diff --git a/client/js/lounge.js b/client/js/lounge.js
index 164e6134..21f64fa2 100644
--- a/client/js/lounge.js
+++ b/client/js/lounge.js
@@ -184,6 +184,13 @@ $(function() {
 		}
 	});
 
+	socket.on("open", function(id) {
+		// Another client opened the channel, clear the unread counter
+		sidebar.find("[data-id='" + id + "'] .badge")
+			.removeClass("highlight")
+			.empty();
+	});
+
 	socket.on("join", function(data) {
 		var id = data.network;
 		var network = sidebar.find("#network-" + id);
@@ -359,7 +366,7 @@ $(function() {
 			.append(msg)
 			.trigger("msg", [
 				target,
-				data.msg
+				data
 			]);
 
 		if (data.msg.self) {
@@ -846,7 +853,6 @@ $(function() {
 		self.addClass("active")
 			.find(".badge")
 			.removeClass("highlight")
-			.data("count", 0)
 			.empty();
 
 		if (sidebar.find(".highlight").length === 0) {
@@ -955,6 +961,9 @@ $(function() {
 	});
 
 	chat.on("msg", ".messages", function(e, target, msg) {
+		var unread = msg.unread;
+		msg = msg.msg;
+
 		if (msg.self) {
 			return;
 		}
@@ -1004,23 +1013,14 @@ $(function() {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		var whitelistedActions = [
-			"message",
-			"notice",
-			"action",
-		];
-		if (whitelistedActions.indexOf(msg.type) === -1) {
+		if (!unread) {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		var badge = button.find(".badge");
-		if (badge.length !== 0) {
-			var i = (badge.data("count") || 0) + 1;
-			badge.data("count", i);
-			badge.html(Handlebars.helpers.roundBadgeNumber(i));
-			if (msg.highlight) {
-				badge.addClass("highlight");
-			}
+		var badge = button.find(".badge").html(Handlebars.helpers.roundBadgeNumber(unread));
+
+		if (msg.highlight) {
+			badge.addClass("highlight");
 		}
 	});
 
diff --git a/client/views/chan.tpl b/client/views/chan.tpl
index 22a6c3cc..626eb228 100644
--- a/client/views/chan.tpl
+++ b/client/views/chan.tpl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {{#each channels}}
 <div data-id="{{id}}" data-target="#chan-{{id}}" data-title="{{name}}" class="chan {{type}}">
-	<span class="badge{{#if highlight}} highlight{{/if}}" data-count="{{unread}}">{{#if unread}}{{roundBadgeNumber unread}}{{/if}}</span>
+	<span class="badge{{#if highlight}} highlight{{/if}}">{{#if unread}}{{roundBadgeNumber unread}}{{/if}}</span>
 	<button class="close" aria-label="Close"></button>
 	<span class="name" title="{{name}}">{{name}}</span>
 </div>
diff --git a/src/client.js b/src/client.js
index 6e08d814..77db906b 100644
--- a/src/client.js
+++ b/src/client.js
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ function Client(manager, name, config) {
 		config = {};
 	}
 	_.merge(this, {
-		activeChannel: -1,
+		lastActiveChannel: -1,
+		attachedClients: {},
 		config: config,
 		id: id++,
 		name: name,
@@ -201,7 +202,7 @@ Client.prototype.connect = function(args) {
 			network.channels[0].pushMessage(client, new Msg({
 				type: Msg.Type.ERROR,
 				text: "Hostname you specified is not allowed."
-			}));
+			}), true);
 			return;
 		}
 
@@ -214,7 +215,7 @@ Client.prototype.connect = function(args) {
 		network.channels[0].pushMessage(client, new Msg({
 			type: Msg.Type.ERROR,
 			text: "You must specify a hostname to connect."
-		}));
+		}), true);
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -319,6 +320,13 @@ Client.prototype.inputLine = function(data) {
 	var client = this;
 	var text = data.text;
 	var target = client.find(data.target);
+	if (!target) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	// Sending a message to a channel is higher priority than merely opening one
+	// so that reloading the page will open this channel
+	this.lastActiveChannel = target.chan.id;
 
 	// This is either a normal message or a command escaped with a leading '/'
 	if (text.charAt(0) !== "/" || text.charAt(1) === "/") {
@@ -366,14 +374,20 @@ Client.prototype.more = function(data) {
 	});
 };
 
