diff --git a/wp-admin/css/colors-classic.css b/wp-admin/css/colors-classic.css
index 118fa63ee6..6ff1f48bc1 100644
--- a/wp-admin/css/colors-classic.css
+++ b/wp-admin/css/colors-classic.css
@@ -479,9 +479,9 @@ body.press-this .ui-tabs-selected a:hover {
 	color: #d54e21;
 }
 
-#adminmenu li a #awaiting-mod,
-#adminmenu li a span.update-plugins,
-#sidemenu li a span.update-plugins,
+#adminmenu a #awaiting-mod,
+#adminmenu a .update-plugins,
+#sidemenu a .update-plugins,
 #rightnow .reallynow,
 #plugin-information .action-button {
 	background-color: #d54e21;
@@ -489,14 +489,16 @@ body.press-this .ui-tabs-selected a:hover {
 }
 
 #adminmenu li a:hover #awaiting-mod,
-#adminmenu li a:hover span.update-plugins,
-#sidemenu li a:hover span.update-plugins {
+#adminmenu li a:hover .update-plugins,
+#sidemenu li a:hover .update-plugins {
 	background-color: #264761;
+	color: #fff;
 }
 
 #adminmenu li.current a #awaiting-mod,
-#adminmenu li.current a span.update-plugins,
-#adminmenu li.wp-has-current-submenu span.update-plugins {
+#adminmenu li.current a .update-plugins,
+#adminmenu li.wp-has-current-submenu a .update-plugins,
+#adminmenu li.wp-has-current-submenu a .update-plugins {
 	background-color: #ddd;
 	color: #000;
 	text-shadow: none;
@@ -506,6 +508,14 @@ body.press-this .ui-tabs-selected a:hover {
 	box-shadow: rgba(0,0,0,0.2) 0px -1px 0px;
 }
 
+#adminmenu li.current a:hover #awaiting-mod,
+#adminmenu li.current a:hover .update-plugins,
+#adminmenu li.wp-has-current-submenu a:hover #awaiting-mod,
+#adminmenu li.wp-has-current-submenu a:hover .update-plugins {
+	background-color: #264761;
+	color: #fff;
+}
+
 div#media-upload-header {
 	background-color: #f9f9f9;
 	border-bottom-color: #dfdfdf;
@@ -1347,7 +1357,7 @@ fieldset.inline-edit-col-right .inline-edit-col {
 	background: #eaf2fa;
 }
 
-.tablenav .tablenav-pages, {
+.tablenav .tablenav-pages {
 	color: #555;
 }
 
diff --git a/wp-admin/css/colors-fresh.css b/wp-admin/css/colors-fresh.css
index e0f4f230d2..179c4a3e97 100644
--- a/wp-admin/css/colors-fresh.css
+++ b/wp-admin/css/colors-fresh.css
@@ -479,9 +479,9 @@ body.press-this .ui-tabs-selected a:hover {
 	color: #d54e21;
 }
 
-#adminmenu li a #awaiting-mod,
-#adminmenu li a span.update-plugins,
-#sidemenu li a span.update-plugins,
+#adminmenu a #awaiting-mod,
+#adminmenu a .update-plugins,
+#sidemenu a .update-plugins,
 #rightnow .reallynow,
 #plugin-information .action-button {
 	background-color: #d54e21;
@@ -489,14 +489,16 @@ body.press-this .ui-tabs-selected a:hover {
 }
 
 #adminmenu li a:hover #awaiting-mod,
-#adminmenu li a:hover span.update-plugins,
-#sidemenu li a:hover span.update-plugins {
+#adminmenu li a:hover .update-plugins,
+#sidemenu li a:hover .update-plugins {
 	background-color: #264761;
+	color: #fff;
 }
 
 #adminmenu li.current a #awaiting-mod,
-#adminmenu li.current a span.update-plugins,
-#adminmenu li.wp-has-current-submenu span.update-plugins {
+#adminmenu li.current a .update-plugins,
+#adminmenu li.wp-has-current-submenu a .update-plugins,
+#adminmenu li.wp-has-current-submenu a .update-plugins {
 	background-color: #ddd;
 	color: #000;
 	text-shadow: none;
@@ -506,6 +508,14 @@ body.press-this .ui-tabs-selected a:hover {
 	box-shadow: rgba(0,0,0,0.2) 0px -1px 0px;
 }
 
+#adminmenu li.current a:hover #awaiting-mod,
+#adminmenu li.current a:hover .update-plugins,
+#adminmenu li.wp-has-current-submenu a:hover #awaiting-mod,
+#adminmenu li.wp-has-current-submenu a:hover .update-plugins {
+	background-color: #264761;
+	color: #fff;
+}
+
 div#media-upload-header {
 	background-color: #f9f9f9;
 	border-bottom-color: #dfdfdf;
@@ -1347,7 +1357,7 @@ fieldset.inline-edit-col-right .inline-edit-col {
 	background: #eaf2fa;
 }
 
-.tablenav .tablenav-pages, {
+.tablenav .tablenav-pages {
 	color: #555;
 }
 
diff --git a/wp-admin/wp-admin.css b/wp-admin/wp-admin.css
index a3dc26a2f4..b184f04af2 100644
--- a/wp-admin/wp-admin.css
+++ b/wp-admin/wp-admin.css
@@ -1042,7 +1042,8 @@ div.comment-item:hover .row-actions {
 #sidemenu li a span.update-plugins {
 	position: absolute;
 	font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
-	font-size: 9px;
+	font-size: 7pt;
+	font-weight: bold;
 	margin-top: 2px;
 	margin-left: 2px;
 	-moz-border-radius: 7px;