diff --git a/degesch.c b/degesch.c
index ccd5d00..4259d73 100644
--- a/degesch.c
+++ b/degesch.c
@@ -979,6 +979,7 @@ struct buffer
 	unsigned lines_count;               ///< How many lines we have
 
 	unsigned unseen_messages_count;     ///< # messages since last visited
+	bool highlighted;                   ///< We've been highlighted
 
 	// Origin information:
 
@@ -2519,6 +2520,9 @@ buffer_send_internal (struct app_context *ctx, struct buffer *buffer,
 	LIST_APPEND_WITH_TAIL (buffer->lines, buffer->lines_tail, line);
 	buffer->lines_count++;
 
+	// TODO: beep if so configured and either the line is a highlight,
+	//   or the buffer is an inactive PM buffer
+
 	if (buffer == ctx->current_buffer)
 	{
 		buffer_line_display (ctx, line, false);
@@ -2538,6 +2542,9 @@ buffer_send_internal (struct app_context *ctx, struct buffer *buffer,
 	else
 	{
 		buffer->unseen_messages_count++;
+		if (flags & BUFFER_LINE_HIGHLIGHT)
+			buffer->highlighted = true;
+
 		refresh_prompt (ctx);
 	}
 }
@@ -2620,6 +2627,7 @@ buffer_print_backlog (struct app_context *ctx, struct buffer *buffer)
 	for (; line; line = line->next)
 		buffer_line_display (ctx, line, false);
 	buffer->unseen_messages_count = 0;
+	buffer->highlighted = false;
 
 	refresh_prompt (ctx);
 }
@@ -3690,6 +3698,8 @@ make_unseen_prefix (struct app_context *ctx)
 
 		if (active_buffers.len)
 			str_append_c (&active_buffers, ',');
+		if (iter->highlighted)
+			str_append_c (&active_buffers, '!');
 		str_append_printf (&active_buffers, "%zu", i);
 	}
 
@@ -4436,7 +4446,6 @@ irc_handle_notice_text (struct server *s,
 
 	if (buffer)
 	{
-		// TODO: some more obvious indication of highlights
 		int flags = irc_is_highlight (s, text->str)
 			? BUFFER_LINE_HIGHLIGHT
 			: 0;