diff --git a/src/app/pages/client/direct/Direct.tsx b/src/app/pages/client/direct/Direct.tsx
index e125df0f0..74e34d2b8 100644
--- a/src/app/pages/client/direct/Direct.tsx
+++ b/src/app/pages/client/direct/Direct.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import React, { MouseEventHandler, forwardRef, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import { useAtom, useAtomValue } from 'jotai';
+import { selectAtom } from 'jotai/utils';
 import {
   Avatar,
   Box,
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@ function DirectHeader() {
       <PageNavHeader>
         <Box alignItems="Center" grow="Yes" gap="300">
           <Box grow="Yes">
-            <Text size="H4" truncate>
+            <Text as="h2" size="H4" truncate>
               Direct Messages
             </Text>
           </Box>
@@ -174,7 +175,25 @@ export function Direct() {
   const scrollRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const directs = useDirectRooms();
   const notificationPreferences = useRoomsNotificationPreferencesContext();
-  const roomToUnread = useAtomValue(roomToUnreadAtom);
+  const roomsWithUnreadSet = useAtomValue(
+    useMemo(
+      () =>
+        selectAtom(
+          roomToUnreadAtom,
+          (rtu) => {
+            const s = new Set<string>();
+            for (const id of rtu.keys()) s.add(id);
+            return s;
+          },
+          (a, b) => {
+            if (a.size !== b.size) return false;
+            for (const id of a) if (!b.has(id)) return false;
+            return true;
+          }
+        ),
+      []
+    )
+  );
   const navigate = useNavigate();
 
   const createDirectSelected = useDirectCreateSelected();
@@ -186,10 +205,10 @@ export function Direct() {
   const sortedDirects = useMemo(() => {
     const items = Array.from(directs).sort(factoryRoomIdByActivity(mx));
     if (closedCategories.has(DEFAULT_CATEGORY_ID)) {
-      return items.filter((rId) => roomToUnread.has(rId) || rId === selectedRoomId);
+      return items.filter((rId) => roomsWithUnreadSet.has(rId) || rId === selectedRoomId);
     }
     return items;
-  }, [mx, directs, closedCategories, roomToUnread, selectedRoomId]);
+  }, [mx, directs, closedCategories, roomsWithUnreadSet, selectedRoomId]);
 
   const virtualizer = useVirtualizer({
     count: sortedDirects.length,
diff --git a/src/app/pages/client/home/Home.tsx b/src/app/pages/client/home/Home.tsx
index c216742c4..a2f1142d2 100644
--- a/src/app/pages/client/home/Home.tsx
+++ b/src/app/pages/client/home/Home.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import {
 } from 'folds';
 import { useVirtualizer } from '@tanstack/react-virtual';
 import { useAtom, useAtomValue } from 'jotai';
+import { selectAtom } from 'jotai/utils';
 import FocusTrap from 'focus-trap-react';
 import { factoryRoomIdByActivity, factoryRoomIdByAtoZ } from '../../../utils/sort';
 import {
@@ -116,7 +117,7 @@ function HomeHeader() {
       <PageNavHeader>
         <Box alignItems="Center" grow="Yes" gap="300">
           <Box grow="Yes">
-            <Text size="H4" truncate>
+            <Text as="h2" size="H4" truncate>
               Home
             </Text>
           </Box>
@@ -200,7 +201,26 @@ export function Home() {
   const scrollRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const rooms = useHomeRooms();
   const notificationPreferences = useRoomsNotificationPreferencesContext();
-  const roomToUnread = useAtomValue(roomToUnreadAtom);
+  // Perf-3: only re-render when the set of rooms WITH unread changes, not on count updates
+  const roomsWithUnreadSet = useAtomValue(
+    useMemo(
+      () =>
+        selectAtom(
+          roomToUnreadAtom,
+          (rtu) => {
+            const s = new Set<string>();
+            for (const id of rtu.keys()) s.add(id);
+            return s;
+          },
+          (a, b) => {
+            if (a.size !== b.size) return false;
+            for (const id of a) if (!b.has(id)) return false;
+            return true;
+          }
+        ),
+      []
+    )
+  );
   const navigate = useNavigate();
 
