diff --git a/NOTIFICATION_FIXES_IMPLEMENTED.md b/NOTIFICATION_FIXES_IMPLEMENTED.md
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+# Notification System Fixes - Implementation Summary
+
+**Date**: 2026-01-06  
+**Status**: ✅ All fixes implemented
+
+---
+
+## ✅ **Fix #1: Redis Caching for Leantime User ID**
+
+### **Problem**:
+- `getLeantimeUserId()` fetched ALL users from Leantime API every time
+- No caching, causing slow performance and inconsistent results
+- Race conditions between different calls
+
+### **Solution**:
+- Added Redis caching with 1-hour TTL
+- Cache key: `leantime:userid:${email.toLowerCase()}`
+- Checks cache first before making API call
+- Caches result after successful fetch
+
+### **Implementation**:
+- **File**: `lib/services/notifications/leantime-adapter.ts`
+- **Method**: `getLeantimeUserId()`
+- **Cache TTL**: 3600 seconds (1 hour)
+- **Static helper**: `invalidateUserIdCache()` for manual cache clearing
+
+### **Benefits**:
+- ✅ Faster performance (no API call if cached)
+- ✅ More reliable (consistent results)
+- ✅ Reduced API load on Leantime
+- ✅ Better error recovery (can use cached value if API fails)
+
+---
+
+## ✅ **Fix #2: Retry Logic with Exponential Backoff**
+
+### **Problem**:
+- `getLeantimeUserId()` failed immediately on API errors
+- No retry mechanism for transient failures
+- Network errors caused permanent failures
+
+### **Solution**:
+- Added retry logic with up to 3 retries
+- Exponential backoff: 1s, 2s, 4s (max 5s)
+- Retries on:
+  - Server errors (5xx)
+  - Rate limiting (429)
+  - Network errors
+  - Certain JSON-RPC errors
+
+### **Implementation**:
+- **File**: `lib/services/notifications/leantime-adapter.ts`
+- **Method**: `getLeantimeUserId()` with `fetchWithRetry()`
+- **Max Retries**: 3
+- **Backoff**: Exponential (1s → 2s → 4s)
+
+### **Benefits**:
+- ✅ Handles transient failures gracefully
+- ✅ Better resilience to network issues
+- ✅ Improved success rate for user ID lookup
+
+---
+
+## ✅ **Fix #3: Always Invalidate Cache After Marking**
+
+### **Problem**:
+- Cache only invalidated if marking operation succeeded
+- If `getLeantimeUserId()` failed, cache stayed stale
+- Count remained at old value (65) even after marking attempts
+
+### **Solution**:
+- Always invalidate cache after marking attempt
+- Even if operation failed or returned `false`
+- Ensures fresh data on next fetch
+
+### **Implementation**:
+- **File**: `lib/services/notifications/notification-service.ts`
+- **Methods**: 
+  - `markAsRead()` - Always invalidates cache
+  - `markAllAsRead()` - Always invalidates cache
+- **Logic**: Cache invalidation happens regardless of success/failure
+
+### **Benefits**:
+- ✅ Count always refreshes after marking attempts
+- ✅ User sees accurate data even if operation partially failed
+- ✅ Better UX (no stale count stuck at 65)
+
+---
+
+## ✅ **Fix #4: Improved Count Accuracy**
+
+### **Problem**:
+- Count only based on first 100 notifications
+- If user had >100 notifications, count was inaccurate
+- Used cached notifications which might be stale
+
+### **Solution**:
+- Fetch up to 1000 notifications directly from API for counting
+- Bypasses cache to get fresh data
+- More accurate count for users with many notifications
+
+### **Implementation**:
+- **File**: `lib/services/notifications/leantime-adapter.ts`
+- **Method**: `getNotificationCount()`
+- **Change**: Fetches directly from API (up to 1000) instead of using cached `getNotifications()`
+- **Warning**: Logs if count reaches 1000 (might have more)
+
+### **Benefits**:
+- ✅ More accurate count (up to 1000 notifications)
+- ✅ Fresh data (bypasses cache)
