diff --git a/components/IdentityProvider.tsx b/components/IdentityProvider.tsx
--- a/components/IdentityProvider.tsx
+++ b/components/IdentityProvider.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 "use client";
 import { getIdentityData } from "actions/getIdentityData";
-import { createContext, useContext } from "react";
+import { createContext, useContext, useEffect } from "react";
 import useSWR, { KeyedMutator, mutate } from "swr";
 import { DashboardState } from "./PageLayouts/DashboardLayout";
+import { supabaseBrowserClient } from "supabase/browserClient";
 
 export type InterfaceState = {
   dashboards: { [id: string]: DashboardState | undefined };
@@ -20,6 +21,18 @@
   let { data: identity, mutate } = useSWR("identity", () => getIdentityData(), {
     fallbackData: props.initialValue,
   });
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!identity?.atp_did) return;
+    let supabase = supabaseBrowserClient();
+    let channel = supabase.channel(`identity.atp_did:${identity.atp_did}`);
+    channel.on("broadcast", { event: "notification" }, () => {
+      mutate();
+    });
+    channel.subscribe();
+    return () => {
+      channel.unsubscribe();
+    };
+  }, [identity?.atp_did]);
   return (
     <IdentityContext.Provider value={{ identity, mutate }}>
       {props.children}
diff --git a/src/notifications.ts b/src/notifications.ts
--- a/src/notifications.ts
+++ b/src/notifications.ts
@@ -127,3 +127,13 @@
     ),
   }));
 }
+
+export async function pingIdentityToUpdateNotification(did: string) {
+  let channel = supabaseServerClient.channel(`identity.atp_did:${did}`);
+  await channel.send({
+    type: "broadcast",
+    event: "notification",
+    payload: { message: "poke" },
+  });
+  await supabaseServerClient.removeChannel(channel);
+}
diff --git a/app/(home-pages)/notifications/NotificationList.tsx b/app/(home-pages)/notifications/NotificationList.tsx
--- a/app/(home-pages)/notifications/NotificationList.tsx
+++ b/app/(home-pages)/notifications/NotificationList.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import { useEffect, createContext } from "react";
 import { markAsRead } from "./getNotifications";
 import { ReplyNotification } from "./ReplyNotification";
+import { useIdentityData } from "components/IdentityProvider";
 
 export function NotificationList({
   notifications,
@@ -13,9 +14,11 @@
   notifications: HydratedNotification[];
   compact?: boolean;
 }) {
+  let { mutate } = useIdentityData();
   useEffect(() => {
-    setTimeout(() => {
-      markAsRead();
+    setTimeout(async () => {
+      await markAsRead();
+      mutate();
     }, 500);
   }, []);
 
diff --git a/app/lish/[did]/[publication]/[rkey]/Interactions/Comments/commentAction.ts b/app/lish/[did]/[publication]/[rkey]/Interactions/Comments/commentAction.ts
--- a/app/lish/[did]/[publication]/[rkey]/Interactions/Comments/commentAction.ts
+++ b/app/lish/[did]/[publication]/[rkey]/Interactions/Comments/commentAction.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,10 @@
 import { AtUri, lexToJson, Un$Typed } from "@atproto/api";
 import { supabaseServerClient } from "supabase/serverClient";
 import { Json } from "supabase/database.types";
-import { Notification } from "src/notifications";
+import {
+  Notification,
+  pingIdentityToUpdateNotification,
+} from "src/notifications";
 import { v7 } from "uuid";
 
 export async function publishComment(args: {
@@ -68,30 +71,23 @@
     })
     .select();
   let notifications: Notification[] = [];
-  if (
-    !args.comment.replyTo &&
-    new AtUri(args.document).host !== credentialSession.did
-  )
+  let recipient = args.comment.replyTo
+    ? new AtUri(args.comment.replyTo).host
+    : new AtUri(args.document).host;
+  if (recipient !== credentialSession.did) {
     notifications.push({
       id: v7(),
-      recipient: new AtUri(args.document).host,
-      data: { type: "comment", comment_uri: uri.toString() },
-    });
-  if (
-    args.comment.replyTo &&
-    new AtUri(args.comment.replyTo).host !== credentialSession.did
-  )
-    notifications.push({
-      id: v7(),
-      recipient: new AtUri(args.comment.replyTo).host,
+      recipient,
       data: {
         type: "comment",
         comment_uri: uri.toString(),
         parent_uri: args.comment.replyTo,
       },
     });
-  // SOMEDAY: move this out the action with inngest or workflows
-  await supabaseServerClient.from("notifications").insert(notifications);
+    // SOMEDAY: move this out the action with inngest or workflows
+    await supabaseServerClient.from("notifications").insert(notifications);
+    await pingIdentityToUpdateNotification(recipient);
+  }
 
   return {
     record: data?.[0].record as Json,