diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/header.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/header.js.es6
index 4d40efbbea0..0460830bced 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/header.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/header.js.es6
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@ const HeaderController = Ember.Controller.extend({
 
 
   actions: {
+    showUserMenu() {
+      if (!this.get('userMenuVisible')) {
+        this.appEvents.trigger('dropdowns:closeAll');
+        this.set('userMenuVisible', true);
+      }
+    },
+
     fullPageSearch() {
       const searchService = this.container.lookup('search-service:main');
       const context = searchService.get('searchContext');
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/header.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/header.hbs
index 04c87250f98..faf1cf61c00 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/header.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/header.hbs
@@ -46,10 +46,10 @@
                              loginAction="showLogin"
                              title="user.avatar.header_title"}}
             {{#if currentUser.unread_notifications}}
-              <a href="#" class='badge-notification unread-notifications'>{{currentUser.unread_notifications}}</a>
+              <a href="#" {{action "showUserMenu"}} class='badge-notification unread-notifications'>{{currentUser.unread_notifications}}</a>
             {{/if}}
             {{#if currentUser.unread_private_messages}}
-              <a href="#" class='badge-notification unread-private-messages'>{{currentUser.unread_private_messages}}</a>
+              <a href="#" {{action "showUserMenu"}} class='badge-notification unread-private-messages'>{{currentUser.unread_private_messages}}</a>
             {{/if}}
           {{/header-dropdown}}
         {{/if}}