diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/direct_timeline/components/conversation.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/direct_timeline/components/conversation.js
index 2cbaa0791..235cb7ad8 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/direct_timeline/components/conversation.js
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/direct_timeline/components/conversation.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import IconButton from 'mastodon/components/icon_button';
 import RelativeTimestamp from 'mastodon/components/relative_timestamp';
 import { HotKeys } from 'react-hotkeys';
 import { autoPlayGif } from 'mastodon/initial_state';
+import classNames from 'classnames';
 
 const messages = defineMessages({
   more: { id: 'status.more', defaultMessage: 'More' },
@@ -158,7 +159,7 @@ class Conversation extends ImmutablePureComponent {
 
     return (
       <HotKeys handlers={handlers}>
-        <div className='conversation focusable muted' tabIndex='0'>
+        <div className={classNames('conversation focusable muted', { 'conversation--unread': unread })} tabIndex='0'>
           <div className='conversation__avatar'>
             <AvatarComposite accounts={accounts} size={48} />
           </div>
@@ -166,7 +167,7 @@ class Conversation extends ImmutablePureComponent {
           <div className='conversation__content'>
             <div className='conversation__content__info'>
               <div className='conversation__content__relative-time'>
-                <RelativeTimestamp timestamp={lastStatus.get('created_at')} />
+                {unread && <span className='conversation__unread' />} <RelativeTimestamp timestamp={lastStatus.get('created_at')} />
               </div>
 
               <div className='conversation__content__names' ref={this.setNamesRef}>
diff --git a/app/javascript/styles/mastodon/components.scss b/app/javascript/styles/mastodon/components.scss
index 98ffe1c20..13f9dfae7 100644
--- a/app/javascript/styles/mastodon/components.scss
+++ b/app/javascript/styles/mastodon/components.scss
@@ -6517,6 +6517,16 @@ noscript {
     flex: 0 0 auto;
     padding: 10px;
     padding-top: 12px;
+    position: relative;
+  }
+
+  &__unread {
+    display: inline-block;
+    background: $highlight-text-color;
+    border-radius: 50%;
+    width: 0.625rem;
+    height: 0.625rem;
+    margin: -.1ex .15em .1ex;
   }
 
   &__content {
@@ -6564,4 +6574,20 @@ noscript {
       word-break: break-word;
     }
   }
+
+  &--unread {
+    background: lighten($ui-base-color, 2%);
+
+    &:focus {
+      background: lighten($ui-base-color, 4%);
+    }
+
+    .conversation__content__info {
+      font-weight: 700;
+    }
+
+    .conversation__content__relative-time {
+      color: $primary-text-color;
+    }
+  }
 }