diff --git a/modules/authcache_comment/authcache_comment.test b/modules/authcache_comment/authcache_comment.test
index 8b49304..57bf9c5 100644
--- a/modules/authcache_comment/authcache_comment.test
+++ b/modules/authcache_comment/authcache_comment.test
@@ -182,6 +182,10 @@ class AuthcacheCommentTest extends DrupalWebTestCase {
 
     $this->assertText($setting_markup);
     $this->assertStub($setting_stub, HookStub::once());
+    $this->assertIdentical(1, count($this->xpath('//span[@class=:class and @data-p13n-user-prop=:prop]', array(
+      ':class' => 'authcache-user',
+      ':prop' => 'name',
+    ))), 'Generate placeholder markup for user property');
   }
 
   /**
@@ -230,8 +234,12 @@ class AuthcacheCommentTest extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     $this->drupalGet('node');
 
     $this->assertNoText('1 new comment');
-    $this->assertText($setting_markup, 'Should replace "1 new comment" link with a setting');
+    $this->assertText($setting_markup, 'Replace "1 new comment" link with a setting');
     $this->assertStub($setting_stub, HookStub::once());
+    $this->assertIdentical(1, count($this->xpath('//span[@class=:class and @data-p13n-nid=:nid]', array(
+      ':class' => 'authcache-comment-num-new',
+      ':nid' => $this->node->nid,
+    ))), 'Replace "1 new comment" link with placeholder markup');
 
     // M1: Visit the node in order to clear the new-comments marker.
     $this->drupalGet('node/' . $this->node->nid);
@@ -243,8 +251,12 @@ class AuthcacheCommentTest extends DrupalWebTestCase {
 
     $this->drupalGet('node');
 
-    $this->assertText($setting_markup, 'Should replace "1 new comment" link with a setting');
+    $this->assertText($setting_markup, 'Render setting even though there is no new comment');
     $this->assertStub($setting_stub, HookStub::once());
+    $this->assertIdentical(1, count($this->xpath('//span[@class=:class and @data-p13n-nid=:nid]', array(
+      ':class' => 'authcache-comment-num-new',
+      ':nid' => $this->node->nid,
+    ))), 'Generate placeholder markup even though there is no new comment');
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/modules/authcache_forum/authcache_forum.js b/modules/authcache_forum/authcache_forum.js
index 3dbf593..a98216e 100644
--- a/modules/authcache_forum/authcache_forum.js
+++ b/modules/authcache_forum/authcache_forum.js
@@ -1,37 +1,29 @@
 (function ($) {
+  function updateCount(elem, count) {
+    if (count) {
+      $(elem).html(Drupal.t('@count new', {'@count': count}));
+
+      // Update icon.
+      var icon = $(elem).closest('tr').find('td > div').get(0);
+      if (icon) {
+        icon.className = icon.className.replace('status-default', 'status-new').replace('status-hot', 'status-hot-new');
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   Drupal.behaviors.authcacheForum = {
     attach: function (context, settings) {
       if (settings.authcacheCommentNumNew) {
         $('.authcache-forum-topic-num-new', context).once('authcache-forum-topic-num-new', function() {
-          var elem = $(this);
           var nid = $(this).data('p13n-nid');
-
-          if (settings.authcacheCommentNumNew[nid]) {
-            elem.html(Drupal.t('@count new', {'@count': settings.authcacheCommentNumNew[nid]}));
-
-            // Update icon.
-            var icon = elem.closest('tr').find('td > div').get(0);
-            if (icon) {
-              icon.className = icon.className.replace('status-default', 'status-new').replace('status-hot', 'status-hot-new');
-            }
-          }
+          updateCount(this, settings.authcacheCommentNumNew[nid]);
         });
       }
 
       if (settings.authcacheForumNumNew) {
         $('.authcache-forum-num-new', context).once('authcache-forum-num-new', function() {
-          var elem = $(this);
           var tid = $(this).data('p13n-tid');
-
-          if (settings.authcacheForumNumNew[tid]) {
-            elem.html(Drupal.t('@count new', {'@count': settings.authcacheForumNumNew[tid]}));
-
-            // Update icon.
-            var icon = elem.closest('tr').find('td > div').get(0);
-            if (icon) {
-              icon.className = icon.className.replace('status-default', 'status-new').replace('status-hot', 'status-hot-new');
-            }
-          }
+          updateCount(this, settings.authcacheForumNumNew[tid]);
         });
       }
     }
diff --git a/modules/authcache_forum/authcache_forum.test b/modules/authcache_forum/authcache_forum.test
index 78e33ad..04b27c8 100644
--- a/modules/authcache_forum/authcache_forum.test
+++ b/modules/authcache_forum/authcache_forum.test
@@ -289,27 +289,35 @@ class AuthcacheForumTest extends DrupalWebTestCase {
       ':icon' => 'icon',
       ':status' => 'forum-status-default',
     ));
-    $this->assertTrue($default_icons, 'Should display icons with default status');
+    $this->assertTrue($default_icons, 'Icons with default status present');
     $new_icons = $this->xpath('//div[contains(@class, :icon) and contains(@class, :status)]', array(
       ':icon' => 'icon',
       ':status' => 'forum-status-new',
     ));
-    $this->assertFalse($new_icons, 'Should not display icons with new-status');
-    $this->assertText($setting_markup, 'Should replace "1 new" link with placeholder markup');
+    $this->assertFalse($new_icons, 'No icons with new-status present');
+    $this->assertText($setting_markup, 'Replace "1 new" link with a setting');
     $this->assertStub($setting_stub, HookStub::once());
+    $this->assertIdentical(1, count($this->xpath('//span[@class=:class and @data-p13n-tid=:tid]', array(
+      ':class' => 'authcache-forum-num-new',
+      ':tid' => $this->forum['tid'],
+    ))), 'Replace "1 new" link with placeholder markup');
 
