diff --git a/src/packages/database/postgres/messages.ts b/src/packages/database/postgres/messages.ts
index 3dfde1420d..9721bf6972 100644
--- a/src/packages/database/postgres/messages.ts
+++ b/src/packages/database/postgres/messages.ts
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ FROM (
     LIMIT ${NUM_MESSAGES}
 ) AS subquery
 WHERE read=false AND saved=false AND deleted=false`;
-  console.log(query);
   const { rows: counts } = await pool.query(query, [account_id]);
 
   const { unread_count } = counts[0];
diff --git a/src/packages/frontend/app/notifications.tsx b/src/packages/frontend/app/notifications.tsx
index 6e7a4da22f..6505612b94 100644
--- a/src/packages/frontend/app/notifications.tsx
+++ b/src/packages/frontend/app/notifications.tsx
@@ -5,13 +5,11 @@
 
 import { blue as ANTD_BLUE } from "@ant-design/colors";
 import { Badge } from "antd";
-
 import {
   CSS,
   React,
   redux,
   useActions,
-  useMemo,
   useTypedRedux,
 } from "@cocalc/frontend/app-framework";
 import { Icon } from "@cocalc/frontend/components";
@@ -20,6 +18,8 @@ import { COLORS } from "@cocalc/util/theme";
 import track from "@cocalc/frontend/user-tracking";
 import { PageStyle, TOP_BAR_ELEMENT_CLASS } from "./top-nav-consts";
 import { blur_active_element } from "./util";
+import { useEffect, useMemo } from "react";
+import { set_window_title } from "@cocalc/frontend/browser";
 
 interface Props {
   type: "bell" | "notifications";
@@ -45,13 +45,17 @@ export const Notification: React.FC<Props> = React.memo((props: Props) => {
       case "bell":
         return notify_count ?? 0;
       case "notifications":
-        return mentions_store.get_unseen_size(mentions) ?? 0;
+        return mentions_store.getUnreadSize() ?? 0;
       default:
         unreachable(type);
         return 0;
     }
   }, [type, notify_count, mentions]);
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    set_window_title();
+  }, [count, news_unread]);
+
   const outer_style: CSS = {
     padding: `${topPaddingIcons} ${sidePaddingIcons}`,
     height: `${pageStyle.height}px`,
@@ -107,7 +111,7 @@ export const Notification: React.FC<Props> = React.memo((props: Props) => {
         return (
           <Badge
             showZero
-            color={count == 0 ? COLORS.GRAY : undefined}
+            color={COLORS.GRAY}
             count={count}
             className={count > 0 ? "smc-bell-notification" : ""}
           />
@@ -116,7 +120,7 @@ export const Notification: React.FC<Props> = React.memo((props: Props) => {
       case "notifications":
         // only wiggle, if there are unread news – because they clear out automatically.
         // mentions can be more long term, i.e. keep them unread until you mark them done.
-        const wiggle = news_unread > 0;
+        const wiggle = news_unread > 0 || unread_message_count > 0;
         return (
           <Badge
             color={unread_message_count == 0 ? COLORS.GRAY : "green"}
diff --git a/src/packages/frontend/browser.ts b/src/packages/frontend/browser.ts
index 104c87e6b2..ac8a5dccfb 100644
--- a/src/packages/frontend/browser.ts
+++ b/src/packages/frontend/browser.ts
@@ -8,13 +8,15 @@ import { redux } from "./app-framework";
 // Calling set_window_title will set the title, but also put a notification
 // count to the left of the title; if called with no arguments just updates
 // the count, maintaining the previous title.
-type NotifyFunction = () => number;
-let notify_count: NotifyFunction | undefined = undefined;
-
-export function set_notify_count_function() {
-  const store = redux.getStore("file_use");
-  if (store == null) throw Error("file_use must be defined");
-  notify_count = store?.get_notify_count;
+export function notifyCount() {
+  const mentions = redux.getStore("mentions");
+  const account = redux.getStore("account");
+  const news = redux.getStore("news");
+  return (
+    (mentions?.getUnreadSize() ?? 0) +
+    (account?.get("unread_message_count") ?? 0) +
+    (news?.get("unread") ?? 0)
+  );
 }
 
 let last_title: string = "";
@@ -24,7 +26,7 @@ export function set_window_title(title?: string): void {
     title = last_title;
   }
   last_title = title;
-  const u = notify_count?.();
+  const u = notifyCount();
   if (u) {
     title = `(${u}) ${title}`;
   }
diff --git a/src/packages/frontend/file-use/init.ts b/src/packages/frontend/file-use/init.ts
index 0242f844c5..e2bdd475e3 100644
--- a/src/packages/frontend/file-use/init.ts
+++ b/src/packages/frontend/file-use/init.ts
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ import { redux } from "../app-framework";
 import { FileUseStore } from "./store";
 import { FileUseActions } from "./actions";
 import { FileUseTable } from "./table";
-// Initialize function to updates the browser's awareness of a notification
-import { set_notify_count_function } from "../browser";
 
