diff --git a/converse.js b/converse.js
index 28a7884e9..2b4af5e30 100644
--- a/converse.js
+++ b/converse.js
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@
                             'extra_classes': message.get('delayed') && 'delayed' || ''
                         }));
             }
-            if (message.get('sender') != 'me') {
+            if ((message.get('sender') != 'me') && (converse.windowState == 'blur')) {
                 converse.incrementMsgCounter();
             }
             this.scrollDown();
@@ -480,7 +480,6 @@
             if (this.model.get('status')) {
                 this.showStatusMessage(this.model.get('status'));
             }
-            converse.clearMsgCounter();
         },
 
         template: _.template(
@@ -956,7 +955,6 @@
             this);
             this.$el.appendTo(converse.chatboxesview.$el);
             this.render().show().model.messages.fetch({add: true});
-            converse.clearMsgCounter();
         },
 
         onLeave: function () {
@@ -2121,6 +2119,14 @@
 
             this.xmppstatus.initStatus();
         }, this));
+        
+        $(window).on("blur focus", $.proxy(function(e) {            
+            if ((this.windowState != e.type) && (e.type == 'focus')) {
+                converse.clearMsgCounter();
+            }
+            this.windowState = e.type;
+        },this))
+
         this.giveFeedback('Online Contacts');
     };
 
diff --git a/spec/MainSpec.js b/spec/MainSpec.js
index 5c8d6ffc9..654a6317b 100644
--- a/spec/MainSpec.js
+++ b/spec/MainSpec.js
@@ -136,11 +136,9 @@
                     });
                 }, converse));
             }, converse));
-
         }, converse));
 
         describe("The Contacts Roster", $.proxy(function () {
-
             describe("Pending Contacts", $.proxy(function () {
                 it("do not have a heading if there aren't any", $.proxy(function () {
                     expect(this.rosterview.$el.find('dt#pending-xmpp-contacts').css('display')).toEqual('none');
@@ -369,7 +367,6 @@
             }, converse));
 
             describe("All Contacts", $.proxy(function () {
-
                 it("are saved to, and can be retrieved from, localStorage", $.proxy(function () {
                     var new_attrs, old_attrs, attrs, old_roster;
                     // One contact was declined, so we have 1 less contact then originally
@@ -555,6 +552,50 @@
             }, converse));
         }, converse));
 
+        describe("A Message Counter", $.proxy(function () {
+            it("is incremented when the message is received and the window is not focused", $.proxy(function () {
+                expect(this.msg_counter).toBe(0);
+                spyOn(converse, 'incrementMsgCounter').andCallThrough();
+                $(window).trigger('blur');
+                var message = 'This message will increment the message counter';
+                var sender_jid = cur_names[0].replace(' ','.').toLowerCase() + '@localhost';
+                    msg = $msg({
+                        from: sender_jid,
+                        to: this.connection.jid, 
+                        type: 'chat', 
+                        id: (new Date()).getTime()
+                    }).c('body').t(message).up()
+                      .c('active', {'xmlns': 'http://jabber.org/protocol/chatstates'}).tree();
+                this.chatboxes.messageReceived(msg);
+                expect(converse.incrementMsgCounter).toHaveBeenCalled();
+                expect(this.msg_counter).toBe(1);
+            }, converse));
+
+            it("is cleared when the window is focused", $.proxy(function () {
+                spyOn(converse, 'clearMsgCounter').andCallThrough();
+                $(window).trigger('focus');
+                expect(converse.clearMsgCounter).toHaveBeenCalled();
+            }, converse));
+
+            it("is not incremented when the message is received and the window is focused", $.proxy(function () {
+                expect(this.msg_counter).toBe(0);
+                spyOn(converse, 'incrementMsgCounter').andCallThrough();
+                $(window).trigger('focus');
+                var message = 'This message will not increment the message counter';
+                var sender_jid = cur_names[0].replace(' ','.').toLowerCase() + '@localhost';
+                    msg = $msg({
+                        from: sender_jid,
+                        to: this.connection.jid, 
+                        type: 'chat', 
+                        id: (new Date()).getTime()
+                    }).c('body').t(message).up()
+                      .c('active', {'xmlns': 'http://jabber.org/protocol/chatstates'}).tree();
+                this.chatboxes.messageReceived(msg);
+                expect(converse.incrementMsgCounter).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+                expect(this.msg_counter).toBe(0);
+            }, converse));
+        }, converse));
+
         describe("The Controlbox Tabs", $.proxy(function () {
             beforeEach($.proxy(function () {
                 // Close any remaining open chatboxes