-Client.prototype.open = function(data) {
+Client.prototype.open = function(socketId, data) {
 	var target = this.find(data);
-	if (target) {
-		target.chan.firstUnread = 0;
-		target.chan.unread = 0;
-		target.chan.highlight = false;
-		this.activeChannel = target.chan.id;
+	if (!target) {
+		return;
 	}
+
+	target.chan.firstUnread = 0;
+	target.chan.unread = 0;
+	target.chan.highlight = false;
+
+	this.attachedClients[socketId] = target.chan.id;
+	this.lastActiveChannel = target.chan.id;
+
+	this.emit("open", target.chan.id);
 };
 
 Client.prototype.sort = function(data) {
@@ -442,6 +456,14 @@ Client.prototype.quit = function() {
 	});
 };
 
+Client.prototype.clientAttach = function(socketId) {
+	this.attachedClients[socketId] = this.lastActiveChannel;
+};
+
+Client.prototype.clientDetach = function(socketId) {
+	delete this.attachedClients[socketId];
+};
+
 var timer;
 Client.prototype.save = function(force) {
 	var client = this;
diff --git a/src/models/chan.js b/src/models/chan.js
index a8c10474..69e582ab 100644
--- a/src/models/chan.js
+++ b/src/models/chan.js
@@ -28,11 +28,20 @@ function Chan(attr) {
 	});
 }
 
-Chan.prototype.pushMessage = function(client, msg) {
-	client.emit("msg", {
+Chan.prototype.pushMessage = function(client, msg, increasesUnread) {
+	var obj = {
 		chan: this.id,
 		msg: msg
-	});
+	};
+
+	// If this channel is open in any of the clients, do not increase unread counter
+	var isOpen = _.includes(client.attachedClients, this.id);
+
+	if ((increasesUnread || msg.highlight) && !isOpen) {
+		obj.unread = ++this.unread;
+	}
+
+	client.emit("msg", obj);
 
 	// Never store messages in public mode as the session
 	// is completely destroyed when the page gets closed
@@ -46,7 +55,7 @@ Chan.prototype.pushMessage = function(client, msg) {
 		this.messages.splice(0, this.messages.length - Helper.config.maxHistory);
 	}
 
-	if (!msg.self && this.id !== client.activeChannel) {
+	if (!msg.self && !isOpen) {
 		if (!this.firstUnread) {
 			this.firstUnread = msg.id;
 		}
diff --git a/src/plugins/irc-events/connection.js b/src/plugins/irc-events/connection.js
index a5507d93..2d843086 100644
--- a/src/plugins/irc-events/connection.js
+++ b/src/plugins/irc-events/connection.js
@@ -11,13 +11,13 @@ module.exports = function(irc, network) {
 
 	network.channels[0].pushMessage(client, new Msg({
 		text: "Network created, connecting to " + network.host + ":" + network.port + "..."
-	}));
+	}), true);
 
 	irc.on("registered", function() {
 		if (network.irc.network.cap.enabled.length > 0) {
 			network.channels[0].pushMessage(client, new Msg({
 				text: "Enabled capabilities: " + network.irc.network.cap.enabled.join(", ")
-			}));
+			}), true);
 		}
 
 		var delay = 1000;
@@ -54,13 +54,13 @@ module.exports = function(irc, network) {
 
 		network.channels[0].pushMessage(client, new Msg({
 			text: "Connected to the network."
-		}));
+		}), true);
 	});
 
 	irc.on("close", function() {
 		network.channels[0].pushMessage(client, new Msg({
 			text: "Disconnected from the network, and will not reconnect. Use /connect to reconnect again."
-		}));
+		}), true);
 	});
 
 	if (identd.isEnabled()) {
@@ -91,19 +91,19 @@ module.exports = function(irc, network) {
 		network.channels[0].pushMessage(client, new Msg({
 			type: Msg.Type.ERROR,
 			text: "Socket error: " + err
-		}));
+		}), true);
 	});
 
 	irc.on("reconnecting", function(data) {
 		network.channels[0].pushMessage(client, new Msg({
 			text: "Disconnected from the network. Reconnecting in " + Math.round(data.wait / 1000) + " seconds… (Attempt " + data.attempt + " of " + data.max_retries + ")"
-		}));
+		}), true);
 	});
 
