get; } = new ObservableCollection<Channel>(); //todo: should be publicly readonly
+        public IBindableCollection<Channel> AvailableChannels => availableChannels;
 
         private IAPIProvider api;
         private ScheduledDelegate fetchMessagesScheduleder;
@@ -293,8 +295,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Online.Chat
                     found.Users.Remove(foundSelf);
             }
 
-            if (joined == null && addToJoined) JoinedChannels.Add(found);
-            if (available == null && addToAvailable) AvailableChannels.Add(found);
+            if (joined == null && addToJoined) joinedChannels.Add(found);
+            if (available == null && addToAvailable) availableChannels.Add(found);
 
             return found;
         }
@@ -346,9 +348,10 @@ namespace osu.Game.Online.Chat
         {
             if (channel == null) return;
 
-            if (channel == CurrentChannel.Value) CurrentChannel.Value = null;
+            if (channel == CurrentChannel.Value)
+                CurrentChannel.Value = null;
 
-            JoinedChannels.Remove(channel);
+            joinedChannels.Remove(channel);
 
             if (channel.Joined.Value)
             {
diff --git a/osu.Game/Overlays/ChatOverlay.cs b/osu.Game/Overlays/ChatOverlay.cs
index b1edfe0548..bdb28d1246 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Overlays/ChatOverlay.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Overlays/ChatOverlay.cs
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 // Licensed under the MIT Licence - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ppy/osu/master/LICENCE
 
 using System.Collections.Generic;
-using System.Collections.Specialized;
 using osuTK;
 using osuTK.Graphics;
 using osu.Framework.Allocation;
@@ -181,28 +180,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Overlays
             channelSelection.OnRequestLeave = channel => channelManager.LeaveChannel(channel);
         }
 
-        private void joinedChannelsChanged(object sender, NotifyCollectionChangedEventArgs args)
-        {
-            switch (args.Action)
-            {
-                case NotifyCollectionChangedAction.Add:
-                    foreach (Channel newChannel in args.NewItems)
-                    {
-                        channelTabControl.AddChannel(newChannel);
-                    }
-
-                    break;
-                case NotifyCollectionChangedAction.Remove:
-                    foreach (Channel removedChannel in args.OldItems)
-                    {
-                        channelTabControl.RemoveChannel(removedChannel);
-                        loadedChannels.Remove(loadedChannels.Find(c => c.Channel == removedChannel));
-                    }
-
-                    break;
-            }
-        }
-
         private void currentChannelChanged(Channel channel)
         {
             if (channel == null)
@@ -322,19 +299,35 @@ namespace osu.Game.Overlays
 
             this.channelManager = channelManager;
             channelManager.CurrentChannel.ValueChanged += currentChannelChanged;
-            channelManager.JoinedChannels.CollectionChanged += joinedChannelsChanged;
-            channelManager.AvailableChannels.CollectionChanged += availableChannelsChanged;
+            channelManager.JoinedChannels.ItemsAdded += onChannelAddedToJoinedChannels;
+            channelManager.JoinedChannels.ItemsRemoved += onChannelRemovedFromJoinedChannels;
+            channelManager.AvailableChannels.ItemsAdded += availableChannelsChanged;
+            channelManager.AvailableChannels.ItemsRemoved += availableChannelsChanged;
 
             //for the case that channelmanager was faster at fetching the channels than our attachment to CollectionChanged.
             channelSelection.UpdateAvailableChannels(channelManager.AvailableChannels);
-            joinedChannelsChanged(this, new NotifyCollectionChangedEventArgs(NotifyCollectionChangedAction.Add, channelManager.JoinedChannels));
+            foreach (Channel channel in channelManager.JoinedChannels)
+                channelTabControl.AddChannel(channel);
         }
 
-        private void availableChannelsChanged(object sender, NotifyCollectionChangedEventArgs e)
+        private void onChannelAddedToJoinedChannels(IEnumerable<Channel> channels)
         {
-            channelSelection.UpdateAvailableChannels(channelManager.AvailableChannels);
+            foreach (Channel channel in channels)
+                channelTabControl.AddChannel(channel);
         }
 
+        private void onChannelRemovedFromJoinedChannels(IEnumerable<Channel> channels)
+        {
+            foreach (Channel channel in channels)
+            {
+                channelTabControl.RemoveChannel(channel);
+                loadedChannels.Remove(loadedChannels.Find(c => c.Channel == channel));
+            }
+        }
+
+        private void availableChannelsChanged(IEnumerable<Channel> channels)
+            => channelSelection.UpdateAvailableChannels(channelManager.AvailableChannels);
+
         protected override void Dispose(bool isDisposing)
         {
             base.Dispose(isDisposing);
@@ -342,8 +335,10 @@ namespace osu.Game.Overlays
             if (channelManager != null)
             {
                 channelManager.CurrentChannel.ValueChanged -= currentChannelChanged;
-                channelManager.JoinedChannels.CollectionChanged -= joinedChannelsChanged;
-                channelManager.AvailableChannels.CollectionChanged -= availableChannelsChanged;
+                channelManager.JoinedChannels.ItemsAdded -= onChannelAddedToJoinedChannels;
+                channelManager.JoinedChannels.ItemsRemoved -= onChannelRemovedFromJoinedChannels;
+                channelManager.AvailableChannels.ItemsAdded -= availableChannelsChanged;
+                channelManager.AvailableChannels.ItemsRemoved -= availableChannelsChanged;
             }
         }