diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user_dropdown.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user_dropdown.js.handlebars
index 8009a33a222..421abb01da1 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user_dropdown.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user_dropdown.js.handlebars
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     {{/if}}
     <li>
     {{#link-to 'userPrivateMessages.index' currentUser class='user-messages-link'}}
-      {{i18n user.unread_message_count}} <span class="badge-notification unread-private-messages">{{currentUser.unread_private_messages}}</span>
+      {{#if currentUser.unread_private_messages}}<span class="badge-notification unread-private-messages">{{currentUser.unread_private_messages}}</span>{{/if}}{{i18n user.unread_message_count}}
     {{/link-to}}
     </li>
     <li>{{#link-to 'preferences' currentUser}}{{i18n user.preferences}}{{/link-to}}</li>