 	irc.on("ping timeout", function() {
 		network.channels[0].pushMessage(client, new Msg({
 			text: "Ping timeout, disconnecting…"
-		}));
+		}), true);
 	});
 
 	irc.on("server options", function(data) {
diff --git a/src/plugins/irc-events/error.js b/src/plugins/irc-events/error.js
index 477645fb..d08e033c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/irc-events/error.js
+++ b/src/plugins/irc-events/error.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ module.exports = function(irc, network) {
 			type: Msg.Type.ERROR,
 			text: text,
 		});
-		lobby.pushMessage(client, msg);
+		lobby.pushMessage(client, msg, true);
 	});
 
 	irc.on("nick in use", function(data) {
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ module.exports = function(irc, network) {
 			type: Msg.Type.ERROR,
 			text: data.nick + ": " + (data.reason || "Nickname is already in use."),
 		});
-		lobby.pushMessage(client, msg);
+		lobby.pushMessage(client, msg, true);
 
 		if (irc.connection.registered === false) {
 			var random = (data.nick || irc.user.nick) + Math.floor(10 + (Math.random() * 89));
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ module.exports = function(irc, network) {
 			type: Msg.Type.ERROR,
 			text: data.nick + ": " + (data.reason || "Nickname is invalid."),
 		});
-		lobby.pushMessage(client, msg);
+		lobby.pushMessage(client, msg, true);
 
 		if (irc.connection.registered === false) {
 			var random = "i" + Math.random().toString(36).substr(2, 10); // 'i' so it never begins with a number
diff --git a/src/plugins/irc-events/message.js b/src/plugins/irc-events/message.js
index 558964e6..5eb231fe 100644
--- a/src/plugins/irc-events/message.js
+++ b/src/plugins/irc-events/message.js
@@ -79,10 +79,6 @@ module.exports = function(irc, network) {
 			highlight = network.highlightRegex.test(data.message);
 		}
 
-		if (!self && chan.id !== client.activeChannel) {
-			chan.unread++;
-		}
-
 		var msg = new Msg({
 			type: data.type,
 			time: data.time,
@@ -92,6 +88,6 @@ module.exports = function(irc, network) {
 			self: self,
 			highlight: highlight
 		});
-		chan.pushMessage(client, msg);
+		chan.pushMessage(client, msg, !self);
 	}
 };
diff --git a/src/plugins/irc-events/nick.js b/src/plugins/irc-events/nick.js
index 5096c7a2..c8519530 100644
--- a/src/plugins/irc-events/nick.js
+++ b/src/plugins/irc-events/nick.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ module.exports = function(irc, network) {
 			msg = new Msg({
 				text: "You're now known as " + data.new_nick,
 			});
-			lobby.pushMessage(client, msg);
+			lobby.pushMessage(client, msg, true);
 			self = true;
 			client.save();
 			client.emit("nick", {
diff --git a/src/plugins/irc-events/unhandled.js b/src/plugins/irc-events/unhandled.js
index 46b98f22..a07a48ee 100644
--- a/src/plugins/irc-events/unhandled.js
+++ b/src/plugins/irc-events/unhandled.js
@@ -15,6 +15,6 @@ module.exports = function(irc, network) {
 			type: Msg.Type.UNHANDLED,
 			command: command.command,
 			params: command.params
-		}));
+		}), true);
 	});
 };
diff --git a/src/server.js b/src/server.js
index 2ce7be08..bea7776b 100644
--- a/src/server.js
+++ b/src/server.js
@@ -147,6 +147,11 @@ function init(socket, client) {
 	} else {
 		socket.emit("authorized");
 
+		socket.on("disconnect", function() {
+			client.clientDetach(socket.id);
+		});
+		client.clientAttach(socket.id);
+
 		socket.on(
 			"input",
 			function(data) {
@@ -215,7 +220,7 @@ function init(socket, client) {
 		socket.on(
 			"open",
 			function(data) {
-				client.open(data);
+				client.open(socket.id, data);
 			}
 		);
 		socket.on(
@@ -232,7 +237,7 @@ function init(socket, client) {
 		);
 		socket.join(client.id);
 		socket.emit("init", {
-			active: client.activeChannel,
+			active: client.lastActiveChannel,
 			networks: client.networks,
 			token: client.config.token || null
 		});