diff --git a/src/app/utils/room.test.ts b/src/app/utils/room.test.ts
index 85d73d914..2e2cbcceb 100644
--- a/src/app/utils/room.test.ts
+++ b/src/app/utils/room.test.ts
@@ -357,6 +357,28 @@ test('isNotificationEvent accepts message/sticker but rejects member, redacted,
     ),
     false,
   );
+
+  // Device-verification requests (m.room.message + this msgtype) are crypto
+  // control messages — must NOT count as unread/notify (stale-request nag fix).
+  assert.equal(
+    isNotificationEvent(
+      mockEvent({
+        getType: () => 'm.room.message',
+        getContent: () => ({ msgtype: 'm.key.verification.request' }),
+      }),
+    ),
+    false,
+  );
+  // Regression guard: a normal text message still notifies.
+  assert.equal(
+    isNotificationEvent(
+      mockEvent({
+        getType: () => 'm.room.message',
+        getContent: () => ({ msgtype: 'm.text', body: 'hi' }),
+      }),
+    ),
+    true,
+  );
 });
 
 // --- roomHaveNotification / getUnreadInfo --------------------------------
diff --git a/src/app/utils/room.ts b/src/app/utils/room.ts
index a957328da..fc03b78b5 100644
--- a/src/app/utils/room.ts
+++ b/src/app/utils/room.ts
@@ -195,12 +195,21 @@ const NOTIFICATION_EVENT_TYPES = [
   'm.room.member',
   'm.sticker',
 ];
+// In-room device-verification requests are sent as m.room.message with this
+// msgtype (the rest of the flow — start/accept/key/mac/done/cancel — uses its own
+// event types, already excluded above). They're crypto control messages, not chat.
+const VERIFICATION_REQUEST_MSGTYPE = 'm.key.verification.request';
 export const isNotificationEvent = (mEvent: MatrixEvent) => {
   const eType = mEvent.getType();
   if (!NOTIFICATION_EVENT_TYPES.includes(eType)) {
     return false;
   }
   if (eType === 'm.room.member') return false;
+  // Don't badge/notify a verification request — otherwise a stale one at the tail
+  // of a DM re-lights the room's unread dot on every fresh sync (cache clear).
+  if (eType === 'm.room.message' && mEvent.getContent().msgtype === VERIFICATION_REQUEST_MSGTYPE) {
+    return false;
+  }
 
   if (mEvent.isRedacted()) return false;
   if (mEvent.getRelation()?.rel_type === 'm.replace') return false;