+- ✅ Better handling of users with many notifications
+
+---
+
+## ✅ **Fix #5: Better Error Handling and Logging**
+
+### **Problem**:
+- Errors were logged but not handled gracefully
+- No way to manually clear user ID cache
+- Limited error context in logs
+
+### **Solution**:
+- Added static method to invalidate user ID cache
+- Improved error messages with more context
+- Better logging throughout the flow
+- Graceful degradation on errors
+
+### **Implementation**:
+- **File**: `lib/services/notifications/leantime-adapter.ts`
+- **Static Method**: `invalidateUserIdCache(email)`
+- **Improved Logging**: More detailed error messages
+- **Error Recovery**: Continues operation even if caching fails
+
+### **Benefits**:
+- ✅ Better debugging with detailed logs
+- ✅ Manual cache clearing for troubleshooting
+- ✅ More resilient to partial failures
+
+---
+
+## 📊 **Expected Behavior After Fixes**
+
+### **Before Fixes**:
+1. Mark all as read → `getLeantimeUserId()` fails → Returns `false`
+2. Cache NOT invalidated → Count stays 65 ❌
+3. User sees stale count
+
+### **After Fixes**:
+1. Mark all as read → `getLeantimeUserId()` checks cache first ✅
+2. If cached: Uses cached ID immediately ✅
+3. If not cached: Fetches with retry logic ✅
+4. Marks notifications as read ✅
+5. **Always invalidates cache** ✅
+6. Count refresh gets fresh data → Shows 0 ✅
+
+---
+
+## 🎯 **Key Improvements**
+
+### **Reliability**:
+- ✅ User ID lookup is now cached and retried
+- ✅ Cache always invalidated after marking
+- ✅ Better error recovery
+
+### **Performance**:
+- ✅ Faster user ID lookup (cached)
+- ✅ Reduced API calls to Leantime
+- ✅ More efficient cache usage
+
+### **Accuracy**:
+- ✅ Count based on up to 1000 notifications
+- ✅ Fresh data from API (bypasses stale cache)
+- ✅ Better handling of edge cases
+
+### **User Experience**:
+- ✅ Count updates correctly after marking
+- ✅ No more stuck count at 65
+- ✅ Faster response times
+
+---
+
+## 🚀 **Testing Checklist**
+
+After rebuild (`rm -rf .next && npm run build && npm start`):
+
+1. ✅ **Test Mark All As Read**:
+   - Should work even if user ID lookup was previously failing
+   - Count should update to 0 after marking
+   - Cache should be invalidated
+
+2. ✅ **Test Mark Single As Read**:
+   - Should work reliably
+   - Count should decrement correctly
+   - Cache should be invalidated
+
+3. ✅ **Test Count Accuracy**:
+   - Should show accurate count (up to 1000)
+   - Should refresh after marking
+   - Should use fresh data from API
+
+4. ✅ **Test User ID Caching**:
+   - First call should fetch from API
+   - Subsequent calls should use cache
+   - Should be faster on subsequent calls
+
+5. ✅ **Test Retry Logic**:
+   - Should retry on transient failures
+   - Should eventually succeed or fail gracefully
+   - Should log retry attempts
+
+---
+
+## 📝 **Files Modified**
+
+1. **`lib/services/notifications/leantime-adapter.ts`**:
+   - Added Redis caching for user ID
+   - Added retry logic with exponential backoff
+   - Improved `getNotificationCount()` to fetch directly from API
+   - Added `invalidateUserIdCache()` static method
+   - Better error handling and logging
+
+2. **`lib/services/notifications/notification-service.ts`**:
+   - Always invalidate cache in `markAsRead()`
+   - Always invalidate cache in `markAllAsRead()`
+   - Better error handling and logging
+
+---
+
+## 🔧 **Configuration**
+
+- **User ID Cache TTL**: 3600 seconds (1 hour)
+- **Max Retries**: 3 attempts
+- **Retry Backoff**: Exponential (1s, 2s, 4s, max 5s)
+- **Count Fetch Limit**: 1000 notifications
+
+---
+
+**Status**: ✅ All fixes implemented and ready for testing
+
