diff --git a/app/soapbox/components/sidebar-navigation.tsx b/app/soapbox/components/sidebar-navigation.tsx
index e7a65326d..df8c9697e 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/components/sidebar-navigation.tsx
+++ b/app/soapbox/components/sidebar-navigation.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { defineMessages, FormattedMessage, useIntl } from 'react-intl';
 
 import { getSettings } from 'soapbox/actions/settings';
 import DropdownMenu from 'soapbox/containers/dropdown_menu_container';
+import { useStatContext } from 'soapbox/contexts/stat-context';
 import ComposeButton from 'soapbox/features/ui/components/compose-button';
 import { useAppSelector, useOwnAccount } from 'soapbox/hooks';
 import { getFeatures } from 'soapbox/utils/features';
@@ -24,12 +25,12 @@ const messages = defineMessages({
 /** Desktop sidebar with links to different views in the app. */
 const SidebarNavigation = () => {
   const intl = useIntl();
+  const { unreadChatsCount } = useStatContext();
 
   const instance = useAppSelector((state) => state.instance);
   const settings = useAppSelector((state) => getSettings(state));
   const account = useOwnAccount();
   const notificationCount = useAppSelector((state) => state.notifications.get('unread'));
-  const chatsCount = useAppSelector((state) => state.chats.items.reduce((acc, curr) => acc + Math.min(curr.unread || 0, 1), 0));
   const followRequestsCount = useAppSelector((state) => state.user_lists.follow_requests.items.count());
   const dashboardCount = useAppSelector((state) => state.admin.openReports.count() + state.admin.awaitingApproval.count());
 
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ const SidebarNavigation = () => {
         <SidebarNavigationLink
           to='/chats'
           icon={require('@tabler/icons/mail.svg')}
-          count={chatsCount}
+          count={unreadChatsCount}
           text={<FormattedMessage id='navigation.direct_messages' defaultMessage='Messages' />}
         />
       );
diff --git a/app/soapbox/components/thumb_navigation.tsx b/app/soapbox/components/thumb_navigation.tsx
index 1935526ed..0c0b8d977 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/components/thumb_navigation.tsx
+++ b/app/soapbox/components/thumb_navigation.tsx
@@ -2,13 +2,15 @@ import React from 'react';
 import { FormattedMessage } from 'react-intl';
 
 import ThumbNavigationLink from 'soapbox/components/thumb_navigation-link';
+import { useStatContext } from 'soapbox/contexts/stat-context';
 import { useAppSelector, useOwnAccount } from 'soapbox/hooks';
 import { getFeatures } from 'soapbox/utils/features';
 
 const ThumbNavigation: React.FC = (): JSX.Element => {
   const account = useOwnAccount();
+  const { unreadChatsCount } = useStatContext();
+
   const notificationCount = useAppSelector((state) => state.notifications.unread);
-  const chatsCount = useAppSelector((state) => state.chats.items.reduce((acc, curr) => acc + Math.min(curr.unread || 0, 1), 0));
   const dashboardCount = useAppSelector((state) => state.admin.openReports.count() + state.admin.awaitingApproval.count());
   const features = getFeatures(useAppSelector((state) => state.instance));
 
@@ -21,7 +23,7 @@ const ThumbNavigation: React.FC = (): JSX.Element => {
           text={<FormattedMessage id='navigation.direct_messages' defaultMessage='Messages' />}
           to='/chats'
           exact
-          count={chatsCount}
+          count={unreadChatsCount}
         />
       );
     }
diff --git a/app/soapbox/contexts/stat-context.tsx b/app/soapbox/contexts/stat-context.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..00d28436c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/soapbox/contexts/stat-context.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import React, { createContext, useContext, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
+
+type IStatContext = {
+  unreadChatsCount: number,
+  setUnreadChatsCount: React.Dispatch<React.SetStateAction<number>>
+}
+
+const StatContext = createContext<any>({
+  unreadChatsCount: 0,
+});
+
+const StatProvider: React.FC = ({ children }) => {
+  const [unreadChatsCount, setUnreadChatsCount] = useState<number>(0);
+
+  const value = useMemo(() => ({
+    unreadChatsCount,
+    setUnreadChatsCount,
+  }), [unreadChatsCount]);
+
+  return (
+    <StatContext.Provider value={value}>
+      {children}
+    </StatContext.Provider>
+  );
+};
+
+const useStatContext = (): IStatContext => useContext(StatContext);
+
+export { StatProvider, useStatContext };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/soapbox/features/chats/components/chat-pane/chat-pane.tsx b/app/soapbox/features/chats/components/chat-pane/chat-pane.tsx
index d89bee60a..fe29641ce 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/features/chats/components/chat-pane/chat-pane.tsx
+++ b/app/soapbox/features/chats/components/chat-pane/chat-pane.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import React, { useState } from 'react';
 
 import { Stack } from 'soapbox/components/ui';
 import { useChatContext } from 'soapbox/contexts/chat-context';
+import { useStatContext } from 'soapbox/contexts/stat-context';
 import { useDebounce, useFeatures } from 'soapbox/hooks';
 import { IChat, useChats } from 'soapbox/queries/chats';
 
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ import Blankslate from './blankslate';
 const ChatPane = () => {
   const features = useFeatures();
   const debounce = useDebounce;
+  const { unreadChatsCount } = useStatContext();
 
   const [value, setValue] = useState<string>();
   const debouncedValue = debounce(value as string, 300);
@@ -26,8 +28,6 @@ const ChatPane = () => {
   const { chat, setChat, isOpen, isSearching, setSearching, toggleChatPane } = useChatContext();
   const { chatsQuery: { data: chats, isLoading } } = useChats(debouncedValue);
 
