diff --git a/cmd/server/main.go b/cmd/server/main.go
index 1b14dec..17fec85 100644
--- a/cmd/server/main.go
+++ b/cmd/server/main.go
@@ -250,6 +250,19 @@ func main() {
 				r.Post("/", calHandler.CreateEvent)
 			})
 
+			// Threads (forum posts)
+			threadHandler := channel.NewHandler(database.DB, permissionsChecker)
+			r.Route("/channels/{channelID}/threads", func(r chi.Router) {
+				r.Get("/", threadHandler.ListThreads)
+				r.Post("/", threadHandler.CreateThread)
+			})
+			r.Patch("/threads/{threadID}", threadHandler.UpdateThread)
+
+			// Forum tags
+			r.Get("/channels/{channelID}/forum-tags", threadHandler.ListForumTags)
+			r.Post("/channels/{channelID}/forum-tags", threadHandler.CreateForumTag)
+			r.Delete("/forum-tags/{tagID}", threadHandler.DeleteForumTag)
+
 			// Push notifications
 			pushHandler.RegisterRoutes(r)
 
diff --git a/internal/channel/handlers.go b/internal/channel/handlers.go
index 721c7db..f9eb7ed 100644
--- a/internal/channel/handlers.go
+++ b/internal/channel/handlers.go
@@ -27,10 +27,7 @@ func (h *Handler) RegisterRoutes(r chi.Router) {
 	r.Get("/{channelID}", h.Get)
 	r.Patch("/{channelID}", h.Update)
 	r.Delete("/{channelID}", h.Delete)
-	r.Post("/{channelID}/threads", h.CreateThread)
-	r.Get("/{channelID}/threads", h.ListThreads)
-	r.Patch("/threads/{threadID}", h.UpdateThread)
-	h.registerForumRoutes(r)
+	// ponytail: thread + forum routes registered at top level in main.go to match frontend paths
 	h.RegisterCalendarRoutes(r)
 	h.registerDocRoutes(r)
 	h.registerListRoutes(r)
diff --git a/web/src/components/ServerBar.tsx b/web/src/components/ServerBar.tsx
index af55728..d497d32 100644
--- a/web/src/components/ServerBar.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/ServerBar.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
-import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from "react";
 import { useNavigate } from "react-router-dom";
 import { useServerStore } from "../stores/server.ts";
 import { useChannelStore } from "../stores/channel.ts";
 import { useLayoutStore } from "../stores/layout.ts";
+import { useConversationStore } from "../stores/conversation.ts";
+import { useReadStatesStore } from "../stores/readStates.ts";
 import { CreateServerModal } from "./CreateServerModal.tsx";
 import { JoinServerModal } from "./JoinServerModal.tsx";
 import { ServerSettingsModal } from "./ServerSettingsModal.tsx";
@@ -33,6 +35,18 @@ export function ServerBar() {
 
   const { showMenu, MenuPortal } = useContextMenu();
 
+  // ponytail: compute if any DM conversation has unread messages
+  const conversations = useConversationStore((s) => s.conversations);
+  const messagesByConv = useConversationStore((s) => s.messagesByConversation);
+  const hasConvUnread = useReadStatesStore((s) => s.hasConvUnread);
+  const hasAnyDMUnread = useMemo(() => {
+    return conversations.some((conv) => {
+      const msgs = messagesByConv[conv.id] || [];
+      const latestId = msgs.length > 0 ? msgs[msgs.length - 1].id : undefined;
+      return hasConvUnread(conv.id, latestId);
+    });
+  }, [conversations, messagesByConv, hasConvUnread]);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     fetchServers().then(() => {
       // ponytail: restore last active server + channel from localStorage
@@ -94,34 +108,43 @@ export function ServerBar() {
   return (
     <>
       <div className="h-full w-16 bg-gb-bg-h border-r border-gb-bg-t flex flex-col items-center py-3 gap-2 overflow-y-auto">
-        <button
-          onClick={handleDM}
-          className={'w-11 h-11 flex items-center justify-center font-mono text-sm border ' +
-            (isDM
-              ? 'bg-gb-bg-t text-gb-orange border-gb-orange'
-              : 'bg-gb-bg-s text-gb-fg border-gb-bg-t hover:border-gb-fg-t hover:text-gb-aqua')}
-          title="Direct messages"
-        >
-          [@]
-        </button>
-        <div className="w-8 h-px bg-gb-bg-t" />
-        {servers.map((server) => (
+        <div className="relative">
           <button
-            key={server.id}
-            onClick={() => handleSelect(server.id)}
-            onContextMenu={(e) => handleServerContextMenu(e, server)}
+            onClick={handleDM}
             className={'w-11 h-11 flex items-center justify-center font-mono text-sm border ' +
-              (server.id === activeServerId && !isDM
+              (isDM
                 ? 'bg-gb-bg-t text-gb-orange border-gb-orange'
                 : 'bg-gb-bg-s text-gb-fg border-gb-bg-t hover:border-gb-fg-t hover:text-gb-aqua')}
-            title={server.name}
+            title="Direct messages"
           >
-            {server.unread && server.id !== activeServerId ? (
-              <span className="text-gb-aqua">[{getInitials(server.name)}]</span>
-            ) : (
-              '[' + getInitials(server.name) + ']'
-            )}
+            [@]
           </button>
+          {hasAnyDMUnread && !isDM && (
+            <span className="absolute -bottom-0.5 -right-0.5 w-2.5 h-2.5 bg-gb-orange rounded-full border-2 border-gb-bg-h" />
+          )}
+        </div>
+        <div className="w-8 h-px bg-gb-bg-t" />
+        {servers.map((server) => (
+          <div key={server.id} className="relative">
+            <button
+              onClick={() => handleSelect(server.id)}
+              onContextMenu={(e) => handleServerContextMenu(e, server)}
+              className={'w-11 h-11 flex items-center justify-center font-mono text-sm border ' +
+                (server.id === activeServerId && !isDM
+                  ? 'bg-gb-bg-t text-gb-orange border-gb-orange'
+                  : 'bg-gb-bg-s text-gb-fg border-gb-bg-t hover:border-gb-fg-t hover:text-gb-aqua')}
+              title={server.name}
+            >
+              {server.unread && server.id !== activeServerId ? (
+                <span className="text-gb-aqua">[{getInitials(server.name)}]</span>
+              ) : (
+                '[' + getInitials(server.name) + ']'
+              )}
+            </button>
+            {server.unread && server.id !== activeServerId && (
+              <span className="absolute -bottom-0.5 -right-0.5 w-2.5 h-2.5 bg-gb-orange rounded-full border-2 border-gb-bg-h" />
+            )}
+          </div>
         ))}
         <div className="mt-2 flex flex-col gap-2 items-center">
           <button