diff --git a/Echo.php b/Echo.php
index 29d78ced7..d4777f5ad 100644
--- a/Echo.php
+++ b/Echo.php
@@ -152,6 +152,16 @@ $wgResourceModules += array(
 		),
 		'targets' => array( 'desktop', 'mobile' ),
 	),
+	'ext.echo.desktop' => $echoResourceTemplate + array(
+		'scripts' => 'desktop/ext.echo.desktop.js',
+		'dependencies' => array(
+			'ext.echo.base',
+			'mediawiki.api',
+			'mediawiki.Uri',
+			'mediawiki.jqueryMsg',
+			'mediawiki.user',
+		),
+	),
 	'ext.echo.overlay' => $echoResourceTemplate + array(
 		'scripts' => array(
 			'overlay/ext.echo.overlay.js',
@@ -162,12 +172,8 @@ $wgResourceModules += array(
 			'monobook' => 'overlay/ext.echo.overlay.monobook.css',
 		),
 		'dependencies' => array(
-			'ext.echo.base',
-			'mediawiki.api',
-			'mediawiki.Uri',
+			'ext.echo.desktop',
 			'mediawiki.util',
-			'mediawiki.jqueryMsg',
-			'mediawiki.user',
 		),
 		'messages' => array(
 			'echo-overlay-title',
@@ -185,12 +191,8 @@ $wgResourceModules += array(
 		),
 		'styles' => 'special/ext.echo.special.css',
 		'dependencies' => array(
-			'ext.echo.base',
-			'mediawiki.api',
-			'mediawiki.Uri',
+			'ext.echo.desktop',
 			'mediawiki.ui',
-			'mediawiki.jqueryMsg',
-			'mediawiki.user',
 		),
 		'messages' => array(
 			'echo-load-more-error',
diff --git a/api/ApiEchoMarkRead.php b/api/ApiEchoMarkRead.php
index 5467af764..6183e0534 100644
--- a/api/ApiEchoMarkRead.php
+++ b/api/ApiEchoMarkRead.php
@@ -29,7 +29,13 @@ class ApiEchoMarkRead extends ApiBase {
 			}
 		}
 
-		$result = array( 'result' => 'success', 'count' => $notifUser->getFormattedNotificationCount() );
+		$rawCount = $notifUser->getNotificationCount();
+
+		$result = array(
+			'result' => 'success',
+			'rawcount' => $rawCount,
+			'count' => EchoNotificationController::formatNotificationCount( $rawCount ),
+		);
 		$this->getResult()->addValue( 'query', $this->getModuleName(), $result );
 	}
 
@@ -45,6 +51,7 @@ class ApiEchoMarkRead extends ApiBase {
 			'token' => array(
 				ApiBase::PARAM_REQUIRED => true,
 			),
+			'uselang' => null
 		);
 	}
 
@@ -53,6 +60,7 @@ class ApiEchoMarkRead extends ApiBase {
 			'list' => 'A list of notification IDs to mark as read',
 			'all' => "If set to true, marks all of a user's notifications as read",
 			'token' => 'edit token',
+			'uselang' => 'the desired language to format the output'
 		);
 	}
 
diff --git a/api/ApiEchoNotifications.php b/api/ApiEchoNotifications.php
index af827f106..a570b61e6 100644
--- a/api/ApiEchoNotifications.php
+++ b/api/ApiEchoNotifications.php
@@ -50,7 +50,9 @@ class ApiEchoNotifications extends ApiQueryBase {
 		}
 
 		if ( in_array( 'count', $prop ) ) {
-			$result['count'] = $notifUser->getFormattedNotificationCount();
+			$rawCount = $notifUser->getNotificationCount();
+			$result['rawcount'] = $rawCount;
+			$result['count'] = EchoNotificationController::formatNotificationCount( $rawCount );
 		}
 
