diff --git a/docs/buzz-help.md b/docs/buzz-help.md
index 04df542872..c62c6972dc 100644
--- a/docs/buzz-help.md
+++ b/docs/buzz-help.md
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ revokes all of them, and a pairing unused for 30 days expires.
   kind, and **From** by sender (Anyone, People or Agents). Turn on **Unread** to see only what you haven't read:
   there, a row's ✓ marks it as read and it leaves the list, with **Undo** for a moment; when nothing is left it
   says **All caught up**. If loading fails, use **Retry activity** on the page or preview to retry; recovered
-  activity clears the loading error.
+  activity clears the loading error. Pink dots identify unread conversations in Activity and unread activity in channel and DM sidebar rows.
   A DM row whose unread messages are all in one thread opens that thread; later DM messages outside it stay
   unread until you open the whole DM, which its row then does.
   **Reactions** shows recent reactions to your messages, with shared emoji grouped together per message and each person’s remaining emoji in their own row; selecting it turns Unread off.
diff --git a/scripts/design-system/check-contrast.mjs b/scripts/design-system/check-contrast.mjs
index 2b02a92126..abf016b39e 100644
--- a/scripts/design-system/check-contrast.mjs
+++ b/scripts/design-system/check-contrast.mjs
@@ -275,6 +275,7 @@ const BOUNDARY_ROLES = [
   "--status-avatar-online-border",
   "--status-away",
   "--status-offline",
+  "--status-unread",
   // Chart marks need 3:1 against the surfaces a chart sits on.
   "--chart-series-1",
   "--chart-series-2",
@@ -470,7 +471,9 @@ function audit(mode, map, baseline) {
   }
   for (const role of BOUNDARY_ROLES) {
     const surfaces =
-      role.startsWith("--status-avatar-") || role === "--status-away"
+      role.startsWith("--status-avatar-") ||
+      role === "--status-away" ||
+      role === "--status-unread"
         ? [
             ...BOUNDARY_SURFACES,
             "--affordance-selected",
diff --git a/src/bundled/channels/Channels.module.css b/src/bundled/channels/Channels.module.css
index d1732fe7eb..364b1abcf5 100644
--- a/src/bundled/channels/Channels.module.css
+++ b/src/bundled/channels/Channels.module.css
@@ -886,7 +886,7 @@ details:not([open]) > summary .sectionChevron {
   width: 0.375rem;
   height: 0.375rem;
   border-radius: 50%;
-  background: var(--affordance-prominent-mark);
+  background: var(--status-unread);
 }
 .threadActivityDot {
   cursor: help;
diff --git a/src/features/messages/MessageListRow.module.css b/src/features/messages/MessageListRow.module.css
index 78edafe2b5..2d6b01f1b2 100644
--- a/src/features/messages/MessageListRow.module.css
+++ b/src/features/messages/MessageListRow.module.css
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
   width: var(--space-2);
   height: var(--space-2);
   border-radius: var(--radius-pill);
-  background: var(--text-navigation-unread);
+  background: var(--status-unread);
 }
 