     // M1: Visit the topic in order to clear the new-comments marker.
     $this->drupalGet('node/' . $this->topic->nid);
 
     // M1: Repeat the test on the forum-list. Even though there are no new
-    // comments, the markup substitution must still take place.
+    // topics, the markup substitution must still take place.
     $setting_markup = $this->randomName(8);
     $setting_stub = HookStub::on('theme_authcache_p13n_setting__authcache_p13n_test', $setting_markup);
 
     $this->drupalGet('forum');
 
-    $this->assertText($setting_markup, 'Should replace "1 new" link with placeholder markup');
+    $this->assertText($setting_markup, 'Render setting even though there is no new topic');
     $this->assertStub($setting_stub, HookStub::once());
+    $this->assertIdentical(1, count($this->xpath('//span[@class=:class and @data-p13n-tid=:tid]', array(
+      ':class' => 'authcache-forum-num-new',
+      ':tid' => $this->forum['tid'],
+    ))), 'Generate placeholder markup even though there is no new topic');
   }
 
   /**
@@ -351,13 +359,17 @@ class AuthcacheForumTest extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     $default_icons = $this->xpath('//div[contains(@class, :class)]', array(
       ':class' => 'topic-status-default',
     ));
-    $this->assertTrue($default_icons, 'Should display icons with default status');
+    $this->assertTrue($default_icons, 'Icons with default status present');
     $new_icons = $this->xpath('//div[contains(@class, :class)]', array(
       ':class' => 'topic-status-new',
     ));
-    $this->assertFalse($new_icons, 'Should not display icons with new-status');
-    $this->assertText($setting_markup, 'Should replace "1 new" link with placeholder markup');
+    $this->assertFalse($new_icons, 'No icons with new-status present');
+    $this->assertText($setting_markup, 'Replace "1 new" link with a setting');
     $this->assertStub($setting_stub, HookStub::once());
+    $this->assertIdentical(1, count($this->xpath('//span[@class=:class and @data-p13n-nid=:nid]', array(
+      ':class' => 'authcache-forum-topic-num-new',
+      ':nid' => $this->topic->nid,
+    ))), 'Replace "1 new" link with placeholder markup');
 
     // M1: Access it again but with lower hot-threshold in order to ensure that
     // icon class still does not change.
@@ -371,13 +383,17 @@ class AuthcacheForumTest extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     $default_icons = $this->xpath('//div[contains(@class, :class)]', array(
       ':class' => 'topic-status-hot',
     ));
-    $this->assertTrue($default_icons, 'Should display icons with hot status');
+    $this->assertTrue($default_icons, 'Icons with hot status present');
     $new_icons = $this->xpath('//div[contains(@class, :class)]', array(
       ':class' => 'topic-status-hot-new',
     ));
-    $this->assertFalse($new_icons, 'Should not display icons with hot-new-status');
-    $this->assertText($setting_markup, 'Should replace "1 new" link with placeholder markup');
+    $this->assertFalse($new_icons, 'No icons with hot-new-status present');
+    $this->assertText($setting_markup, 'Replace "1 new" link with a setting');
     $this->assertStub($setting_stub, HookStub::once());
+    $this->assertIdentical(1, count($this->xpath('//span[@class=:class and @data-p13n-nid=:nid]', array(
+      ':class' => 'authcache-forum-topic-num-new',
+      ':nid' => $this->topic->nid,
+    ))), 'Replace "1 new" link with placeholder markup');
     variable_del('forum_hot_topic');
 
     // M1: Visit the topic in order to clear the new-comments marker.
@@ -390,8 +406,12 @@ class AuthcacheForumTest extends DrupalWebTestCase {
 
     $this->drupalGet('forum/' . $this->forum['tid']);
 
-    $this->assertText($setting_markup, 'Should replace "1 new" link with placeholder markup');
+    $this->assertText($setting_markup, 'Render setting even though there is no new comment');
     $this->assertStub($setting_stub, HookStub::once());
+    $this->assertIdentical(1, count($this->xpath('//span[@class=:class and @data-p13n-nid=:nid]', array(
+      ':class' => 'authcache-forum-topic-num-new',
+      ':nid' => $this->topic->nid,
+    ))), 'Generate placeholder markup even though there is no new comment');
   }
 
   /**