diff --git a/NOTIFICATION_FLOW_ANALYSIS.md b/NOTIFICATION_FLOW_ANALYSIS.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dc9f22e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/NOTIFICATION_FLOW_ANALYSIS.md
@@ -0,0 +1,526 @@
+# Complete Notification Flow Analysis
+
+**Date**: 2026-01-06  
+**Purpose**: Trace the entire notification system flow to identify issues and improvements
+
+---
+
+## 🔍 **FLOW 1: Initial Page Load & Count Display**
+
+### Step-by-Step Flow:
+
+1. **Component Mount** (`notification-badge.tsx`)
+   - `useNotifications()` hook initializes
+   - `useEffect` triggers when `status === 'authenticated'`
+   - Calls `fetchNotificationCount(true)` (force refresh)
+   - Calls `fetchNotifications()`
+   - Starts polling every 60 seconds
+
+2. **Count Fetch** (`use-notifications.ts` → `/api/notifications/count`)
+   - Hook calls `/api/notifications/count?_t=${Date.now()}` (cache-busting)
+   - API route authenticates user
+   - Calls `NotificationService.getNotificationCount(userId)`
+
+3. **Service Layer** (`notification-service.ts`)
+   - **Checks Redis cache first** (`notifications:count:${userId}`)
+   - If cached: Returns cached data immediately
+   - If not cached: Fetches from adapters
+
+4. **Adapter Layer** (`leantime-adapter.ts`)
+   - `getNotificationCount()` calls `getNotifications(userId, 1, 100)` 
+   - **⚠️ ISSUE**: Only fetches first 100 notifications for counting
+   - Filters unread: `notifications.filter(n => !n.isRead).length`
+   - Returns count object
+
+5. **Cache Storage**
+   - Service stores count in Redis with 30-second TTL
+   - Returns to API route
+   - API returns to hook
+   - Hook updates React state: `setNotificationCount(data)`
+
+6. **UI Update**
+   - Badge displays `notificationCount.unread`
+   - Shows "65" if 65 unread notifications
+
+---
+
+## 🔍 **FLOW 2: Mark Single Notification as Read**
+
+### Step-by-Step Flow:
+
+1. **User Action** (`notification-badge.tsx`)
+   - User clicks "Mark as read" button
+   - Calls `handleMarkAsRead(notificationId)`
+   - Calls `markAsRead(notificationId)` from hook
+
+2. **Hook Action** (`use-notifications.ts`)
+   - Makes POST to `/api/notifications/${notificationId}/read`
+   - **Optimistic UI Update**:
+     - Updates notification in state: `isRead: true`
+     - Decrements count: `unread: Math.max(0, prev.unread - 1)`
+   - Waits 100ms, then calls `fetchNotificationCount(true)`
+
+3. **API Route** (`app/api/notifications/[id]/read/route.ts`)
+   - Authenticates user
+   - Extracts notification ID: `leantime-2732` → splits to get source and ID
+   - Calls `NotificationService.markAsRead(userId, notificationId)`
+
+4. **Service Layer** (`notification-service.ts`)
+   - Extracts source: `leantime` from ID
+   - Gets adapter: `this.adapters.get('leantime')`
+   - Calls `adapter.markAsRead(userId, notificationId)`
+
+5. **Adapter Layer** (`leantime-adapter.ts`)
+   - **Gets user email from session**: `getUserEmail()`
+   - **Gets Leantime user ID**: `getLeantimeUserId(email)`
+   - **⚠️ CRITICAL ISSUE**: If `getLeantimeUserId()` fails → returns `false`
+   - If successful: Calls Leantime API `markNotificationRead`
+   - Returns success/failure
+
+6. **Cache Invalidation** (`notification-service.ts`)
+   - If `markAsRead()` returns `true`:
+     - Calls `invalidateCache(userId)`
+     - Deletes count cache: `notifications:count:${userId}`
+     - Deletes all list caches: `notifications:list:${userId}:*`
+   - If returns `false`: **Cache NOT invalidated** ❌
+
+7. **Count Refresh** (`use-notifications.ts`)
+   - After 100ms delay, calls `fetchNotificationCount(true)`
+   - Fetches fresh count from API
+   - **⚠️ ISSUE**: If cache wasn't invalidated, might get stale count
+
+---
+
+## 🔍 **FLOW 3: Mark All Notifications as Read**
+
+### Step-by-Step Flow:
+
+1. **User Action** (`notification-badge.tsx`)
+   - User clicks "Mark all read" button
+   - Calls `handleMarkAllAsRead()`
+   - Calls `markAllAsRead()` from hook
+
+2. **Hook Action** (`use-notifications.ts`)
+   - Makes POST to `/api/notifications/read-all`
+   - **Optimistic UI Update**:
+     - Sets all notifications: `isRead: true`
+     - Sets count: `unread: 0`
+   - Waits 200ms, then calls `fetchNotificationCount(true)`
+
+3. **API Route** (`app/api/notifications/read-all/route.ts`)
+   - Authenticates user
+   - Calls `NotificationService.markAllAsRead(userId)`
+
+4. **Service Layer** (`notification-service.ts`)
+   - Loops through all adapters
+   - For each adapter:
+     - Checks if configured
+     - Calls `adapter.markAllAsRead(userId)`
+   - Collects results: `[true/false, ...]`
+   - Determines: `success = results.every(r => r)`, `anySuccess = results.some(r => r)`
+   - **Cache Invalidation**:
+     - If `anySuccess === true`: Invalidates cache ✅
+     - If `anySuccess === false`: **Cache NOT invalidated** ❌
+
+5. **Adapter Layer** (`leantime-adapter.ts`)
+   - **Gets user email**: `getUserEmail()`
+   - **Gets Leantime user ID**: `getLeantimeUserId(email)`
+   - **⚠️ CRITICAL ISSUE**: If this fails → returns `false` immediately
+   - If successful:
+     - Fetches all notifications directly from API (up to 1000)
+     - Filters unread: `rawNotifications.filter(n => n.read === 0)`
+     - Marks each individually using `markNotificationRead`
+     - Returns success if any were marked
+
+6. **Cache Invalidation** (`notification-service.ts`)
+   - Only happens if `anySuccess === true`
+   - **⚠️ ISSUE**: If `getLeantimeUserId()` fails, `anySuccess = false`
+   - Cache stays stale → count remains 65
+
+7. **Count Refresh** (`use-notifications.ts`)
+   - After 200ms, calls `fetchNotificationCount(true)`
+   - **⚠️ ISSUE**: If cache wasn't invalidated, gets stale count from cache
+
+---
+
+## 🔍 **FLOW 4: Fetch Notification List**
+
+### Step-by-Step Flow:
+
+1. **User Opens Dropdown** (`notification-badge.tsx`)
+   - `handleOpenChange(true)` called
+   - Calls `manualFetch()` which calls `fetchNotifications(1, 10)`
+
+2. **Hook Action** (`use-notifications.ts`)
+   - Makes GET to `/api/notifications?page=1&limit=20`
+   - Updates state: `setNotifications(data.notifications)`
+
+3. **API Route** (`app/api/notifications/route.ts`)
+   - Authenticates user
+   - Calls `NotificationService.getNotifications(userId, page, limit)`
+
+4. **Service Layer** (`notification-service.ts`)
+   - **Checks Redis cache first**: `notifications:list:${userId}:${page}:${limit}`
+   - If cached: Returns cached data immediately
+   - If not cached: Fetches from adapters
+
+5. **Adapter Layer** (`leantime-adapter.ts`)
+   - Gets user email and Leantime user ID
+   - Calls Leantime API `getAllNotifications` with pagination
+   - Transforms notifications to our format
+   - Returns array
+
+6. **Cache Storage**
+   - Service stores list in Redis with 5-minute TTL
+   - Returns to API
+   - API returns to hook
+   - Hook updates React state
+
+---
+
+## 🐛 **IDENTIFIED ISSUES**
+
+### **Issue #1: getLeantimeUserId() Fails Inconsistently**
+
+**Problem**:
+- `getLeantimeUserId()` works in `getNotifications()` and `getNotificationCount()`
+- But fails in `markAllAsRead()` and sometimes in `markAsRead()`
+- Logs show: `"User not found in Leantime: a.tmiri@clm.foundation"`
+
+**Root Cause**:
+- `getLeantimeUserId()` calls Leantime API `getAll` users endpoint
+- Fetches ALL users, then searches for matching email
