diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 104822a33..e7ab33051 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ This changelog follows the principles of [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangel
 - Show toast notification when API token is copied to clipboard.
 - Dataset versions: (1) file changes should be `Access: Restricted` instead of `isResticted: true/false`; (2) logic of View Detail button. (#879)
 - File versions: (1) logic of linking to a file version; (2)If file not included, show text information "File not included in this version.". (#879)
+- Notifications unread count now refreshes immediately (without waiting for polling) after notifications are read and after dataset/collection create or dataset publish actions that generate notifications.
 
 ### Removed
 
diff --git a/src/notifications/domain/hooks/useNeedsUpdate.ts b/src/notifications/domain/hooks/useNeedsUpdate.ts
index c8f6c03e7..fa0d2451b 100644
--- a/src/notifications/domain/hooks/useNeedsUpdate.ts
+++ b/src/notifications/domain/hooks/useNeedsUpdate.ts
@@ -1,30 +1,5 @@
-// hooks/useNeedsUpdate.ts
 import { useSyncExternalStore } from 'react'
-type Listener = () => void
-
-class NeedsUpdateStore {
-  private needsUpdate = false
-  private listeners = new Set<Listener>()
-
-  getSnapshot = () => this.needsUpdate
-
-  subscribe = (callback: Listener) => {
-    this.listeners.add(callback)
-    return () => this.listeners.delete(callback)
-  }
-
-  setNeedsUpdate(value: boolean) {
-    if (this.needsUpdate !== value) {
-      this.needsUpdate = value
-      this.emit()
-    }
-  }
-
-  private emit() {
-    this.listeners.forEach((listener) => listener())
-  }
-}
-const needsUpdateStore = new NeedsUpdateStore()
+import { needsUpdateStore } from './needsUpdateStore'
 
 export function useNeedsUpdate() {
   return useSyncExternalStore(needsUpdateStore.subscribe, needsUpdateStore.getSnapshot)
diff --git a/src/notifications/domain/hooks/useNotifications.ts b/src/notifications/domain/hooks/useNotifications.ts
index cb9a1d1d9..7afa097d3 100644
--- a/src/notifications/domain/hooks/useNotifications.ts
+++ b/src/notifications/domain/hooks/useNotifications.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { Notification } from '@/notifications/domain/models/Notification'
 import { NotificationRepository } from '@/notifications/domain/repositories/NotificationRepository'
 import { NotificationsPaginationInfo } from '@/notifications/domain/models/NotificationsPaginationInfo'
 import { getAllNotificationsByUser } from '@/notifications/domain/useCases/getAllNotificationsByUser'
+import { needsUpdateStore } from './needsUpdateStore'
 
 const POLLING_NOTIFICATIONS_INTERVAL_TIME = 30_000
 
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ export function useNotifications(
     try {
       await Promise.all(ids.map((id) => repository.markNotificationAsRead(id)))
       setError(null)
+      needsUpdateStore.setNeedsUpdate(true)
     } catch (err) {
       const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'Failed to mark as read'
       setError(message)
@@ -78,6 +80,7 @@ export function useNotifications(
     try {
       await Promise.all(ids.map((id) => repository.deleteNotification(id)))
       setError(null)
+      needsUpdateStore.setNeedsUpdate(true)
     } catch (err) {
       const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'Failed to delete notifications'
       setError(message)
diff --git a/src/sections/account/notifications-section/NotificationsSection.tsx b/src/sections/account/notifications-section/NotificationsSection.tsx
index c64429db7..7b43fc01d 100644
--- a/src/sections/account/notifications-section/NotificationsSection.tsx
+++ b/src/sections/account/notifications-section/NotificationsSection.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import { useState, useEffect } from 'react'
 import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next'
 import { Alert, Button, CloseButton, Stack } from '@iqss/dataverse-design-system'
 import { getTranslatedNotification } from '@/sections/account/notifications-section/NotificationsHelper'
-import { needsUpdateStore } from '@/notifications/domain/hooks/needsUpdateStore'
 import { useNotifications } from '@/notifications/domain/hooks/useNotifications'
 import { NotificationRepository } from '@/notifications/domain/repositories/NotificationRepository'
 import { NotificationsPaginationInfo } from '@/notifications/domain/models/NotificationsPaginationInfo'
@@ -39,7 +38,6 @@ export const NotificationsSection = ({ notificationRepository }: NotificationsSe
           await markAsRead(unreadIds)
           setReadIds((prev) => [...prev, ...unreadIds])
           await refetch()
-          needsUpdateStore.setNeedsUpdate(true)
         })()
       }, 2000)
       return () => clearTimeout(timer)
@@ -86,7 +84,9 @@ export const NotificationsSection = ({ notificationRepository }: NotificationsSe
           direction="horizontal"
           gap={2}
           style={{ width: '100%', justifyContent: 'space-between', alignItems: 'center' }}>
-          <div>{t('notifications.displayingNotifications', { start, end, total })}</div>
+          {notifications.length > 0 && (
+            <div>{t('notifications.displayingNotifications', { start, end, total })}</div>
+          )}
 
