diff --git a/internal_packages/message-list/lib/message-list.cjsx b/internal_packages/message-list/lib/message-list.cjsx
index 3f2e50635..d6f102a71 100755
--- a/internal_packages/message-list/lib/message-list.cjsx
+++ b/internal_packages/message-list/lib/message-list.cjsx
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ class MessageList extends React.Component
     subject = "(No Subject)" if not subject or subject.length is 0
 
     <div className="message-subject-wrap">
-      <MailImportantIcon thread={@state.currentThread} />
+      <MailImportantIcon thread={@state.currentThread}/>
       <span className="message-subject">{subject}</span>
       {@_renderLabels()}
       {@_renderIcons()}
diff --git a/internal_packages/thread-list/lib/thread-list-columns.cjsx b/internal_packages/thread-list/lib/thread-list-columns.cjsx
index aa4a4a3a2..5ed95461b 100644
--- a/internal_packages/thread-list/lib/thread-list-columns.cjsx
+++ b/internal_packages/thread-list/lib/thread-list-columns.cjsx
@@ -28,7 +28,10 @@ c1 = new ListTabular.Column
   resolver: (thread) =>
     [
       <ThreadListIcon key="thread-list-icon" thread={thread} />
-      <MailImportantIcon key="mail-important-icon" thread={thread} />
+      <MailImportantIcon
+        key="mail-important-icon"
+        thread={thread}
+        showIfAvailableForAnyAccount={true} />
       <InjectedComponentSet
         key="injected-component-set"
         inline={true}
@@ -125,7 +128,9 @@ cNarrow = new ListTabular.Column
         {attachment}
         <span className="timestamp">{timestamp(thread.lastMessageReceivedTimestamp)}</span>
       </div>
-      <MailImportantIcon thread={thread} />
+      <MailImportantIcon
+        thread={thread}
+        showIfAvailableForAnyAccount={true} />
       <div className="subject">{subject(thread.subject)}</div>
       <div className="snippet">{thread.snippet}</div>
     </div>
diff --git a/src/components/mail-important-icon.cjsx b/src/components/mail-important-icon.cjsx
index 1865ab1f8..b7e51b423 100644
--- a/src/components/mail-important-icon.cjsx
+++ b/src/components/mail-important-icon.cjsx
@@ -15,26 +15,32 @@ class MailImportantIcon extends React.Component
   @displayName: 'MailImportantIcon'
   @propTypes:
     thread: React.PropTypes.object
+    showIfAvailableForAnyAccount: React.PropTypes.bool
 
   constructor: (@props) ->
     @state = @getState()
 
-  getState: =>
-    perspective = FocusedPerspectiveStore.current()
-
-    categoryId = null
+  getState: (props = @props) =>
+    category = null
     visible = false
 
-    for accountId in perspective.accountIds
-      account = AccountStore.accountForId(accountId)
-      accountImportantId = CategoryStore.getStandardCategory(account, 'important')?.id
-      if accountImportantId
-        visible = true
-      if accountId is @props.thread.accountId
-        categoryId = accountImportantId
-      break if visible and categoryId
+    if props.showIfAvailableForAnyAccount
+      perspective = FocusedPerspectiveStore.current()
+      for accountId in perspective.accountIds
+        account = AccountStore.accountForId(accountId)
+        accountImportant = CategoryStore.getStandardCategory(account, 'important')
+        if accountImportant
+          visible = true
+        if accountId is props.thread.accountId
+          category = accountImportant
+        break if visible and category
+    else
+      category = CategoryStore.getStandardCategory(props.thread.accountId, 'important')
+      visible = category?
 
-    {visible, categoryId}
+    isImportant = category and _.findWhere(@props.thread.categories, {id: category.id})?
+
+    {visible, category, isImportant}
 
   componentDidMount: =>
     @unsubscribe = FocusedPerspectiveStore.listen =>
@@ -42,27 +48,27 @@ class MailImportantIcon extends React.Component
     @subscription = NylasEnv.config.observe ShowImportantKey, =>
       @setState(@getState())
 
+  componentWillReceiveProps: (nextProps) =>
+    @setState(@getState(nextProps))
+
   componentWillUnmount: =>
     @unsubscribe?()
     @subscription?.dispose()
 
   shouldComponentUpdate: (nextProps, nextState) =>
-    return false if nextProps.thread is @props.thread and @state.visible is nextState.visible and @state.categoryId is nextState.categoryId
-    true
+    not _.isEqual(nextState, @state)
 
   render: =>
     return false unless @state.visible
 
-    isImportant = @state.categoryId and _.findWhere(@props.thread.categories, {id: @state.categoryId})?
-
     classes = classNames
       'mail-important-icon': true
-      'enabled': @state.categoryId
-      'active': isImportant
+      'enabled': @state.category?
+      'active': @state.isImportant
 
-    if not @state.categoryId
+    if not @state.category
       title = "No important folder / label"
-    else if isImportant
+    else if @state.isImportant
       title = "Mark as unimportant"
     else
       title = "Mark as important"
@@ -72,8 +78,10 @@ class MailImportantIcon extends React.Component
          onClick={@_onToggleImportant}></div>
 
   _onToggleImportant: (event) =>
-    if @state.categoryId
-      isImportant = _.findWhere(@props.thread.categories, {id: @state.categoryId})?
+    {category} = @state
+
+    if category
+      isImportant = _.findWhere(@props.thread.categories, {id: category.id})?
       threads = [@props.thread]
 
       if !isImportant