diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/header_view.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/header_view.js
index 80fd2620c1d..924cf2073e6 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/header_view.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/header_view.js
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ Discourse.HeaderView = Discourse.View.extend({
 
       // We've seen all the notifications now
       headerView.set('currentUser.unread_notifications', 0);
-      headerView.set('currentUser.unread_private_messages', 0);
       headerView.showDropdown($('#user-notifications'));
     });
     return false;
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index d798d9793bd..fae98a183a0 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -267,12 +267,13 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   def reload
     @unread_notifications_by_type = nil
+    @unread_pms = nil
     super
   end
 
 
   def unread_private_messages
-    unread_notifications_by_type[Notification.types[:private_message]] || 0
+    @unread_pms ||= notifications.where("read = false AND notification_type = ?", Notification.types[:private_message]).count
   end
 
   def unread_notifications
@@ -280,7 +281,8 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
 
   def saw_notification_id(notification_id)
-    User.update_all ["seen_notification_id = ?", notification_id], ["seen_notification_id < ?", notification_id]
+    User.update_all ["seen_notification_id = ?", notification_id],
+      ["seen_notification_id < ?", notification_id]
   end
 
   def publish_notifications_state
diff --git a/spec/models/notification_spec.rb b/spec/models/notification_spec.rb
index 42de7c5f776..d43b8995a64 100644
--- a/spec/models/notification_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/notification_spec.rb
@@ -161,6 +161,33 @@ describe Notification do
     end
   end
 
+  describe 'saw_regular_notification_id' do
+    it 'correctly updates the read state' do
+      user = Fabricate(:user)
+
+      pm = Notification.create!(read: false,
+                           user_id: user.id,
+                           topic_id: 2,
+                           post_number: 1,
+                           data: '[]',
+                           notification_type: Notification.types[:private_message])
+
+      other = Notification.create!(read: false,
+                           user_id: user.id,
+                           topic_id: 2,
+                           post_number: 1,
+                           data: '[]',
+                           notification_type: Notification.types[:mentioned])
+
+
+      user.saw_notification_id(other.id)
+      user.reload
+
+      user.unread_notifications.should == 0
+      user.unread_private_messages.should == 1
+    end
+  end
+
   describe 'mark_posts_read' do
     it "marks multiple posts as read if needed" do
       user = Fabricate(:user)