           {notifications.length > 0 && (
             <Button
diff --git a/src/sections/dataset/publish-dataset/usePublishDataset.tsx b/src/sections/dataset/publish-dataset/usePublishDataset.tsx
index 6a46df4fc..020848efc 100644
--- a/src/sections/dataset/publish-dataset/usePublishDataset.tsx
+++ b/src/sections/dataset/publish-dataset/usePublishDataset.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { SubmissionStatus } from '../../shared/form/DatasetMetadataForm/useSubmi
 import { CollectionRepository } from '../../../collection/domain/repositories/CollectionRepository'
 import { UpwardHierarchyNode } from '../../../shared/hierarchy/domain/models/UpwardHierarchyNode'
 import { publishCollection } from '../../../collection/domain/useCases/publishCollection'
+import { needsUpdateStore } from '@/notifications/domain/hooks/needsUpdateStore'
 
 type UsePublishDatasetReturnType =
   | {
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ export function usePublishDataset(
         .then(() => {
           setPublishError(null)
           setSubmissionStatus(SubmissionStatus.SubmitComplete)
+          needsUpdateStore.setNeedsUpdate(true)
           onPublishSucceed()
         })
         .catch((err) => {
diff --git a/src/sections/shared/form/DatasetMetadataForm/useSubmitDataset.ts b/src/sections/shared/form/DatasetMetadataForm/useSubmitDataset.ts
index d0eceeff6..b002afd85 100644
--- a/src/sections/shared/form/DatasetMetadataForm/useSubmitDataset.ts
+++ b/src/sections/shared/form/DatasetMetadataForm/useSubmitDataset.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { MetadataFieldsHelper, type DatasetMetadataFormValues } from './Metadata
 import { type DatasetMetadataFormMode } from '.'
 import { QueryParamKey, Route } from '../../../Route.enum'
 import { DatasetNonNumericVersionSearchParam } from '../../../../dataset/domain/models/Dataset'
+import { needsUpdateStore } from '@/notifications/domain/hooks/needsUpdateStore'
 
 export enum SubmissionStatus {
   NotSubmitted = 'NotSubmitted',
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ export function useSubmitDataset(
         .then(({ persistentId }) => {
           setSubmitError(null)
           setSubmissionStatus(SubmissionStatus.SubmitComplete)
+          needsUpdateStore.setNeedsUpdate(true)
           toast.success(tDataset('alerts.datasetCreated.alertText'))
           navigate(
             `${Route.DATASETS}?${QueryParamKey.PERSISTENT_ID}=${persistentId}&${QueryParamKey.VERSION}=${DatasetNonNumericVersionSearchParam.DRAFT}`
diff --git a/src/sections/shared/form/EditCreateCollectionForm/collection-form/useSubmitCollection.ts b/src/sections/shared/form/EditCreateCollectionForm/collection-form/useSubmitCollection.ts
index ccd62674c..6adb44af9 100644
--- a/src/sections/shared/form/EditCreateCollectionForm/collection-form/useSubmitCollection.ts
+++ b/src/sections/shared/form/EditCreateCollectionForm/collection-form/useSubmitCollection.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import { editCollection } from '@/collection/domain/useCases/editCollection'
 import { RouteWithParams } from '@/sections/Route.enum'
 import { JSDataverseWriteErrorHandler } from '@/shared/helpers/JSDataverseWriteErrorHandler'
 import { CollectionFormHelper } from '../CollectionFormHelper'
+import { needsUpdateStore } from '@/notifications/domain/hooks/needsUpdateStore'
 
 export enum SubmissionStatus {
   NotSubmitted = 'NotSubmitted',
@@ -109,6 +110,7 @@ export function useSubmitCollection(
         .then(() => {
           setSubmitError(null)
           setSubmissionStatus(SubmissionStatus.SubmitComplete)
+          needsUpdateStore.setNeedsUpdate(true)
 
