diff --git a/js/forum/src/components/NotificationsDropdown.js b/js/forum/src/components/NotificationsDropdown.js
index f6704aa34..e03ae2a8c 100644
--- a/js/forum/src/components/NotificationsDropdown.js
+++ b/js/forum/src/components/NotificationsDropdown.js
@@ -70,13 +70,11 @@ export default class NotificationsDropdown extends Dropdown {
   }
 
   getUnreadCount() {
-    return app.cache.notifications ?
-        app.cache.notifications.filter(notification => !notification.isRead()).length :
-        0;
+    return app.session.user.unreadNotificationsCount();
   }
 
   getNewCount() {
-    return app.session.user.unreadNotificationsCount();
+    return app.session.user.newNotificationsCount();
   }
 
   menuClick(e) {
diff --git a/js/lib/models/User.js b/js/lib/models/User.js
index 43ee39f64..7e3fb5b9e 100644
--- a/js/lib/models/User.js
+++ b/js/lib/models/User.js
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ export default class User extends mixin(Model, {
   lastSeenTime: Model.attribute('lastSeenTime', Model.transformDate),
   readTime: Model.attribute('readTime', Model.transformDate),
   unreadNotificationsCount: Model.attribute('unreadNotificationsCount'),
+  newNotificationsCount: Model.attribute('newNotificationsCount'),
 
   discussionsCount: Model.attribute('discussionsCount'),
   commentsCount: Model.attribute('commentsCount'),
diff --git a/src/Api/Serializers/CurrentUserSerializer.php b/src/Api/Serializers/CurrentUserSerializer.php
index 2a7e62d22..53ec7ddf4 100644
--- a/src/Api/Serializers/CurrentUserSerializer.php
+++ b/src/Api/Serializers/CurrentUserSerializer.php
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ class CurrentUserSerializer extends UserSerializer
             $attributes += [
                 'readTime'                 => $user->read_time ? $user->read_time->toRFC3339String() : null,
                 'unreadNotificationsCount' => $user->getUnreadNotificationsCount(),
+                'newNotificationsCount'    => $user->getNewNotificationsCount(),
                 'preferences'              => $user->preferences
             ];
         }
diff --git a/src/Core/Users/User.php b/src/Core/Users/User.php
index 639a06550..34dbdb2c0 100755
--- a/src/Core/Users/User.php
+++ b/src/Core/Users/User.php
@@ -432,16 +432,43 @@ class User extends Model
     /**
      * Get the number of unread notifications for the user.
      *
-     * @return mixed
+     * @return int
      */
     public function getUnreadNotificationsCount()
     {
-        return $this->notifications()
-            ->whereIn('type', $this->getAlertableNotificationTypes())
-            ->where('time', '>', $this->notifications_read_time ?: 0)
-            ->where('is_read', 0)
-            ->where('is_deleted', 0)
-            ->count($this->getConnection()->raw('DISTINCT type, subject_id'));
+        return $this->getUnreadNotifications()->count();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get all notifications that have not been read yet
+     *
+     * @return \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Collection
+     */
+    protected function getUnreadNotifications()
+    {
+        static $cached = null;
+
+        if (is_null($cached)) {
+            $cached = $this->notifications()
+                ->whereIn('type', $this->getAlertableNotificationTypes())
+                ->where('is_read', 0)
+                ->where('is_deleted', 0)
+                ->get();
+        }
+
+        return $cached;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the number of new, unseen notifications for the user.
+     *
+     * @return int
+     */
+    public function getNewNotificationsCount()
+    {
+        return $this->getUnreadNotifications()->filter(function($notification) {
+            return $notification->time > $this->notifications_read_time ?: 0;
+        })->count();
     }
 
     /**