diff --git a/desk/app/diary.hoon b/desk/app/diary.hoon
index 206767d9cb..b2c645adc9 100644
--- a/desk/app/diary.hoon
+++ b/desk/app/diary.hoon
@@ -1087,7 +1087,12 @@
       =.  notes.diary  (reduce:di-notes time p.dif)
       =.  cor  (give-brief flag di-brief)
       =/  cons=(list (list content:ha))
-        (hark:di-notes [flag bowl p.dif])
+        ::  when using time, we need to use the new time if we're adding,
+        ::  otherwise the time on the diff is correct
+        =-  (hark:di-notes [flag bowl - q.p.dif])
+        ?+  -.q.p.dif  p.p.dif
+          %add  time
+        ==
       =/  rope
         ?:  =(%quips -.q.p.dif)
           /note/(rsh 4 (scot %ui p.p.dif))
diff --git a/desk/lib/notes.hoon b/desk/lib/notes.hoon
index 45970e9b33..2b4c08f462 100644
--- a/desk/lib/notes.hoon
+++ b/desk/lib/notes.hoon
@@ -109,57 +109,49 @@
   |=  [=flag:d =bowl:gall =time =delta:notes:d]
   ^-  (list (list content:ha))
   ?.  ?=(%quips -.delta)
-    ?.  ?=(%add -.delta)
+    ?.  ?=(%add -.delta)  ~
+    ?.  (want-hark [flag %msg bowl])  ~
+    =/  =essay:d  p.+.delta
+    =/  from-me  =(author.essay our.bowl)
+    ?:  from-me  ~
+    =/  content
+      %+  turn
+        content.essay
+      |=  =verse:d
+      ?.  ?=(%block -.verse)
+        p.+.verse
       ~
-    ?:  (want-hark [flag %msg bowl])
-      =/  =essay:d  p.+.delta
-      =/  from-me  =(author.essay our.bowl)
-      ?:  from-me  ~
-      =/  content
-        %+  turn
-          content.essay
-        |=  =verse:d
-        ?.  ?=(%block -.verse)
-          p.+.verse
-        ~
-      =-  ~[-]
-      :~  [%ship author.essay]
-          ' published a note: '
-          [%emph title.essay]
-          ' '
-          (flatten (zing content))
-      ==
-    ~
-  =/  [@ =note:d]  (got time)
-  ~!  q.p.delta
-  ?.  ?=(%add -.q.p.delta)
-    ~
+    =-  ~[-]
+    :~  [%ship author.essay]
+        ' published a note: '
+        [%emph title.essay]
+        ' '
+        (flatten (zing content))
+    ==
+  ?.  ?=(%add -.q.p.delta)  ~
+  ::  let's be extra safe here
+  =/  entry=(unit [@ =note:d])  (get time)
+  ?~  entry  ~
+  =*  note  note.u.entry
   =/  =memo:d  p.q.p.delta
   =/  in-replies
     %+  lien  (tap:on:quips:d quips.note)
     |=  [=^time =quip:d]
     =(author.quip our.bowl)
-  ?:  (want-hark [flag %msg bowl])
-    =-  ~[-]
-    :~  [%ship author.memo]
-        ' commented on '
-        [%emph title.note]
-        ': '
-        [%ship author.memo]
-        ': '
-        (flatten q.content.memo)
-    ==
+  =/  contents
+      :~  :~  [%ship author.memo]
+              ' commented on '
+              [%emph title.note]
+              ': '
+              [%ship author.memo]
+              ': '
+              (flatten q.content.memo)
+      ==  ==
+  ?:  (want-hark [flag %msg bowl])  contents
   ?:  |(=(author.memo our.bowl) &(!in-replies !=(author.note our.bowl)))  ~
   ?.  (want-hark [flag %to-us bowl])  ~
-  =-  ~[-]
-  :~  [%ship author.memo]
-      ' commented on '
-      [%emph title.note]
-      ': '
-      [%ship author.memo]
-      ': '
-      (flatten q.content.memo)
-  ==
+  contents
+::
 ::  +trace: turn note into outline
 ::
 ::    XX: should trim actual note contents, probably
diff --git a/ui/src/notifications/Notification.tsx b/ui/src/notifications/Notification.tsx
index ded967af3e..df60c871ff 100644
--- a/ui/src/notifications/Notification.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/notifications/Notification.tsx
@@ -342,9 +342,7 @@ export default function Notification({
       )}
       <div className="absolute right-5 flex-none p-1">
         <div className="flex items-center space-x-1">
-          {bin.unread ? (
-            <Bullet16Icon className="h-4 w-4 text-red sm:text-blue" />
-          ) : null}
+          {bin.unread ? <Bullet16Icon className="h-4 w-4 text-blue" /> : null}
           <span className="text-sm font-semibold">
             {makePrettyTime(new Date(bin.time))}
           </span>