diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/activity.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/activity.js
index e7aa8436a9..d683b7d06e 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/activity.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/activity.js
@@ -261,13 +261,11 @@ function buddy_list_add(user_id, stub) {
 }
 
 test_ui("PM_update_dom_counts", () => {
-    const value = $.create("alice-value");
-    const count = $.create("alice-count");
+    const count = $.create("alice-unread-count");
     const pm_key = alice.user_id.toString();
     const li = $.create("alice stub");
     buddy_list_add(pm_key, li);
-    count.set_find_results(".value", value);
-    li.set_find_results(".count", count);
+    li.set_find_results(".unread_count", count);
     count.set_parents_result("li", li);
 
     const counts = new Map();
@@ -275,14 +273,12 @@ test_ui("PM_update_dom_counts", () => {
     li.addClass("user_sidebar_entry");
 
     activity.update_dom_with_unread_counts({pm_count: counts});
-    assert(li.hasClass("user-with-count"));
-    assert.equal(value.text(), "5");
+    assert.equal(count.text(), "5");
 
     counts.set(pm_key, 0);
 
     activity.update_dom_with_unread_counts({pm_count: counts});
-    assert(!li.hasClass("user-with-count"));
-    assert.equal(value.text(), "");
+    assert.equal(count.text(), "");
 });
 
 test_ui("handlers", (override) => {
diff --git a/static/js/activity.js b/static/js/activity.js
index e37ea5bfe1..d67db4e4f0 100644
--- a/static/js/activity.js
+++ b/static/js/activity.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import * as people from "./people";
 import * as pm_list from "./pm_list";
 import * as popovers from "./popovers";
 import * as presence from "./presence";
+import * as ui_util from "./ui_util";
 import {UserSearch} from "./user_search";
 import * as user_status from "./user_status";
 import * as watchdog from "./watchdog";
@@ -51,21 +52,6 @@ export function set_new_user_input(value) {
     new_user_input = value;
 }
 
-function update_pm_count_in_dom(count_span, value_span, count) {
-    const li = count_span.parents("li");
-
-    if (count === 0) {
-        count_span.hide();
-        li.removeClass("user-with-count");
-        value_span.text("");
-        return;
-    }
-
-    count_span.show();
-    li.addClass("user-with-count");
-    value_span.text(count);
-}
-
 function get_pm_list_item(user_id) {
     return buddy_list.find_li({
         key: user_id,
@@ -73,9 +59,8 @@ function get_pm_list_item(user_id) {
 }
 
 function set_pm_count(user_ids_string, count) {
-    const count_span = get_pm_list_item(user_ids_string).find(".count");
-    const value_span = count_span.find(".value");
-    update_pm_count_in_dom(count_span, value_span, count);
+    const pm_li = get_pm_list_item(user_ids_string);
+    ui_util.update_unread_count_in_dom(pm_li, count);
 }
 
 export function update_dom_with_unread_counts(counts) {