diff --git a/src/singletons/thememanager.cpp b/src/singletons/thememanager.cpp
index d133ee885..97de43f21 100644
--- a/src/singletons/thememanager.cpp
+++ b/src/singletons/thememanager.cpp
@@ -86,19 +86,26 @@ void ThemeManager::actuallyUpdate(double hue, double multiplier)
             this->messages.textColors.regular = isLight ? "#000" : "#fff";
 
         /// TABS
-        // text, {regular, hover, unfocused}
-
         if (lightWin) {
             this->tabs.regular = {fg, {bg, QColor("#ccc"), bg}};
-            this->tabs.newMessage = {fg, {bg, QColor("#ccc"), bg}};
-            this->tabs.highlighted = {fg, {bg, QColor("#ccc"), bg}};
-            this->tabs.selected = {QColor("#fff"), {QColor("#333"), QColor("#333"), QColor("#666")}};
+            this->tabs.newMessage = {
+                fg,
+                {QBrush(blendColors(themeColor, "#ccc", 0.9), Qt::FDiagPattern),
+                 QBrush(blendColors(themeColor, "#ccc", 0.9), Qt::FDiagPattern),
+                 QBrush(blendColors(themeColorNoSat, "#ccc", 0.9), Qt::FDiagPattern)}};
+            this->tabs.highlighted = {fg, {QColor("#ccc"), QColor("#ccc"), QColor("#bbb")}};
+            this->tabs.selected = {QColor("#fff"),
+                                   {QColor("#777"), QColor("#777"), QColor("#888")}};
         } else {
             this->tabs.regular = {fg, {bg, QColor("#555"), bg}};
-            this->tabs.newMessage = {fg, {bg, QColor("#555"), bg}};
-            this->tabs.highlighted = {fg, {bg, QColor("#555"), bg}};
-            //            this->tabs.selected = {"#000", {themeColor, themeColor, themeColorNoSat}};
-            this->tabs.selected = {QColor("#000"), {QColor("#999"), QColor("#999"), QColor("#888")}};
+            this->tabs.newMessage = {
+                fg,
+                {QBrush(blendColors(themeColor, "#666", 0.7), Qt::FDiagPattern),
+                 QBrush(blendColors(themeColor, "#666", 0.5), Qt::FDiagPattern),
+                 QBrush(blendColors(themeColorNoSat, "#666", 0.7), Qt::FDiagPattern)}};
+            this->tabs.highlighted = {fg, {QColor("#777"), QColor("#777"), QColor("#666")}};
+            this->tabs.selected = {QColor("#000"),
+                                   {QColor("#999"), QColor("#999"), QColor("#888")}};
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/widgets/helper/channelview.cpp b/src/widgets/helper/channelview.cpp
index 3deceb9fe..07999172d 100644
--- a/src/widgets/helper/channelview.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/helper/channelview.cpp
@@ -359,8 +359,12 @@ void ChannelView::setChannel(ChannelPtr newChannel)
                 }
             }
 
-            if (message->flags & ~Message::DoNotTriggerNotification) {
-                this->highlightedMessageReceived.invoke();
+            if (!(message->flags & Message::DoNotTriggerNotification)) {
+                if (message->flags & Message::Highlighted) {
+                    this->tabHighlightRequested.invoke(HighlightState::Highlighted);
+                } else {
+                    this->tabHighlightRequested.invoke(HighlightState::NewMessage);
+                }
             }
 
             this->scrollBar.addHighlight(message->getScrollBarHighlight());
diff --git a/src/widgets/helper/channelview.hpp b/src/widgets/helper/channelview.hpp
index 0db184ac9..b231c406c 100644
--- a/src/widgets/helper/channelview.hpp
+++ b/src/widgets/helper/channelview.hpp
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public:
 
     pajlada::Signals::Signal<QMouseEvent *> mouseDown;
     pajlada::Signals::NoArgSignal selectionChanged;
-    pajlada::Signals::NoArgSignal highlightedMessageReceived;
+    pajlada::Signals::Signal<HighlightState> tabHighlightRequested;
     pajlada::Signals::Signal<const messages::Link &> linkClicked;
 
 protected:
diff --git a/src/widgets/notebook.hpp b/src/widgets/notebook.hpp
index af1c207c6..f200cbcbb 100644
--- a/src/widgets/notebook.hpp
+++ b/src/widgets/notebook.hpp
@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@ class Notebook : public BaseWidget
     Q_OBJECT
 
 public:
-    enum HighlightType { none, highlighted, newMessage };
-
     explicit Notebook(Window *parent, bool _showButtons);
 
     SplitContainer *addNewPage(bool select = false);
diff --git a/src/widgets/splitcontainer.cpp b/src/widgets/splitcontainer.cpp
index de37c6050..8cefb5b57 100644
--- a/src/widgets/splitcontainer.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/splitcontainer.cpp
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ int SplitContainer::splitCount() const
 
 std::pair<int, int> SplitContainer::removeFromLayout(Split *widget)
 {
+    widget->getChannelView().tabHighlightRequested.disconnectAll();
+
     // remove reference to chat widget from chatWidgets vector
     auto it = std::find(std::begin(this->splits), std::end(this->splits), widget);
     if (it != std::end(this->splits)) {
@@ -150,6 +152,8 @@ std::pair<int, int> SplitContainer::removeFromLayout(Split *widget)
 void SplitContainer::addToLayout(Split *widget, std::pair<int, int> position)
 {
     this->splits.push_back(widget);
+    widget->getChannelView().tabHighlightRequested.connect(
+        [this](HighlightState state) { this->tab->setHighlightState(state); });
 
     this->refreshTitle();
 
@@ -506,11 +510,6 @@ Split *SplitContainer::createChatWidget()
 {
     auto split = new Split(this);
 
-    split->getChannelView().highlightedMessageReceived.connect([this] {
-        // fourtf: error potentionally here
-        this->tab->setHighlightState(HighlightState::Highlighted);  //
-    });
-
     return split;
 }