diff --git a/src/engine/imap-db/imap-db-account.vala b/src/engine/imap-db/imap-db-account.vala
index 47e032ed..25f58b63 100644
--- a/src/engine/imap-db/imap-db-account.vala
+++ b/src/engine/imap-db/imap-db-account.vala
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ private class Geary.ImapDB.Account : BaseObject {
         if (db_folder != null) {
             Imap.FolderProperties local_properties = db_folder.get_properties();
             
-            local_properties.unseen = properties.unseen;
+            local_properties.set_status_unseen(properties.unseen);
             local_properties.recent = properties.recent;
             local_properties.attrs = properties.attrs;
             
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ private class Geary.ImapDB.Account : BaseObject {
         if (db_folder != null) {
             Imap.FolderProperties local_properties = db_folder.get_properties();
             
-            local_properties.unseen = properties.unseen;
+            local_properties.set_status_unseen(properties.unseen);
             local_properties.recent = properties.recent;
             local_properties.uid_validity = properties.uid_validity;
             local_properties.uid_next = properties.uid_next;
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ private class Geary.ImapDB.Account : BaseObject {
                     : new Geary.FolderRoot(basename, "/", Geary.Imap.Folder.CASE_SENSITIVE);
                 
                 Geary.Imap.FolderProperties properties = new Geary.Imap.FolderProperties(
-                    result.int_for("last_seen_total"), 0, 0,
+                    result.int_for("last_seen_total"), 0,
                     new Imap.UIDValidity(result.int64_for("uid_validity")),
                     new Imap.UID(result.int64_for("uid_next")),
                     Geary.Imap.MailboxAttributes.deserialize(result.string_for("attributes")));
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ private class Geary.ImapDB.Account : BaseObject {
             
             Db.Result results = stmt.exec(cancellable);
             if (!results.finished) {
-                properties = new Imap.FolderProperties(results.int_for("last_seen_total"), 0, 0,
+                properties = new Imap.FolderProperties(results.int_for("last_seen_total"), 0,
                     new Imap.UIDValidity(results.int64_for("uid_validity")),
                     new Imap.UID(results.int64_for("uid_next")),
                     Geary.Imap.MailboxAttributes.deserialize(results.string_for("attributes")));
diff --git a/src/engine/imap/api/imap-folder-properties.vala b/src/engine/imap/api/imap-folder-properties.vala
index cfcbb410..01a62be9 100644
--- a/src/engine/imap/api/imap-folder-properties.vala
+++ b/src/engine/imap/api/imap-folder-properties.vala
@@ -45,26 +45,33 @@ public class Geary.Imap.FolderProperties : Geary.FolderProperties {
      */
     public int select_examine_messages { get; private set; }
     /**
-     * -1 if the FolderProperties were not obtained via a STATUS command
+     * -1 if the FolderProperties were not obtained or updated via a STATUS command
      */
     public int status_messages { get; private set; }
-    public int unseen { get; internal set; }
+    /**
+     * -1 if the FolderProperties were not obtained or updated via a STATUS command
+     */
+    public int unseen { get; private set; }
     public int recent { get; internal set; }
     public UIDValidity? uid_validity { get; internal set; }
     public UID? uid_next { get; internal set; }
     public MailboxAttributes attrs { get; internal set; }
     
-    // Note that unseen from SELECT/EXAMINE is the *position* of the first unseen message,
-    // not the total unseen count, so it should not be passed in here, but rather the unseen
-    // count from a STATUS command
-    public FolderProperties(int messages, int recent, int unseen, UIDValidity? uid_validity,
+    /**
+     * Note that unseen from SELECT/EXAMINE is the *position* of the first unseen message,
+     * not the total unseen count, so it's not be passed in here, but rather only from the unseen
+     * count from a STATUS command
+     */
+    public FolderProperties(int messages, int recent, UIDValidity? uid_validity,
         UID? uid_next, MailboxAttributes attrs) {
-        base (messages, unseen, Trillian.UNKNOWN, Trillian.UNKNOWN, Trillian.UNKNOWN);
+        // give the base class a zero email_unread, as the notion of "unknown" doesn't exist in
+        // its contract
+        base (messages, 0, Trillian.UNKNOWN, Trillian.UNKNOWN, Trillian.UNKNOWN);
         
         select_examine_messages = messages;
         status_messages = -1;
         this.recent = recent;
-        this.unseen = unseen;
+        this.unseen = -1;
         this.uid_validity = uid_validity;
         this.uid_next = uid_next;
         this.attrs = attrs;
@@ -159,5 +166,16 @@ public class Geary.Imap.FolderProperties : Geary.FolderProperties {
         // select/examine more authoritative than status
         email_total = messages;
     }
+    
+    public void set_status_unseen(int count) {
+        // drop unknown counts, especially if known is held here
+        if (count < 0)
+            return;
+        
+        unseen = count;
+        
+        // update base class value (which clients see)
+        email_unread = count;
+    }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/engine/imap/api/imap-folder.vala b/src/engine/imap/api/imap-folder.vala
index ad0c0ef2..ca44b7ae 100644
--- a/src/engine/imap/api/imap-folder.vala
+++ b/src/engine/imap/api/imap-folder.vala
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ private class Geary.Imap.Folder : BaseObject {
         this.info = info;
         path = info.mailbox.to_folder_path(info.delim);
         
-        properties = new Imap.FolderProperties(0, 0, 0, null, null, info.attrs);
+        properties = new Imap.FolderProperties(0, 0, null, null, info.attrs);
     }
     
     public async void open_async(Cancellable? cancellable) throws Error {
@@ -206,7 +206,9 @@ private class Geary.Imap.Folder : BaseObject {
                 break;
                 
                 case ResponseCodeType.UNSEEN:
-                    properties.unseen = response_code.get_unseen();
+                    // do NOT update properties.unseen, as the UNSEEN response code (here) means
+                    // the sequence number of the first unseen message, not the total count of
+                    // unseen messages
                 break;
                 
                 case ResponseCodeType.PERMANENT_FLAGS: