diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/collectionViewItemTree.jsx b/chrome/content/zotero/collectionViewItemTree.jsx
index 0968d1f374..bc3f750892 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/collectionViewItemTree.jsx
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/collectionViewItemTree.jsx
@@ -732,6 +732,7 @@ class CollectionViewItemTreeRowProvider extends ItemTreeRowProvider {
 					this._removeRows(rows);
 					rowsToInvalidate = true; // all rows
 					this.runListeners('update', true);
+					this.itemTree.runListeners('rowCountChange');
 				}
 			}
 
@@ -1084,6 +1085,10 @@ class CollectionViewItemTreeRowProvider extends ItemTreeRowProvider {
 				selection: rowsToSelect
 			});
 		}
+
+		if (madeChanges || refresh) {
+			this.itemTree.runListeners('rowCountChange');
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1102,8 +1107,10 @@ class CollectionViewItemTree extends ItemTree {
 		// Triggered when the item tree is refreshed:
 		// - Collection/view changed (changeCollectionTreeRow)
 		// - Search/filter updated (setFilter)
-		// - Items added/removed/modified (notify -> refresh)
 		this.onRefresh = this.createEventBinding('refresh');
+		// Triggered when notifier events change the rows in the view without a full refresh
+		// (e.g., items added during a sync)
+		this.onRowCountChange = this.createEventBinding('rowCountChange');
 	}
 
 	get viewMode() { return this.rowProvider.viewMode; }
diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/zoteroPane.js b/chrome/content/zotero/zoteroPane.js
index 2bb5c836dc..3139d6e6c6 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/zoteroPane.js
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/zoteroPane.js
@@ -1613,6 +1613,20 @@ var ZoteroPane = new function () {
 			ZoteroPane.itemsView.onRefresh.addListener(async () => {
 				await ZoteroPane.itemSelected();
 			});
+			// Also update the count when rows are added or removed by notifier events with
+			// nothing selected (e.g., items downloaded during a sync). Debounced so that the
+			// item pane doesn't re-render within the notifier dispatch or once per event in
+			// a burst of changes.
+			let updateUnselectedCount = Zotero.Utilities.debounce(() => {
+				if (!ZoteroPane.itemsView.selection.count) {
+					ZoteroPane.itemSelected();
+				}
+			}, 100);
+			ZoteroPane.itemsView.onRowCountChange.addListener(() => {
+				if (!ZoteroPane.itemsView.selection.count) {
+					updateUnselectedCount();
+				}
+			});
 			ZoteroPane.itemsView.waitForLoad().then(() => Zotero.uiIsReady());
 
 			ItemTreeMenuBar.setItemTreeSortKeys(ZoteroPane.itemsView);
diff --git a/test/tests/itemPaneTest.js b/test/tests/itemPaneTest.js
index e8011f43cb..898589124b 100644
--- a/test/tests/itemPaneTest.js
+++ b/test/tests/itemPaneTest.js
@@ -250,6 +250,57 @@ describe("Item pane", function () {
 		});
 	});
 	
+	describe("Message pane", function () {
+		it("should update items-in-view count when an item is added with no selection", async function () {
+			var collection = await createDataObject('collection');
+			await ZoteroPane.collectionsView.selectCollection(collection.id);
+			await waitForItemsLoad(win);
+			
+			var messageBox = doc.querySelector('#zotero-item-pane-message-box');
+			var emptyMessage = await doc.l10n.formatValue('item-pane-message-unselected', { count: 0 });
+			var oneItemMessage = await doc.l10n.formatValue('item-pane-message-unselected', { count: 1 });
+			for (let i = 0; i < 100 && !messageBox.textContent.includes(emptyMessage); i++) {
+				await Zotero.Promise.delay(10);
+			}
+			assert.include(messageBox.textContent, emptyMessage);
+			
+			await createDataObject('item', { collections: [collection.id] }, { skipSelect: true });
+			
+			for (let i = 0; i < 100 && !messageBox.textContent.includes(oneItemMessage); i++) {
+				await Zotero.Promise.delay(10);
+			}
+			assert.include(messageBox.textContent, oneItemMessage);
+		});
+		
+		it("should update items-in-view count when a restored item is removed from the trash with no selection", async function () {
+			var group = await createGroup();
+			var item = await createDataObject('item', { libraryID: group.libraryID, deleted: true }, { skipSelect: true });
+			await selectTrash(win, group.libraryID);
+			
+			var messageBox = doc.querySelector('#zotero-item-pane-message-box');
+			var emptyMessage = await doc.l10n.formatValue('item-pane-message-unselected', { count: 0 });
+			var oneItemMessage = await doc.l10n.formatValue('item-pane-message-unselected', { count: 1 });
+			for (let i = 0; i < 100 && !messageBox.textContent.includes(oneItemMessage); i++) {
+				await Zotero.Promise.delay(10);
+			}
+			assert.include(messageBox.textContent, oneItemMessage);
+			
+			// Restore the item without notifications, so that the row remains until a
+			// 'refresh' notification arrives (e.g., from retractions or full-text
+			// indexing) and the tree notices that the item is no longer deleted
+			item.deleted = false;
+			await item.saveTx({ skipNotifier: true });
+			assert.include(messageBox.textContent, oneItemMessage);
+			
+			await Zotero.Notifier.trigger('refresh', 'item', [item.id]);
+			
+			for (let i = 0; i < 100 && !messageBox.textContent.includes(emptyMessage); i++) {
+				await Zotero.Promise.delay(10);
+			}
+			assert.include(messageBox.textContent, emptyMessage);
+		});
+	});
+	
 	describe("Info pane", function () {
 		before(async () => {
 			await activateZoteroPane();