diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/NotificationBadge.tsx b/src/components/views/rooms/NotificationBadge.tsx
index 1bb72d02c3..dfc02176c6 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/NotificationBadge.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/NotificationBadge.tsx
@@ -86,11 +86,14 @@ export default class NotificationBadge extends React.PureComponent<IProps, IStat
         // Don't show a badge if we don't need to
         if (this.props.notification.color <= NotificationColor.None) return null;
 
+        // TODO: Update these booleans for FTUE Notifications: https://github.com/vector-im/riot-web/issues/14261
+        // As of writing, that is "if red, show count always" and "optionally show counts instead of dots".
+        // See git diff for what that boolean state looks like.
+        // XXX: We ignore this.state.showCounts (the setting which controls counts vs dots).
         const hasNotif = this.props.notification.color >= NotificationColor.Red;
         const hasCount = this.props.notification.color >= NotificationColor.Grey;
-        const hasUnread = this.props.notification.color >= NotificationColor.Bold;
-        const couldBeEmpty = (!this.state.showCounts || hasUnread) && !hasNotif;
-        let isEmptyBadge = couldBeEmpty && (!this.state.showCounts || !hasCount);
+        const hasAnySymbol = this.props.notification.symbol || this.props.notification.count > 0;
+        let isEmptyBadge = !hasAnySymbol || !hasCount;
         if (this.props.forceCount) {
             isEmptyBadge = false;
             if (!hasCount) return null; // Can't render a badge
diff --git a/src/stores/notifications/TagSpecificNotificationState.ts b/src/stores/notifications/TagSpecificNotificationState.ts
index 02d8717fee..b443f4633b 100644
--- a/src/stores/notifications/TagSpecificNotificationState.ts
+++ b/src/stores/notifications/TagSpecificNotificationState.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 import { NotificationColor } from "./NotificationColor";
 import { Room } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room";
-import { DefaultTagID, TagID } from "../room-list/models";
+import { TagID } from "../room-list/models";
 import { RoomNotificationState } from "./RoomNotificationState";
 
 export class TagSpecificNotificationState extends RoomNotificationState {
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ export class TagSpecificNotificationState extends RoomNotificationState {
         // @ts-ignore - TS wants this to be a string key, but we know better
         [tagId: TagID]: NotificationColor,
     } = {
-        [DefaultTagID.DM]: NotificationColor.Red,
+        // TODO: Update for FTUE Notifications: https://github.com/vector-im/riot-web/issues/14261
+        //[DefaultTagID.DM]: NotificationColor.Red,
     };
 
     private readonly colorWhenNotIdle?: NotificationColor;