diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/messages.js.coffee b/app/assets/javascripts/messages.js.coffee
index 4d56b6d..4098756 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/messages.js.coffee
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/messages.js.coffee
@@ -5,3 +5,7 @@
 $ ->
   window.broadcast_channel.bind 'total_messages_changed', (event) ->
     $('#total_messages').html(event.value)
+
+  if window.private_channel
+    window.private_channel.bind 'unread_messages_changed', (event) ->
+      $('.unreadMessages').html(event.value).addClass('important')
diff --git a/app/models/message_observer.rb b/app/models/message_observer.rb
index c698dd6..0946dfa 100644
--- a/app/models/message_observer.rb
+++ b/app/models/message_observer.rb
@@ -3,5 +3,6 @@ class MessageObserver < ActiveRecord::Observer
 
   def after_create(message)
     Pusher['broadcast'].trigger!('total_messages_changed', {:value => pluralize(Message.count, 'message', 'messages')})
+    Pusher["private-user_#{message.recipient.id}"].trigger('unread_messages_changed', {:value => message.recipient.received_messages.unread.count})
   end
 end