diff --git a/frontend/src/components/NavSidebar.tsx b/frontend/src/components/NavSidebar.tsx
index fc00842..f862adb 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/NavSidebar.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/NavSidebar.tsx
@@ -147,31 +147,47 @@ export default function NavSidebar({
     "w-full flex items-center gap-3 rounded-lg px-2.5 py-2 text-sm transition";
   const name = me.display_name ?? me.email.split("@")[0];
 
-  const renderItem = ({ page: p, icon: Icon, label, badge }: NavItem) => (
-    <button
-      key={p}
-      onClick={() => setPage(p)}
-      title={collapsed ? label : undefined}
-      aria-current={page === p ? "page" : undefined}
-      className={`${rowBase} ${collapsed ? "justify-center px-0" : ""} relative ${
-        page === p ? "bg-accent text-accent-fg" : "text-muted hover:text-fg hover:bg-card"
-      }`}
-    >
-      <span className="relative shrink-0">
-        <Icon className="w-[18px] h-[18px]" />
-        {/* Collapsed rail: a small dot on the icon; expanded: a numeric pill at the row end. */}
-        {!!badge && badge > 0 && collapsed && (
-          <span className="absolute -top-1 -right-1 w-2 h-2 rounded-full bg-accent ring-2 ring-bg" />
-        )}
-      </span>
-      {!collapsed && <span className="truncate">{label}</span>}
-      {!!badge && badge > 0 && !collapsed && (
-        <span className="ml-auto min-w-[18px] h-[18px] px-1 rounded-full bg-accent text-accent-fg text-[11px] font-semibold inline-flex items-center justify-center tabular-nums">
-          {badge > 99 ? "99+" : badge}
+  const renderItem = ({ page: p, icon: Icon, label, badge }: NavItem) => {
+    const active = page === p;
+    // On the active row the background is the accent colour, so a same-accent badge would be
+    // red-on-red. Invert it there (light pill, accent-coloured number) for clean contrast.
+    const badgeColor = active ? "bg-accent-fg text-accent" : "bg-accent text-accent-fg";
+    const show = !!badge && badge > 0;
+    return (
+      <button
+        key={p}
+        onClick={() => setPage(p)}
+        title={collapsed ? label : undefined}
+        aria-current={active ? "page" : undefined}
+        className={`${rowBase} ${collapsed ? "justify-center px-0" : ""} relative ${
+          active ? "bg-accent text-accent-fg" : "text-muted hover:text-fg hover:bg-card"
+        }`}
+      >
+        <span className="relative shrink-0">
+          <Icon className="w-[18px] h-[18px]" />
+          {/* Collapsed rail: a numeric badge centred on a circle at the icon corner; the ring
+              matches the row background so it reads cleanly whether the row is active or not. */}
+          {show && collapsed && (
+            <span
+              className={`absolute -top-2 -right-2 min-w-[16px] h-4 px-1 rounded-full text-[10px] font-bold leading-none grid place-items-center ring-2 ${badgeColor} ${
+                active ? "ring-accent" : "ring-bg"
+              }`}
+            >
+              {badge > 9 ? "9+" : badge}
+            </span>
+          )}
         </span>
-      )}
-    </button>
-  );
+        {!collapsed && <span className="truncate">{label}</span>}
+        {show && !collapsed && (
+          <span
+            className={`ml-auto min-w-[18px] h-[18px] px-1.5 rounded-full text-[11px] font-semibold leading-none inline-flex items-center justify-center tabular-nums ${badgeColor}`}
+          >
+            {badge > 99 ? "99+" : badge}
+          </span>
+        )}
+      </button>
+    );
+  };
 
   return (
     <nav