diff --git a/src/RoomNotifs.js b/src/RoomNotifs.js
index c67acaf314..4614bef378 100644
--- a/src/RoomNotifs.js
+++ b/src/RoomNotifs.js
@@ -56,10 +56,11 @@ export function countRoomsWithNotif(rooms) {
 }
 
 export function aggregateNotificationCount(rooms) {
-    return rooms.reduce((result, room, index) => {
+    return rooms.reduce((result, room) => {
         const roomNotifState = getRoomNotifsState(room.roomId);
         const highlight = room.getUnreadNotificationCount('highlight') > 0;
-        const notificationCount = room.getUnreadNotificationCount();
+        // use helper method to include highlights in the previous version of the room
+        const notificationCount = getUnreadNotificationCount(room);
 
         const notifBadges = notificationCount > 0 && shouldShowNotifBadge(roomNotifState);
         const mentionBadges = highlight && shouldShowMentionBadge(roomNotifState);
diff --git a/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.tsx b/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.tsx
index fa6cd8a4d8..63d2ec6fd9 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.tsx
+++ b/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.tsx
@@ -1828,7 +1828,9 @@ export default class MatrixChat extends React.PureComponent<IProps, IState> {
     }
 
     updateStatusIndicator(state: string, prevState: string) {
-        const notifCount = countRoomsWithNotif(MatrixClientPeg.get().getRooms()).count;
+        // only count visible rooms to not torment the user with notification counts in rooms they can't see
+        // it will include highlights from the previous version of the room internally
+        const notifCount = countRoomsWithNotif(MatrixClientPeg.get().getVisibleRooms()).count;
 
         if (PlatformPeg.get()) {
             PlatformPeg.get().setErrorStatus(state === 'ERROR');