diff --git a/desktop/src/features/channels/unreadMembership.ts b/desktop/src/features/channels/unreadMembership.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1983a49d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/desktop/src/features/channels/unreadMembership.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import * as React from "react";
+import type { ObservedUnreadMembershipSeed } from "@/shared/api/tauriObservedUnread";
+import { makeRootIdStore } from "@/features/channels/unreadRootIdStore";
+
+export const participationStore = makeRootIdStore(
+  "buzz-thread-participation.v1",
+);
+export const authoredStore = makeRootIdStore("buzz-thread-authored.v1");
+export const mentionedStore = makeRootIdStore("buzz-thread-mentioned.v1");
+export const mutedStore = makeRootIdStore("buzz-thread-muted.v1");
+
+const EMPTY_IDS: ReadonlySet<string> = new Set();
+
+/** Build the native membership seed once per identity/relay scope. */
+export function useObservedUnreadMembershipSeed(
+  scope: string,
+  pubkey: string | undefined,
+  followedRootIds: ReadonlySet<string> | undefined,
+  mutedChannelIds: ReadonlySet<string>,
+): ObservedUnreadMembershipSeed {
+  const cached = React.useRef<{
+    scope: string;
+    value: ObservedUnreadMembershipSeed;
+  } | null>(null);
+  if (cached.current?.scope !== scope) {
+    const read = (store: typeof participationStore) =>
+      pubkey ? store.read(pubkey) : EMPTY_IDS;
+    cached.current = {
+      scope,
+      value: {
+        participatedRootIds: [...read(participationStore)],
+        authoredRootIds: [...read(authoredStore)],
+        mentionedRootIds: [...read(mentionedStore)],
+        followedRootIds: [...(followedRootIds ?? EMPTY_IDS)],
+        mutedRootIds: [...read(mutedStore)],
+        mutedChannelIds: [...mutedChannelIds],
+      },
+    };
+  }
+  return cached.current.value;
+}
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/channels/useObservedUnreadPersistence.ts b/desktop/src/features/channels/useObservedUnreadPersistence.ts
index 6bde48c3f..6fb309fc6 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/channels/useObservedUnreadPersistence.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/channels/useObservedUnreadPersistence.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import * as React from "react";
+export type { ObservedUnreadMembershipSeed } from "@/shared/api/tauriObservedUnread";
 import {
   clearObservedUnreadStorage,
   deriveLatestByChannel,
@@ -10,7 +11,10 @@ import {
   type ObservedUnreadRefs,
 } from "@/features/channels/observedUnreadStorage";
 import { activityScopeKey } from "@/features/channels/threadActivityStorage";
-import type { ObservedUnreadEvent } from "@/features/channels/unreadChannelCounts";
+import {
+  recordObservedUnreadEvent,
+  type ObservedUnreadEvent,
+} from "@/features/channels/unreadChannelCounts";
 import {
   ingestObservedUnread,
   openObservedUnreadScope,
@@ -32,6 +36,8 @@ export type ObservedUnreadPersistence = {
   ) => void;
   removeChannel: (channelId: string) => void;
   updateMembership: (kind: string, value: string, present: boolean) => void;
+  syncMarkers: (contextIds: Iterable<string>) => void;
+  latestForChannel: (channelId: string) => number | undefined;
   clearAll: () => void;
 };
 
@@ -165,6 +171,7 @@ export function useObservedUnreadPersistence(
     [reopen],
   );
 
+  // biome-ignore lint/correctness/useExhaustiveDependencies: mutable storage refs are stable containers
   const flushNative = React.useCallback(() => {
     const state = nativeRef.current;
     if (!state || queueRef.current.length === 0) return;
@@ -201,6 +208,21 @@ export function useObservedUnreadPersistence(
         }).then(apply);
       })
       .catch(() => {
+        // Native can fail after the caller stopped maintaining the legacy
+        // mirror. Seed fallback with the unacked events before scheduling its
+        // first write; acknowledged native history remains native-owned.
+        for (const { event } of queued) {
+          const { channelId, ...observed } = event;
+          recordObservedUnreadEvent(
+            observedUnreadEventsByChannelRef.current,
+            channelId,
+            observed,
+            1_000,
+          );
+        }
+        latestByChannelRef.current = deriveLatestByChannel(
+          observedUnreadEventsByChannelRef.current,
+        );
         queueRef.current = [...queued, ...queueRef.current];
         nativeFailedRef.current = true;
         nativeRef.current = null;
@@ -287,31 +309,19 @@ export function useObservedUnreadPersistence(
     };
   }, [normalizedPubkey, normalizedRelayUrl]);
 
