diff --git a/modules/expo-background-notification-handler/ios/ExpoBackgroundNotificationHandlerModule.swift b/modules/expo-background-notification-handler/ios/ExpoBackgroundNotificationHandlerModule.swift
index a19bc05a3e..2131ada491 100644
--- a/modules/expo-background-notification-handler/ios/ExpoBackgroundNotificationHandlerModule.swift
+++ b/modules/expo-background-notification-handler/ios/ExpoBackgroundNotificationHandlerModule.swift
@@ -41,9 +41,9 @@ public class ExpoBackgroundNotificationHandlerModule: Module {
       SharedPrefs.shared.setValue(BadgeType.generic.toKeyName(), 0)
     }
     
-    AsyncFunction("incrementMessagesCountAsync") { (convoId: String) in
+    AsyncFunction("maybeIncrementMessagesCountAsync") { (convoId: String) in
       guard !SharedPrefs.shared.setContains(INCREMENTED_FOR_KEY, convoId) else {
-        return
+        return false
       }
       
       var count = SharedPrefs.shared.getNumber(BadgeType.messages.toKeyName()) ?? 0
@@ -51,11 +51,12 @@ public class ExpoBackgroundNotificationHandlerModule: Module {
       
       SharedPrefs.shared.addToSet(INCREMENTED_FOR_KEY, convoId)
       SharedPrefs.shared.setValue(BadgeType.messages.toKeyName(), count)
+      return true
     }
     
-    AsyncFunction("decrementMessagesCountAsync") { (convoId: String) in
+    AsyncFunction("maybeDecrementMessagesCountAsync") { (convoId: String) in
       guard SharedPrefs.shared.setContains(INCREMENTED_FOR_KEY, convoId) else {
-        return
+        return false
       }
       
       var count = SharedPrefs.shared.getNumber(BadgeType.messages.toKeyName()) ?? 0
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ public class ExpoBackgroundNotificationHandlerModule: Module {
       
       SharedPrefs.shared.removeFromSet(INCREMENTED_FOR_KEY, convoId)
       SharedPrefs.shared.setValue(BadgeType.messages.toKeyName(), count)
+      return true
     }
     
     AsyncFunction("getPrefsAsync") {
diff --git a/modules/expo-background-notification-handler/src/index.native.ts b/modules/expo-background-notification-handler/src/index.native.ts
index 402603818d..f93b9462ce 100644
--- a/modules/expo-background-notification-handler/src/index.native.ts
+++ b/modules/expo-background-notification-handler/src/index.native.ts
@@ -4,22 +4,20 @@ import {BackgroundNotificationHandlerPreferences} from './ExpoBackgroundNotifica
 
 const NativeModule = requireNativeModule('ExpoBackgroundNotificationHandler')
 
-export function resetGenericCountAsync(count: number): Promise<void> {
-  NativeModule.resetGenericCountAsync(count)
+export function resetGenericCountAsync(): Promise<void> {
+  NativeModule.resetGenericCountAsync()
 }
 
-export function incrementMessagesCountAsync(
-  count: number,
+export function maybeIncrementMessagesCountAsync(
   convoId: string,
-): Promise<void> {
-  NativeModule.incrementMessagesCountAsync(count, convoId)
+): Promise<boolean> {
+  NativeModule.incrementMessagesCountAsync(convoId)
 }
 
-export function decrementMessagesCountAsync(
-  count: number,
+export function maybeDecrementMessagesCountAsync(
   convoId: string,
-): Promise<void> {
-  NativeModule.decrementMessagesCountAsync(count, convoId)
+): Promise<boolean> {
+  NativeModule.decrementMessagesCountAsync(convoId)
 }
 
 export function getPrefsAsync(): Promise<BackgroundNotificationHandlerPreferences> {
diff --git a/modules/expo-background-notification-handler/src/index.ts b/modules/expo-background-notification-handler/src/index.ts
index 918dc95f34..97d52b89a4 100644
--- a/modules/expo-background-notification-handler/src/index.ts
+++ b/modules/expo-background-notification-handler/src/index.ts
@@ -1,22 +1,20 @@
 import {NotImplementedError} from './NotImplemented'
 import {BackgroundNotificationHandlerPreferences} from './types'
 
-export function resetGenericCountAsync(count: number): Promise<void> {
-  throw new NotImplementedError({count})
+export function resetGenericCountAsync(): Promise<void> {
+  throw new NotImplementedError()
 }
 
-export function incrementMessagesCountAsync(
-  count: number,
+export function maybeIncrementMessagesCountAsync(
   convoId: string,
-): Promise<void> {
-  throw new NotImplementedError({count, convoId})
+): Promise<boolean> {
+  throw new NotImplementedError({convoId})
 }
 
