diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse-common/addon/lib/icon-library.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse-common/addon/lib/icon-library.js
index 8882d7c8d60..34d6b6912c2 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse-common/addon/lib/icon-library.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse-common/addon/lib/icon-library.js
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ const REPLACEMENTS = {
   "notification.quoted": "quote-right",
   "notification.replied": "reply",
   "notification.posted": "discourse-bell-exclamation",
+  "notification.watching_category_or_tag": "discourse-bell-exclamation",
   "notification.edited": "pencil-alt",
   "notification.bookmark_reminder": "discourse-bookmark-clock",
   "notification.liked": "heart",
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/menu.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/menu.js
index fc963747a34..cd79a6c7b03 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/menu.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/menu.js
@@ -49,19 +49,12 @@ const CORE_TOP_TABS = [
         this.getUnreadCountForType("mentioned") +
         this.getUnreadCountForType("posted") +
         this.getUnreadCountForType("quoted") +
-        this.getUnreadCountForType("replied") +
-        this.getUnreadCountForType("watching_first_post")
+        this.getUnreadCountForType("replied")
       );
     }
 
     get notificationTypes() {
-      return [
-        "mentioned",
-        "posted",
-        "quoted",
-        "replied",
-        "watching_first_post",
-      ];
+      return ["mentioned", "posted", "quoted", "replied"];
     }
 
     get linkWhenActive() {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/integration/components/user-menu/menu-test.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/integration/components/user-menu/menu-test.js
index 562784895f2..36026d25119 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/integration/components/user-menu/menu-test.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/integration/components/user-menu/menu-test.js
@@ -222,8 +222,7 @@ module("Integration | Component | user-menu", function (hooks) {
           },
         ];
       } else if (
-        queryParams.filter_by_types ===
-        "mentioned,posted,quoted,replied,watching_first_post"
+        queryParams.filter_by_types === "mentioned,posted,quoted,replied"
       ) {
         data = [
           {
@@ -281,8 +280,8 @@ module("Integration | Component | user-menu", function (hooks) {
     assert.ok(exists("#quick-access-replies.quick-access-panel"));
     assert.strictEqual(
       queryParams.filter_by_types,
-      "mentioned,posted,quoted,replied,watching_first_post",
-      "request params has filter_by_types set to `mentioned`, `posted`, `quoted`, `replied` and `watching_first_post`"
+      "mentioned,posted,quoted,replied",
+      "request params has filter_by_types set to `mentioned`, `posted`, `quoted` and `replied`"
     );
     assert.strictEqual(queryParams.silent, "true");
     activeTabs = queryAll(".top-tabs .btn.active");
diff --git a/app/models/notification.rb b/app/models/notification.rb
index b6e95aa2561..350de63720f 100644
--- a/app/models/notification.rb
+++ b/app/models/notification.rb
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ class Notification < ActiveRecord::Base
                         chat_quoted: 33,
                         assigned: 34,
                         question_answer_user_commented: 35, # Used by https://github.com/discourse/discourse-question-answer
+                        watching_category_or_tag: 36,
                        )
   end
 
diff --git a/app/services/notification_emailer.rb b/app/services/notification_emailer.rb
index 05e7a8b435a..b768ae5b68b 100644
--- a/app/services/notification_emailer.rb
+++ b/app/services/notification_emailer.rb
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ class NotificationEmailer
       enqueue :user_posted
     end
 
+    def watching_category_or_tag
+      enqueue :user_posted
+    end
+
     def quoted
       enqueue :user_quoted
     end
@@ -134,7 +138,6 @@ class NotificationEmailer
 
     email_user   = EmailUser.new(notification, no_delay: no_delay)
     email_method = Notification.types[notification.notification_type]
-
     email_user.public_send(email_method) if email_user.respond_to? email_method
   end
 
diff --git a/app/services/post_alerter.rb b/app/services/post_alerter.rb
index c4c930b5cab..9b9545ea0c3 100644
--- a/app/services/post_alerter.rb
+++ b/app/services/post_alerter.rb
@@ -178,7 +178,8 @@ class PostAlerter
         notified += notify_pm_users(post, reply_to_user, quoted_users, notified)
       elsif notify_about_reply?(post)
         # posts
-        notified += notify_post_users(post, notified, new_record: new_record)
+        notified += notify_post_users(post, notified, new_record: new_record, include_category_watchers: false, include_tag_watchers: false)
+        notified += notify_post_users(post, notified, new_record: new_record, include_topic_watchers: false, notification_type: :watching_category_or_tag)
       end
     end
 
@@ -400,6 +401,7 @@ class PostAlerter
     Notification.types[:replied],
     Notification.types[:posted],
     Notification.types[:private_message],
+    Notification.types[:watching_category_or_tag],
   ]
 
   def create_notification(user, type, post, opts = {})
@@ -779,7 +781,7 @@ class PostAlerter
     emails_to_skip_send.uniq
   end
 