           navigate(RouteWithParams.COLLECTIONS(newOrUpdatedCollection.alias), {
             state: { created: true }
diff --git a/tests/component/sections/account/NotificationsSection.spec.tsx b/tests/component/sections/account/NotificationsSection.spec.tsx
index 590935d1a..a7821188a 100644
--- a/tests/component/sections/account/NotificationsSection.spec.tsx
+++ b/tests/component/sections/account/NotificationsSection.spec.tsx
@@ -44,6 +44,17 @@ const mockErrorRepository = {
   getAllNotificationsByUser: () => Promise.reject(new Error('Failed to fetch')),
   getUnreadNotificationsCount: () => Promise.resolve(1)
 }
+
+const emptyNotificationRepository = {
+  getAllNotificationsByUser: () =>
+    Promise.resolve({
+      totalItemCount: 0,
+      items: []
+    }),
+  markNotificationAsRead: (_id: number) => Promise.resolve(),
+  deleteNotification: (_id: number) => Promise.resolve(),
+  getUnreadNotificationsCount: () => Promise.resolve(0)
+}
 describe('multiple page notifications', () => {
   before(() => {
     notificationsRepository.getAllNotificationsByUser = cy
@@ -123,4 +134,13 @@ describe('NotificationsSection', () => {
 
     cy.get('@markAsRead').should('have.been.calledOnceWith', Cypress.sinon.match.number)
   })
+
+  it('does not render notifications display count when there are no notifications', () => {
+    cy.mountAuthenticated(
+      <NotificationsSection notificationRepository={emptyNotificationRepository} />
+    )
+
+    cy.findByText(/Displaying .* Notifications/).should('not.exist')
+    cy.findByText('No notifications available.').should('exist')
+  })
 })
diff --git a/tests/component/sections/dataset/dataset-publish/PublishDatasetModal.spec.tsx b/tests/component/sections/dataset/dataset-publish/PublishDatasetModal.spec.tsx
index 6b0a9c59b..582972709 100644
--- a/tests/component/sections/dataset/dataset-publish/PublishDatasetModal.spec.tsx
+++ b/tests/component/sections/dataset/dataset-publish/PublishDatasetModal.spec.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { CollectionRepository } from '../../../../../src/collection/domain/repos
 import { UpwardHierarchyNodeMother } from '../../../shared/hierarchy/domain/models/UpwardHierarchyNodeMother'
 import { CustomTermsMother } from '@tests/component/dataset/domain/models/TermsOfUseMother'
 import { LicenseMother } from '@tests/component/dataset/domain/models/LicenseMother'
+import { needsUpdateStore } from '@/notifications/domain/hooks/needsUpdateStore'
 
 describe('PublishDatasetModal', () => {
   it('display modal for never released dataset', () => {
@@ -42,6 +43,33 @@ describe('PublishDatasetModal', () => {
     )
   })
 
+  it('refreshes unread notification count after successful publish', () => {
+    const handleClose = cy.stub()
+    const repository = {} as DatasetRepository
+    repository.publish = cy.stub().as('repositoryPublish').resolves()
+    const collectionRepository = {} as CollectionRepository
+    collectionRepository.publish = cy.stub().as('collectionRepositoryPublish').resolves()
+    const parentCollection = UpwardHierarchyNodeMother.createCollection()
+    cy.spy(needsUpdateStore, 'setNeedsUpdate').as('setNeedsUpdate')
+
+    cy.mountAuthenticated(
+      <PublishDatasetModal
+        show={true}
+        repository={repository}
+        license={LicenseMother.create()}
+        collectionRepository={collectionRepository}
+        parentCollection={parentCollection}
+        persistentId="testPersistentId"
+        releasedVersionExists={false}
+        handleClose={handleClose}
+      />
+    )
+
+    cy.findByText('Continue').click()
+    cy.get('@repositoryPublish').should('have.been.calledOnce')
+    cy.get('@setNeedsUpdate').should('have.been.calledWith', true)
+  })
+
   it('displays an error message when publishDataset fails', () => {
     const handleClose = cy.stub()
     const repository = {} as DatasetRepository // Mock the repository as needed
diff --git a/tests/component/sections/layout/header/LoggedInHeaderActions.spec.tsx b/tests/component/sections/layout/header/LoggedInHeaderActions.spec.tsx
index 899bccc2f..e2d46d27e 100644
--- a/tests/component/sections/layout/header/LoggedInHeaderActions.spec.tsx
+++ b/tests/component/sections/layout/header/LoggedInHeaderActions.spec.tsx
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { CollectionRepository } from '../../../../../src/collection/domain/repos
 import { CollectionMother } from '../../../collection/domain/models/CollectionMother'
 import { AuthContext } from 'react-oauth2-code-pkce'
 import { NotificationRepository } from '@/notifications/domain/repositories/NotificationRepository'
+import { needsUpdateStore } from '@/notifications/domain/hooks/needsUpdateStore'
 
 const testUser = UserMother.create()
 const collectionRepository: CollectionRepository = {} as CollectionRepository
@@ -140,6 +141,28 @@ describe('LoggedInHeaderActions', () => {
     cy.get('[data-testid="unread-notifications-badge"]').should('have.length', 2)
   })
 
