diff --git a/addons/mail/doc/index.rst.inc b/addons/mail/doc/index.rst.inc
index 822d855d5b4..c4b87cc18f9 100644
--- a/addons/mail/doc/index.rst.inc
+++ b/addons/mail/doc/index.rst.inc
@@ -10,3 +10,4 @@ Mail Module documentation topics
    mail_openchatter_howto
    mail_needaction_howto
    mail_partner
+   mail_state
diff --git a/addons/mail/ir_needaction.py b/addons/mail/ir_needaction.py
index 18c862a911b..cb46f0829af 100644
--- a/addons/mail/ir_needaction.py
+++ b/addons/mail/ir_needaction.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ class ir_needaction_mixin(osv.Model):
         """
         result = super(ir_needaction_mixin, self).get_needaction_user_ids(cr, uid, ids, context=context)
         for obj in self.browse(cr, uid, ids, context=context):
-            if obj.message_thread_read == False and obj.user_id:
+            if obj.message_state == False and obj.user_id:
                 result[obj.id].add(obj.user_id.id)
         return result
 
diff --git a/addons/mail/mail_thread.py b/addons/mail/mail_thread.py
index 3d3f702a76c..c01eed42e31 100644
--- a/addons/mail/mail_thread.py
+++ b/addons/mail/mail_thread.py
@@ -73,12 +73,12 @@ class mail_thread(osv.Model):
         'message_ids': fields.function(_get_message_ids, method=True,
                         type='one2many', obj='mail.message', string='Temp messages', _fields_id = 'res_id',
                         help="Functional field holding messages related to the current document."),
-        'message_thread_read': fields.boolean('Read',
+        'message_state': fields.boolean('Read',
                         help="When checked, new messages require your attention."),
     }
     
     _defaults = {
-        'message_thread_read': True,
+        'message_state': True,
     }
 
     #------------------------------------------------------
@@ -836,7 +836,7 @@ class mail_thread(osv.Model):
     #------------------------------------------------------
 
     def message_mark_as_read(self, cr, uid, ids, context=None):
-        return self.write(cr, uid, ids, {'message_thread_read': True}, context=context)
+        return self.write(cr, uid, ids, {'message_state': True}, context=context)
     
     def message_create_mark_as_unread(self, cr, uid, ids, context=None):
         for obj in self.browse(cr, uid, ids, context=context):
@@ -844,7 +844,7 @@ class mail_thread(osv.Model):
                 self.mark_as_unread(cr, uid, [obj.id], context=None)
     
     def message_mark_as_unread(self, cr, uid, ids, context=None):
-        return self.write(cr, uid, ids, {'message_thread_read': False}, context=context)
+        return self.write(cr, uid, ids, {'message_state': False}, context=context)
 
 
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