diff --git a/addons/hr_recruitment/data/hr_recruitment_demo.xml b/addons/hr_recruitment/data/hr_recruitment_demo.xml
index 41c9ea456f2..a10ea4bb939 100644
--- a/addons/hr_recruitment/data/hr_recruitment_demo.xml
+++ b/addons/hr_recruitment/data/hr_recruitment_demo.xml
@@ -221,8 +221,8 @@
         <field name="subtype_id" ref="mail.mt_comment"/>
         <field name="author_id" ref="base.partner_demo"/>
     </record>
-    <function model="mail.message" name="set_message_starred"
-            eval="[ ref('msg_case18_aplicant')], True"
+    <function model="mail.message" name="toggle_message_starred"
+            eval="[ref('msg_case18_aplicant')]"
     />
     <record id="msg_case_salesman0_aplicant" model="mail.message">
         <field name="subject">Refuse Application</field>
diff --git a/addons/mail/controllers/main.py b/addons/mail/controllers/main.py
index 8fa7777ca5d..6aa5d854aaa 100644
--- a/addons/mail/controllers/main.py
+++ b/addons/mail/controllers/main.py
@@ -240,6 +240,7 @@ class MailController(http.Controller):
     def mail_client_action(self):
         values = {
             'needaction_inbox_counter': request.env['res.partner'].get_needaction_count(),
+            'starred_counter': request.env['res.partner'].get_starred_count(),
             'channel_slots': request.env['mail.channel'].channel_fetch_slot(),
             'mention_partner_suggestions': request.env['res.partner'].get_static_mention_suggestions(),
             'emoji': request.env['mail.shortcode'].sudo().search_read([('shortcode_type', '=', 'image')], ['source', 'substitution', 'description']),
diff --git a/addons/mail/models/mail_message.py b/addons/mail/models/mail_message.py
index 949cef23138..c054b6e10a3 100644
--- a/addons/mail/models/mail_message.py
+++ b/addons/mail/models/mail_message.py
@@ -237,14 +237,13 @@ class Message(models.Model):
         self.env['bus.bus'].sendone((self._cr.dbname, 'res.partner', self.env.user.partner_id.id), notification)
 
     @api.multi
-    def set_message_starred(self, starred):
-        """ Set messages as (un)starred. Technically, the notifications related
+    def toggle_message_starred(self):
+        """ Toggle messages as (un)starred. Technically, the notifications related
             to uid are set to (un)starred.
-
-            :param bool starred: set notification as (un)starred
         """
         # a user should always be able to star a message he can read
         self.check_access_rule('read')
+        starred = not self.starred
         if starred:
             self.sudo().write({'starred_partner_ids': [(4, self.env.user.partner_id.id)]})
         else:
diff --git a/addons/mail/models/res_partner.py b/addons/mail/models/res_partner.py
index 5e3f4685282..46012ce2447 100644
--- a/addons/mail/models/res_partner.py
+++ b/addons/mail/models/res_partner.py
@@ -227,6 +227,18 @@ class Partner(models.Model):
         _logger.error('Call to needaction_count without partner_id')
         return 0
 
+    @api.model
+    def get_starred_count(self):
+        """ compute the number of starred of the current user """
+        if self.env.user.partner_id:
+            self.env.cr.execute("""
+                SELECT count(*) as starred_count
+                FROM mail_message_res_partner_starred_rel R
+                WHERE R.res_partner_id = %s """, (self.env.user.partner_id.id,))
+            return self.env.cr.dictfetchall()[0].get('starred_count')
+        _logger.error('Call to starred_count without partner_id')
+        return 0
+
     @api.model
     def get_static_mention_suggestions(self):
         """ To be overwritten to return the id, name and email of partners used as static mention
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/js/chat_manager.js b/addons/mail/static/src/js/chat_manager.js
index bc1d7ec4d48..4c57a8453b7 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/js/chat_manager.js
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/js/chat_manager.js
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ var unread_conversation_counter = 0;
 var emojis = [];
 var emoji_substitutions = {};
 var needaction_counter = 0;
+var starred_counter = 0;
 var mention_partner_suggestions = [];
 var discuss_menu_id;
 var global_unread_counter = 0;
@@ -498,14 +499,17 @@ function on_toggle_star_notification (data) {
             message.is_starred = data.starred;
             if (!message.is_starred) {
                 remove_message_from_channel("channel_starred", message);
+                starred_counter--;
             } else {
                 add_to_cache(message, []);
                 var channel_starred = chat_manager.get_channel('channel_starred');
                 channel_starred.cache = _.pick(channel_starred.cache, "[]");
+                starred_counter++;
             }
             chat_manager.bus.trigger('update_message', message);
         }
     });
+    chat_manager.bus.trigger('update_starred', starred_counter);
 }
 
 function on_mark_as_read_notification (data) {
@@ -684,7 +688,7 @@ var chat_manager = {
     toggle_star_status: function (message_id) {
         var msg = _.findWhere(messages, { id: message_id });
 
