diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/initializers/subscribe-user-notifications.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/initializers/subscribe-user-notifications.js
index 2e93d643ea3..52895fd0ad6 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/initializers/subscribe-user-notifications.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/initializers/subscribe-user-notifications.js
@@ -73,17 +73,19 @@ export default {
             );
 
             if (staleIndex === -1) {
-              // this gets a bit tricky, unread pms are bumped to front
+              // high priority and unread notifications are first
               let insertPosition = 0;
-              if (lastNotification.notification_type !== 6) {
-                insertPosition = oldNotifications.findIndex(
-                  (n) => n.notification_type !== 6 || n.read
+
+              if (!lastNotification.high_priority || lastNotification.read) {
+                const nextPosition = oldNotifications.findIndex(
+                  (n) => !n.high_priority || n.read
                 );
-                insertPosition =
-                  insertPosition === -1
-                    ? oldNotifications.length - 1
-                    : insertPosition;
+
+                if (nextPosition !== -1) {
+                  insertPosition = nextPosition;
+                }
               }
+
               oldNotifications.insertAt(
                 insertPosition,
                 EmberObject.create(lastNotification)
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/notifications-test.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/notifications-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4ff691b9323
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/notifications-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+import { visit } from "@ember/test-helpers";
+import {
+  acceptance,
+  publishToMessageBus,
+} from "discourse/tests/helpers/qunit-helpers";
+import { test } from "qunit";
+
+acceptance("User Notifications", function (needs) {
+  needs.user();
+
+  test("Update works correctly", async function (assert) {
+    await visit("/");
+    await click("li.current-user");
+
+    // set older notifications to read
+
+    publishToMessageBus("/notification/19", {
+      unread_notifications: 5,
+      unread_private_messages: 0,
+      unread_high_priority_notifications: 0,
+      read_first_notification: false,
+      last_notification: {},
+      recent: [
+        [123, false],
+        [456, false],
+        [789, true],
+        [1234, true],
+        [5678, true],
+      ],
+      seen_notification_id: null,
+    });
+
+    await visit("/"); // wait for re-render
+
+    assert.equal(find("#quick-access-notifications li").length, 5);
+
+    // high priority, unread notification - should be first
+
+    publishToMessageBus("/notification/19", {
+      unread_notifications: 6,
+      unread_private_messages: 0,
+      unread_high_priority_notifications: 1,
+      read_first_notification: false,
+      last_notification: {
+        notification: {
+          id: 42,
+          user_id: 1,
+          notification_type: 5,
+          high_priority: true,
+          read: false,
+          high_priority: true,
+          created_at: "2021-01-01 12:00:00 UTC",
+          post_number: 1,
+          topic_id: 42,
+          fancy_title: "First notification",
+          slug: "topic",
+          data: {
+            topic_title: "First notification",
+            original_post_id: 42,
+            original_post_type: 1,
+            original_username: "foo",
+            revision_number: null,
+            display_username: "foo",
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      recent: [
+        [42, false],
+        [123, false],
+        [456, false],
+        [789, true],
+        [1234, true],
+        [5678, true],
+      ],
+      seen_notification_id: null,
+    });
+
+    await visit("/"); // wait for re-render
+
+    assert.equal(find("#quick-access-notifications li").length, 6);
+    assert.equal(
+      find("#quick-access-notifications li span[data-topic-id]")[0].innerText,
+      "First notification"
+    );
+
+    // high priority, read notification - should be second
+
+    publishToMessageBus("/notification/19", {
+      unread_notifications: 7,
+      unread_private_messages: 0,
+      unread_high_priority_notifications: 1,
+      read_first_notification: false,
+      last_notification: {
+        notification: {
+          id: 43,
+          user_id: 1,
+          notification_type: 5,
+          high_priority: true,
+          read: true,
+          high_priority: false,
+          created_at: "2021-01-01 12:00:00 UTC",
+          post_number: 1,
+          topic_id: 42,
+          fancy_title: "Second notification",
+          slug: "topic",
+          data: {
+            topic_title: "Second notification",
+            original_post_id: 42,
+            original_post_type: 1,
+            original_username: "foo",
+            revision_number: null,
+            display_username: "foo",
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      recent: [
+        [42, false],
+        [43, true],
+        [123, false],
+        [456, false],
+        [789, true],
+        [1234, true],
+        [5678, true],
+      ],
+      seen_notification_id: null,
+    });
+
+    await visit("/"); // wait for re-render
+
+    assert.equal(find("#quick-access-notifications li").length, 7);
+    assert.equal(
+      find("#quick-access-notifications li span[data-topic-id]")[1].innerText,
+      "Second notification"
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/app/serializers/notification_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/notification_serializer.rb
index f4b7119b024..40ff319b762 100644
--- a/app/serializers/notification_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/serializers/notification_serializer.rb
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ class NotificationSerializer < ApplicationSerializer
              :external_id,
              :notification_type,
              :read,
+             :high_priority,
              :created_at,
              :post_number,
              :topic_id,