diff --git a/src/middleware/header.js b/src/middleware/header.js
index e363dee7cc..049d8a43a0 100644
--- a/src/middleware/header.js
+++ b/src/middleware/header.js
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ async function appendUnreadCounts({ uid, navigation, unreadData }) {
 	const tidsByFilter = results.unreadData.tidsByFilter;
 	navigation = navigation.map(function (item) {
 		function modifyNavItem(item, route, filter, content) {
-			if (item && validator.unescape(item.originalRoute) === route) {
+			if (item && item.originalRoute === route) {
 				unreadData[filter] = _.zipObject(tidsByFilter[filter], tidsByFilter[filter].map(() => true));
 				item.content = content;
 				if (unreadCounts[filter] > 0) {
diff --git a/src/navigation/index.js b/src/navigation/index.js
index ed639afbfa..a581508367 100644
--- a/src/navigation/index.js
+++ b/src/navigation/index.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const nconf = require('nconf');
+const validator = require('validator');
 const admin = require('./admin');
 const groups = require('../groups');
 
@@ -12,7 +13,7 @@ navigation.get = async function (uid) {
 	let data = await admin.get();
 
 	data = data.filter(item => item && item.enabled).map(function (item) {
-		item.originalRoute = item.route;
+		item.originalRoute = validator.unescape(item.route);
 
 		if (!item.route.startsWith('http')) {
 			item.route = relative_path + item.route;