diff --git a/protocol/common/message.go b/protocol/common/message.go
index 429bfcb3ad4..69e1ef35cbf 100644
--- a/protocol/common/message.go
+++ b/protocol/common/message.go
@@ -632,17 +632,6 @@ func (m *Message) PrepareContent(identity string) error {
 	return m.parseAudio()
 }
 
-func (m *Message) IsSystemMessage() bool {
-	return m.ContentType == protobuf.ChatMessage_SYSTEM_MESSAGE_CONTENT_PRIVATE_GROUP ||
-		m.ContentType == protobuf.ChatMessage_SYSTEM_MESSAGE_GAP ||
-		m.ContentType == protobuf.ChatMessage_CONTACT_REQUEST ||
-		m.ContentType == protobuf.ChatMessage_IDENTITY_VERIFICATION ||
-		m.ContentType == protobuf.ChatMessage_SYSTEM_MESSAGE_PINNED_MESSAGE ||
-		m.ContentType == protobuf.ChatMessage_SYSTEM_MESSAGE_MUTUAL_EVENT_SENT ||
-		m.ContentType == protobuf.ChatMessage_SYSTEM_MESSAGE_MUTUAL_EVENT_ACCEPTED ||
-		m.ContentType == protobuf.ChatMessage_SYSTEM_MESSAGE_MUTUAL_EVENT_REMOVED
-}
-
 // GetSimplifiedText returns a the text stripped of all the markdown and with mentions
 // replaced by canonical names
 func (m *Message) GetSimplifiedText(identity string, canonicalNames map[string]string) (string, error) {
diff --git a/protocol/messenger_handler.go b/protocol/messenger_handler.go
index 4127ededded..9b1267ba613 100644
--- a/protocol/messenger_handler.go
+++ b/protocol/messenger_handler.go
@@ -40,13 +40,6 @@ const (
 	requestAddressForTransactionDeclinedMessage = "Request address for transaction declined"
 )
 
-const (
-	// IncreaseUnviewedMessagesCountTimeout
-	// this timeout indicates how long the time between received messages should be
-	// for a new message to increase the unviewed messages counter
-	IncreaseUnviewedMessagesCountTimeout = 1000 * 60 * 2
-)
-
 var (
 	ErrMessageNotAllowed                     = errors.New("message from a non-contact")
 	ErrMessageForWrongChatType               = errors.New("message for the wrong chat type")
@@ -420,7 +413,7 @@ func (m *Messenger) handleCommandMessage(state *ReceivedMessageState, message *c
 
 	// Increase unviewed count
 	if !common.IsPubKeyEqual(message.SigPubKey, &m.identity.PublicKey) {
-		m.updateUnviewedCounts(chat, message)
+		m.updateUnviewedCounts(chat, message.Mentioned || message.Replied)
 		message.OutgoingStatus = ""
 	} else {
 		// Our own message, mark as sent
@@ -2127,7 +2120,7 @@ func (m *Messenger) handleChatMessage(state *ReceivedMessageState, forceSeen boo
 			}
 		}
 		if !skipUpdateUnviewedCountForAlbums {
-			m.updateUnviewedCounts(chat, receivedMessage)
+			m.updateUnviewedCounts(chat, receivedMessage.Mentioned || receivedMessage.Replied)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -3082,17 +3075,9 @@ func (m *Messenger) isMessageAllowedFrom(publicKey string, chat *Chat) (bool, er
 	return contact.added(), nil
 }
 
-func (m *Messenger) updateUnviewedCounts(chat *Chat, message *common.Message) {
-	if chat == nil {
-		return
-	}
-	if chat.LastMessage == nil ||
-		chat.LastMessage.IsSystemMessage() ||
-		!chat.LastMessage.New ||
-		message.Timestamp > chat.LastMessage.Timestamp+IncreaseUnviewedMessagesCountTimeout {
-		chat.UnviewedMessagesCount++
-	}
-	if message.Mentioned || message.Replied {
+func (m *Messenger) updateUnviewedCounts(chat *Chat, mentionedOrReplied bool) {
+	chat.UnviewedMessagesCount++
+	if mentionedOrReplied {
 		chat.UnviewedMentionsCount++
 	}
 }