diff --git a/apps/mark/src-tauri/capabilities/default.json b/apps/mark/src-tauri/capabilities/default.json
index 7cd99d65..74b20594 100644
--- a/apps/mark/src-tauri/capabilities/default.json
+++ b/apps/mark/src-tauri/capabilities/default.json
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
     "core:window:allow-close",
     "clipboard-manager:allow-write-text",
     "window-state:default",
-    "store:default"
+    "store:default",
+    "core:window:allow-set-badge-count"
   ]
 }
diff --git a/apps/mark/src/App.svelte b/apps/mark/src/App.svelte
index 616ad0a9..b76296de 100644
--- a/apps/mark/src/App.svelte
+++ b/apps/mark/src/App.svelte
@@ -287,6 +287,20 @@
     // Cache the BLOX_ENV value once at startup (process-level, never changes).
     initBloxEnv();
 
+    // Restore persisted unread state and sync the dock badge.
+    try {
+      await projectStateStore.initFromStore();
+      // If we restored into a project that was unread, mark it as read now
+      if (
+        navigation.selectedProjectId &&
+        projectStateStore.isUnread(navigation.selectedProjectId)
+      ) {
+        projectStateStore.markAsRead(navigation.selectedProjectId);
+      }
+    } catch (e) {
+      console.error('Failed to restore unread state:', e);
+    }
+
     try {
       await initializeShortcutBindings();
     } catch (e) {
diff --git a/apps/mark/src/lib/features/layout/navigation.svelte.ts b/apps/mark/src/lib/features/layout/navigation.svelte.ts
index 5c081d20..0a4844f0 100644
--- a/apps/mark/src/lib/features/layout/navigation.svelte.ts
+++ b/apps/mark/src/lib/features/layout/navigation.svelte.ts
@@ -50,13 +50,15 @@ export async function initNavigation(): Promise<void> {
   // Validate the project still exists before navigating to it
   try {
     const projects = await commands.listProjects();
-    const exists = projects.some((p) => p.id === lastProjectId);
-    if (exists) {
+    const existingIds = new Set(projects.map((p) => p.id));
+    if (existingIds.has(lastProjectId)) {
       navigation.selectedProjectId = lastProjectId;
     } else {
       // Project was deleted — clear the stale value
       await setStoreValue(LAST_PROJECT_STORE_KEY, null);
     }
+    // Remove unread entries for projects that no longer exist
+    await projectStateStore.pruneDeletedProjects(existingIds);
   } catch {
     // If we can't list projects (e.g. store error), stay on home
     console.warn('[Navigation] Could not verify last project, falling back to home');
diff --git a/apps/mark/src/lib/stores/projectState.svelte.ts b/apps/mark/src/lib/stores/projectState.svelte.ts
index 46506e04..2804cc03 100644
--- a/apps/mark/src/lib/stores/projectState.svelte.ts
+++ b/apps/mark/src/lib/stores/projectState.svelte.ts
@@ -9,12 +9,17 @@
  * - The user navigates to that project
  *
  * Running sessions are tracked to show spinners on project cards
+ * Unread state is persisted to disk and the macOS dock badge is kept in sync.
  *
  * Note: Session-to-project lookups are now delegated to the unified sessionRegistry
  */
 
+import { getCurrentWindow } from '@tauri-apps/api/window';
+import { getStoreValue, setStoreValue } from '../shared/persistentStore';
 import { sessionRegistry, type SessionType } from './sessionRegistry.svelte';
 
+const UNREAD_PROJECTS_STORE_KEY = 'unread-projects';
+
 interface ProjectState {
   unread: boolean;
   runningSessions: Set<string>; // Set of session IDs currently running in this project
@@ -84,6 +89,7 @@ class ProjectStateStore {
     const state = this.getOrCreateState(projectId);
     state.unread = false;
     this.version++; // Trigger reactivity
+    this.persistAndBadge();
   }
 
   /**
@@ -94,6 +100,7 @@ class ProjectStateStore {
     const state = this.getOrCreateState(projectId);
     state.unread = true;
     this.version++; // Trigger reactivity
+    this.persistAndBadge();
   }
 
   /**
@@ -190,6 +197,79 @@ class ProjectStateStore {
     }
     return types;
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Get the number of projects currently in the unread state.
+   */
+  getUnreadCount(): number {
+    this.version;
+    let count = 0;
+    for (const state of this.states.values()) {
+      if (state.unread) count++;
+    }
+    return count;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Persist the current set of unread project IDs to disk and update the dock badge.
+   */
+  private persistAndBadge(): void {
+    const ids: string[] = [];
+    for (const [id, state] of this.states) {
+      if (state.unread) ids.push(id);
+    }
+    setStoreValue(UNREAD_PROJECTS_STORE_KEY, ids);
+    getCurrentWindow()
+      .setBadgeCount(ids.length || undefined)
+      .catch(() => {
+        // setBadgeCount may be unsupported on some platforms — ignore
+      });
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Restore unread state from the persistent store and sync the badge.
+   * Must be called after initPersistentStore().
+   */
+  async initFromStore(): Promise<void> {
+    const ids = await getStoreValue<string[]>(UNREAD_PROJECTS_STORE_KEY);
+    if (ids && ids.length > 0) {
+      for (const id of ids) {
+        const state = this.getOrCreateState(id);
+        state.unread = true;
+      }
+      this.version++;
+      getCurrentWindow()
+        .setBadgeCount(ids.length)
+        .catch(() => {});
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Remove unread entries for projects that no longer exist.
+   * Operates directly on persisted data so it works regardless of
+   * whether initFromStore() has run yet.
+   */
+  async pruneDeletedProjects(existingProjectIds: Set<string>): Promise<void> {
+    const ids = await getStoreValue<string[]>(UNREAD_PROJECTS_STORE_KEY);
+    if (!ids || ids.length === 0) return;
+
+    const kept = ids.filter((id) => existingProjectIds.has(id));
+    if (kept.length === ids.length) return;
+
+    await setStoreValue(UNREAD_PROJECTS_STORE_KEY, kept);
+
+    // Also update in-memory state if it has been initialized
+    for (const id of ids) {
+      if (!existingProjectIds.has(id)) {
+        const state = this.states.get(id);
+        if (state) state.unread = false;
+      }
+    }
+    this.version++;
+    getCurrentWindow()
+      .setBadgeCount(kept.length || undefined)
+      .catch(() => {});
+  }
 }
 
 export const projectStateStore = new ProjectStateStore();