diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/user.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/user.js.handlebars
index e4d321d1b60..ae1527c0b41 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/user.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/user.js.handlebars
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
           <li {{bind-attr class=":noGlyph privateMessagesUnreadActive:active"}}>
             {{#link-to 'userPrivateMessages.unread' model}}
               {{i18n user.messages.unread}}
-              {{#if hasUnreadPMs}}<span class='count'>({{private_messages_stats.unread}})</span>{{/if}}
+              {{#if hasUnreadPMs}}<span class='badge-notification unread-private-messages'>({{private_messages_stats.unread}})</span>{{/if}}
               <span class='fa fa-chevron-right'></span>
             {{/link-to}}
           </li>
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/mobile/header.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/mobile/header.scss
index 2aaeafe4fb3..0005b86ea36 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/mobile/header.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/mobile/header.scss
@@ -126,13 +126,16 @@
     }
     .unread-private-messages {
       left: -4px;
-      background-color: $success;
     }
   }
   .flagged-posts {
     background-color: $danger;
   }
 }
+/* this needs to be global since it is used on the user page, left hand column, messages */
+.unread-private-messages {
+  background-color: $success;
+}
 
 #main {
   position: relative;