-  // readStateVersion is the intentional invalidation signal; marker readers and
-  // mutable refs are sampled when that signal advances.
-  // biome-ignore lint/correctness/useExhaustiveDependencies: readStateVersion and readiness intentionally drive marker synchronization
-  React.useEffect(() => {
-    if (!isReadStateReady || scopeLoadedRef.current !== currentScope) return;
-    const state = nativeRef.current;
-    if (state) {
-      const contexts = new Set<string>();
-      for (const [
-        channelId,
-        events,
-      ] of observedUnreadEventsByChannelRef.current) {
-        contexts.add(channelId);
-        for (const event of events.values()) {
-          contexts.add(`msg:${event.id}`);
-          if (event.rootId) contexts.add(`thread:${event.rootId}`);
-        }
-      }
-      const markers = [...contexts].map((contextId) => ({
+  const syncMarkers = React.useCallback(
+    (contextIds: Iterable<string>) => {
+      const state = nativeRef.current;
+      if (!state) return;
+      const markers = [...new Set(contextIds)].map((contextId) => ({
         contextId,
         readAt:
           contextId.startsWith("thread:") || contextId.startsWith("msg:")
             ? getOwnTimestamp(contextId)
             : getEffectiveTimestamp(contextId),
       }));
+      if (markers.length === 0) return;
+      flushNative();
       chainRef.current = chainRef.current.then(() => {
         const current = nativeRef.current;
         if (
@@ -331,16 +341,28 @@ export function useObservedUnreadPersistence(
           clearAll: false,
         }).then(apply);
       });
-    } else if (
-      pruneObservedUnreadByMarkers(
-        observedUnreadEventsByChannelRef.current,
-        latestByChannelRef.current,
-        getEffectiveTimestamp,
-        getOwnTimestamp,
-      )
-    ) {
-      scheduleObservedUnreadWrite(currentScope, persistRefs.current);
-      optionsRef.current.onPruned?.();
+    },
+    [apply, flushNative, getEffectiveTimestamp, getOwnTimestamp],
+  );
+
+  // A read-state revision only needs to send the contexts that changed. Native
+  // observed rows remain authoritative; walking a renderer-side event mirror
+  // here would keep the duplicate read model that this store exists to retire.
+  // biome-ignore lint/correctness/useExhaustiveDependencies: readStateVersion is the intentional invalidation signal
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    if (!isReadStateReady || scopeLoadedRef.current !== currentScope) return;
+    if (!nativeRef.current) {
+      if (
+        pruneObservedUnreadByMarkers(
+          observedUnreadEventsByChannelRef.current,
+          latestByChannelRef.current,
+          getEffectiveTimestamp,
+          getOwnTimestamp,
+        )
+      ) {
+        scheduleObservedUnreadWrite(currentScope, persistRefs.current);
+        optionsRef.current.onPruned?.();
+      }
     }
   }, [readStateVersion, isReadStateReady]);
 
