diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/notifications.js b/zephyr/static/js/notifications.js
index eee5229120..a6596f9580 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/notifications.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/notifications.js
@@ -21,13 +21,13 @@ function browser_desktop_notifications_on () {
 exports.initialize = function () {
     $(window).focus(function () {
         window_has_focus = true;
-        exports.update_title_count();
 
         $.each(notice_memory, function (index, notice_mem_entry) {
            notice_mem_entry.obj.cancel();
         });
 
-
+        // Update many places on the DOM to reflect unread
+        // counts.
         process_visible_unread_messages();
     }).blur(function () {
         window_has_focus = false;
@@ -64,11 +64,10 @@ exports.initialize = function () {
     }
 };
 
-exports.update_title_count = function () {
+exports.update_title_count = function (new_message_count) {
     // Update window title and favicon to reflect unread messages in current view
     var n;
 
-    var new_message_count = unread_in_current_view();
     var new_title = (new_message_count ? ("(" + new_message_count + ") ") : "")
         + page_params.domain + " - Humbug";
 
diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/notifications_bar.js b/zephyr/static/js/notifications_bar.js
index 07cb6644ef..931f77fe1d 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/notifications_bar.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/notifications_bar.js
@@ -28,10 +28,10 @@ function hide() {
 
 // If there's a custom message, or if the last message is off the bottom of the
 // screen, then show the notifications bar.
-exports.update = function () {
+exports.update = function (num_unread) {
     if (rows.last_visible().offset() !== null // otherwise the next line will error
         && rows.last_visible().offset().top + rows.last_visible().height() > viewport.scrollTop() + viewport.height() - $("#compose").height()
-        && unread_in_current_view() > 0)
+        && num_unread > 0)
         show();
     else
         hide();
diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/ui.js b/zephyr/static/js/ui.js
index 70b97f94de..6220c1b961 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/ui.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/ui.js
@@ -355,8 +355,15 @@ function resizehandler(e) {
     if (current_msg_list.selected_id() !== -1) {
         scroll_to_selected();
     }
-    // When the screen resizes, it may cause some messages to go off the screen
-    notifications_bar.update();
+
+    // When the screen resizes, it can make it so that messages are
+    // now on the page, so we need to update the notifications bar.
+    // We may want to do more here in terms of updating unread counts,
+    // but it's possible that resize events can happen as part of
+    // screen resolution changes, so we might want to wait for a more
+    // intentional action to say that the user has "read" a message.
+    var res = unread.get_counts();
+    notifications_bar.update(res.unread_in_current_view);
 }
 
 $(function () {
@@ -763,10 +770,9 @@ $(function () {
                 have_scrolled_away_from_top = true;
             }
             // When the window scrolls, it may cause some messages to
-            // enter the screen and become read
-            notifications_bar.update();
-            notifications.update_title_count();
-
+            // enter the screen and become read.  Calling
+            // process_visible_unread_messages will update necessary
+            // data structures and DOM elements.
             setTimeout(process_visible_unread_messages, 0);
         }
     }
diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/unread.js b/zephyr/static/js/unread.js
index 8f3b9c7884..85c193eee5 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/unread.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/unread.js
@@ -110,6 +110,18 @@ exports.declare_bankruptcy = function () {
     unread_counts = {'stream': {}, 'private': {}};
 };
 
+exports.num_unread_current_messages = function () {
+    var num_unread = 0;
+
+    $.each(current_msg_list.all(), function (idx, msg) {
+        if ((msg.id > current_msg_list.selected_id()) && exports.message_unread(msg)) {
+            num_unread += 1;
+        }
+    });
+
+    return num_unread;
+};
+
 exports.get_counts = function () {
     var res = {};
 
@@ -159,6 +171,13 @@ exports.get_counts = function () {
     res.private_message_count = pm_count;
     res.home_unread_messages += pm_count;
 
+    if (narrow.active()) {
+        res.unread_in_current_view = exports.num_unread_current_messages();
+    }
+    else {
+        res.unread_in_current_view = res.home_unread_messages;
+    }
+
     return res;
 };
 
diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/zephyr.js b/zephyr/static/js/zephyr.js
index 7c1a54aaf9..6283aadb8a 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/zephyr.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/zephyr.js
@@ -271,36 +271,16 @@ function send_queued_flags() {
         success:  on_success});
 }
 
-var home_unread_messages = 0;
-
-function unread_in_current_view() {
-    var num_unread = 0;
-    if (!narrow.active()) {
-        num_unread = home_unread_messages;
-    } else {
-        $.each(current_msg_list.all(), function (idx, msg) {
-            if (unread.message_unread(msg) && msg.id > current_msg_list.selected_id()) {
-                num_unread += 1;
-            }
-        });
-    }
-    return num_unread;
-}
-
 function update_unread_counts() {
     // Pure computation:
     var res = unread.get_counts();
 
     // Side effects from here down:
-
-    // TODO: deprecate this global.
-    home_unread_messages = res.home_unread_messages;
-
     // This updates some DOM elements directly, so try to
     // avoid excessive calls to this.
     stream_list.update_dom_with_unread_counts(res);
-
-    notifications.update_title_count();
+    notifications.update_title_count(res.unread_in_current_view);
+    notifications_bar.update(res.unread_in_current_view);
 }
 
 function mark_all_as_read(cont) {
@@ -696,8 +676,8 @@ function add_messages(messages, msg_list) {
         typeahead_helper.update_autocomplete();
     }
 
-    // If the new messages are off the screen, show a notification
-    notifications_bar.update();
+    // There are some other common tasks that happen when adding messages, but these
+    // happen higher up in the stack, notably logic related to unread counts.
 }
 
 function deduplicate_messages(messages) {