diff --git a/static/js/unread.js b/static/js/unread.js
index 818c80c74d..278850ef76 100644
--- a/static/js/unread.js
+++ b/static/js/unread.js
@@ -154,14 +154,22 @@ class UnreadPMCounter {
     get_counts() {
         const pm_dict = new Map(); // Hash by user_ids_string -> count
         let total_count = 0;
+        let right_sidebar_count = 0;
         for (const [user_ids_string, id_set] of this.bucketer) {
             const count = id_set.size;
             pm_dict.set(user_ids_string, count);
+            const user_ids = people.user_ids_string_to_ids_array(user_ids_string);
+            const is_with_one_human =
+                user_ids.length === 1 && !people.get_by_user_id(user_ids[0]).is_bot;
+            if (is_with_one_human) {
+                right_sidebar_count += count;
+            }
             total_count += count;
         }
         return {
             total_count,
             pm_dict,
+            right_sidebar_count,
         };
     }
 
@@ -704,6 +712,7 @@ export function get_counts() {
     const pm_res = unread_pm_counter.get_counts();
     res.pm_count = pm_res.pm_dict;
     res.private_message_count = pm_res.total_count;
+    res.right_sidebar_private_message_count = pm_res.right_sidebar_count;
     res.home_unread_messages += pm_res.total_count;
 
     return res;
diff --git a/static/js/unread_ui.js b/static/js/unread_ui.js
index 92194e1186..eefaf1f9a7 100644
--- a/static/js/unread_ui.js
+++ b/static/js/unread_ui.js
@@ -84,7 +84,12 @@ export function update_unread_counts() {
     // Set the unread counts that we show in the buttons that
     // toggle open the sidebar menus when we have a thin window.
     set_count_toggle_button($("#streamlist-toggle-unreadcount"), res.home_unread_messages);
-    set_count_toggle_button($("#userlist-toggle-unreadcount"), res.private_message_count);
+    // Bots and group PMs do not appear in the right sidebar user list, so
+    // we show unread count for only non bot 1:1 private messages there.
+    set_count_toggle_button(
+        $("#userlist-toggle-unreadcount"),
+        res.right_sidebar_private_message_count,
+    );
 }
 
 export function should_display_bankruptcy_banner() {