diff --git a/app/views/layouts/application.html.haml b/app/views/layouts/application.html.haml
index 7ac8679b1..29a7fdf2e 100644
--- a/app/views/layouts/application.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/layouts/application.html.haml
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
     - if current_user
       :javascript
         app.user({
-          current_user: #{current_user.person.as_api_response(:backbone).to_json}
+          current_user: _.extend(#{current_user.person.as_api_response(:backbone).to_json}, {notifications_count : #{@notification_count}, unread_messages_count : #{@unread_message_count}})
         });
 
     = yield(:head)
diff --git a/app/views/templates/header.jst b/app/views/templates/header.jst
index 90636c840..935a084a7 100644
--- a/app/views/templates/header.jst
+++ b/app/views/templates/header.jst
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@
     <div class="badge" id="notification_badge">
       <a href="/notifications" title="<%= Diaspora.I18n.t('header.notifications') %>">
         <img alt="<%= Diaspora.I18n.t('header.notifications') %>" id="notification-flag" src="/images/icons/notifications_grey.png">
-        <div class="badge_count hidden">
-          0
+        <div class="badge_count <%= current_user.notifications_count > 0 ? '' : 'hidden' %>">
+          <%= current_user.notifications_count %>
         </div>
       </a>
     </div>
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@
     <div class="badge" id="message_inbox_badge">
       <a href="/conversations" title="<%= Diaspora.I18n.t('header.messages') %>">
         <img alt="<%= Diaspora.I18n.t('header.messages') %>" src="/images/icons/mail_grey.png">
-        <div class="badge_count hidden">
-          0
+        <div class="badge_count <%= current_user.unread_messages_count > 0 ? '' : 'hidden' %>">
+          <%= current_user.unread_messages_count %>
         </div>
       </a>
     </div>
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/app/views/header_view_spec.js b/spec/javascripts/app/views/header_view_spec.js
index 712cdb5d6..09ba258d7 100644
--- a/spec/javascripts/app/views/header_view_spec.js
+++ b/spec/javascripts/app/views/header_view_spec.js
@@ -7,6 +7,38 @@ describe("app.views.Header", function() {
     this.view = new app.views.Header().render();
   });
 
+  describe("render", function(){
+    context("notifications badge", function(){
+      it("displays a count when the current user has a notification", function(){
+        window.current_user = _.extend(window.current_user, {notifications_count : 1})
+        this.view.render();
+        expect(this.view.$("#notification_badge .badge_count").hasClass('hidden')).toBe(false);
+        expect(this.view.$("#notification_badge .badge_count").text()).toContain("1");
+      })
+
+      it("does not display a count when the current user has a notification", function(){
+        window.current_user = _.extend(window.current_user, {notifications_count : 0})
+        this.view.render();
+        expect(this.view.$("#notification_badge .badge_count").hasClass('hidden')).toBe(true);
+      })
+    })
+
+    context("messages badge", function(){
+      it("displays a count when the current user has a notification", function(){
+        window.current_user = _.extend(window.current_user, {unread_messages_count : 1})
+        this.view.render();
+        expect(this.view.$("#message_inbox_badge .badge_count").hasClass('hidden')).toBe(false);
+        expect(this.view.$("#message_inbox_badge .badge_count").text()).toContain("1");
+      })
+
+      it("does not display a count when the current user has a notification", function(){
+        window.current_user = _.extend(window.current_user, {unread_messages_count : 0})
+        this.view.render();
+        expect(this.view.$("#message_inbox_badge .badge_count").hasClass('hidden')).toBe(true);
+      })
+    })
+  })
+
   describe("#toggleDropdown", function() {
     it("adds the class 'active'", function() {
       expect(this.view.$(".dropdown")).not.toHaveClass("active");