diff --git a/Meshtastic/Accessory/Accessory Manager/AccessoryManager+MQTT.swift b/Meshtastic/Accessory/Accessory Manager/AccessoryManager+MQTT.swift
index 49416f1a..0a246f88 100644
--- a/Meshtastic/Accessory/Accessory Manager/AccessoryManager+MQTT.swift	
+++ b/Meshtastic/Accessory/Accessory Manager/AccessoryManager+MQTT.swift	
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ extension AccessoryManager {
 					}
 				}
 				// Set initial unread message badge states
-				appState.unreadChannelMessages = fetchedNodeInfo[0].myInfo?.unreadMessages ?? 0
-				appState.unreadDirectMessages = fetchedNodeInfo[0].user?.unreadMessages(in: context, skipLastMessageCheck: true) ?? 0 // skipLastMessageCheck=true because we don't update lastMessage on our own connected node
+				appState.unreadChannelMessages = fetchedNodeInfo[0].myInfo?.unreadMessages(context: context) ?? 0
+				appState.unreadDirectMessages = fetchedNodeInfo[0].user?.unreadMessages(context: context, skipLastMessageCheck: true) ?? 0 // skipLastMessageCheck=true because we don't update lastMessage on our own connected node
 			}
 			if fetchedNodeInfo.count == 1 && fetchedNodeInfo[0].rangeTestConfig?.enabled == true {
 				wantRangeTestPackets = true
diff --git a/Meshtastic/Extensions/CoreData/ChannelEntityExtension.swift b/Meshtastic/Extensions/CoreData/ChannelEntityExtension.swift
index 4453a4ab..b30970ac 100644
--- a/Meshtastic/Extensions/CoreData/ChannelEntityExtension.swift
+++ b/Meshtastic/Extensions/CoreData/ChannelEntityExtension.swift
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ extension ChannelEntity {
 		return (try? context.fetch(fetchRequest))?.first
 	}
 
-	var unreadMessages: Int {
+	func unreadMessages(context: NSManagedObjectContext) -> Int {
 		let context = PersistenceController.shared.container.viewContext
 		let fetchRequest = MessageEntity.fetchRequest()
 		// sort is irrelvant.
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ extension ChannelEntity {
 		return (try? context.count(for: fetchRequest)) ?? 0
 	}
 
+	// Backwards-compatible property (uses viewContext)
+	var unreadMessages: Int { unreadMessages(context: PersistenceController.shared.container.viewContext) }
+
 	var protoBuf: Channel {
 		var channel = Channel()
 		channel.index = self.index
diff --git a/Meshtastic/Extensions/CoreData/MyInfoEntityExtension.swift b/Meshtastic/Extensions/CoreData/MyInfoEntityExtension.swift
index 68a48ee1..67bbbcad 100644
--- a/Meshtastic/Extensions/CoreData/MyInfoEntityExtension.swift
+++ b/Meshtastic/Extensions/CoreData/MyInfoEntityExtension.swift
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 //
 
 import Foundation
+import CoreData
 
 extension MyInfoEntity {
 
@@ -18,11 +19,17 @@ extension MyInfoEntity {
 		return (try? context.fetch(fetchRequest)) ?? [MessageEntity]()
 	}
 
-	var unreadMessages: Int {
-		let unreadMessages = messageList.filter { ($0 as AnyObject).read == false && ($0 as AnyObject).isEmoji == false }
-		return unreadMessages.count
+	func unreadMessages(context: NSManagedObjectContext) -> Int {
+		// Returns the count of unread *channel* messages
+		let fetchRequest = MessageEntity.fetchRequest()
+		// sort is irrelvant.
+		fetchRequest.predicate = NSPredicate(format: "toUser == nil AND isEmoji == false AND read == false")
+		return (try? context.count(for: fetchRequest)) ?? 0
 	}
 
+	// Backwards-compatible property (uses viewContext)
+	var unreadMessages: Int { unreadMessages(context: PersistenceController.shared.container.viewContext) }
+
 	var hasAdmin: Bool {
 		let adminChannel = channels?.filter { ($0 as AnyObject).name?.lowercased() == "admin" }
 		return adminChannel?.count ?? 0 > 0
diff --git a/Meshtastic/Extensions/CoreData/UserEntityExtension.swift b/Meshtastic/Extensions/CoreData/UserEntityExtension.swift
index 28a49e21..71db77d6 100644
--- a/Meshtastic/Extensions/CoreData/UserEntityExtension.swift
+++ b/Meshtastic/Extensions/CoreData/UserEntityExtension.swift
@@ -43,12 +43,11 @@ extension UserEntity {
 		return (try? context.fetch(fetchRequest)) ?? [MessageEntity]()
 	}
 