 export function init() {
   redux.createStore("file_use", FileUseStore, { notify_count: 0 });
@@ -23,6 +21,4 @@ export function init() {
     redux.createTable("file_use", FileUseTable);
   }
   actions._init(); // must be after making store
-
-  set_notify_count_function();
 }
diff --git a/src/packages/frontend/messages/counter.tsx b/src/packages/frontend/messages/counter.tsx
index ff6401830a..019da0c613 100644
--- a/src/packages/frontend/messages/counter.tsx
+++ b/src/packages/frontend/messages/counter.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
+import { useEffect } from "react";
 import { Badge, Tooltip } from "antd";
 import { useTypedRedux } from "@cocalc/frontend/app-framework";
 import { COLORS } from "@cocalc/util/theme";
+import { set_window_title } from "@cocalc/frontend/browser";
 
 export default function Counter({
   minimal,
@@ -11,6 +13,9 @@ export default function Counter({
 }) {
   const unread_message_count =
     useTypedRedux("account", "unread_message_count") ?? 0;
+  useEffect(() => {
+    set_window_title();
+  }, [unread_message_count]);
   if (minimal) {
     return <span style={style}>{unread_message_count}</span>;
   }
diff --git a/src/packages/frontend/messages/thread.tsx b/src/packages/frontend/messages/thread.tsx
index 9e8e9e027b..110c5c0f30 100644
--- a/src/packages/frontend/messages/thread.tsx
+++ b/src/packages/frontend/messages/thread.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { MessageInThread } from "./message";
 import type { Message as MessageType } from "@cocalc/util/db-schema/messages";
 import { useState } from "react";
 import { plural } from "@cocalc/util/misc";
-import { isFromMe, isToMe, isRead } from "./util";
+import { isFromMe, isRead } from "./util";
 import User from "./user";
 import { redux } from "@cocalc/frontend/app-framework";
 
@@ -39,10 +39,10 @@ export default function Thread({
     if (thread_id != null) {
       const thread = threads.get(thread_id)?.toJS() as unknown as MessageType[];
       if (thread != null) {
-        // expand each message *to me* that is not read:
+        // expand each message that is not read:
         const ids = new Set<number>();
         for (const id of thread
-          .filter((message) => isToMe(message) && !isRead(message))
+          .filter((message) => !isRead(message))
           .map(({ id }) => id)) {
           ids.add(id);
           expanded.add(id);
diff --git a/src/packages/frontend/notifications/mentions/mention-row.tsx b/src/packages/frontend/notifications/mentions/mention-row.tsx
index b5348a84ef..1815079b89 100644
--- a/src/packages/frontend/notifications/mentions/mention-row.tsx
+++ b/src/packages/frontend/notifications/mentions/mention-row.tsx
@@ -49,9 +49,7 @@ export function MentionRow(props: Props) {
   const is_saved = mention.getIn(["users", target, "saved"]);
 
   const read_icon: IconName =
-    (is_read && !clicked) || (!is_read && clicked)
-      ? "check-square-o"
-      : "square-o";
+    (is_read && !clicked) || (!is_read && clicked) ? "eye" : "eye-slash";
 
   // think of "in transition" between read and unread
   const clickedStyle: CSS =
diff --git a/src/packages/frontend/notifications/mentions/store.ts b/src/packages/frontend/notifications/mentions/store.ts
index 8010ff5951..7115a39944 100644
--- a/src/packages/frontend/notifications/mentions/store.ts
+++ b/src/packages/frontend/notifications/mentions/store.ts
@@ -19,27 +19,28 @@ export class MentionsStore extends Store<MentionsState> {
     super(name, redux);
   }
 
-  get_unseen_size = (mentions?: MentionsMap): number => {
+  getUnreadSize = (): number => {
+    const mentions = this.get("mentions");
     if (mentions == null) {
       // e.g., happens with a brand new account.
       return 0;
     }
     const account_store = this.redux.getStore("account");
-    if (account_store == undefined) {
+    if (account_store == null) {
       return 0;
     }
 
     const account_id = account_store.get("account_id");
-    let unseen_count = 0;
+    let unread_count = 0;
     mentions.map((mention) => {
       if (
-        mention.get("target") === account_id &&
+        mention.get("target") == account_id &&
         !mention.getIn(["users", account_id, "read"])
       ) {
-        unseen_count += 1;
+        unread_count += 1;
       }
     });
 
-    return unseen_count;
+    return unread_count;
   };
 }
diff --git a/src/packages/frontend/notifications/notification-nav.tsx b/src/packages/frontend/notifications/notification-nav.tsx
index 5ccceca5cf..aa080e1794 100644
--- a/src/packages/frontend/notifications/notification-nav.tsx
+++ b/src/packages/frontend/notifications/notification-nav.tsx
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ const MentionsCounter = () => {
   const mentions = useTypedRedux("mentions", "mentions");
   const mentions_store = redux.getStore("mentions");
   const count = useMemo(() => {
-    return mentions_store.get_unseen_size(mentions);
+    return mentions_store.getUnreadSize();
   }, [mentions]);
 
   return (