   const selectedRoomId = useSelectedRoom();
@@ -216,10 +236,10 @@ export function Home() {
         : factoryRoomIdByAtoZ(mx)
     );
     if (closedCategories.has(DEFAULT_CATEGORY_ID)) {
-      return items.filter((rId) => roomToUnread.has(rId) || rId === selectedRoomId);
+      return items.filter((rId) => roomsWithUnreadSet.has(rId) || rId === selectedRoomId);
     }
     return items;
-  }, [mx, rooms, closedCategories, roomToUnread, selectedRoomId]);
+  }, [mx, rooms, closedCategories, roomsWithUnreadSet, selectedRoomId]);
 
   const virtualizer = useVirtualizer({
     count: sortedRooms.length,
diff --git a/src/app/pages/client/inbox/Inbox.tsx b/src/app/pages/client/inbox/Inbox.tsx
index 67d6021a3..144e69050 100644
--- a/src/app/pages/client/inbox/Inbox.tsx
+++ b/src/app/pages/client/inbox/Inbox.tsx
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export function Inbox() {
       <PageNavHeader>
         <Box grow="Yes" gap="300">
           <Box grow="Yes">
-            <Text size="H4" truncate>
+            <Text as="h2" size="H4" truncate>
               Inbox
             </Text>
           </Box>
diff --git a/src/app/pages/client/space/Space.tsx b/src/app/pages/client/space/Space.tsx
index 1f18afe4e..f4207eb3e 100644
--- a/src/app/pages/client/space/Space.tsx
+++ b/src/app/pages/client/space/Space.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import React, {
   useState,
 } from 'react';
 import { useAtom, useAtomValue } from 'jotai';
+import { selectAtom } from 'jotai/utils';
 import {
   Avatar,
   Box,
@@ -267,7 +268,7 @@ function SpaceHeader() {
       <PageNavHeader>
         <Box alignItems="Center" grow="Yes" gap="300">
           <Box grow="Yes" alignItems="Center" gap="100">
-            <Text size="H4" truncate>
+            <Text as="h2" size="H4" truncate>
               {spaceName}
             </Text>
             {joinRules?.join_rule !== JoinRule.Public && <Icon src={Icons.Lock} size="50" />}
@@ -382,7 +383,25 @@ export function Space() {
   const spaceIdOrAlias = getCanonicalAliasOrRoomId(mx, space.roomId);
   const scrollRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const mDirects = useAtomValue(mDirectAtom);
-  const roomToUnread = useAtomValue(roomToUnreadAtom);
+  const roomsWithUnreadSet = useAtomValue(
+    useMemo(
+      () =>
+        selectAtom(
+          roomToUnreadAtom,
+          (rtu) => {
+            const s = new Set<string>();
+            for (const id of rtu.keys()) s.add(id);
+            return s;
+          },
+          (a, b) => {
+            if (a.size !== b.size) return false;
+            for (const id of a) if (!b.has(id)) return false;
+            return true;
+          }
+        ),
+      []
+    )
+  );
   const allRooms = useAtomValue(allRoomsAtom);
   const allJoinedRooms = useMemo(() => new Set(allRooms), [allRooms]);
   const notificationPreferences = useRoomsNotificationPreferencesContext();
@@ -414,10 +433,10 @@ export function Space() {
           return false;
         }
         const showRoomAnyway =
-          roomToUnread.has(roomId) || roomId === selectedRoomId || callEmbed?.roomId === roomId;
+          roomsWithUnreadSet.has(roomId) || roomId === selectedRoomId || callEmbed?.roomId === roomId;
         return !showRoomAnyway;
       },
-      [space.roomId, closedCategories, roomToUnread, selectedRoomId, callEmbed]
+      [space.roomId, closedCategories, roomsWithUnreadSet, selectedRoomId, callEmbed]
     ),
     useCallback(
       (sId) => closedCategories.has(makeNavCategoryId(space.roomId, sId)),