-	func unreadMessages(in ctx: NSManagedObjectContext?, skipLastMessageCheck: Bool = false) -> Int {
+	func unreadMessages(context: NSManagedObjectContext, skipLastMessageCheck: Bool = false) -> Int {
 		// Most contacts will have no DMs history, so we can return early.
 		// (For our own node, set skipLastMessageCheck=true, because we don't update lastMessage on our own connected node.)
 		guard self.lastMessage != nil || skipLastMessageCheck else { return 0; }
 
-		let context = ctx ?? PersistenceController.shared.container.viewContext // default to viewContext
 		let fetchRequest = MessageEntity.fetchRequest()
 		// sort is irrelvant.
 		fetchRequest.predicate = NSPredicate(format: "((toUser == %@) OR (fromUser == %@)) AND toUser != nil AND fromUser != nil AND isEmoji == false AND admin = false AND portNum != 10 AND read == false", self, self)
@@ -56,7 +55,7 @@ extension UserEntity {
 	}
 
 	// Backwards-compatible property (uses viewContext)
-	var unreadMessages: Int { unreadMessages(in: nil) }
+	var unreadMessages: Int { unreadMessages(context: PersistenceController.shared.container.viewContext) }
 
 	/// SVG Images for Vendors who are signed project backers
 	var hardwareImage: String? {
diff --git a/Meshtastic/Helpers/MeshPackets.swift b/Meshtastic/Helpers/MeshPackets.swift
index e030cd16..caffd8b4 100644
--- a/Meshtastic/Helpers/MeshPackets.swift
+++ b/Meshtastic/Helpers/MeshPackets.swift
@@ -1040,7 +1040,7 @@ func textMessageAppPacket(
 				if newMessage.fromUser != nil && newMessage.toUser != nil {
 					// Set Unread Message Indicators
 					if packet.to == connectedNode {
-						let unreadCount = newMessage.toUser?.unreadMessages(in: context, skipLastMessageCheck: true) ?? 0 // skipLastMessageCheck=true because we don't update lastMessage on our own connected node
+						let unreadCount = newMessage.toUser?.unreadMessages(context: context, skipLastMessageCheck: true) ?? 0 // skipLastMessageCheck=true because we don't update lastMessage on our own connected node
 						Task { @MainActor in
 							appState?.unreadDirectMessages = unreadCount
 						}
@@ -1071,7 +1071,7 @@ func textMessageAppPacket(
 					do {
 						let fetchedMyInfo = try context.fetch(fetchMyInfoRequest)
 						if !fetchedMyInfo.isEmpty {
-							appState?.unreadChannelMessages = fetchedMyInfo[0].unreadMessages
+							appState?.unreadChannelMessages = fetchedMyInfo[0].unreadMessages(context: context)
 							for channel in (fetchedMyInfo[0].channels?.array ?? []) as? [ChannelEntity] ?? [] {
 								if channel.index == newMessage.channel {
 									context.refresh(channel, mergeChanges: true)
diff --git a/Meshtastic/Views/Messages/UserMessageList.swift b/Meshtastic/Views/Messages/UserMessageList.swift
index af283d0f..8e2b3699 100644
--- a/Meshtastic/Views/Messages/UserMessageList.swift
+++ b/Meshtastic/Views/Messages/UserMessageList.swift
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ struct UserMessageList: View {
 			if let connectedPeripheralNum = accessoryManager.activeDeviceNum,
 			   let connectedNode = getNodeInfo(id: connectedPeripheralNum, context: context),
 			   let connectedUser = connectedNode.user {
-				appState.unreadDirectMessages = connectedUser.unreadMessages(in: context, skipLastMessageCheck: true) // skipLastMessageCheck=true because we don't update lastMessage on our own connected node
+				appState.unreadDirectMessages = connectedUser.unreadMessages(context: context, skipLastMessageCheck: true) // skipLastMessageCheck=true because we don't update lastMessage on our own connected node
 			}
 
 			context.refresh(user, mergeChanges: true)