diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/discourse.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/discourse.scss
index 4e0ce4195a1..87276fa955a 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/discourse.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/discourse.scss
@@ -180,8 +180,7 @@ body {
 }
 
 .unread-private-messages {
-  border-color: $success;
-  color: $success;
-  background: $secondary;
-  &.badge-notification[href] {color: $success;}
+  color: $secondary;
+  background: $success;
+  &.badge-notification[href] {color: $secondary;}
 }
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/header.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/header.scss
index 3bafc2a8d75..146b296e2cd 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/header.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/header.scss
@@ -128,16 +128,14 @@
       }
       .unread-notifications {
         right: -4px;
-        background-color: $secondary;
+        background-color: scale-color($tertiary, $lightness: 50%);
       }
       .unread-private-messages {
         left: -4px;
       }
     }
     .flagged-posts {
-      border-color: $danger;
-      color: $danger;
-      background: $secondary;
+      background: $danger;
     }
 
 }
@@ -233,7 +231,6 @@
       padding: 3px;
       margin-top: -22px;
       margin-left: 60px;
-      background: transparent;
     }
     .heading {
       padding: 5px 5px 5px 0;
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/components/badges.css.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/components/badges.css.scss
index 3b89e3beba5..d7c543e2e37 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/components/badges.css.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/components/badges.css.scss
@@ -62,22 +62,21 @@ h1 a.badge-category div {vertical-align: top;}
 .badge-notification {
   @extend %badge;
   padding: 3px;
-  color: $tertiary;
-  border: 1px solid $tertiary;
+  color: $secondary;
   font-size: 11px;
   line-height: 1;
   min-width: 11px;
   text-align: center;
-  background-color: transparent;
+  background-color: scale-color($primary, $lightness: 70%);
   &[href] {
-  color: $tertiary;
+  color: $secondary;
   }
 
   // New posts
 
   &.new-posts, &.unread-posts {
-    background-color: transparent;
-    color: $tertiary;
+    background-color: scale-color($tertiary, $lightness: 50%);
+    color: $secondary;
     font-weight: normal;
   }
 
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/mobile/header.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/mobile/header.scss
index 0952a679c9b..ba0e124c7c5 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/mobile/header.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/mobile/header.scss
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
   .icons {
     .badge-notification {
-      color: $tertiary;
+      color: $secondary;
     }
 
     .active .icon {
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/mobile/topic-list.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/mobile/topic-list.scss
index 6f0e04c84a8..0343978a9be 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/mobile/topic-list.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/mobile/topic-list.scss
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
     position: relative;
     padding: 4px 4px 4px 3px;
     top: -1px;
-      i {color: $tertiary;}
+      i {color: $secondary;}
   }
 
   .topic-item-stats {