diff --git a/wp-admin/menu.php b/wp-admin/menu.php
index 748a79856e..29cabd0ebf 100644
--- a/wp-admin/menu.php
+++ b/wp-admin/menu.php
@@ -16,10 +16,8 @@ else
 	$menu[10] = array(__('Manage'), 'edit_posts', 'edit.php');
 
 $awaiting_mod = $wpdb->get_var("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM $wpdb->comments WHERE comment_approved = '0'");
-if ( 100 < $awaiting_mod )
-	$awaiting_mod = '99+'; // to not blow out layout
 $menu[15] = array(__('Design'), 'switch_themes', 'themes.php');
-$menu[20] = array( sprintf( __('Comments %s'), "<span id='awaiting-mod' class='comment-count'>$awaiting_mod</span>" ), 'edit_posts', 'edit-comments.php');
+$menu[20] = array( sprintf( __('Comments %s'), "<span id='awaiting-mod' class='comment-count'><span>$awaiting_mod</span></span>" ), 'edit_posts', 'edit-comments.php');
 $menu[30] = array(__('Plugins'), 'activate_plugins', 'plugins.php');
 if ( current_user_can('edit_users') )
 	$menu[35] = array(__('Users'), 'edit_users', 'users.php');
diff --git a/wp-admin/wp-admin.css b/wp-admin/wp-admin.css
index 2fae77c087..daa79a48b1 100644
--- a/wp-admin/wp-admin.css
+++ b/wp-admin/wp-admin.css
@@ -936,16 +936,39 @@ a.view-comment-post-link {
 	padding: 0;
 }
 
-#adminmenu #awaiting-mod {
-	color: #fff;
-	font-size: 10px;
-	width: 23px;
+#adminmenu li a #awaiting-mod {
 	position: absolute;
-	margin-left: -15px;
-	margin-top: -13px;
-	background-image: url(images/comment-pill.gif);
-	background-position: 0 10px;
+	margin-left: -1.2em;
+	margin-top: -0.2em;
+	font-size: 0.7em;
+	background-image: url(images/comment-stalk.gif);
 	background-repeat: no-repeat;
+	background-position: 0 bottom;
+	height: 0.9em;
+	width: 1em;
+}
+
+#adminmenu li a:hover #awaiting-mod {
+	background-position: -80px bottom;
+}
+
+#adminmenu li a #awaiting-mod span {
+	color: #fff;
+	top: -0.8em;
+	right: 0;
+	position: absolute;
+	display: block;
+	height: 1.3em;
+	line-height: 1.3em;
+	padding: 0 0.8em;
+	background-color: #d54e21;
+	-moz-border-radius: 0.3em;
+	-khtml-border-radius: 0.3em;
+	border-radius: 0.3em;
+}
+
+#adminmenu li a:hover #awaiting-mod span {
+	background-color: #264761;
 }
 
 #submenu {
@@ -1345,3 +1368,4 @@ ul.categorychecklist li {
 .form-input-tip { color: #999; }
 
 
+