diff --git a/static/js/activity.js b/static/js/activity.js
index 5f5b348d52..6d56e4a8a8 100644
--- a/static/js/activity.js
+++ b/static/js/activity.js
@@ -157,9 +157,17 @@ function update_users() {
 
     var users = sort_users(Object.keys(presence_info), presence_info);
 
+    function get_num_unread(email) {
+        if (suppress_unread_counts) {
+            return 0;
+        }
+        return unread.num_unread_for_person(email);
+    }
+
     var my_info = {
         name: page_params.fullname,
         email: page_params.email,
+        num_unread: get_num_unread(page_params.email),
         type: (activity.has_focus) ? activity.ACTIVE : activity.IDLE,
         type_desc: presence_descriptions.active,
         my_fullname: true
@@ -170,6 +178,7 @@ function update_users() {
         return {
             name: people_dict.get(email).full_name,
             email: email,
+            num_unread: get_num_unread(email),
             type: presence,
             type_desc: presence_descriptions[presence]
         };
@@ -183,19 +192,6 @@ function update_users() {
 
     $('#user_presences').html(templates.render('user_presence_rows', {users: user_info}));
 
-    // Update the counts in the presence list.
-    if (!suppress_unread_counts) {
-        // We do this after rendering the template, to avoid dealing with
-        // the suppress_unread_counts conditional in the template.
-
-        var set_count = function (email) {
-            stream_list.set_presence_list_count(email, unread.num_unread_for_person(email));
-        };
-
-        _.each(user_emails, set_count);
-        set_count(page_params.email);
-    }
-
     // Update user fading, if necessary.
     compose_fade.update_faded_users();
 }
diff --git a/static/styles/zulip.css b/static/styles/zulip.css
index 526e679ff7..be60a1de5b 100644
--- a/static/styles/zulip.css
+++ b/static/styles/zulip.css
@@ -518,6 +518,10 @@ ul.filters {
     width: 150px;
 }
 
+.user_sidebar_entry.user-with-count .count {
+    display: inherit;
+}
+
 .group-pms-sidebar-entry.group-with-count .selectable_sidebar_block {
     width: 170px;
 }
diff --git a/static/templates/user_presence_rows.handlebars b/static/templates/user_presence_rows.handlebars
index 441f2f4222..e726966834 100644
--- a/static/templates/user_presence_rows.handlebars
+++ b/static/templates/user_presence_rows.handlebars
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {{! User Presence rows }}
 {{#each users}}
-<li data-email="{{email}}" class="user_sidebar_entry narrow-filter user_{{type}}">
+<li data-email="{{email}}" class="user_sidebar_entry {{#if num_unread}}user-with-count {{/if}}narrow-filter user_{{type}}">
   <span class="selectable_sidebar_block">
     <span class="user-status-indicator"></span>
       <a href="#" data-email="{{email}}" data-name="{{name}}" title="{{name}} {{type_desc}}"
          class="{{#if my_fullname}} my_fullname{{/if}}">{{name}}</a>
   </span>
-  <span class="count"><span class="value"></span></span>
+  <span class="count"><span class="value">{{#if num_unread}}{{num_unread}}{{/if}}</span></span>
   <span class="arrow"><i class="icon-vector-chevron-down"></i></span>
 </li>
 {{/each}}
diff --git a/zerver/tests/frontend/node/templates.js b/zerver/tests/frontend/node/templates.js
index dfb5dab1e3..12b8208d01 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/frontend/node/templates.js
+++ b/zerver/tests/frontend/node/templates.js
@@ -522,12 +522,14 @@ function render(template_name, args) {
                 "my_fullname": true,
                 "type_desc": "Active",
                 "type": "active",
+                "num_unread": 0,
                 "email": "lear@zulip.com",
                 "name": "King Lear"
             },
             {
                 "type_desc": "Away",
                 "type": "away",
+                "num_unread": 5,
                 "email": "othello@zulip.com",
                 "name": "Othello"
             }