diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/PinnedEventsPanel.js b/src/components/views/rooms/PinnedEventsPanel.js
index deea03f030..5a99d9ab2d 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/PinnedEventsPanel.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/PinnedEventsPanel.js
@@ -71,6 +71,25 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 this.setState({ loading: false, pinned });
             });
         }
+
+        this._updateReadState();
+    },
+
+    _updateReadState: function() {
+        const pinnedEvents = this.props.room.currentState.getStateEvents("m.room.pinned_events", "");
+        if (!pinnedEvents) return; // nothing to read
+
+        let lastReadEvent = null;
+        const readPinsEvent = this.props.room.getAccountData("im.vector.room.read_pins");
+        if (readPinsEvent) {
+            lastReadEvent = readPinsEvent.getContent().last_read_id;
+        }
+
+        if (lastReadEvent !== pinnedEvents.getId()) {
+            MatrixClientPeg.get().setRoomAccountData(this.props.room.roomId, "im.vector.room.read_pins", {
+                last_read_id: pinnedEvents.getId(),
+            });
+        }
     },
 
     _getPinnedTiles: function() {
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomHeader.js b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomHeader.js
index 4df0ff738c..ea5748db60 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomHeader.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomHeader.js
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     componentDidMount: function() {
         const cli = MatrixClientPeg.get();
         cli.on("RoomState.events", this._onRoomStateEvents);
+        cli.on("Room.accountData", this._onRoomAccountData);
 
         // When a room name occurs, RoomState.events is fired *before*
         // room.name is updated. So we have to listen to Room.name as well as
@@ -87,6 +88,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         const cli = MatrixClientPeg.get();
         if (cli) {
             cli.removeListener("RoomState.events", this._onRoomStateEvents);
+            cli.removeListener("Room.accountData", this._onRoomAccountData);
         }
     },
 
@@ -99,6 +101,13 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         this._rateLimitedUpdate();
     },
 
+    _onRoomAccountData: function(event, room) {
+        if (!this.props.room || room.roomId !== this.props.room.roomId) return;
+        if (event.getType() !== "im.vector.room.read_pins") return;
+
+        this._rateLimitedUpdate();
+    },
+
     _rateLimitedUpdate: new RateLimitedFunc(function() {
         /* eslint-disable babel/no-invalid-this */
         this.forceUpdate();
@@ -139,6 +148,25 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         dis.dispatch({ action: 'show_right_panel' });
     },
 
+    _hasUnreadPins: function() {
+        const currentPinEvent = this.props.room.currentState.getStateEvents("m.room.pinned_events", '');
+        if (!currentPinEvent) return false;
+        if (currentPinEvent.getContent().pinned && currentPinEvent.getContent().pinned.length <= 0) {
+            return false; // no pins == nothing to read
+        }
+
+        const readPinsEvent = this.props.room.getAccountData("im.vector.room.read_pins");
+        if (readPinsEvent) {
+            const lastReadEvent = readPinsEvent.getContent().last_read_id;
+            if (lastReadEvent) {
+                return currentPinEvent.getId() !== lastReadEvent;
+            }
+        }
+
+        // There's pins, and we haven't read any of them
+        return true;
+    },
+
     /**
      * After editing the settings, get the new name for the room
      *
@@ -302,8 +330,14 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         }
 
         if (this.props.onPinnedClick && UserSettingsStore.isFeatureEnabled('feature_pinning')) {
+            let newPinsNotification = null;
+            if (this._hasUnreadPins()) {
+                newPinsNotification = (<div className="mx_RoomHeader_unreadPinsIndicator"></div>);
+            }
             pinnedEventsButton =
-                <AccessibleButton className="mx_RoomHeader_button" onClick={this.props.onPinnedClick} title={_t("Pinned Messages")}>
+                <AccessibleButton className="mx_RoomHeader_button mx_RoomHeader_pinnedButton"
+                                  onClick={this.props.onPinnedClick} title={_t("Pinned Messages")}>
+                    { newPinsNotification }
                     <TintableSvg src="img/icons-pin.svg" width="16" height="16" />
                 </AccessibleButton>;
         }