 		if ( in_array( 'index', $prop ) ) {
diff --git a/modules/desktop/ext.echo.desktop.js b/modules/desktop/ext.echo.desktop.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d2be57f7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/desktop/ext.echo.desktop.js
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+( function ( $, mw ) {
+	'use strict';
+
+	// Functions that are only available to echo desktop version
+	mw.echo.desktop = {
+		/**
+		 * Append uselang param to API get/post data if applicable
+		 * @param apiData {Object}
+		 */
+		appendUseLang: function ( apiData ) {
+			var curUri = new mw.Uri();
+			if ( curUri.query.uselang !== undefined ) {
+				apiData.uselang = curUri.query.uselang;
+			}
+
+			return apiData;
+		}
+	};
+
+} )( jQuery, mediaWiki );
diff --git a/modules/overlay/ext.echo.overlay.js b/modules/overlay/ext.echo.overlay.js
index 8d5c60e74..55ddda8fc 100644
--- a/modules/overlay/ext.echo.overlay.js
+++ b/modules/overlay/ext.echo.overlay.js
@@ -4,12 +4,15 @@
 
 	mw.echo.overlay = {
 
-		updateCount: function ( newCount ) {
+		/**
+		 * @param newCount formatted count
+		 * @param rawCount unformatted count
+		 */
+		updateCount: function ( newCount, rawCount ) {
 			var $badge = $( '.mw-echo-notifications-badge' );
 			$badge.text( newCount );
-			// newCount could be '99+' or another string.
-			// Checking for number as well just to be paranoid.
-			if ( newCount !== '0' && newCount !== 0 ) {
+
+			if ( rawCount !== '0' && rawCount !== 0 ) {
 				$badge.addClass( 'mw-echo-unread-notifications' );
 			} else {
 				$badge.removeClass( 'mw-echo-unread-notifications' );
@@ -24,7 +27,6 @@
 				$prefLink = $( '#pt-preferences a' ),
 				count = 0,
 				apiData,
-				curUri = new mw.Uri(),
 				api = new mw.Api( { ajax: { cache: false } } );
 
 			// Set notification limit based on height of the window
@@ -44,14 +46,11 @@
 				'notprop' : 'index|list|count'
 			};
 
-			if ( curUri.query.uselang !== undefined ) {
-				apiData.uselang = curUri.query.uselang;
-			}
-
-			api.get( apiData ).done( function ( result ) {
+			api.get( mw.echo.desktop.appendUseLang( apiData ) ).done( function ( result ) {
 				var notifications = result.query.notifications,
 					unread = [],
 					unreadTotalCount = result.query.notifications.count,
+					unreadRawTotalCount = result.query.notifications.rawcount,
 					$title = $( '<div class="mw-echo-overlay-title"></div>' ),
 					$ul = $( '<ul class="mw-echo-notifications"></ul>' ),
 					titleText = '',
@@ -60,7 +59,7 @@
 					$markReadButton;
 
 				if ( unreadTotalCount !== undefined ) {
-					mw.echo.overlay.updateCount( unreadTotalCount );
+					mw.echo.overlay.updateCount( unreadTotalCount, unreadRawTotalCount );
 				}
 				$ul.css( 'max-height', notificationLimit * 95 + 'px' );
 				$.each( notifications.index, function ( index, id ) {
@@ -123,7 +122,7 @@
 				} );
 