-        return MessageModel.call('set_message_starred', [[message_id], !msg.is_starred]);
+        return MessageModel.call('toggle_message_starred', [[message_id]]);
     },
     unstar_all: function () {
         return MessageModel.call('unstar_all', [[]], {});
@@ -761,6 +765,9 @@ var chat_manager = {
     get_needaction_counter: function () {
         return needaction_counter;
     },
+    get_starred_counter: function () {
+        return starred_counter;
+    },
     get_chat_unread_counter: function () {
         return chat_unread_counter;
     },
@@ -968,6 +975,7 @@ function init () {
             _.each(channels, add_channel);
         });
         needaction_counter = result.needaction_inbox_counter;
+        starred_counter = result.starred_counter;
         mention_partner_suggestions = result.mention_partner_suggestions;
         emojis = result.emoji;
         _.each(emojis, function(emoji) {
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/js/client_action.js b/addons/mail/static/src/js/client_action.js
index 3e3def75383..1b3f9666ec4 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/js/client_action.js
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/js/client_action.js
@@ -262,6 +262,7 @@ var ChatAction = Widget.extend(ControlPanelMixin, {
                 });
                 chat_manager.bus.on('unsubscribe_from_channel', self, self.render_sidebar);
                 chat_manager.bus.on('update_needaction', self, self.throttled_render_sidebar);
+                chat_manager.bus.on('update_starred', self, self.throttled_render_sidebar);
                 chat_manager.bus.on('update_channel_unread_counter', self, self.throttled_render_sidebar);
                 chat_manager.bus.on('update_dm_presence', self, self.throttled_render_sidebar);
                 self.thread.$el.on("scroll", null, _.debounce(function () {
@@ -303,6 +304,7 @@ var ChatAction = Widget.extend(ControlPanelMixin, {
             active_channel_id: this.channel ? this.channel.id: undefined,
             channels: chat_manager.get_channels(),
             needaction_counter: chat_manager.get_needaction_counter(),
+            starred_counter: chat_manager.get_starred_counter(),
         }));
         this.$(".o_mail_chat_sidebar").html($sidebar.contents());
 
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/xml/client_action.xml b/addons/mail/static/src/xml/client_action.xml
index cc819aece0a..746082b7fe9 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/xml/client_action.xml
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/xml/client_action.xml
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
             <div t-attf-class="o_mail_chat_channel_item #{(active_channel_id == 'channel_starred') ? 'o_active': ''}"
                  data-channel-id="channel_starred">
                 <span class="o_channel_name"> <i class="fa fa-star-o"/> Starred </span>
+                <t t-set="counter" t-value="starred_counter"/>
+                <t t-call="mail.chat.SidebarNeedaction"/>
             </div>
 
             <t t-set="channel_type" t-value="'public'"/>
diff --git a/addons/mail/tests/test_mail_message.py b/addons/mail/tests/test_mail_message.py
index edd0f0eae9a..6407d97c9cf 100644
--- a/addons/mail/tests/test_mail_message.py
+++ b/addons/mail/tests/test_mail_message.py
@@ -240,14 +240,14 @@ class TestMailMessage(TestMail):
         msg_emp = self.env['mail.message'].sudo(self.user_employee).browse(msg.id)
 
         # Admin set as starred
-        msg.set_message_starred(True)
+        msg.toggle_message_starred()
         self.assertTrue(msg.starred)
 
         # Employee set as starred
-        msg_emp.set_message_starred(True)
+        msg_emp.toggle_message_starred()
         self.assertTrue(msg_emp.starred)
 
         # Do: Admin unstars msg
-        msg.set_message_starred(False)
+        msg.toggle_message_starred()
         self.assertFalse(msg.starred)
         self.assertTrue(msg_emp.starred)