diff --git a/server/emails/templates/BaseEmail.tsx b/server/emails/templates/BaseEmail.tsx
index eb0516705..4477ec158 100644
--- a/server/emails/templates/BaseEmail.tsx
+++ b/server/emails/templates/BaseEmail.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import Bull from "bull";
+import * as React from "react";
 import mailer from "@server/emails/mailer";
 import Logger from "@server/logging/Logger";
 import Metrics from "@server/logging/Metrics";
@@ -84,6 +85,9 @@ export default abstract class BaseEmail<T extends EmailProps, S = unknown> {
     }
 
     const data = { ...this.props, ...(bsResponse ?? ({} as S)) };
+    const notification = this.metadata?.notificationId
+      ? await Notification.unscoped().findByPk(this.metadata?.notificationId)
+      : undefined;
 
     try {
       await mailer.sendMail({
@@ -91,7 +95,12 @@ export default abstract class BaseEmail<T extends EmailProps, S = unknown> {
         fromName: this.fromName?.(data),
         subject: this.subject(data),
         previewText: this.preview(data),
-        component: this.render(data),
+        component: (
+          <>
+            {this.render(data)}
+            {notification ? this.pixel(notification) : null}
+          </>
+        ),
         text: this.renderAsText(data),
         headCSS: this.headCSS?.(data),
       });
@@ -105,24 +114,20 @@ export default abstract class BaseEmail<T extends EmailProps, S = unknown> {
       throw err;
     }
 
-    if (this.metadata?.notificationId) {
+    if (notification) {
       try {
-        await Notification.update(
-          {
-            emailedAt: new Date(),
-          },
-          {
-            where: {
-              id: this.metadata.notificationId,
-            },
-          }
-        );
+        notification.emailedAt = new Date();
+        await notification.save();
       } catch (err) {
         Logger.error(`Failed to update notification`, err, this.metadata);
       }
     }
   }
 
+  private pixel(notification: Notification) {
+    return <img src={notification.pixelUrl} width="1" height="1" />;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Returns the subject of the email.
    *
diff --git a/server/models/Notification.ts b/server/models/Notification.ts
index 9c27c9907..52cb5db35 100644
--- a/server/models/Notification.ts
+++ b/server/models/Notification.ts
@@ -196,6 +196,16 @@ class Notification extends Model {
     hash.update(`${this.id}-${env.SECRET_KEY}`);
     return hash.digest("hex");
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns a URL that can be used to mark this notification as read
+   * without being logged in.
+   *
+   * @returns A URL
+   */
+  public get pixelUrl() {
+    return `${env.URL}/api/notifications.pixel?token=${this.pixelToken}&id=${this.id}`;
+  }
 }
 
 export default Notification;
diff --git a/server/routes/api/notifications/notifications.ts b/server/routes/api/notifications/notifications.ts
index e2ef80a5b..f65c617f2 100644
--- a/server/routes/api/notifications/notifications.ts
+++ b/server/routes/api/notifications/notifications.ts
@@ -120,21 +120,24 @@ router.post(
 
 router.get(
   "notifications.pixel",
+  validate(T.NotificationsPixelSchema),
   transaction(),
   async (ctx: APIContext<T.NotificationsPixelReq>) => {
     const { id, token } = ctx.input.query;
-    const notification = await Notification.findByPk(id);
+    const notification = await Notification.unscoped().findByPk(id);
 
     if (!notification || !safeEqual(token, notification.pixelToken)) {
       throw AuthenticationError();
     }
 
-    await notificationUpdater({
-      notification,
-      viewedAt: new Date(),
-      ip: ctx.request.ip,
-      transaction: ctx.state.transaction,
-    });
+    if (!notification.viewedAt) {
+      await notificationUpdater({
+        notification,
+        viewedAt: new Date(),
+        ip: ctx.request.ip,
+        transaction: ctx.state.transaction,
+      });
+    }
 
     ctx.response.set("Content-Type", "image/gif");
     ctx.body = pixel;