diff --git a/include/group.php b/include/group.php
index a1375e00d..2b872f16a 100644
--- a/include/group.php
+++ b/include/group.php
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ function mini_group_select($uid,$gid = 0) {
 
 /**
  * @brief Create group sidebar widget
- * 
+ *
  * @param string $every
  * @param string $each
  * @param string $editmode
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ function group_side($every="contacts",$each="group",$editmode = "standard", $gro
 		return '';
 
 	$groups = array();
-	
+
 	$groups[] = array(
 		'text' 	=> t('Everybody'),
 		'id' => 0,
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ function group_side($every="contacts",$each="group",$editmode = "standard", $gro
 	if(count($r)) {
 		foreach($r as $rr) {
 			$selected = (($group_id == $rr['id']) ? ' group-selected' : '');
-			
+
 			if ($editmode == "full") {
 				$groupedit = array(
 					'href' => "group/".$rr['id'],
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ function group_side($every="contacts",$each="group",$editmode = "standard", $gro
 			} else {
 				$groupedit = null;
 			}
-			
+
 			$groups[] = array(
 				'id'		=> $rr['id'],
 				'cid'		=> $cid,
@@ -362,14 +362,13 @@ function groups_containing($uid,$c) {
  */
 function groups_count_unseen() {
 
-	$r = q("SELECT `group`.`id`, `group`.`name`, COUNT(`item`.`id`) AS `count` FROM `group`, `group_member`, `item`
-			WHERE `group`.`uid` = %d
-			AND `item`.`uid` = %d
-			AND `item`.`unseen` AND `item`.`visible`
-			AND NOT `item`.`deleted`
-			AND `item`.`contact-id` = `group_member`.`contact-id`
-			AND `group_member`.`gid` = `group`.`id`
-			GROUP BY `group`.`id` ",
+	$r = q("SELECT `group`.`id`, `group`.`name`,
+			(SELECT COUNT(*) FROM `item`
+				WHERE `uid` = %d AND `unseen` AND
+					`contact-id` IN (SELECT `contact-id` FROM `group_member`
+								WHERE `group_member`.`gid` = `group`.`id` AND `group_member`.`uid` = %d)) AS `count`
+			FROM `group` WHERE `group`.`uid` = %d;",
+		intval(local_user()),
 		intval(local_user()),
 		intval(local_user())
 	);
diff --git a/mod/ping.php b/mod/ping.php
index 50d179595..2eb94576b 100644
--- a/mod/ping.php
+++ b/mod/ping.php
@@ -219,19 +219,21 @@ function ping_init(&$a) {
 				<home>$home</home>\r\n";
 		if ($register!=0) echo "<register>$register</register>";
 
-		if ( count($groups_unseen) ) {
+		if (count($groups_unseen)) {
 			echo '<groups>';
-			foreach ($groups_unseen as $it) {
-				echo '<group id="' . $it['id'] . '">' . $it['count'] . "</group>";
-			}
+			foreach ($groups_unseen as $it)
+				if ($it['count'] > 0)
+					echo '<group id="'.$it['id'].'">'.$it['count']."</group>";
+
 			echo "</groups>";
 		}
 
-		if ( count($forums_unseen) ) {
+		if (count($forums_unseen)) {
 			echo '<forums>';
-			foreach ($forums_unseen as $it) {
-				echo '<forum id="' . $it['id'] . '">' . $it['count'] . "</forum>";
-			}
+			foreach ($forums_unseen as $it)
+				if ($it['count'] > 0)
+					echo '<forum id="'.$it['id'].'">'.$it['count']."</forum>";
+
 			echo "</forums>";
 		}