diff --git a/public/templates/home.tpl b/public/templates/home.tpl
index 178df93dca..736b993be5 100644
--- a/public/templates/home.tpl
+++ b/public/templates/home.tpl
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 	<!-- BEGIN categories -->
 	<div class="span3">
 		<a href="category/{categories.slug}">
-			<h4>{categories.name} <span class="badge badge-important">3</span></h4>
+			<h4>{categories.name} <span class="badge {categories.badgeclass}">{categories.topic_count}</span></h4>
 			<!-- {categories.description} -->
 			<div class="category-icon {categories.blockclass}">
 				<i class="{categories.icon} icon-4x"></i>
diff --git a/src/categories.js b/src/categories.js
index 6a6adc8c9e..955a348ae6 100644
--- a/src/categories.js
+++ b/src/categories.js
@@ -56,10 +56,10 @@ var	RDB = require('./redis.js'),
 		// just a reminder to self that name + slugs are stored into topics data as well.
 	};
 
-	Categories.get = function(callback) {
+	Categories.get = function(callback, current_user) {
 		RDB.lrange('categories:cid', 0, -1, function(err, cids) {
 			RDB.handle(err);
-			Categories.get_category(cids, callback);
+			Categories.get_category(cids, callback, current_user);
 		});
 	}
 
@@ -79,12 +79,29 @@ var	RDB = require('./redis.js'),
 		});
 	}
 
-	Categories.get_category = function(cids, callback) {
+
+	Categories.hasReadCategories = function(cids, uid, callback) {
+		var batch = RDB.multi();
+
+		for (var i=0, ii=cids.length; i<ii; i++) {
+			batch.sismember('cid:' + cids[i] + ':read_by_uid', uid);	
+		}
+		
+		batch.exec(function(err, hasRead) {
+			callback(hasRead);
+		});
+	}
+
+
+
+	Categories.get_category = function(cids, callback, current_user) {
 		var name = [],
 			description = [],
 			icon = [],
 			blockclass = [],
-			slug = [];
+			slug = [],
+			topic_count = [],
+			has_read = {};
 
 		for (var i=0, ii=cids.length; i<ii; i++) {
 			name.push('cid:' + cids[i] + ':name');
@@ -92,6 +109,7 @@ var	RDB = require('./redis.js'),
 			icon.push('cid:' + cids[i] + ':icon');
 			blockclass.push('cid:' + cids[i] + ':blockclass');
 			slug.push('cid:' + cids[i] + ':slug');
+			topic_count.push('cid:' + cids[i] + ':topiccount');
 		}
 
 		if (cids.length > 0) {
@@ -101,26 +119,39 @@ var	RDB = require('./redis.js'),
 				.mget(icon)
 				.mget(blockclass)
 				.mget(slug)
+				.mget(topic_count)
 				.exec(function(err, replies) {
 					name = replies[0];
 					description = replies[1];
 					icon = replies[2];
 					blockclass = replies[3];
 					slug = replies[4];
+					topic_count = replies[5];
+
 					
-					var categories = [];
-					for (var i=0, ii=cids.length; i<ii; i++) {
-						categories.push({
-							'name' : name[i],
-							'cid' : cids[i],
-							'slug' : slug[i],
-							'description' : description[i],
-							'blockclass' : blockclass[i],
-							'icon' : icon[i]
-						});
+					function generateCategories() {
+						var categories = [];
+						for (var i=0, ii=cids.length; i<ii; i++) {
+							categories.push({
+								'name' : name[i],
+								'cid' : cids[i],
+								'slug' : slug[i],
+								'description' : description[i],
+								'blockclass' : blockclass[i],
+								'icon' : icon[i],
+								'badgeclass' : (!topic_count[i] || (has_read[i] && current_user !=0)) ? '' : 'badge-important',
+								'topic_count' : topic_count[i] || 0
+							});
+						}
+
+						callback({'categories': categories});
 					}
 
-					callback({'categories': categories});
+					Categories.hasReadCategories(cids, current_user, function(read_data) {
+						has_read = read_data;
+						generateCategories();
+					});
+					
 				});
 		} else callback({'categories' : []});
 	};
diff --git a/src/posts.js b/src/posts.js
index 6b787a0498..ba657753f7 100644
--- a/src/posts.js
+++ b/src/posts.js
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ marked.setOptions({
 	}
 
 	Posts.get_cid_by_pid = function(pid, callback) {
-		Posts.get_tid(pid, function(tid) {
+		Posts.get_tid_by_pid(pid, function(tid) {
 			if (tid) topics.get_cid_by_tid(tid, function(cid) {
 				if (cid) callback(cid);
 				else callback(false);
@@ -220,6 +220,9 @@ marked.setOptions({
 				RDB.rpush('tid:' + tid + ':posts', pid);
 
 				RDB.del('tid:' + tid + ':read_by_uid'); // let everybody know there is an unread post
+				Posts.get_cid_by_pid(pid, function(cid) {
+					RDB.del('cid:' + cid + ':read_by_uid');
+				});
 
 				// Re-add the poster, so he/she does not get an "unread" flag on this topic
 				topics.markAsRead(tid, uid);
diff --git a/src/topics.js b/src/topics.js
index 65d1129f5f..0ee9dfd403 100644
--- a/src/topics.js
+++ b/src/topics.js
@@ -262,7 +262,11 @@ marked.setOptions({
 	}
 
 	Topics.markAsRead = function(tid, uid) {
+		// there is an issue with this fn. if you read a topic that is previously read you will mark the category as read anyways - there is no check
 		RDB.sadd('tid:' + tid + ':read_by_uid', uid);
+		Topics.get_cid_by_tid(tid, function(cid) {
+			RDB.sadd('cid:' + cid + ':read_by_uid', uid);
+		});
 	}
 
 	Topics.hasReadTopics = function(tids, uid, callback) {
@@ -397,6 +401,9 @@ marked.setOptions({
 				timeout: 2000
 			});
 
+			// let everyone know that there is an unread topic in this category
+			RDB.del('cid:' + category_id + ':read_by_uid');
+
 			// in future it may be possible to add topics to several categories, so leaving the door open here.
 			RDB.sadd('categories:' + category_id + ':tid', tid);
 			RDB.set('tid:' + tid + ':cid', category_id);
@@ -405,6 +412,7 @@ marked.setOptions({
 				RDB.set('tid:' + tid + ':category_slug', data.categories[0].slug);
 			});
 
+			RDB.incr('cid:' + category_id + ':topiccount');
 		});
 	};
 
diff --git a/src/webserver.js b/src/webserver.js
index b9a7269a1f..90356b191e 100644
--- a/src/webserver.js
+++ b/src/webserver.js
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ var express = require('express'),
 			case 'home' :
 					categories.get(function(data) {
 						res.send(JSON.stringify(data));
-					});
+					}, (req.user) ? req.user.uid : 0);
 				break;
 			case 'login' :
 					var data = {},