diff --git a/web/redux/redux-setup.js b/web/redux/redux-setup.js
--- a/web/redux/redux-setup.js
+++ b/web/redux/redux-setup.js
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
   identityInvalidSessionDowngrade,
   invalidSessionRecovery,
 } from 'lib/shared/session-utils.js';
+import { threadSpecs } from 'lib/shared/threads/thread-specs.js';
 import type { AlertStore } from 'lib/types/alert-types.js';
 import type { AuxUserStore } from 'lib/types/aux-user-types.js';
 import type { CommunityStore } from 'lib/types/community-types.js';
@@ -60,7 +61,6 @@
 import type { SyncedMetadataStore } from 'lib/types/synced-metadata-types.js';
 import type { GlobalThemeInfo } from 'lib/types/theme-types.js';
 import type { ThreadActivityStore } from 'lib/types/thread-activity-types';
-import { threadTypeIsThick } from 'lib/types/thread-types-enum.js';
 import type { ThreadStore } from 'lib/types/thread-types.js';
 import type { TunnelbrokerDeviceToken } from 'lib/types/tunnelbroker-device-token-types.js';
 import type { CurrentUserInfo, UserStore } from 'lib/types/user-types.js';
@@ -471,7 +471,8 @@
     document.hasFocus() &&
     !state.navInfo.pendingThread &&
     state.threadStore.threadInfos[activeThread].currentUser.unread &&
-    !threadTypeIsThick(state.threadStore.threadInfos[activeThread].type)
+    !threadSpecs[state.threadStore.threadInfos[activeThread].type].protocol
+      .threadActivityUpdatedByDMActivityHandler
   ) {
     // Makes sure a currently focused thread is never unread
     const activeThreadInfo = state.threadStore.threadInfos[activeThread];