diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/chat.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/chat.scss
index b4fc9c4d7..e1a64d109 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/chat.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/chat.scss
@@ -121,6 +121,21 @@
   box-shadow: 3px 3px 0px $dark-purple;
 }
 
+.chatchanneltabindicator{
+  display: inline-block;
+  background: white;
+  border: 2px solid $light-medium-gray;
+  padding: 5px;
+  border-radius: 100px;
+  vertical-align: -2px;
+  margin-right: 3px;
+}
+
+.chatchanneltabindicator--new{
+  background: $yellow;
+  border: 2px solid $black;
+}
+
 @keyframes example {
   // animation-name: example;
   // animation-duration: 4s;
@@ -157,11 +172,11 @@
 }
 
 .chatmessagebody__profileimage {
-  height: 18px;
-  width: 18px;
-  margin-right: 3px;
+  height: 23px;
+  width: 23px;
+  margin-right: 6px;
   border-radius: 20px;
-  vertical-align: bottom;
+  vertical-align: -5px;
 }
 
 .chatmessagebody__username {
diff --git a/app/controllers/chat_channels_controller.rb b/app/controllers/chat_channels_controller.rb
index 5ad220d9e..e06f8cc65 100644
--- a/app/controllers/chat_channels_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/chat_channels_controller.rb
@@ -12,6 +12,13 @@ class ChatChannelsController < ApplicationController
     end
   end
 
+  def open
+    @chat_channel = ChatChannel.find(params[:id])
+    raise unless @chat_channel.has_member?(current_user)
+    @chat_channel.chat_channel_memberships.where(user_id: current_user.id).first.touch(:last_opened_at)
+    render json: { status: "success", channel: params[:id] }, status: 200
+  end
+
   def moderate
     @chat_channel = ChatChannel.find(params[:id])
     authorize @chat_channel
diff --git a/app/controllers/pages_controller.rb b/app/controllers/pages_controller.rb
index 2ca805262..71dc1329e 100644
--- a/app/controllers/pages_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/pages_controller.rb
@@ -43,7 +43,12 @@ class PagesController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def chat
-    @chat_channels = current_user.chat_channels.order("last_message_at DESC")
+    @chat_channels = current_user.chat_channels.
+      order("last_message_at DESC").
+      includes(:chat_channel_memberships)
+    @chat_channels.each do |channel|
+      channel.current_user = current_user
+    end
     slug =  if params[:slug] && params[:slug].start_with?("@")
                       [current_user.username, params[:slug].gsub("@", "")].sort.join("/")
                     else
diff --git a/app/javascript/chat/actions.js b/app/javascript/chat/actions.js
index a401540cf..317650759 100644
--- a/app/javascript/chat/actions.js
+++ b/app/javascript/chat/actions.js
@@ -30,6 +30,22 @@ export function sendMessage(activeChannelId, message, successCb, failureCb) {
     .catch(failureCb);
 }
 
+export function sendOpen(activeChannelId, successCb, failureCb) {
+  fetch(`/chat_channels/${activeChannelId}/open`, {
+    method: 'POST',
+    headers: {
+      Accept: 'application/json',
+      'X-CSRF-Token': window.csrfToken,
+      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
+    },
+    body: JSON.stringify({}),
+    credentials: 'same-origin',
+  })
+    .then(response => response.json())
+    .then(successCb)
+    .catch(failureCb);
+}
+
 export function conductModeration(
   activeChannelId,
   message,
diff --git a/app/javascript/chat/channels.jsx b/app/javascript/chat/channels.jsx
index 42aa2d5b7..8babc03fb 100644
--- a/app/javascript/chat/channels.jsx
+++ b/app/javascript/chat/channels.jsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const Channels = ({ activeChannelId, chatChannels, handleSwitchChannel }) => {
         ? 'chatchanneltab--active'
         : 'chatchanneltab--inactive';
     const name = channel.channel_type === "direct" ? '@'+channel.slug.replace(`${window.currentUser.username}/`, '').replace(`/${window.currentUser.username}`, '') : channel.channel_name
+    const newMessagesIndicatorClass = new Date(channel.last_opened_at) < new Date(channel.last_message_at) ? "chatchanneltabindicator--new" : "chatchanneltabindicator--old"
     return (
       <button
         className='chatchanneltabbutton'
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ const Channels = ({ activeChannelId, chatChannels, handleSwitchChannel }) => {
           data-channel-id={channel.id}
           data-channel-name={name}
         >
-          {name}
+          <span className={"chatchanneltabindicator " + newMessagesIndicatorClass}></span> {name} 
         </span>
       </button>
     );
diff --git a/app/javascript/chat/chat.jsx b/app/javascript/chat/chat.jsx
index e9c4ca772..fe0d48eb3 100644
--- a/app/javascript/chat/chat.jsx
+++ b/app/javascript/chat/chat.jsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { h, Component } from 'preact';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
-import { conductModeration, getAllMessages, sendMessage } from './actions';
+import { conductModeration, getAllMessages, sendMessage, sendOpen } from './actions';
 import { hideMessages, scrollToBottom, setupObserver } from './util';
 import Alert from './alert';
 import Channels from './channels';
@@ -54,6 +54,11 @@ export default class Chat extends Component {
       channelCleared: this.clearChannel,
       redactUserMessages: this.redactUserMessages,
     });
+    sendOpen(
+      this.state.activeChannelId,
+      this.handleChannelOpenSuccess,
+      null,
+    );
   };
 
