diff --git a/frappe/desk/page/desktop/desktop.html b/frappe/desk/page/desktop/desktop.html
index cea2cdef60f9..f9a82768734e 100644
--- a/frappe/desk/page/desktop/desktop.html
+++ b/frappe/desk/page/desktop/desktop.html
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
                         >
                             <use href="#icon-bell"></use>
                         </svg>
+                        <span class="notification-count hidden" aria-live="polite"></span>
                     </button>
                     <div
                         style="top: unset"
diff --git a/frappe/public/js/frappe/ui/notifications/notifications.js b/frappe/public/js/frappe/ui/notifications/notifications.js
index a4299d25efa2..e610e1ca1bf6 100644
--- a/frappe/public/js/frappe/ui/notifications/notifications.js
+++ b/frappe/public/js/frappe/ui/notifications/notifications.js
@@ -222,9 +222,6 @@ class NotificationsView extends BaseNotificationsView {
 		this.notifications_fetched = false;
 		this.unread_count = frappe.boot.notification_unread_count || 0;
 
-		if (this.settings && this.settings.seen == 0) {
-			this.toggle_notification_icon(false);
-		}
 		this.update_count_badge(this.unread_count);
 	}
 
@@ -377,31 +374,21 @@ class NotificationsView extends BaseNotificationsView {
 		return frappe.utils.get_form_link(link_doctype, link_docname);
 	}
 
-	// The bell icon(s) that carry the unseen indicator. Re-queried each call so they cover every
-	// bell (sidebar and/or workspace dock, the latter created after this view). Falls back to the
-	// mobile navbar icon when there's no sidebar bell.
-	get_bell_icons() {
-		let $icons = this.parent.find(".desktop-notification-icon");
-		return $icons.length ? $icons : $(".sidebar-notification .sidebar-item-icon");
-	}
-
-	toggle_notification_icon(seen) {
-		this.get_bell_icons().toggleClass("indicator blue", !seen);
-	}
-
 	update_count_badge(count) {
 		this.unread_count = count;
-		// update the count on every bell (sidebar and/or workspace dock)
-		const $suffix = $(".sidebar-notification .sidebar-notification-count");
-		if (!$suffix?.length) return;
+		// the unread count is the only unread affordance any bell gets -- update it wherever a bell
+		// lives (sidebar, workspace dock, desktop navbar). Re-queried each call so it also covers
+		// bells created after this view (the dock).
+		const $count = $(".notification-count");
+		if (!$count.length) return;
 
 		if (count > 0) {
-			$suffix
+			$count
 				.text(count > 99 ? "99+" : count)
 				.attr("aria-label", __("{0} unread notifications", [count]))
 				.removeClass("hidden");
 		} else {
-			$suffix.removeAttr("aria-label").addClass("hidden");
+			$count.removeAttr("aria-label").addClass("hidden");
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -418,14 +405,12 @@ class NotificationsView extends BaseNotificationsView {
 	setup_notification_listeners() {
 		frappe.realtime.on("notification", () => {
 			this.settings.seen = 0;
-			this.toggle_notification_icon(false);
 			this.update_count_badge(this.unread_count + 1);
 			this.update_dropdown();
 		});
 
 		frappe.realtime.on("indicator_hide", () => {
 			this.settings.seen = 1;
-			this.toggle_notification_icon(true);
 		});
 
 		this.parent.on("show.bs.dropdown", () => {
@@ -448,8 +433,9 @@ class NotificationsView extends BaseNotificationsView {
 			}
 
 			this.toggle_seen(true);
-			if (this.get_bell_icons().hasClass("indicator")) {
-				this.toggle_notification_icon(true);
+			// opening the panel counts as seeing what's in it -- let the other sessions know
+			if (this.settings?.seen == 0) {
+				this.settings.seen = 1;
 				frappe.call(
 					"frappe.desk.doctype.notification_log.notification_log.trigger_indicator_hide"
 				);
diff --git a/frappe/public/js/frappe/ui/sidebar/sidebar.js b/frappe/public/js/frappe/ui/sidebar/sidebar.js
index 9f2a16eae30b..bc06848a38d9 100644
--- a/frappe/public/js/frappe/ui/sidebar/sidebar.js
+++ b/frappe/public/js/frappe/ui/sidebar/sidebar.js
@@ -727,7 +727,7 @@ frappe.ui.Sidebar = class Sidebar {
 			standard: true,
 			type: "Button",
 			class: "sidebar-notification hidden",
-			suffix: "<span class='sidebar-notification-count hidden' aria-live='polite'></span>",
+			suffix: "<span class='notification-count hidden' aria-live='polite'></span>",
 			onClick: () => {
 				const $dropdown = this.wrapper.find(".dropdown-notifications");
 				$dropdown.toggleClass("hidden");
diff --git a/frappe/public/js/frappe/ui/sidebar/sidebar_item.js b/frappe/public/js/frappe/ui/sidebar/sidebar_item.js
index 2eaa94e75055..72b872cd318f 100644
--- a/frappe/public/js/frappe/ui/sidebar/sidebar_item.js
+++ b/frappe/public/js/frappe/ui/sidebar/sidebar_item.js
@@ -116,6 +116,16 @@ frappe.ui.sidebar_item.TypeLink = class SidebarItem {
 			})
 		);
 		$(this.container).append(this.wrapper);
+		this.setup_click();
+	}
+
+	setup_click() {
+		if (!this.path) return;
+		this.wrapper.find(".item-anchor").on("click", () => {
+			if (frappe.is_mobile()) {
+				frappe.app.sidebar.close();
+			}
+		});
 	}
 	set_suffix() {
 		if (this.item.suffix) {
@@ -292,9 +302,9 @@ frappe.ui.sidebar_item.TypeSidebarItemGroup = class SpacerItem extends (
 	constructor(item, items) {
 		super(item);
 		this.title = frappe.app.sidebar.workspace_title;
-		this.setup_click();
 	}
 
+	// overrides TypeLink.setup_click(), invoked once via the base class's make()
 	setup_click() {
 		const me = this;
 		this.wrapper.on("click", function () {
@@ -344,9 +354,9 @@ frappe.ui.sidebar_item.TypeButton = class SidebarButton extends frappe.ui.sideba
 		this.item.id && this.wrapper.attr("id", this.item.id);
 		this.item.class && this.wrapper.attr("class", this.item.class);
 		this.wrapper.attr("title", this.item.label);
-		this.setup_click();
 	}
 
+	// overrides TypeLink.setup_click(), invoked once via the base class's make()
 	setup_click() {
 		const me = this;
 		if (this.item.onClick) {
diff --git a/frappe/public/js/frappe/ui/sidebar/workspace_dock.js b/frappe/public/js/frappe/ui/sidebar/workspace_dock.js
index 83c640127fc9..ae25d64e4629 100644
--- a/frappe/public/js/frappe/ui/sidebar/workspace_dock.js
+++ b/frappe/public/js/frappe/ui/sidebar/workspace_dock.js
@@ -86,11 +86,11 @@ frappe.ui.WorkspaceDock = class WorkspaceDock {
 				name: "notifications",
 				icon: "bell",
 				label: __("Notifications"),
-				// the Notifications view keeps the unread count and unseen dot in sync off these
-				// classes (see notifications.js), and toggles the same dropdown the sidebar bell does.
+				// the Notifications view keeps the unread count in sync off these classes (see
+				// notifications.js), and toggles the same dropdown the sidebar bell does.
 				css_class: "sidebar-notification",
 				condition: () => frappe.boot.desk_settings.notifications,
-				badge: `<span class="sidebar-notification-count hidden" aria-live="polite"></span>`,
+				badge: `<span class="notification-count hidden" aria-live="polite"></span>`,
 				on_click: () => this.toggle_notifications(),
 				setup: ($item) => {
 					// seed the badge from boot; the Notifications view keeps it live from here on
@@ -98,12 +98,6 @@ frappe.ui.WorkspaceDock = class WorkspaceDock {
 						$item,
 						frappe.boot.notification_unread_count || 0
 					);
-					if (
-						frappe.boot.notification_settings &&
-						frappe.boot.notification_settings.seen == 0
-					) {
-						$item.find(".sidebar-item-icon").addClass("indicator blue");
-					}
 				},
 			},
 		];
@@ -147,7 +141,7 @@ frappe.ui.WorkspaceDock = class WorkspaceDock {
 
