diff --git a/server/.sqlx/query-b39147b9d06171cb742141eda4675688cb702fb284758b1224ed3aa2d7f3b3d9.json b/server/.sqlx/query-b39147b9d06171cb742141eda4675688cb702fb284758b1224ed3aa2d7f3b3d9.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b5ed80a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/.sqlx/query-b39147b9d06171cb742141eda4675688cb702fb284758b1224ed3aa2d7f3b3d9.json
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{
+  "db_name": "PostgreSQL",
+  "query": "UPDATE\n    post\nSET\n    is_read = $1\nWHERE\n    uid = $2\n",
+  "describe": {
+    "columns": [],
+    "parameters": {
+      "Left": [
+        "Bool",
+        "Text"
+      ]
+    },
+    "nullable": []
+  },
+  "hash": "b39147b9d06171cb742141eda4675688cb702fb284758b1224ed3aa2d7f3b3d9"
+}
diff --git a/server/sql/set_unread.sql b/server/sql/set_unread.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a99e69c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/sql/set_unread.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+UPDATE
+    post
+SET
+    is_read = $1
+WHERE
+    uid = $2
diff --git a/server/src/graphql.rs b/server/src/graphql.rs
index 90c6082..ca3e5ad 100644
--- a/server/src/graphql.rs
+++ b/server/src/graphql.rs
@@ -272,11 +272,14 @@ impl Mutation {
         unread: bool,
     ) -> Result<bool, Error> {
         let nm = ctx.data_unchecked::<Notmuch>();
-        info!("set_read_status({query}, {unread})");
-        if unread {
-            nm.tag_add("unread", &format!("{query}"))?;
-        } else {
-            nm.tag_remove("unread", &format!("{query}"))?;
+        let pool = ctx.data_unchecked::<PgPool>();
+
+        for q in query.split_whitespace() {
+            if newsreader::is_newsreader_thread(&q) {
+                newsreader::set_read_status(pool, &q, unread).await?;
+            } else {
+                nm::set_read_status(nm, q, unread).await?;
+            }
         }
         Ok(true)
     }
diff --git a/server/src/newsreader.rs b/server/src/newsreader.rs
index f186d29..ea227f2 100644
--- a/server/src/newsreader.rs
+++ b/server/src/newsreader.rs
@@ -250,6 +250,7 @@ pub async fn thread(pool: &PgPool, thread_id: String) -> Result<Thread, ServerEr
 struct Query {
     unread_only: bool,
     site: Option<String>,
+    uid: Option<String>,
     remainder: Vec<String>,
 }
 
@@ -258,6 +259,7 @@ impl FromStr for Query {
     fn from_str(s: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Err> {
         let mut unread_only = false;
         let mut site = None;
+        let mut uid = None;
         let mut remainder = Vec::new();
         let site_prefix = format!("tag:{TAG_PREFIX}");
         for word in s.split_whitespace() {
@@ -265,6 +267,8 @@ impl FromStr for Query {
                 unread_only = true
             } else if word.starts_with(&site_prefix) {
                 site = Some(word[site_prefix.len()..].to_string())
+            } else if word.starts_with(THREAD_PREFIX) {
+                uid = Some(word[THREAD_PREFIX.len()..].to_string())
             } else {
                 remainder.push(word.to_string());
             }
@@ -272,7 +276,20 @@ impl FromStr for Query {
         Ok(Query {
             unread_only,
             site,
+            uid,
             remainder,
         })
     }
 }
+
+pub async fn set_read_status<'ctx>(
+    pool: &PgPool,
+    query: &str,
+    unread: bool,
+) -> Result<bool, ServerError> {
+    let query: Query = query.parse()?;
+    sqlx::query_file!("sql/set_unread.sql", !unread, query.uid)
+        .execute(pool)
+        .await?;
+    Ok(true)
+}
diff --git a/server/src/nm.rs b/server/src/nm.rs
index 70fdecd..9e9a6d0 100644
--- a/server/src/nm.rs
+++ b/server/src/nm.rs
@@ -755,7 +755,7 @@ fn render_content_type_tree(m: &ParsedMail) -> String {
 
 pub async fn set_read_status<'ctx>(
     nm: &Notmuch,
-    query: String,
+    query: &str,
     unread: bool,
 ) -> Result<bool, ServerError> {
     if unread {