diff --git a/mytwitter.py b/mytwitter.py
index 35caa11..b30f6ee 100755
--- a/mytwitter.py
+++ b/mytwitter.py
@@ -85,9 +85,15 @@ class MyTwitter():
                 statuses = self.api.GetMentions(count=self.num_entries)
             else:
                 statuses = self.api.GetListStatuses(list_name, per_page=self.num_entries)
-                
+
             pane.update_window(statuses)
 
+            # Update the label with the number of unread tweets
+            pane_text = list_name
+            if pane.get_num_new_tweets() > 0:
+                pane_text += ' (' + str(pane.get_num_new_tweets()) + ')'
+            self.tweet_notebook.get_tab_label(pane).set_label_text(pane_text)
+
 
     def update_windows_callback(self, widget):
         self.update_windows()
@@ -166,6 +172,7 @@ class MyTwitter():
         tab_label = CloseTabLabel(name)
         self.tweet_notebook.append_page(widget, tab_label)
         tab_label.connect('clicked', self.remove_view, name)
+        self.tweet_notebook.set_current_page(-1) # switch to the new pane
 
 
 ### end class MyTwitter
@@ -210,6 +217,9 @@ class TweetPane(gtk.ScrolledWindow):
             self.tweets[i].connect('retweet', self.mytwitter.on_retweet)
 
         viewport.add(tweet_box)
+
+        self.connect('focus', self.set_tweets_read)
+
         self.add(viewport)
         self.set_policy(gtk.POLICY_NEVER, gtk.POLICY_ALWAYS)
         self.show_all()
@@ -243,6 +253,7 @@ class TweetPane(gtk.ScrolledWindow):
     def set_tweets_read(self):
         print 'debug: set_tweets_read()'
         self.last_tweet_read = self.latest_tweet
+        self.num_new_tweets = 0
 
     
     def set_tweets_read_callback(self, event):
@@ -356,7 +367,7 @@ class TweetBox(gtk.VBox):
                                    gtk.gdk.color_parse("#f2f1f0"))
         else:
             self.text_eb.modify_bg(gtk.STATE_NORMAL,
-                                   gtk.gdk.color_parse("#"))
+                                   gtk.gdk.color_parse("#dbffdb"))
 
 
     def on_reply_clicked(self, widget):