 .rowDate {
diff --git a/src/shared/design-system/styles/tokens.css b/src/shared/design-system/styles/tokens.css
index f1f02bb277..c19b2067c5 100644
--- a/src/shared/design-system/styles/tokens.css
+++ b/src/shared/design-system/styles/tokens.css
@@ -1161,6 +1161,7 @@
   --status-avatar-online-border: var(--green-11);
   --status-away: var(--amber-10);
   --status-offline: var(--neutral-8);
+  --status-unread: var(--magenta-9);
   /* Chart series marks, in this order; validated as a set for colour-vision
    * separation and 3:1 against the panel. Text never uses them. */
   --chart-series-1: var(--blue-10);
@@ -1314,6 +1315,7 @@
   --status-avatar-online-border: var(--green-11);
   --status-away: var(--amber-10);
   --status-offline: var(--neutral-10);
+  --status-unread: var(--magenta-11);
   /* Dark steps stay in the band where no series outshines the others. */
   --chart-series-1: var(--blue-9);
   --chart-series-2: var(--orange-8);
diff --git a/src/shared/design-system/tokens/registry.ts b/src/shared/design-system/tokens/registry.ts
index 4b67c05af7..f5c6eb931c 100644
--- a/src/shared/design-system/tokens/registry.ts
+++ b/src/shared/design-system/tokens/registry.ts
@@ -813,6 +813,13 @@ export const ROLE_GROUPS: RoleGroup[] = [
         use: "Offline presence dot.",
         status: "core",
       },
+      {
+        token: "status-unread",
+        variable: "--status-unread",
+        pointsAt: "magenta-9 light / magenta-11 dark",
+        use: "Unread dots in Activity and channel/DM sidebars; independent of the chosen accent. Selected sidebar rows retain their paired selection ink.",
+        status: "core",
+      },
     ],
   },
   {
diff --git a/tests/browser/inbox.spec.mjs b/tests/browser/inbox.spec.mjs
index ffc16811e6..9ae5b67dbb 100644
--- a/tests/browser/inbox.spec.mjs
+++ b/tests/browser/inbox.spec.mjs
@@ -245,6 +245,10 @@ test("Inbox opens the exact thread, shares read state, and fits the workspace",
     const opener = mentionRow.getByRole("button", { name: /^Open / });
     const dot = opener.getByRole("img", { name: "Unread", exact: true });
     await expect(dot).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(dot.locator("span")).toHaveCSS(
+      "background-color",
+      mode === "light" ? "rgb(223, 30, 133)" : "rgb(244, 188, 207)",
+    );
     const dotLayout = await dot.evaluate((element) => {
       const button = element.closest("button");
       const label = button.querySelector(".navigation-item-label");
diff --git a/tests/browser/sidebar-unread.spec.mjs b/tests/browser/sidebar-unread.spec.mjs
index 7a28b078ce..b919e76893 100644
--- a/tests/browser/sidebar-unread.spec.mjs
+++ b/tests/browser/sidebar-unread.spec.mjs
@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@ test("session changes discard the previous sidebar targets and manual unread sti
   }
 });
 
-test("priority dots stay aligned and use the prominent mark color in both modes", async ({
+test("priority dots stay aligned and use pink unread color in both modes", async ({
   page,
   app,
 }, info) => {
@@ -584,9 +584,7 @@ test("priority dots stay aligned and use the prominent mark color in both modes"
     const primary = await page.evaluate(() => {
       const root = getComputedStyle(document.documentElement);
       const probe = document.createElement("span");
-      probe.style.backgroundColor = root.getPropertyValue(
-        "--affordance-prominent-mark",
-      );
+      probe.style.backgroundColor = root.getPropertyValue("--status-unread");
       document.body.append(probe);
       const color = getComputedStyle(probe).backgroundColor;
       probe.remove();
@@ -594,6 +592,26 @@ test("priority dots stay aligned and use the prominent mark color in both modes"
     });
     await expect(dot).toHaveCSS("background-color", primary);
   }
+  // The existing selected-row recipe uses its accent fill's paired ink.
+  // A pink dot would disappear on the light Magenta selection fill.
+  await page.evaluate(() => {
+    document.documentElement.dataset.colorMode = "light";
+    document.documentElement.dataset.accent = "magenta";
+  });
+  const dm = row(page, "dm-030");
+  await dm.click();
+  await expect(dm).toHaveAttribute("aria-current", "page");
+  await dm.click({ button: "right" });
+  await page
+    .getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Mark as read", exact: true })
+    .click();
+  await expect(page.getByRole("menu")).toHaveCount(0);
+  await dm.click({ button: "right" });
+  await page
+    .getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Mark as unread", exact: true })
+    .click();
+  await expect(dot).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(dot).toHaveCSS("background-color", "rgb(255, 255, 255)");
 });
 
 // One small real-app journey owns preview wiring and CSS geometry. The component