-  const unreadCount = sumBy(chats, (chat) => chat.unread);
-
   const hasSearchValue = Number(debouncedValue?.length) > 0;
 
   const handleClickChat = (chat: IChat) => {
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ const ChatPane = () => {
     <Pane isOpen={isOpen} index={0} main>
       <ChatPaneHeader
         title='Messages'
-        unreadCount={unreadCount}
+        unreadCount={unreadChatsCount}
         isOpen={isOpen}
         onToggle={toggleChatPane}
         secondaryAction={() => {
diff --git a/app/soapbox/features/ui/index.tsx b/app/soapbox/features/ui/index.tsx
index d76c49756..2b3b07feb 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/features/ui/index.tsx
+++ b/app/soapbox/features/ui/index.tsx
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ import { WrappedRoute } from './util/react_router_helpers';
 // Dummy import, to make sure that <Status /> ends up in the application bundle.
 // Without this it ends up in ~8 very commonly used bundles.
 import 'soapbox/components/status';
+import { StatProvider } from '../../contexts/stat-context';
 
 const EmptyPage = HomePage;
 
@@ -651,52 +652,54 @@ const UI: React.FC = ({ children }) => {
   };
 
   return (
-    <HotKeys keyMap={keyMap} handlers={me ? handlers : undefined} ref={setHotkeysRef} attach={window} focused>
-      <div ref={node} style={style}>
-        <BackgroundShapes />
+    <StatProvider>
+      <HotKeys keyMap={keyMap} handlers={me ? handlers : undefined} ref={setHotkeysRef} attach={window} focused>
+        <div ref={node} style={style}>
+          <BackgroundShapes />
 
-        <div className='z-10 flex flex-col'>
-          <Navbar />
+          <div className='z-10 flex flex-col'>
+            <Navbar />
 
-          <Layout>
-            <Layout.Sidebar>
-              {!standalone && <SidebarNavigation />}
-            </Layout.Sidebar>
+            <Layout>
+              <Layout.Sidebar>
+                {!standalone && <SidebarNavigation />}
+              </Layout.Sidebar>
 
-            <SwitchingColumnsArea>
-              {children}
-            </SwitchingColumnsArea>
-          </Layout>
+              <SwitchingColumnsArea>
+                {children}
+              </SwitchingColumnsArea>
+            </Layout>
 
-          {me && floatingActionButton}
+            {me && floatingActionButton}
 
-          <BundleContainer fetchComponent={UploadArea}>
-            {Component => <Component active={draggingOver} onClose={closeUploadModal} />}
-          </BundleContainer>
+            <BundleContainer fetchComponent={UploadArea}>
+              {Component => <Component active={draggingOver} onClose={closeUploadModal} />}
+            </BundleContainer>
 
-          {me && (
-            <BundleContainer fetchComponent={SidebarMenu}>
+            {me && (
+              <BundleContainer fetchComponent={SidebarMenu}>
+                {Component => <Component />}
+              </BundleContainer>
+            )}
+
+            {me && features.chats && !mobile && (
+              <BundleContainer fetchComponent={ChatWidget}>
+                {Component => <Component />}
+              </BundleContainer>
+            )}
+            <ThumbNavigation />
+
+            <BundleContainer fetchComponent={ProfileHoverCard}>
               {Component => <Component />}
             </BundleContainer>
-          )}
 
-          {me && features.chats && !mobile && (
-            <BundleContainer fetchComponent={ChatWidget}>
+            <BundleContainer fetchComponent={StatusHoverCard}>
               {Component => <Component />}
             </BundleContainer>
-          )}
-          <ThumbNavigation />
-
-          <BundleContainer fetchComponent={ProfileHoverCard}>
-            {Component => <Component />}
-          </BundleContainer>
-
-          <BundleContainer fetchComponent={StatusHoverCard}>
-            {Component => <Component />}
-          </BundleContainer>
+          </div>
         </div>
-      </div>
-    </HotKeys>
+      </HotKeys>
+    </StatProvider>
   );
 };
 
diff --git a/app/soapbox/queries/chats.ts b/app/soapbox/queries/chats.ts
index 66a1c1f0d..0d750fb46 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/queries/chats.ts
+++ b/app/soapbox/queries/chats.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { useInfiniteQuery, useMutation, useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query';
+import sumBy from 'lodash/sumBy';
 import { useState } from 'react';
 
 import { fetchRelationships } from 'soapbox/actions/accounts';
@@ -6,6 +7,7 @@ import snackbar from 'soapbox/actions/snackbar';
 import { getNextLink } from 'soapbox/api';
 import compareId from 'soapbox/compare_id';
 import { useChatContext } from 'soapbox/contexts/chat-context';
+import { useStatContext } from 'soapbox/contexts/stat-context';
 import { useApi, useAppDispatch, useFeatures } from 'soapbox/hooks';
 import { normalizeChatMessage } from 'soapbox/normalizers';
 import { flattenPages, PaginatedResult, updatePageItem } from 'soapbox/utils/queries';
@@ -101,6 +103,7 @@ const useChats = (search?: string) => {
   const api = useApi();
   const dispatch = useAppDispatch();
   const features = useFeatures();
+  const { setUnreadChatsCount } = useStatContext();
 
   const getChats = async (pageParam?: any): Promise<PaginatedResult<IChat>> => {
     const endpoint = features.chatsV2 ? '/api/v2/pleroma/chats' : '/api/v1/pleroma/chats';
@@ -116,6 +119,9 @@ const useChats = (search?: string) => {
     const link = getNextLink(response);
     const hasMore = !!link;
 
+    // TODO: change to response header
+    setUnreadChatsCount(sumBy(data, (chat) => chat.unread));
+
     // Set the relationships to these users in the redux store.
     dispatch(fetchRelationships(data.map((item) => item.account.id)));