-  def notify_post_users(post, notified, group_ids: nil, include_topic_watchers: true, include_category_watchers: true, include_tag_watchers: true, new_record: false)
+  def notify_post_users(post, notified, group_ids: nil, include_topic_watchers: true, include_category_watchers: true, include_tag_watchers: true, new_record: false, notification_type: nil)
     return [] unless post.topic
 
     warn_if_not_sidekiq
@@ -871,10 +873,17 @@ class PostAlerter
     )
 
     each_user_in_batches(notify) do |user|
-      notification_type = !new_record && already_seen_user_ids.include?(user.id) ? Notification.types[:edited] : Notification.types[:posted]
+      calculated_type =
+        if !new_record && already_seen_user_ids.include?(user.id)
+          Notification.types[:edited]
+        elsif notification_type
+          Notification.types[notification_type]
+        else
+          Notification.types[:posted]
+        end
       opts = {}
-      opts[:display_username] = post.last_editor.username if notification_type == Notification.types[:edited]
-      create_notification(user, notification_type, post, opts)
+      opts[:display_username] = post.last_editor.username if calculated_type == Notification.types[:edited]
+      create_notification(user, calculated_type, post, opts)
     end
 
     notify
diff --git a/config/locales/client.en.yml b/config/locales/client.en.yml
index 5b2362e0bea..e0a97877dc2 100644
--- a/config/locales/client.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/client.en.yml
@@ -2507,6 +2507,7 @@ en:
       bookmark_reminder: "<span>%{username}</span> %{description}"
       replied: "<span>%{username}</span> %{description}"
       posted: "<span>%{username}</span> %{description}"
+      watching_category_or_tag: "<span>%{username}</span> %{description}"
       edited: "<span>%{username}</span> %{description}"
       liked: "<span>%{username}</span> %{description}"
       liked_2: "<span class='double-user'>%{username}, %{username2}</span> %{description}"
@@ -2579,6 +2580,7 @@ en:
         invited_to_private_message: "invited to private message"
         invitee_accepted: "invite accepted"
         posted: "new post"
+        watching_category_or_tag: "new post"
         moved_post: "post moved"
         linked: "linked"
         bookmark_reminder: "bookmark reminder"
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/schemas/json/site_response.json b/spec/requests/api/schemas/json/site_response.json
index 16bc845a5d6..ebe85af1b0a 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/schemas/json/site_response.json
+++ b/spec/requests/api/schemas/json/site_response.json
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@
         "posted": {
           "type": "integer"
         },
+        "watching_category_or_tag": {
+          "type": "integer"
+        },
         "moved_post": {
           "type": "integer"
         },
@@ -124,6 +127,7 @@
         "invited_to_private_message",
         "invitee_accepted",
         "posted",
+        "watching_category_or_tag",
         "moved_post",
         "linked",
         "granted_badge",
diff --git a/spec/services/post_alerter_spec.rb b/spec/services/post_alerter_spec.rb
index 4fb69e2a067..ca484b6efca 100644
--- a/spec/services/post_alerter_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/post_alerter_spec.rb
@@ -1395,10 +1395,10 @@ RSpec.describe PostAlerter do
         whispered_post = Fabricate(:post, user: Fabricate(:admin), topic: topic, post_type: Post.types[:whisper])
         expect {
           PostAlerter.post_created(whispered_post)
-        }.to add_notification(admin, :posted)
+        }.to add_notification(admin, :watching_category_or_tag)
         expect {
           PostAlerter.post_created(whispered_post)
-        }.not_to add_notification(user, :posted)
+        }.not_to add_notification(user, :watching_category_or_tag)
       end
 
       it "notifies a staged user about a private post, but only if the user has access" do
@@ -1424,8 +1424,8 @@ RSpec.describe PostAlerter do
 
         expect {
           PostAlerter.post_created(post)
-        }.to add_notification(staged_member, :posted)
-          .and not_add_notification(staged_non_member, :posted)
+        }.to add_notification(staged_member, :watching_category_or_tag)
+          .and not_add_notification(staged_non_member, :watching_category_or_tag)
       end
 
       it "does not update existing unread notification" do
@@ -1622,7 +1622,7 @@ RSpec.describe PostAlerter do
       end
 
       context "with :watching notification level" do
-        include_examples "tag user with notification level", :watching, :posted
+        include_examples "tag user with notification level", :watching, :watching_category_or_tag
       end
 
       context "with :watching_first_post notification level" do
@@ -2089,7 +2089,7 @@ RSpec.describe PostAlerter do
 
     notification = Notification.last
     expect(notification.user).to eq(user)
-    expect(notification.notification_type).to eq(Notification.types[:posted])
+    expect(notification.notification_type).to eq(Notification.types[:watching_category_or_tag])
     expect(notification.topic).to eq(post.topic)
     expect(notification.post_number).to eq(1)
   end