+- **Possible causes**:
+  1. **Race condition**: API call happens at different times
+  2. **Session timing**: Session might be different between calls
+  3. **API rate limiting**: Leantime API might throttle requests
+  4. **Caching issue**: No caching of user ID lookup
+
+**Impact**:
+- Mark all as read fails → cache not invalidated → count stays 65
+- Mark single as read might fail → cache not invalidated → count doesn't update
+
+**Solution**:
+- Cache Leantime user ID in Redis with longer TTL
+- Add retry logic with exponential backoff
+- Add better error handling and logging
+
+---
+
+### **Issue #2: Cache Invalidation Only on Success**
+
+**Problem**:
+- Cache is only invalidated if `markAsRead()` or `markAllAsRead()` returns `true`
+- If operation fails (e.g., `getLeantimeUserId()` fails), cache stays stale
+- Count remains at old value (65)
+
+**Root Cause**:
+```typescript
+if (success) {
+  await this.invalidateCache(userId);
+}
+```
+
+**Impact**:
+- User sees stale count even after attempting to mark as read
+- UI shows optimistic update, but server count doesn't match
+
+**Solution**:
+- Always invalidate cache after marking attempt (even on failure)
+- Or: Invalidate cache before marking, then refresh after
+- Or: Use optimistic updates with eventual consistency
+
+---
+
+### **Issue #3: Count Based on First 100 Notifications**
+
+**Problem**:
+- `getNotificationCount()` only fetches first 100 notifications
+- If user has 200 notifications with 66 unread, count shows 66
+- But if 66 unread are beyond first 100, count is wrong
+
+**Root Cause**:
+```typescript
+const notifications = await this.getNotifications(userId, 1, 100);
+const unreadCount = notifications.filter(n => !n.isRead).length;
+```
+
+**Impact**:
+- Count might be inaccurate if >100 notifications exist
+- User might see "66 unread" but only 10 displayed (pagination)
+
+**Solution**:
+- Use dedicated count API if Leantime provides one
+- Or: Fetch all notifications for counting (up to reasonable limit)
+- Or: Show "66+ unread" if count reaches 100
+
+---
+
+### **Issue #4: Race Condition Between Cache Invalidation and Count Fetch**
+
+**Problem**:
+- Hook calls `fetchNotificationCount(true)` after 100-200ms delay
+- But cache invalidation might not be complete
+- Count fetch might still get stale cache
+
+**Root Cause**:
+```typescript
+setTimeout(() => {
+  fetchNotificationCount(true);
+}, 200);
+```
+
+**Impact**:
+- Count might not update immediately after marking
+- User sees optimistic update, then stale count
+
+**Solution**:
+- Increase delay to 500ms
+- Or: Poll count until it matches expected value
+- Or: Use WebSocket/SSE for real-time updates
+
+---
+
+### **Issue #5: No Caching of Leantime User ID**
+
+**Problem**:
+- `getLeantimeUserId()` fetches ALL users from Leantime API every time
+- No caching, so repeated calls are slow and might fail
+- Different calls might get different results (race condition)
+
+**Root Cause**:
+- No Redis cache for user ID mapping
+- Each call makes full API request
+
+**Impact**:
+- Slow performance
+- Inconsistent results
+- API rate limiting issues
+
+**Solution**:
+- Cache user ID in Redis: `leantime:userid:${email}` with 1-hour TTL
+- Invalidate cache only when user changes or on explicit refresh
+
+---
+
+### **Issue #6: getNotificationCount Uses Cached getNotifications**
+
+**Problem**:
+- `getNotificationCount()` calls `getNotifications(userId, 1, 100)`
+- `getNotifications()` uses cache if available
+- Count might be based on stale cached notifications
+
+**Root Cause**:
+```typescript
+async getNotificationCount(userId: string): Promise<NotificationCount> {
