diff --git a/appview/db/notifications.go b/appview/db/notifications.go
--- a/appview/db/notifications.go
+++ b/appview/db/notifications.go
@@ -113,6 +113,20 @@
 	return notifications, nil
 }
 
+func GetNotificationWithEntity(e Execer, notificationID int64, userDID string) (*models.NotificationWithEntity, error) {
+	results, err := GetNotificationsWithEntities(e, pagination.Page{Limit: 1, Offset: 0},
+		orm.FilterEq("n.id", notificationID),
+		orm.FilterEq("n.recipient_did", userDID),
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if len(results) == 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("notification not found")
+	}
+	return results[0], nil
+}
+
 // GetNotificationsWithEntities retrieves notifications with their related entities
 func GetNotificationsWithEntities(e Execer, page pagination.Page, filters ...orm.Filter) ([]*models.NotificationWithEntity, error) {
 	var conditions []string
@@ -303,6 +317,35 @@
 	result, err := e.Exec(query, args...)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to mark notification as read: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	rowsAffected, err := result.RowsAffected()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get rows affected: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if rowsAffected == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("notification not found or access denied")
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func MarkNotificationUnread(e Execer, notificationID int64, userDID string) error {
+	idFilter := orm.FilterEq("id", notificationID)
+	recipientFilter := orm.FilterEq("recipient_did", userDID)
+
+	query := fmt.Sprintf(`
+		UPDATE notifications
+		SET read = 0
+		WHERE %s AND %s
+	`, idFilter.Condition(), recipientFilter.Condition())
+
+	args := append(idFilter.Arg(), recipientFilter.Arg()...)
+
+	result, err := e.Exec(query, args...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to mark notification as unread: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	rowsAffected, err := result.RowsAffected()
diff --git a/appview/notifications/notifications.go b/appview/notifications/notifications.go
--- a/appview/notifications/notifications.go
+++ b/appview/notifications/notifications.go
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 		r.With(middleware.Paginate).Get("/", n.notificationsPage)
 		r.Get("/preview", n.previewHandler)
 		r.Post("/{id}/read", n.markRead)
+		r.Post("/{id}/unread", n.markUnread)
 		r.Post("/read-all", n.markAllRead)
 		r.Delete("/{id}", n.deleteNotification)
 	})
@@ -224,6 +225,15 @@
 }
 
 func (n *Notifications) markRead(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	n.toggleRead(w, r, true)
+}
+
+func (n *Notifications) markUnread(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	n.toggleRead(w, r, false)
+}
+
+func (n *Notifications) toggleRead(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, read bool) {
+	l := n.logger.With("handler", "toggleRead")
 	userDid := n.oauth.GetDid(r)
 
 	idStr := chi.URLParam(r, "id")
@@ -233,9 +243,27 @@
 		return
 	}
 
-	err = db.MarkNotificationRead(n.db, notificationID, userDid)
+	if read {
+		err = db.MarkNotificationRead(n.db, notificationID, userDid)
+	} else {
+		err = db.MarkNotificationUnread(n.db, notificationID, userDid)
+	}
 	if err != nil {
-		http.Error(w, "Failed to mark notification as read", http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		http.Error(w, "Failed to update notification", http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		return
+	}
+
+	// if called via HTMX (has HX-Request header), return the updated item fragment
+	if r.Header.Get("HX-Request") == "true" {
+		notif, err := db.GetNotificationWithEntity(n.db, notificationID, userDid)
+		if err != nil {
+			l.Error("failed to fetch notification after toggle", "err", err)
+			http.Error(w, "Failed to fetch notification", http.StatusInternalServerError)
+			return
+		}
+		if err := n.pages.NotificationItem(w, notif); err != nil {
+			l.Error("failed to render notification item", "err", err)
+		}
 		return
 	}
 
diff --git a/appview/pages/pages.go b/appview/pages/pages.go
--- a/appview/pages/pages.go
+++ b/appview/pages/pages.go
@@ -487,12 +487,8 @@
 	return p.execute("notifications/list", w, params)
 }
 
-type NotificationItemParams struct {
-	Notification *models.Notification
-}
-
-func (p *Pages) NotificationItem(w io.Writer, params NotificationItemParams) error {
-	return p.executePlain("notifications/fragments/item", w, params)
+func (p *Pages) NotificationItem(w io.Writer, notif *models.NotificationWithEntity) error {
+	return p.executePlain("notifications/fragments/item", w, notif)
 }
 
 type NotificationCountParams struct {
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/notifications/fragments/item.html b/appview/pages/templates/notifications/fragments/item.html
--- a/appview/pages/templates/notifications/fragments/item.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/notifications/fragments/item.html
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {{define "notifications/fragments/item"}}
   <a href="{{ template "notificationUrl" . }}"
-     onclick="navigator.sendBeacon('/notifications/{{ .ID }}/read')"
-     class="block no-underline hover:no-underline">
+     onclick="if(!event.target.closest('button'))navigator.sendBeacon('/notifications/{{ .ID }}/read')"
+     class="block no-underline hover:no-underline group">
     <div
       class="
         w-full mx-auto dark:text-white px-2 md:px-6 py-4
@@ -19,8 +19,31 @@
         {{- end -}}
         {{- template "notificationHeader" . -}}
       </div>
-      {{/* row 1, col 3: time */}}
-      <span class="row-start-1 text-sm text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400 whitespace-nowrap">{{ template "repo/fragments/shortTime" .Created }}</span>
+      {{/* row 1, col 3: timestamp normally, button on hover */}}
+      <div class="row-start-1 relative flex items-center justify-end">
+        <span class="text-sm text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400 whitespace-nowrap md:group-hover:invisible">{{ template "repo/fragments/shortTime" .Created }}</span>
+        {{ if .Read }}
+          <button
+            hx-post="/notifications/{{ .ID }}/unread"
+            hx-target="closest a"
+            hx-swap="outerHTML"
+            class="hidden md:group-hover:flex absolute inset-0 items-center justify-end p-0 text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-600"
+            title="Mark as unread"
+            onclick="event.preventDefault()">
+            {{ i "mail" "size-4" }}
+          </button>
+        {{ else }}
+          <button
+            hx-post="/notifications/{{ .ID }}/read"
+            hx-target="closest a"
+            hx-swap="outerHTML"
+            class="hidden md:group-hover:flex absolute inset-0 items-center justify-end p-0 text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-600"
+            title="Mark as read"
+            onclick="event.preventDefault()">
+            {{ i "mail-open" "size-4" }}
+          </button>
+        {{ end }}
+      </div>
       {{/* row 2, col 1: #N */}}
       {{ template "notificationNumber" . }}
       {{/* row 2, col 2: title */}}