diff --git a/src/cljs/athens/views/blocks/core.cljs b/src/cljs/athens/views/blocks/core.cljs
index 293d82cb72..a8417273f8 100644
--- a/src/cljs/athens/views/blocks/core.cljs
+++ b/src/cljs/athens/views/blocks/core.cljs
@@ -493,7 +493,6 @@
 
                ;; Show comments when the toggle is on
                (when (and @show-comments?
-                          open
                           (or @show-textarea?
                               (comments/get-comment-thread-uid @db/dsdb uid)))
                  [inline-comments/inline-comments (comments/get-comments-in-thread @db/dsdb (comments/get-comment-thread-uid @db/dsdb uid)) uid false])
diff --git a/src/cljs/athens/views/comments/core.cljs b/src/cljs/athens/views/comments/core.cljs
index 49ee168a21..34a3a61e9c 100644
--- a/src/cljs/athens/views/comments/core.cljs
+++ b/src/cljs/athens/views/comments/core.cljs
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@
   :comment/write-comment
   ;; There is a sequence for how the operations are to be executed because for some ops, information
   ;; related to prior op is needed. The sequence is:
-  ;; - Create a thread if it does not exist with the author as member and subscriber to the thread.
+  ;; - Create a thread if it does not exist with the block and the comment author as member and subscriber to the thread.
   ;; - Add comment to the thread.
   ;; - If the comment contains mentions to users not subscribed to the thread, then add them as subscribers and members.
   ;; - If this is not the first comment on the thread then add the author of comment as subscriber and member to the thread.
@@ -281,7 +281,10 @@
     (let [thread-exists?                             (get-comment-thread-uid @db/dsdb uid)
           thread-uid                                 (or thread-exists?
                                                          (common.utils/gen-block-uid))
-
+          block-author                               (-> (common-db/get-block-document @db/dsdb [:block/uid uid])
+                                                         :block/create
+                                                         :event/auth
+                                                         :presence/id)
           {thread-members-uid :members-prop-uid
            thread-subs-uid    :subscribers-prop-uid
            new-thread-op      :new-thread-op}        (when (not thread-exists?)
@@ -296,14 +299,23 @@
           add-mentions-in-str-as-mem-subs-op         (add-mentioned-users-as-member-and-subscriber @db/dsdb thread-members-uid thread-subs-uid comment-string thread-uid thread-exists? author)
           add-author-as-mem-or-subs                  (when thread-exists?
                                                        (add-user-as-member-or-subscriber? @db/dsdb thread-uid (str "[[@" author "]]")))
-
           notification-message                       (str "**((" uid "))**" "\n"
                                                           "*[[@" author "]] commented: "  comment-string "*")
+          [add-block-author-as-sub-and-mem
+           block-author-notification-op]             (when (and
+                                                             (not= author block-author)
+                                                             (not thread-exists?))
+                                                       [(concat []
+                                                                (add-new-member-or-subscriber-to-prop-uid @db/dsdb thread-members-uid (str "[[@" block-author "]]"))
+                                                                (add-new-member-or-subscriber-to-prop-uid @db/dsdb thread-subs-uid (str "[[@" block-author "]]")))
+                                                        (create-notification-op-for-users @db/dsdb uid [(str "[[@" block-author "]]")] author notification-message comment-uid "athens/notification/type/comment")                                                 ()])
           notification-op                            (create-notification-op-for-comment @db/dsdb uid thread-uid author comment-string notification-message comment-uid)
           ops                                        (concat add-author-as-mem-or-subs
                                                              new-thread-op
                                                              [comment-op]
                                                              add-mentions-in-str-as-mem-subs-op
+                                                             add-block-author-as-sub-and-mem
+                                                             block-author-notification-op
                                                              notification-op)
 
           comment-notif-op                           (composite/make-consequence-op {:op/type :comment-notif-op}
diff --git a/src/cljs/athens/views/notifications/popover.cljs b/src/cljs/athens/views/notifications/popover.cljs
index ea023c057a..dbe7a79c78 100644
--- a/src/cljs/athens/views/notifications/popover.cljs
+++ b/src/cljs/athens/views/notifications/popover.cljs
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@
                                               (when (.. e -shiftKey)
                                                 (rf/dispatch [:right-sidebar/open-item [:node/title user-page-title]])))
                              :icon          (r/as-element [:> BellFillIcon])}]
-             (when (> 0 num-notifications)
+             (when (> num-notifications 0)
                [:> Badge {:position "absolute"
                           :bg "highlight"
                           :color "highlightContrast"