diff --git a/lib/screens/libraries/folder_tree_item.dart b/lib/screens/libraries/folder_tree_item.dart
index 1180f04e..63eb3a32 100644
--- a/lib/screens/libraries/folder_tree_item.dart
+++ b/lib/screens/libraries/folder_tree_item.dart
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import '../../widgets/media_context_menu.dart';
 import '../../widgets/media_progress_bar.dart';
 import '../../widgets/optimized_media_image.dart';
 import '../../widgets/overlay_sheet.dart';
+import '../../widgets/unwatched_count_badge.dart';
 import '../../theme/mono_tokens.dart';
 import '../../i18n/strings.g.dart';
 import '../../widgets/loading_indicator_box.dart';
@@ -406,24 +407,7 @@ class _FolderTreeItemState extends State<FolderTreeItem> with ContextMenuTapMixi
             (item.kind == MediaKind.show || item.kind == MediaKind.season) &&
             unwatchedCount != null &&
             unwatchedCount > 0)
-          Positioned(
-            top: 3,
-            right: 3,
-            child: Container(
-              width: 20,
-              height: 20,
-              decoration: BoxDecoration(
-                color: tokens(context).text,
-                shape: BoxShape.circle,
-                boxShadow: [BoxShadow(color: Colors.black.withValues(alpha: 0.3), blurRadius: 4)],
-              ),
-              alignment: .center,
-              child: Text(
-                '$unwatchedCount',
-                style: TextStyle(color: tokens(context).bg, fontSize: 10, fontWeight: .bold),
-              ),
-            ),
-          ),
+          Positioned(top: 3, right: 3, child: UnwatchedCountBadge(count: unwatchedCount, size: 20, fontSize: 10)),
         // Progress bar
         if (hasActiveProgress)
           Positioned(
diff --git a/lib/widgets/media_card.dart b/lib/widgets/media_card.dart
index b94e3f67..928f779f 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/media_card.dart
+++ b/lib/widgets/media_card.dart
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import 'media_context_menu.dart';
 import 'media_progress_bar.dart';
 import 'media_card_list_layout.dart';
 import 'backend_badge.dart';
+import 'unwatched_count_badge.dart';
 import 'optimized_media_image.dart';
 
 const _failedPosterUrlCacheLimit = 512;
@@ -904,6 +905,7 @@ class _MediaCardHelpers {
   /// Builds watch progress overlay (checkmark for watched, progress bar for in-progress)
   static Widget buildWatchProgress(BuildContext context, MediaItem mi) {
     final showUnwatchedCount = SettingsService.instance.read(SettingsService.showUnwatchedCount);
+    final unwatched = mi.unwatchedCount;
 
     final hasActiveProgress =
         mi.viewOffsetMs != null && mi.durationMs != null && mi.viewOffsetMs! > 0 && mi.viewOffsetMs! < mi.durationMs!;
@@ -928,25 +930,9 @@ class _MediaCardHelpers {
         if (showUnwatchedCount &&
             !mi.isWatched &&
             (mi.kind == MediaKind.show || mi.kind == MediaKind.season) &&
-            (mi.leafCount != null && mi.leafCount! > 0 && mi.viewedLeafCount != null))
-          Positioned(
-            top: 4,
-            right: 4,
-            child: Container(
-              width: 24,
-              height: 24,
-              decoration: BoxDecoration(
-                color: tokens(context).text,
-                shape: BoxShape.circle,
-                boxShadow: [BoxShadow(color: Colors.black.withValues(alpha: 0.3), blurRadius: 4)],
-              ),
-              alignment: .center,
-              child: Text(
-                '${mi.leafCount! - mi.viewedLeafCount!}',
-                style: TextStyle(color: tokens(context).bg, fontSize: 12, fontWeight: .bold),
-              ),
-            ),
-          ),
+            unwatched != null &&
+            unwatched > 0)
+          Positioned(top: 4, right: 4, child: UnwatchedCountBadge(count: unwatched)),
         // Progress bar for partially watched content (episodes/movies)
         if (hasActiveProgress)
           Positioned(
diff --git a/lib/widgets/unwatched_count_badge.dart b/lib/widgets/unwatched_count_badge.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6c67f42a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/widgets/unwatched_count_badge.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
+
+import '../theme/mono_tokens.dart';
+
+/// Unwatched-episode count chip shown in the top-right corner of poster
+/// cards. Keeps a [size]-diameter circular footprint for 1–2 digit counts
+/// and widens into a stadium pill beyond that; counts above 999 render as
+/// "999+" so the label stays on one line (#1310).
+class UnwatchedCountBadge extends StatelessWidget {
+  final int count;
+  final double size;
+  final double fontSize;
+
+  const UnwatchedCountBadge({super.key, required this.count, this.size = 24, this.fontSize = 12});
+
+  @override
+  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
+    return Container(
+      height: size,
+      constraints: BoxConstraints(minWidth: size),
+      padding: EdgeInsets.symmetric(horizontal: size * 0.2),
+      decoration: BoxDecoration(
+        color: tokens(context).text,
+        borderRadius: BorderRadius.circular(size / 2),
+        boxShadow: [BoxShadow(color: Colors.black.withValues(alpha: 0.3), blurRadius: 4)],
+      ),
+      // Center with widthFactor shrink-wraps the pill to the label (Container
+      // alignment would expand into the Stack's loose width instead).
+      child: Center(
+        widthFactor: 1,
+        child: Text(
+          count > 999 ? '999+' : '$count',
+          maxLines: 1,
+          softWrap: false,
+          style: TextStyle(color: tokens(context).bg, fontSize: fontSize, fontWeight: .bold),
+        ),
+      ),
+    );
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/widgets/unwatched_count_badge_test.dart b/test/widgets/unwatched_count_badge_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3ac28bb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/widgets/unwatched_count_badge_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
+import 'package:plezy/theme/mono_theme.dart';
+import 'package:plezy/widgets/unwatched_count_badge.dart';
+
+void main() {
+  Future<void> pumpBadge(WidgetTester tester, int count) {
+    return tester.pumpWidget(
+      MaterialApp(
+        theme: monoTheme(dark: true),
+        home: Scaffold(
+          body: Center(child: UnwatchedCountBadge(count: count)),
+        ),
+      ),
+    );
+  }
+
+  testWidgets('single digit keeps circular footprint', (tester) async {
+    await pumpBadge(tester, 5);
+    expect(find.text('5'), findsOneWidget);
+    expect(tester.getSize(find.byType(UnwatchedCountBadge)), const Size(24, 24));
+  });
+
+  testWidgets('counts above 999 cap at 999+ on a single line', (tester) async {
+    await pumpBadge(tester, 1200);
+    expect(find.text('999+'), findsOneWidget);
+
+    final badge = tester.getSize(find.byType(UnwatchedCountBadge));
+    expect(badge.height, 24);
+    expect(badge.width, greaterThan(24));
+    // Wide labels widen the pill instead of wrapping (#1310): the text stays
+    // one line tall and inside the badge.
+    expect(tester.getSize(find.text('999+')).height, lessThanOrEqualTo(24));
+    expect(tester.takeException(), isNull);
+  });
+
+  testWidgets('999 renders uncapped', (tester) async {
+    await pumpBadge(tester, 999);
+    expect(find.text('999'), findsOneWidget);
+  });
+}