diff --git a/js/background.js b/js/background.js
index f619271e31..2e76b29eb1 100644
--- a/js/background.js
+++ b/js/background.js
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@
             received_at    : now,
             conversationId : source,
             type           : 'incoming',
-            unread         : true
+            unread         : 1
         });
 
         return message;
diff --git a/js/models/conversations.js b/js/models/conversations.js
index e3098aa81a..75e590464b 100644
--- a/js/models/conversations.js
+++ b/js/models/conversations.js
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@
             return unreadMessages.fetch({
                 index: {
                     // 'unread' index
-                    name: 'unread',
-                    lower: [conversationId, true],
-                    upper: [conversationId, true]
+                    name  : 'unread',
+                    lower : [conversationId],
+                    upper : [conversationId, Number.MAX_VALUE],
                 }
             }).always(function() {
                 resolve(unreadMessages);