   observerCallback = entries => {
@@ -83,8 +88,22 @@ export default class Chat extends Component {
       this.state.activeChannelId === receivedChatChannelId
         ? { showAlert: this.state.scrolled }
         : {};
+    const newChannelsObj = this.state.chatChannels.map(channel => {
+      if (receivedChatChannelId === channel["id"]){
+        channel["last_message_at"] = new Date();
+      }
+      return channel;
+    });
+    if (receivedChatChannelId === this.state.activeChannelId) {
+      sendOpen(
+        receivedChatChannelId,
+        this.handleChannelOpenSuccess,
+        null,
+      );
+    }
     this.setState({
       ...newShowAlert,
+      chatChannels: newChannelsObj,
       messages: {
         ...this.state.messages,
         [receivedChatChannelId]: newMessages,
@@ -148,6 +167,11 @@ export default class Chat extends Component {
       showAlert: false,
     });
     window.history.replaceState(null, null, "/chat/"+e.target.dataset.channelName);
+    sendOpen(
+      e.target.dataset.channelId,
+      this.handleChannelOpenSuccess,
+      null,
+    );
   };
 
   handleSubmitOnClick = e => {
@@ -165,6 +189,16 @@ export default class Chat extends Component {
     }
   };
 
+  handleChannelOpenSuccess = response => {
+    const newChannelsObj = this.state.chatChannels.map(channel => {
+      if (parseInt(response.channel) === channel["id"]){
+        channel["last_opened_at"] = new Date();
+      }
+      return channel;
+    });
+    this.setState({ chatChannels: newChannelsObj });
+  };
+
   handleFailure = err => {
     console.error(err);
   };
@@ -217,6 +251,8 @@ export default class Chat extends Component {
     </div>
   );
 
+  
+
   render() {
     return (
       <div className="chat">
diff --git a/app/models/chat_channel.rb b/app/models/chat_channel.rb
index 6f6b1a9a1..bef214970 100644
--- a/app/models/chat_channel.rb
+++ b/app/models/chat_channel.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 class ChatChannel < ApplicationRecord
+  attr_accessor :current_user
+
   has_many :messages
   has_many :chat_channel_memberships
   has_many :users, through: :chat_channel_memberships
@@ -18,6 +20,11 @@ class ChatChannel < ApplicationRecord
     users.include?(user)
   end
 
+  def last_opened_at(user = nil)
+    user ||= current_user
+    chat_channel_memberships.where(user_id: user.id).pluck(:last_opened_at).first
+  end
+
   def self.create_with_users(users, channel_type = "direct", contrived_name = "New Channel")
     raise "Invalid direct channel" if users.size != 2 && channel_type == "direct"
     if channel_type == "direct"
diff --git a/app/views/pages/chat.html.erb b/app/views/pages/chat.html.erb
index 4274d807c..37b99ebd4 100644
--- a/app/views/pages/chat.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/pages/chat.html.erb
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
       id="chat"
       class="live-chat"
       data-pusher-key="<%= ENV["PUSHER_KEY"] %>"
-      data-chat-channels="<%= @chat_channels.to_json %>"
+      data-chat-channels="<%= @chat_channels.to_json(methods: :last_opened_at) %>"
       data-chat-options="<%= {showChannelsList:true, showTimestamp: true, activeChannelId: @active_channel.id }.to_json %>">
     </div>
 <% else %>
diff --git a/config/routes.rb b/config/routes.rb
index 15054a754..fb3ae813a 100644
--- a/config/routes.rb
+++ b/config/routes.rb
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ Rails.application.routes.draw do
   patch "/onboarding_update" => "users#onboarding_update"
   get "email_subscriptions/unsubscribe"
   post "chat_channels/:id/moderate" => "chat_channels#moderate"
+  post "chat_channels/:id/open" => "chat_channels#open"
   # resources :users
 
   get "/social_previews/article/:id" => "social_previews#article"