diff --git a/mobile/android/base/BrowserApp.java b/mobile/android/base/BrowserApp.java
index df6e0a78c9d..68867ecdf67 100644
--- a/mobile/android/base/BrowserApp.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/BrowserApp.java
@@ -422,9 +422,6 @@ abstract public class BrowserApp extends GeckoApp
             public void run() {
                 BrowserDB.removeReadingListItemWithURL(getContentResolver(), url);
                 showToast(R.string.page_removed, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT);
-
-                final int count = BrowserDB.getReadingListCount(getContentResolver());
-                GeckoAppShell.sendEventToGecko(GeckoEvent.createBroadcastEvent("Reader:ListCountUpdated", Integer.toString(count)));
             }
         });
     }
diff --git a/mobile/android/base/home/HomeFragment.java b/mobile/android/base/home/HomeFragment.java
index 9c8319706f4..0fdc33a604c 100644
--- a/mobile/android/base/home/HomeFragment.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/home/HomeFragment.java
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 
 package org.mozilla.gecko.home;
 
+import org.json.JSONException;
+import org.json.JSONObject;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.EditBookmarkDialog;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.GeckoApp;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.GeckoAppShell;
@@ -340,7 +342,16 @@ abstract class HomeFragment extends Fragment {
             BrowserDB.removeHistoryEntry(cr, mUrl);
 
             BrowserDB.removeReadingListItemWithURL(cr, mUrl);
-            GeckoEvent e = GeckoEvent.createBroadcastEvent("Reader:Remove", mUrl);
+
+            final JSONObject json = new JSONObject();
+            try {
+                json.put("url", mUrl);
+                json.put("notify", false);
+            } catch (JSONException e) {
+                Log.e(LOGTAG, "error building JSON arguments");
+            }
+
+            GeckoEvent e = GeckoEvent.createBroadcastEvent("Reader:Remove", json.toString());
             GeckoAppShell.sendEventToGecko(e);
 
             return null;
diff --git a/mobile/android/chrome/content/aboutReader.js b/mobile/android/chrome/content/aboutReader.js
index cea0430ef0e..8fcf87d2e04 100644
--- a/mobile/android/chrome/content/aboutReader.js
+++ b/mobile/android/chrome/content/aboutReader.js
@@ -196,9 +196,9 @@ AboutReader.prototype = {
         }
         break;
       }
-
       case "Reader:Remove": {
-        if (aData == this._article.url) {
+        let args = JSON.parse(aData);
+        if (args.url == this._article.url) {
           if (this._isReadingListItem != 0) {
             this._isReadingListItem = 0;
             this._updateToggleButton();
@@ -316,7 +316,8 @@ AboutReader.prototype = {
       // In addition to removing the article from the cache (handled in
       // browser.js), sending this message will cause the toggle button to be
       // updated (handled in this file).
-      Services.obs.notifyObservers(null, "Reader:Remove", this._article.url);
+      let json = JSON.stringify({ url: this._article.url, notify: true });
+      Services.obs.notifyObservers(null, "Reader:Remove", json);
 
       UITelemetry.addEvent("unsave.1", "button", null, "reader");
     }
diff --git a/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js b/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js
index 4a455ea4dc7..eb4f7ca83ed 100644
--- a/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js
+++ b/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js
@@ -7320,14 +7320,18 @@ let Reader = {
       }
 
       case "Reader:Remove": {
-        let url = aData;
-        this.removeArticleFromCache(url, function(success) {
-          this.log("Reader:Remove success=" + success + ", url=" + url);
+        let args = JSON.parse(aData);
 
-          if (success) {
+        if (!("url" in args)) {
+          throw new Error("Reader:Remove requires URL as an argument");
+        }
+
+        this.removeArticleFromCache(args.url, function(success) {
+          this.log("Reader:Remove success=" + success + ", url=" + args.url);
+          if (success && args.notify) {
             sendMessageToJava({
               type: "Reader:Removed",
-              url: url
+              url: args.url
             });
           }
         }.bind(this));