diff --git a/ts/models/conversations.ts b/ts/models/conversations.ts
index 8dc9b7921..7acdec646 100644
--- a/ts/models/conversations.ts
+++ b/ts/models/conversations.ts
@@ -3975,11 +3975,19 @@ export class ConversationModel extends window.Backbone
       sendReadReceipts: true,
     }
   ): Promise<void> {
-    const unreadCount = await markConversationRead(
+    const markedUnread = await markConversationRead(
       this.attributes,
       newestUnreadId,
       options
     );
+
+    if (!markedUnread) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const unreadCount = await window.Signal.Data.getUnreadCountForConversation(
+      this.id
+    );
     this.set({ unreadCount });
     window.Signal.Data.updateConversation(this.attributes);
   }
diff --git a/ts/sql/Client.ts b/ts/sql/Client.ts
index f4a0a8d3f..82c039d0a 100644
--- a/ts/sql/Client.ts
+++ b/ts/sql/Client.ts
@@ -167,6 +167,7 @@ const dataInterface: ClientInterface = {
   saveMessages,
   removeMessage,
   removeMessages,
+  getUnreadCountForConversation,
   getUnreadByConversationAndMarkRead,
   getUnreadReactionsAndMarkRead,
   markReactionAsRead,
@@ -1046,6 +1047,10 @@ async function getMessageBySender(
   return new Message(messages[0]);
 }
 
+async function getUnreadCountForConversation(conversationId: string) {
+  return channels.getUnreadCountForConversation(conversationId);
+}
+
 async function getUnreadByConversationAndMarkRead(
   conversationId: string,
   newestUnreadId: number,
diff --git a/ts/sql/Interface.ts b/ts/sql/Interface.ts
index 7b39ee894..588f261bb 100644
--- a/ts/sql/Interface.ts
+++ b/ts/sql/Interface.ts
@@ -343,6 +343,7 @@ export type ServerInterface = DataInterface & {
   getNextTapToViewMessageToAgeOut: () => Promise<MessageType | undefined>;
   getOutgoingWithoutExpiresAt: () => Promise<Array<MessageType>>;
   getTapToViewMessagesNeedingErase: () => Promise<Array<MessageType>>;
+  getUnreadCountForConversation: (conversationId: string) => Promise<number>;
   getUnreadByConversationAndMarkRead: (
     conversationId: string,
     newestUnreadId: number,
@@ -486,6 +487,7 @@ export type ClientInterface = DataInterface & {
   getTapToViewMessagesNeedingErase: (options: {
     MessageCollection: typeof MessageModelCollectionType;
   }) => Promise<MessageModelCollectionType>;
+  getUnreadCountForConversation: (conversationId: string) => Promise<number>;
   getUnreadByConversationAndMarkRead: (
     conversationId: string,
     newestUnreadId: number,
diff --git a/ts/sql/Server.ts b/ts/sql/Server.ts
index 59e62f20d..9fa26c6c1 100644
--- a/ts/sql/Server.ts
+++ b/ts/sql/Server.ts
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ const dataInterface: ServerInterface = {
   saveMessages,
   removeMessage,
   removeMessages,
+  getUnreadCountForConversation,
   getUnreadByConversationAndMarkRead,
   getUnreadReactionsAndMarkRead,
   markReactionAsRead,
@@ -3092,6 +3093,24 @@ function updateExpirationTimers(
   );
 }
 
+async function getUnreadCountForConversation(
+  conversationId: string
+): Promise<number> {
+  const db = getInstance();
+  const row = db
+    .prepare<Query>(
+      `
+      SELECT COUNT(*) AS unreadCount FROM messages
+      WHERE unread = 1 AND
+      conversationId = $conversationId
+      `
+    )
+    .get({
+      conversationId,
+    });
+  return row.unreadCount;
+}
+
 async function getUnreadByConversationAndMarkRead(
   conversationId: string,
   newestUnreadId: number,
@@ -3118,6 +3137,10 @@ async function getUnreadByConversationAndMarkRead(
         newestUnreadId,
       });
 
+    if (!rows.length) {
+      return [];
+    }
+
     const messagesWithExpireTimer: Map<
       string,
       {
diff --git a/ts/util/markConversationRead.ts b/ts/util/markConversationRead.ts
index 668011b53..73594371f 100644
--- a/ts/util/markConversationRead.ts
+++ b/ts/util/markConversationRead.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ export async function markConversationRead(
   options: { readAt?: number; sendReadReceipts: boolean } = {
     sendReadReceipts: true,
   }
-): Promise<number> {
+): Promise<boolean> {
   const { id: conversationId } = conversationAttrs;
   window.Whisper.Notifications.removeBy({ conversationId });
 
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ export async function markConversationRead(
     ),
   ]);
 
+  if (!unreadMessages.length && !unreadReactions.length) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
   const unreadReactionSyncData = new Map<
     string,
     {
@@ -67,22 +71,13 @@ export async function markConversationRead(
   });
 
   // Some messages we're marking read are local notifications with no sender
-  const messagesWithSenderId = allReadMessagesSync.filter(syncMessage =>
-    Boolean(syncMessage.senderId)
-  );
-  const incomingUnreadMessages = unreadMessages.filter(
-    message => message.type === 'incoming'
-  );
-  const unreadCount =
-    incomingUnreadMessages.length - messagesWithSenderId.length;
-
   // If a message has errors, we don't want to send anything out about it.
   //   read syncs - let's wait for a client that really understands the message
   //      to mark it read. we'll mark our local error read locally, though.
   //   read receipts - here we can run into infinite loops, where each time the
   //      conversation is viewed, another error message shows up for the contact
-  const unreadMessagesSyncData = messagesWithSenderId.filter(
-    item => !item.hasErrors
+  const unreadMessagesSyncData = allReadMessagesSync.filter(
+    item => Boolean(item.senderId) && !item.hasErrors
   );
 
   const readSyncs = [
@@ -107,5 +102,5 @@ export async function markConversationRead(
     await sendReadReceiptsFor(conversationAttrs, unreadMessagesSyncData);
   }
 
-  return unreadCount;
+  return true;
 }