 				if ( notifications.index.length > 0 ) {
-					if ( isNaN( unreadTotalCount ) || unreadTotalCount > unread.length ) {
+					if ( unreadRawTotalCount > unread.length ) {
 						titleText = mw.msg( 'echo-overlay-title-overflow', unread.length, unreadTotalCount );
 						overflow = true;
 					} else {
@@ -139,14 +138,14 @@
 					.text( mw.msg( 'echo-mark-all-as-read' ) )
 					.click( function ( e ) {
 						e.preventDefault();
-						api.post( {
+						api.post( mw.echo.desktop.appendUseLang( {
 							'action' : 'echomarkread',
 							'all' : true,
 							'token': mw.user.tokens.get( 'editToken' )
-						} ).done( function ( result ) {
+						} ) ).done( function ( result ) {
 							if ( result.query.echomarkread.count !== undefined ) {
 								count = result.query.echomarkread.count;
-								mw.echo.overlay.updateCount( count );
+								mw.echo.overlay.updateCount( count, result.query.echomarkread.rawcount );
 								// Reset header to 'Notifications'
 								$( '#mw-echo-overlay-title-text').msg( 'echo-overlay-title' );
 							}
@@ -158,9 +157,7 @@
 				// The only reason we limit it to the maximum is to prevent expensive
 				// database updates. If the count is more than the maximum, it could
 				// be thousands.
-				if ( overflow &&
-					!isNaN( unreadTotalCount ) &&
-					unreadTotalCount < mw.echo.overlay.configuration['max-notification-count']
+				if ( overflow && unreadRawTotalCount < mw.echo.overlay.configuration['max-notification-count']
 				) {
 					// Add the 'mark all as read' button to the title area
 					$title.append( $markReadButton );
@@ -239,14 +236,14 @@
 
 				// only need to mark as read if there is unread item
 				if ( unread.length > 0 ) {
-					api.post( {
+					api.post( mw.echo.desktop.appendUseLang( {
 						'action' : 'echomarkread',
 						'list' : unread.join( '|' ),
 						'token': mw.user.tokens.get( 'editToken' )
-					} ).done( function ( result ) {
+					} ) ).done( function ( result ) {
 						if ( result.query.echomarkread.count !== undefined ) {
 							count = result.query.echomarkread.count;
-							mw.echo.overlay.updateCount( count );
+							mw.echo.overlay.updateCount( count, result.query.echomarkread.rawcount );
 						}
 					} );
 				}
diff --git a/modules/special/ext.echo.special.js b/modules/special/ext.echo.special.js
index dbeaf355a..eb92347d6 100644
--- a/modules/special/ext.echo.special.js
+++ b/modules/special/ext.echo.special.js
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
 		 * Load more notification records.
 		 */
 		loadMore: function () {
-			var api = new mw.Api( { ajax: { cache: false } } ), curUri = new mw.Uri(),
+			var api = new mw.Api( { ajax: { cache: false } } ),
 				notifications, data, container, $li, that = this, unread = [], apiData;
 
 			apiData = {
@@ -70,11 +70,7 @@
 				'notlimit': mw.config.get( 'wgEchoDisplayNum' )
 			};
 
-			if ( curUri.query.uselang !== undefined ) {
-				apiData.uselang = curUri.query.uselang;
-			}
-
-			api.get( apiData ).done( function ( result ) {
+			api.get( mw.echo.desktop.appendUseLang( apiData ) ).done( function ( result ) {
 				container = $( '#mw-echo-special-container' );
 				notifications = result.query.notifications;
 				unread = [];
@@ -128,16 +124,16 @@
 		markAsRead: function ( unread ) {
 			var api = new mw.Api(), that = this;
 
-			api.post( {
+			api.post( mw.echo.desktop.appendUseLang( {
 				'action' : 'echomarkread',
 				'list' : unread.join( '|' ),
 				'token': mw.user.tokens.get( 'editToken' )
-			} ).done( function ( result ) {
+			} ) ).done( function ( result ) {
 				// update the badge if the link is enabled
 				if ( result.query.echomarkread.count !== undefined &&
 					$( '#pt-notifications').length && typeof mw.echo.overlay === 'object'
 				) {
-					mw.echo.overlay.updateCount( result.query.echomarkread.count );
+					mw.echo.overlay.updateCount( result.query.echomarkread.count, result.query.echomarkread.rawcount );
 				}
 				that.onSuccess();
 			} ).fail( function () {