diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index b13d0e1e407..3c3d4abc9d6 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -405,9 +405,11 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
       ) AS y
     "
 
-    recent = User.exec_sql(sql, user_id: id,
-                                type:  Notification.types[:private_message]).values.map do |id, read|
-      [id.to_i, read == 't'.freeze]
+    recent = User.exec_sql(sql,
+      user_id: id,
+      type: Notification.types[:private_message]
+    ).values.map! do |id, read|
+      [id.to_i, read]
     end
 
     MessageBus.publish("/notification/#{id}",
diff --git a/spec/models/user_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
index 9599ba22f79..65461bfd241 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ require 'rails_helper'
 require_dependency 'user'
 
 describe User do
+  let(:user) { Fabricate(:user) }
 
   context 'validations' do
     it { is_expected.to validate_presence_of :username }
@@ -1520,4 +1521,19 @@ describe User do
       expect(User.human_users).to eq([user])
     end
   end
+
+  describe '#publish_notifications_state' do
+    it 'should publish the right message' do
+      notification = Fabricate(:notification, user: user)
+      notification2 = Fabricate(:notification, user: user, read: true)
+
+      message = MessageBus.track_publish do
+        user.publish_notifications_state
+      end.find { |m| m.channel = "/notification/#{user.id}" }
+
+      expect(message.data[:recent]).to eq([
+        [notification2.id, true], [notification.id, false]
+      ])
+    end
+  end
 end