-export function decrementMessagesCountAsync(
-  count: number,
+export function maybeDecrementMessagesCountAsync(
   convoId: string,
-): Promise<void> {
-  throw new NotImplementedError({count, convoId})
+): Promise<boolean> {
+  throw new NotImplementedError({convoId})
 }
 
 export function getPrefsAsync(): Promise<BackgroundNotificationHandlerPreferences | null> {
diff --git a/src/lib/notifications/notifications.ts b/src/lib/notifications/notifications.ts
index e0d447e6a9..ed6ae1ecce 100644
--- a/src/lib/notifications/notifications.ts
+++ b/src/lib/notifications/notifications.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 import React from 'react'
 import * as Notifications from 'expo-notifications'
-import {getBadgeCountAsync, setBadgeCountAsync} from 'expo-notifications'
+import {setBadgeCountAsync} from 'expo-notifications'
 import {BskyAgent} from '@atproto/api'
 
 import {logger} from '#/logger'
 import {SessionAccount, useAgent, useSession} from '#/state/session'
 import {logEvent, useGate} from 'lib/statsig/statsig'
 import {devicePlatform, isAndroid, isNative} from 'platform/detection'
-import BackgroundNotificationHandler from '../../../modules/expo-background-notification-handler'
+import {BackgroundNotifications} from '../../../modules/expo-background-notification-handler'
 
 const SERVICE_DID = (serviceUrl?: string) =>
   serviceUrl?.includes('staging')
@@ -144,23 +144,7 @@ export function useRequestNotificationsPermission() {
   }
 }
 
-export async function decrementBadgeCount(
-  type: 'generic' | 'messages',
-  by: number,
-) {
-  if (!isNative) return
-
-  let count = await getBadgeCountAsync()
-  count -= by
-  if (count < 0) {
-    count = 0
-  }
-
-  await BackgroundNotificationHandler.setBadgeCountAsync(type, count)
-  await setBadgeCountAsync(count)
-}
-
-export async function resetBadgeCount(type: 'generic' | 'messages') {
-  await BackgroundNotificationHandler.setBadgeCountAsync(type, 0)
+export async function resetGenericBadgeCount() {
+  await BackgroundNotifications.resetGenericCountAsync()
   await setBadgeCountAsync(0)
 }
diff --git a/src/screens/Messages/List/ChatListItem.tsx b/src/screens/Messages/List/ChatListItem.tsx
index 8ebf8b00b5..0065a8ad8f 100644
--- a/src/screens/Messages/List/ChatListItem.tsx
+++ b/src/screens/Messages/List/ChatListItem.tsx
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import {useProfileShadow} from '#/state/cache/profile-shadow'
 import {useModerationOpts} from '#/state/preferences/moderation-opts'
 import {useSession} from '#/state/session'
 import {useHaptics} from 'lib/haptics'
-import {decrementBadgeCount} from 'lib/notifications/notifications'
 import {logEvent} from 'lib/statsig/statsig'
 import {sanitizeDisplayName} from 'lib/strings/display-names'
 import {TimeElapsed} from '#/view/com/util/TimeElapsed'
@@ -32,6 +31,7 @@ import {Link} from '#/components/Link'
 import {useMenuControl} from '#/components/Menu'
 import {PostAlerts} from '#/components/moderation/PostAlerts'
 import {Text} from '#/components/Typography'
+import {BackgroundNotifications} from '../../../../modules/expo-background-notification-handler'
 
 export let ChatListItem = ({
   convo,
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ function ChatListItemReady({
 
   const onPress = useCallback(
     (e: GestureResponderEvent) => {
-      decrementBadgeCount(convo.unreadCount)
+      BackgroundNotifications.maybeDecrementMessagesCountAsync(convo.id)
       if (isDeletedAccount) {
         e.preventDefault()
         menuControl.open()
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ function ChatListItemReady({
         logEvent('chat:open', {logContext: 'ChatsList'})
       }
     },
-    [convo.unreadCount, isDeletedAccount, menuControl],
+    [convo.id, isDeletedAccount, menuControl],
   )
 
   const onLongPress = useCallback(() => {
diff --git a/src/state/queries/notifications/unread.tsx b/src/state/queries/notifications/unread.tsx
index f4278ec2aa..aa234d449d 100644
--- a/src/state/queries/notifications/unread.tsx
+++ b/src/state/queries/notifications/unread.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import EventEmitter from 'eventemitter3'
 import BroadcastChannel from '#/lib/broadcast'
 import {logger} from '#/logger'
 import {useAgent, useSession} from '#/state/session'
-import {resetBadgeCount} from 'lib/notifications/notifications'
+import {resetGenericBadgeCount} from 'lib/notifications/notifications'
 import {useModerationOpts} from '../../preferences/moderation-opts'
 import {truncateAndInvalidate} from '../util'
 import {RQKEY as RQKEY_NOTIFS} from './feed'
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ export function Provider({children}: React.PropsWithChildren<{}>) {
         // update & broadcast
         setNumUnread('')
         broadcast.postMessage({event: ''})
-        resetBadgeCount('generic')
+        resetGenericBadgeCount()
       },
 
       async checkUnread({