--- a/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/home/CombinedHistoryAdapter.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/home/CombinedHistoryAdapter.java
@@ -35,16 +35,17 @@ public class CombinedHistoryAdapter exte
         FOUR_MONTHS_AGO,
         FIVE_MONTHS_AGO,
         OLDER_THAN_SIX_MONTHS
     }
 
     private Cursor historyCursor;
     private DevicesUpdateHandler devicesUpdateHandler;
     private int deviceCount = 0;
+    private RecentTabsUpdateHandler recentTabsUpdateHandler;
     private int recentTabsCount = 0;
 
     // We use a sparse array to store each section header's position in the panel [more cheaply than a HashMap].
     private final SparseArray<SectionHeader> sectionHeaders;
 
     public CombinedHistoryAdapter(Resources resources) {
         super();
         sectionHeaders = new SparseArray<>();
@@ -69,16 +70,33 @@ public class CombinedHistoryAdapter exte
                     deviceCount = count;
                     notifyItemChanged(SYNCED_DEVICES_SMARTFOLDER_INDEX);
                 }
             };
         }
         return devicesUpdateHandler;
     }
 
+    public interface RecentTabsUpdateHandler {
+        void onRecentTabsCountUpdated(int count);
+    }
+
+    public RecentTabsUpdateHandler getRecentTabsUpdateHandler() {
+        if (recentTabsUpdateHandler == null) {
+            recentTabsUpdateHandler = new RecentTabsUpdateHandler() {
+                @Override
+                public void onRecentTabsCountUpdated(int count) {
+                    recentTabsCount = count;
+                    notifyItemChanged(RECENT_TABS_SMARTFOLDER_INDEX);
+                }
+            };
+        }
+        return recentTabsUpdateHandler;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public CombinedHistoryItem onCreateViewHolder(ViewGroup viewGroup, int viewType) {
         final LayoutInflater inflater = LayoutInflater.from(viewGroup.getContext());
         final View view;
 
         final CombinedHistoryItem.ItemType itemType = CombinedHistoryItem.ItemType.viewTypeToItemType(viewType);
 
         switch (itemType) {

--- a/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/home/CombinedHistoryPanel.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/home/CombinedHistoryPanel.java
@@ -110,17 +110,18 @@ public class CombinedHistoryPanel extend
     public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstance) {
         super.onCreate(savedInstance);
 
         mHistoryAdapter = new CombinedHistoryAdapter(getResources());
         mClientsAdapter = new ClientsAdapter(getContext());
         // The RecentTabsAdapter doesn't use a cursor and therefore can't use the CursorLoader's
         // onLoadFinished() callback for updating the panel state when the closed tab count changes.
         // Instead, we provide it with independent callbacks as necessary.
-        mRecentTabsAdapter = new RecentTabsAdapter(getContext(), getPanelStateUpdateHandler());
+        mRecentTabsAdapter = new RecentTabsAdapter(getContext(),
+                mHistoryAdapter.getRecentTabsUpdateHandler(), getPanelStateUpdateHandler());
 
         mSyncStatusListener = new RemoteTabsSyncListener();
         FirefoxAccounts.addSyncStatusListener(mSyncStatusListener);
     }
 
     @Override
     public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container, Bundle savedInstanceState) {
         return inflater.inflate(R.layout.home_combined_history_panel, container, false);

--- a/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/home/RecentTabsAdapter.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/home/RecentTabsAdapter.java
@@ -13,16 +13,17 @@ import android.view.ViewGroup;
 import android.widget.TextView;
 
 import org.mozilla.gecko.AboutPages;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.EventDispatcher;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.GeckoAppShell;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.GeckoProfile;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.R;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.SessionParser;
+import org.mozilla.gecko.home.CombinedHistoryAdapter.RecentTabsUpdateHandler;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.home.CombinedHistoryPanel.PanelStateUpdateHandler;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.util.EventCallback;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.util.NativeEventListener;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.util.NativeJSObject;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.util.ThreadUtils;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -49,21 +50,24 @@ public class RecentTabsAdapter extends R
         public ClosedTab(String url, String title, String data) {
             this.url = url;
             this.title = title;
             this.data = data;
         }
     }
 
     private final Context context;
+    private final RecentTabsUpdateHandler recentTabsUpdateHandler;
     private final PanelStateUpdateHandler panelStateUpdateHandler;
 
     public RecentTabsAdapter(Context context,
+                             RecentTabsUpdateHandler recentTabsUpdateHandler,
                              PanelStateUpdateHandler panelStateUpdateHandler) {
         this.context = context;
+        this.recentTabsUpdateHandler = recentTabsUpdateHandler;
         this.panelStateUpdateHandler = panelStateUpdateHandler;
         recentlyClosedTabs = new ClosedTab[0];
         lastSessionTabs = new ClosedTab[0];
 
         readPreviousSessionData();
     }
 
     public void startListeningForClosedTabs() {
@@ -93,16 +97,17 @@ public class RecentTabsAdapter extends R
             public void run() {
                 // Save some data about the old panel state, so we can be
                 // smarter about notifying the recycler view which bits changed.
                 int prevClosedTabsCount = recentlyClosedTabs.length;
                 boolean prevSectionHeaderVisibility = isSectionHeaderVisible();
                 int prevSectionHeaderIndex = getSectionHeaderIndex();
 
                 recentlyClosedTabs = closedTabs;
+                recentTabsUpdateHandler.onRecentTabsCountUpdated(getClosedTabsCount());
                 panelStateUpdateHandler.onPanelStateUpdated();
 
                 // Handle the section header hiding/unhiding.
                 updateHeaderVisibility(prevSectionHeaderVisibility, prevSectionHeaderIndex);
 
                 // Update the "Recently closed" part of the tab list.
                 updateTabsList(prevClosedTabsCount, recentlyClosedTabs.length, getFirstRecentTabIndex(), getLastRecentTabIndex());
             }
@@ -146,16 +151,17 @@ public class RecentTabsAdapter extends R
                     public void run() {
                         // Save some data about the old panel state, so we can be
                         // smarter about notifying the recycler view which bits changed.
                         int prevClosedTabsCount = lastSessionTabs.length;
                         boolean prevSectionHeaderVisibility = isSectionHeaderVisible();
                         int prevSectionHeaderIndex = getSectionHeaderIndex();
 
                         lastSessionTabs = closedTabs;
+                        recentTabsUpdateHandler.onRecentTabsCountUpdated(getClosedTabsCount());
                         panelStateUpdateHandler.onPanelStateUpdated();
 
                         // Handle the section header hiding/unhiding.
                         updateHeaderVisibility(prevSectionHeaderVisibility, prevSectionHeaderIndex);
 
                         // Update the "Tabs from last time" part of the tab list.
                         updateTabsList(prevClosedTabsCount, lastSessionTabs.length, getFirstLastSessionTabIndex(), getLastLastSessionTabIndex());
                     }