+  it('refreshes unread notification badge when notifications update', () => {
+    const unreadCountStub = cy.stub()
+    unreadCountStub.onFirstCall().resolves(3)
+    unreadCountStub.onSecondCall().resolves(0)
+    notificationRepository.getUnreadNotificationsCount = unreadCountStub
+
+    cy.mountAuthenticated(
+      <LoggedInHeaderActions
+        user={testUser}
+        collectionRepository={collectionRepository}
+        notificationRepository={notificationRepository}
+      />
+    )
+
+    cy.get('[data-testid="unread-notifications-badge"]').should('exist').and('contain', '3')
+    cy.then(() => {
+      needsUpdateStore.setNeedsUpdate(true)
+    })
+    cy.wrap(unreadCountStub).should('have.been.calledTwice')
+    cy.get('[data-testid="unread-notifications-badge"]').should('not.exist')
+  })
+
   it('calls the logout function when clicking the logout button', () => {
     collectionRepository.getUserPermissions = cy.stub().resolves(userPermissionsMock)
     collectionRepository.getById = cy.stub().resolves(CollectionMother.create())
diff --git a/tests/component/sections/shared/dataset-metadata-form/DatasetMetadataForm.spec.tsx b/tests/component/sections/shared/dataset-metadata-form/DatasetMetadataForm.spec.tsx
index 16e99206a..9f99b0f28 100644
--- a/tests/component/sections/shared/dataset-metadata-form/DatasetMetadataForm.spec.tsx
+++ b/tests/component/sections/shared/dataset-metadata-form/DatasetMetadataForm.spec.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { DatasetMother } from '../../../dataset/domain/models/DatasetMother'
 import { MetadataBlockInfoMother } from '../../../metadata-block-info/domain/models/MetadataBlockInfoMother'
 import { UserMother } from '../../../users/domain/models/UserMother'
 import { DatasetTemplateMother } from '@tests/component/dataset/domain/models/DatasetTemplateMother'
+import { needsUpdateStore } from '@/notifications/domain/hooks/needsUpdateStore'
 
 const datasetRepository: DatasetRepository = {} as DatasetRepository
 const metadataBlockInfoRepository: MetadataBlockInfoRepository = {} as MetadataBlockInfoRepository
@@ -1276,6 +1277,7 @@ describe('DatasetMetadataForm', () => {
   })
   describe('should not display required errors when submitting the form with required fields filled', () => {
     it('on create mode', () => {
+      cy.spy(needsUpdateStore, 'setNeedsUpdate').as('setNeedsUpdate')
       cy.customMount(
         <DatasetMetadataForm
           mode="create"
@@ -1295,6 +1297,7 @@ describe('DatasetMetadataForm', () => {
 
       cy.findByText('Error').should('not.exist')
       cy.findByText('Success!').should('exist')
+      cy.get('@setNeedsUpdate').should('have.been.calledWith', true)
     })
 
     it('on edit mode', () => {
diff --git a/tests/component/sections/shared/edit-create-collection-form/EditCreateCollectionForm.spec.tsx b/tests/component/sections/shared/edit-create-collection-form/EditCreateCollectionForm.spec.tsx
index 94cec643f..03ab7ccc8 100644
--- a/tests/component/sections/shared/edit-create-collection-form/EditCreateCollectionForm.spec.tsx
+++ b/tests/component/sections/shared/edit-create-collection-form/EditCreateCollectionForm.spec.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { CollectionMother } from '@tests/component/collection/domain/models/Coll
 import { MetadataBlockInfoMother } from '@tests/component/metadata-block-info/domain/models/MetadataBlockInfoMother'
 import { UpwardHierarchyNodeMother } from '@tests/component/shared/hierarchy/domain/models/UpwardHierarchyNodeMother'
 import { UserMother } from '@tests/component/users/domain/models/UserMother'
+import { needsUpdateStore } from '@/notifications/domain/hooks/needsUpdateStore'
 
 const collectionRepository: CollectionRepository = {} as CollectionRepository
 const metadataBlockInfoRepository = {} as MetadataBlockInfoRepository
@@ -251,6 +252,7 @@ describe('EditCreateCollectionForm', () => {
     })
 
     it('submits a valid form and succeed', () => {
+      cy.spy(needsUpdateStore, 'setNeedsUpdate').as('setNeedsUpdate')
       cy.customMount(
         <EditCreateCollectionForm
           mode="create"
@@ -269,6 +271,7 @@ describe('EditCreateCollectionForm', () => {
 
       cy.findByText('Error').should('not.exist')
       cy.findByText('Success!').should('exist')
+      cy.get('@setNeedsUpdate').should('have.been.calledWith', true)
     })
 
     it('submits a valid form and fails', () => {