 	// The dock shows unread as a small dot, not a number -- just toggle it on whether any exist.
 	sync_notification_count($bell, count) {
-		$bell.find(".sidebar-notification-count").toggleClass("hidden", count <= 0);
+		$bell.find(".notification-count").toggleClass("hidden", count <= 0);
 	}
 
 	// Toggle the shared notifications panel (lives in the sidebar), mirroring the sidebar bell.
diff --git a/frappe/public/scss/desk/notification.scss b/frappe/public/scss/desk/notification.scss
index 73b00ced9734..3c18a047ab83 100644
--- a/frappe/public/scss/desk/notification.scss
+++ b/frappe/public/scss/desk/notification.scss
@@ -35,38 +35,10 @@
 	display: none;
 }
 
-.sidebar-notification .sidebar-item-icon.indicator,
-.desktop-notification-icon.indicator {
-	position: relative;
-
-	&::before {
-		position: absolute;
-		left: auto;
-		height: 6px;
-		width: 6px;
-		margin: 0;
-		z-index: 1;
-	}
-}
-
-.desktop-notification-icon.indicator::before {
-	top: 0;
-	right: 0;
-}
-
-.sidebar-notification .sidebar-item-icon.indicator::before {
-	top: 5px;
-	right: 6px;
-	height: 5.5px;
-	width: 5.5px;
-	transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;
-}
-
-.sidebar-notification:hover .sidebar-item-icon.indicator::before {
-	opacity: 0;
-}
-
-.sidebar-notification-count {
+// The unread count is the only unread affordance a bell gets. Where the bell has a label (the
+// sidebar) it reads as a pill next to it; on icon-only bells (desktop navbar, workspace dock) there
+// is no room for a number, so the same element is drawn as a dot on the icon's corner.
+.notification-count {
 	padding: 1px 7px;
 	background-color: var(--bg-gray-100);
 	color: var(--text-muted);
@@ -76,8 +48,24 @@
 	border-radius: 10px;
 }
 
-.sidebar-notification .standard-sidebar-item .item-anchor {
-	overflow: visible;
+.desktop-notification-icon {
+	position: relative;
+
+	.notification-count {
+		position: absolute;
+		top: 0;
+		right: 0;
+		width: 8px;
+		height: 8px;
+		padding: 0;
+		border-radius: 50%;
+		border: 1px solid var(--bg-color);
+		background-color: var(--surface-blue-5);
+		// dot only — hide the count text the shared notifications view sets on it
+		font-size: 0;
+		color: transparent;
+		overflow: hidden;
+	}
 }
 
 .mark-read {
diff --git a/frappe/public/scss/desk/workspace_dock.scss b/frappe/public/scss/desk/workspace_dock.scss
index fb9e3e581311..235488001054 100644
--- a/frappe/public/scss/desk/workspace_dock.scss
+++ b/frappe/public/scss/desk/workspace_dock.scss
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@
 		}
 
 		// unread indicator — a small dot on the bell's top-right corner (mirrors <RailItemBadge> dot)
-		.sidebar-notification-count {
+		.notification-count {
 			position: absolute;
 			top: 5px;
 			right: 5px;
@@ -189,15 +189,6 @@
 				display: none;
 			}
 		}
-
-		// re-place the shared unseen dot on the bell's top-right corner for the 16px icon
-		.sidebar-item-icon.indicator::before {
-			top: -1px;
-			right: -1px;
-			height: 8px;
-			width: 8px;
-			border-radius: 50%;
-		}
 	}
 
 	// Search / notification shortcuts are not workspaces — mirror <RailItem variant="ghost">: