diff --git a/mitterlib/ui/ui_pygtk.py b/mitterlib/ui/ui_pygtk.py
index 5f462d1..856ef35 100644
--- a/mitterlib/ui/ui_pygtk.py
+++ b/mitterlib/ui/ui_pygtk.py
@@ -225,8 +225,11 @@ class Interface(object):
         update_field = self._create_update_box()
         self._statusbar = self._create_statusbar()
 
+        self._main_tabs = gtk.Notebook()
+        self._main_tabs.insert_page(grid, gtk.Label('Messages'))
+
         update_box = gtk.VPaned()
-        update_box.pack1(grid, resize=True, shrink=False)
+        update_box.pack1(self._main_tabs, resize=True, shrink=False)
         update_box.pack2(update_field, resize=False, shrink=True)
         # TODO: Save the size of the update box in the config file.
 
@@ -238,6 +241,8 @@ class Interface(object):
         main_window.add(box)
         main_window.add_accel_group(accelerators)
 
+        self._update_tab_count()
+
         return main_window
 
     def _create_grid(self):
@@ -666,6 +671,13 @@ class Interface(object):
 
         return True
 
+    def _update_tab_count(self):
+        """Update the message count in the message tab."""
+        child = self._main_tabs.get_nth_page(0)
+        self._main_tabs.set_tab_label_text(child, 'Messages (%d)' %
+                (self._new_message_count))
+        return
+
     # ------------------------------------------------------------
     # Widget callback functions
     # ------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -799,6 +811,7 @@ class Interface(object):
         """Clear the list of posts from the grid."""
         self._grid.get_model().clear()
         self._new_message_count = 0
+        self._update_tab_count()
         if self._statusicon:
             self._statusicon.set_from_pixbuf(self._images['main'])
         return
@@ -866,7 +879,6 @@ class Interface(object):
 
         tabs.insert_page(interface_box, gtk.Label('Interface'))
 
-
         # We store the fields in a dictionary, inside dictionaries for each
         # NAMESPACE. To set the values, we just run the dictionaries setting
         # self._options.
@@ -970,6 +982,7 @@ class Interface(object):
 
         message.read = True
         self._new_message_count -= 1
+        self._update_tab_count()
 
         if self._new_message_count == 0 and self._statusicon:
             self._statusicon.set_from_pixbuf(self._images['main'])
@@ -1012,6 +1025,7 @@ class Interface(object):
                 self._refresh, None)
 
         self._new_message_count += len(results)
+        self._update_tab_count()
         if self._new_message_count > 0 and self._statusicon:
             self._statusicon.set_from_pixbuf(self._images['new-messages'])