diff --git a/background/background.js b/background/background.js
index 4d246045..7b1f425f 100644
--- a/background/background.js
+++ b/background/background.js
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@ window.API_METHODS = Object.assign(window.API_METHODS || {}, {
   openEditor,
 
   updateIconBadge(count) {
+    // TODO: remove once our manifest's minimum_chrome_version is 50+
+    // Chrome 49 doesn't report own extension pages in webNavigation apparently
+    // so we do a force update which doesn't use the cache.
+    if (CHROME && CHROME < 2661 && this.sender.tab.url.startsWith(URLS.ownOrigin)) {
+      return updateIconBadgeForce(this.sender.tab.id, count);
+    }
     return updateIconBadge(this.sender.tab.id, count);
   },
 
@@ -344,6 +350,11 @@ function updateIconBadge(tabId, count) {
   }
 }
 
+function updateIconBadgeForce(tabId, count) {
+  refreshIconBadgeText(tabId, {count});
+  refreshIcon(tabId, {count});
+}
+
 function refreshIconBadgeText(tabId, icon) {
   iconUtil.setBadgeText({
     text: prefs.get('show-badge') && icon.count ? String(icon.count) : '',