diff --git a/src/line_info.c b/src/line_info.c
index a6057c0..c83e4b3 100644
--- a/src/line_info.c
+++ b/src/line_info.c
@@ -156,15 +156,13 @@ void line_info_add(ToxWindow *self, char *timestr, char *name1, char *name2, uin
     /* for type-specific formatting in print function */
     switch (type) {
         case IN_ACTION:
+        case OUT_ACTION:
             len += 3;
             break;
 
-        case OUT_ACTION:
-            len += 5;
-            break;
-
+        case IN_MSG:
         case OUT_MSG:
-            len += 4;
+            len += 2;
             break;
 
         case CONNECTION:
@@ -214,6 +212,7 @@ void line_info_add(ToxWindow *self, char *timestr, char *name1, char *name2, uin
     new_line->type = type;
     new_line->bold = bold;
     new_line->colour = colour;
+    new_line->noread_flag = false;
     new_line->timestamp = get_unix_time();
 
     hst->queue[hst->queue_sz++] = new_line;
@@ -320,6 +319,11 @@ void line_info_print(ToxWindow *self)
                     wattron(win, COLOR_PAIR(RED));
                     wprintw(win, " x", line->msg);
                     wattroff(win, COLOR_PAIR(RED));
+
+                    if (line->noread_flag == false) {
+                        line->noread_flag = true;
+                        line->len += 2;
+                    }
                 }
 
                 wprintw(win, "\n", line->msg);
@@ -340,6 +344,11 @@ void line_info_print(ToxWindow *self)
                     wattron(win, COLOR_PAIR(RED));
                     wprintw(win, " x", line->msg);
                     wattroff(win, COLOR_PAIR(RED));
+
+                    if (line->noread_flag == false) {
+                        line->noread_flag = true;
+                        line->len += 2;
+                    }
                 }
 
                 wprintw(win, "\n", line->msg);
diff --git a/src/line_info.h b/src/line_info.h
index a7024fc..7f1b262 100644
--- a/src/line_info.h
+++ b/src/line_info.h
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ struct line_info {
     uint8_t type;
     uint8_t bold;
     uint8_t colour;
+    uint8_t noread_flag;   /* true if a line should be flagged as unread */
     uint32_t id;
     uint16_t len;   /* combined len of entire line */
     uint8_t newlines;
diff --git a/src/message_queue.c b/src/message_queue.c
index 3b34bed..45b8c8a 100644
--- a/src/message_queue.c
+++ b/src/message_queue.c
@@ -70,8 +70,10 @@ static void cqueue_mark_read(ToxWindow *self, uint32_t id, uint8_t type)
         if (line->id == id) {
             line->type = type == OUT_ACTION ? OUT_ACTION_READ : OUT_MSG_READ;
 
-            if (timed_out(line->timestamp, get_unix_time(), CQUEUE_TRY_SEND_INTERVAL))
-                line->len -= 2;    /* removes " x" */
+            if (line->noread_flag == true) {
+                line->len -= 2;
+                line->noread_flag = false;
+            }
 
             return;
         }