@@ -439,6 +461,14 @@ export function useObservedUnreadPersistence(
       clearObservedUnreadStorage(normalizedPubkey ?? "", normalizedRelayUrl);
     }
   }, [currentScope, mutateClear, normalizedPubkey, normalizedRelayUrl]);
+  // biome-ignore lint/correctness/useExhaustiveDependencies: mutable projection/storage refs are stable containers
+  const latestForChannel = React.useCallback(
+    (channelId: string) =>
+      nativeRef.current
+        ? projectionsRef.current.get(channelId)?.latest
+        : latestByChannelRef.current.get(channelId),
+    [],
+  );
   const isScopeLoaded = React.useCallback(
     () => scopeLoadedRef.current === currentScope,
     [currentScope],
@@ -457,6 +487,8 @@ export function useObservedUnreadPersistence(
       schedule,
       removeChannel,
       updateMembership,
+      syncMarkers,
+      latestForChannel,
       clearAll,
     }),
     [
@@ -466,6 +498,8 @@ export function useObservedUnreadPersistence(
       schedule,
       removeChannel,
       updateMembership,
+      syncMarkers,
+      latestForChannel,
       clearAll,
     ],
   );
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/channels/useUnreadChannels.ts b/desktop/src/features/channels/useUnreadChannels.ts
index 8a8743525..40778305b 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/channels/useUnreadChannels.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/channels/useUnreadChannels.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import {
   type ObservedUnreadEvent,
 } from "@/features/channels/unreadChannelCounts";
 import { useReadState } from "@/features/channels/readState/useReadState";
-import { makeRootIdStore } from "@/features/channels/unreadRootIdStore";
 import {
   forcedUnreadStore,
   type ForcedUnreadMap,
@@ -50,6 +49,13 @@ export {
   writeActivityToStorage,
 } from "@/features/channels/threadActivityStorage";
 import { useObservedUnreadPersistence } from "@/features/channels/useObservedUnreadPersistence";
+import {
+  authoredStore,
+  mentionedStore,
+  mutedStore,
+  participationStore,
+  useObservedUnreadMembershipSeed,
+} from "@/features/channels/unreadMembership";
 import { useThreadActivityPersistence } from "@/features/channels/useThreadActivityPersistence";
 import { unreadCatchUp } from "@/shared/api/tauriUnreadCatchUp";
 
@@ -76,14 +82,6 @@ export function channelCatchUpEventKinds(
     : CHANNEL_MESSAGE_EVENT_KINDS;
 }
 
-const participationStore = makeRootIdStore("buzz-thread-participation.v1");
-const authoredStore = makeRootIdStore("buzz-thread-authored.v1");
-// Thread roots where an external message @-mentioned the current user. The
-// badge gate ORs this in so a mention recipient who never participated,
-// authored, or followed still gets the thread-unread badge.
-const mentionedStore = makeRootIdStore("buzz-thread-mentioned.v1");
-const mutedStore = makeRootIdStore("buzz-thread-muted.v1");
-
 function parseTimestamp(value: string | null | undefined) {
   if (!value) {
     return null;
@@ -174,26 +172,6 @@ export function useUnreadChannels(
     pubkey ? forcedUnreadStore.read(pubkey) : {},
   );
 
-  // When a synced event advances a read marker (cross-device mark-as-read),
-  // remove from forcedUnreadRef so the dot clears immediately.
-  // biome-ignore lint/correctness/useExhaustiveDependencies: readStateVersion is the intentional drain trigger
-  React.useEffect(() => {
-    const advanced = drainSyncedAdvances();
-    let anyNew = false;
-    for (const channelId of advanced) {
-      if (Object.hasOwn(forcedUnreadRef.current, channelId)) {
-        delete forcedUnreadRef.current[channelId];
-        anyNew = true;
-      }
-    }
-    if (anyNew) {
-      if (pubkey) {
-        forcedUnreadStore.write(pubkey, forcedUnreadRef.current);
-      }
-      bumpLatestVersion();
-    }
-  }, [readStateVersion, drainSyncedAdvances]);
-
   // Root event IDs of threads where the current user has replied at least once.
   // Used to determine if thread replies should trigger unread notifications.
   const participatedRootIdsRef = React.useRef(new Set<string>());
@@ -264,6 +242,13 @@ export function useUnreadChannels(
     bumpMembershipVersion();
   }, [pubkey, relayClient, normalizedRelayUrl]);
 
+  const membershipSeed = useObservedUnreadMembershipSeed(
+    `${normalizedPubkey ?? ""}\u0000${normalizedRelayUrl}`,
+    pubkey,
+    options.followedRootIds,
+    mutedChannelIdsRef.current,
+  );
+
   // Persistence layer: hydration, pagehide flush, scope fence, write-through, marker-prune.
   const observedPersistence = useObservedUnreadPersistence(
     normalizedPubkey,
@@ -276,16 +261,32 @@ export function useUnreadChannels(
     latestByChannelRef,
     {
       onPruned: bumpLatestVersion,
-      membershipSeed: {
-        participatedRootIds: [...participatedRootIdsRef.current],
-        authoredRootIds: [...authoredRootIdsRef.current],
-        mentionedRootIds: [...mentionedRootIdsRef.current],
-        followedRootIds: [...(options.followedRootIds ?? EMPTY_ROOT_IDS)],
-        mutedRootIds: [...mutedRootIdsRef.current],
-        mutedChannelIds: [...mutedChannelIdsRef.current],
-      },
+      membershipSeed,
     },
   );
+
+  // Forward only changed NIP-RS contexts; native owns the event read model.
+  // biome-ignore lint/correctness/useExhaustiveDependencies: readStateVersion is the intentional drain trigger
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    const advanced = drainSyncedAdvances();
+    observedPersistence.syncMarkers(advanced);
+    let anyNew = false;
+    for (const channelId of advanced) {
+      if (
+        !channelId.startsWith("thread:") &&
+        !channelId.startsWith("msg:") &&
+        Object.hasOwn(forcedUnreadRef.current, channelId)
+      ) {
+        delete forcedUnreadRef.current[channelId];
+        anyNew = true;
+      }
+    }
+    if (anyNew) {
+      if (pubkey) forcedUnreadStore.write(pubkey, forcedUnreadRef.current);
+      bumpLatestVersion();
+    }
+  }, [readStateVersion, drainSyncedAdvances, observedPersistence, pubkey]);
+
   const followedMembershipRef = React.useRef(new Set<string>());
   React.useEffect(() => {
     const desired = options.followedRootIds ?? EMPTY_ROOT_IDS;
@@ -342,7 +343,7 @@ export function useUnreadChannels(
       }
       const observedLatest = topLevelOnly
         ? undefined
-        : latestByChannelRef.current.get(channelId);
+        : observedPersistence.latestForChannel(channelId);
       const { markAt, clearObserved } = resolveChannelReadMarker(
         readAt,
         observedLatest,
@@ -398,6 +399,14 @@ export function useUnreadChannels(
   const recordUnreadEvent = React.useCallback(
     (channelId: string, event: ObservedUnreadEvent): boolean => {
       if (!observedPersistence.isScopeLoaded()) return false;
+      if (observedPersistence.isNative()) {
+        observedPersistence.schedule(
+          observedPersistence.currentScope,
+          channelId,
+          event,
+        );
+        return true;
+      }
       const didRecord = recordObservedUnreadEvent(
         observedUnreadEventsByChannelRef.current,
         channelId,
@@ -438,8 +447,12 @@ export function useUnreadChannels(
       // Fence latestByChannelRef on the scope guard — a stale live callback
       // during A→B drift must not write A's timestamp into B's hydrated ref.
       const scopeOk = observedPersistence.isScopeLoaded();
-      const current = latestByChannelRef.current.get(channelId) ?? 0;
-      if (scopeOk && event.created_at > current) {
+      const current = observedPersistence.latestForChannel(channelId) ?? 0;
+      if (
+        scopeOk &&
+        !observedPersistence.isNative() &&
+        event.created_at > current
+      ) {
         latestByChannelRef.current.set(channelId, event.created_at);
       }
       if (didRecordUnreadEvent || (scopeOk && event.created_at > current)) {
@@ -707,8 +720,11 @@ export function useUnreadChannels(
             result.maxTrigger > (getEffectiveTimestamp(result.channelId) ?? 0)
           ) {
             const current =
-              latestByChannelRef.current.get(result.channelId) ?? 0;
-            if (result.maxTrigger > current) {
+              observedPersistence.latestForChannel(result.channelId) ?? 0;
+            if (
+              !observedPersistence.isNative() &&
+              result.maxTrigger > current
+            ) {
               latestByChannelRef.current.set(
                 result.channelId,
                 result.maxTrigger,
@@ -819,8 +835,8 @@ export function useUnreadChannels(
         const nativeProjection = observedPersistence.isNative()
           ? observedPersistence.projectionsRef.current.get(channel.id)
           : undefined;
-        const unreadCount = nativeProjection
-          ? nativeProjection.count
+        const unreadCount = observedPersistence.isNative()
+          ? (nativeProjection?.count ?? 0)
           : latestByChannelRef.current.get(channel.id) === undefined
             ? 0
             : countUnreadObservedEvents(observedEvents, readAtForObservedEvent);
@@ -910,7 +926,7 @@ export function useUnreadChannels(
     for (const channelId of unreadChannelIdsRef.current) {
       delete forcedUnreadRef.current[channelId];
       const unixSeconds =
-        latestByChannelRef.current.get(channelId) ??
+        observedPersistence.latestForChannel(channelId) ??
         getEffectiveTimestamp(channelId) ??
         null;
       if (unixSeconds !== null) {