+  const notifications = await this.getNotifications(userId, 1, 100);
+  // Uses cached data if available
+}
+```
+
+**Impact**:
+- Count might be stale even if notifications were marked as read
+- Cache TTL mismatch: count cache (30s) vs list cache (5min)
+
+**Solution**:
+- Fetch notifications directly from API for counting (bypass cache)
+- Or: Use dedicated count endpoint
+- Or: Invalidate list cache when count cache is invalidated
+
+---
+
+### **Issue #7: Optimistic Updates Don't Match Server State**
+
+**Problem**:
+- Hook optimistically updates count: `unread: 0`
+- But server count might still be 65 (cache not invalidated)
+- After refresh, count jumps back to 65
+
+**Root Cause**:
+- Optimistic update happens immediately
+- Server cache invalidation might fail
+- Count refresh gets stale data
+
+**Impact**:
+- Confusing UX: count goes to 0, then back to 65
+- User thinks operation failed when it might have succeeded
+
+**Solution**:
+- Only show optimistic update if we're confident operation will succeed
+- Or: Show loading state until server confirms
+- Or: Poll until count matches expected value
+
+---
+
+## 🎯 **RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENTS**
+
+### **Priority 1: Fix getLeantimeUserId() Reliability**
+
+1. **Cache User ID Mapping**
+   ```typescript
+   // Cache key: leantime:userid:${email}
+   // TTL: 1 hour
+   // Invalidate on user update or explicit refresh
+   ```
+
+2. **Add Retry Logic**
+   ```typescript
+   // Retry 3 times with exponential backoff
+   // Log each attempt
+   // Return cached value if API fails
+   ```
+
+3. **Better Error Handling**
+   ```typescript
+   // Log full error details
+   // Return null only after all retries fail
+   // Don't fail entire operation on user ID lookup failure
+   ```
+
+---
+
+### **Priority 2: Always Invalidate Cache After Marking**
+
+1. **Invalidate Before Marking**
+   ```typescript
+   // Invalidate cache first
+   // Then mark as read
+   // Then refresh count
+   ```
+
+2. **Or: Always Invalidate After Attempt**
+   ```typescript
+   // Always invalidate cache after marking attempt
+   // Even if operation failed
+   // This ensures fresh data on next fetch
+   ```
+
+---
+
+### **Priority 3: Fix Count Accuracy**
+
+1. **Use Dedicated Count API** (if available)
+   ```typescript
+   // Check if Leantime has count-only endpoint
+   // Use that instead of fetching all notifications
+   ```
+
+2. **Or: Fetch All for Counting**
+   ```typescript
+   // Fetch up to 1000 notifications for counting
+   // Or use pagination to count all
+   ```
+
+3. **Or: Show "66+ unread" if limit reached**
+   ```typescript
+   // If count === 100, show "100+ unread"
+   // Indicate there might be more
+   ```
+
+---
+
+### **Priority 4: Improve Cache Strategy**
+
+1. **Unified Cache Invalidation**
+   ```typescript
+   // When count cache is invalidated, also invalidate list cache
+   // When list cache is invalidated, also invalidate count cache
+   // Keep them in sync
+   ```
+
+2. **Shorter Cache TTLs**
+   ```typescript
+   // Count cache: 10 seconds (currently 30s)
+   // List cache: 1 minute (currently 5min)
+   // More frequent updates
+   ```
+
+3. **Cache Tags/Versioning**
+   ```typescript
+   // Use cache version numbers
+   // Increment on invalidation
+   // Check version before using cache
+   ```
+
+---
+
+### **Priority 5: Better Error Recovery**
+
+1. **Graceful Degradation**
+   ```typescript
+   // If mark as read fails, still invalidate cache
+   // Show error message to user
+   // Allow retry
+   ```
+
+2. **Retry Logic**
+   ```typescript
+   // Retry failed operations automatically
+   // Exponential backoff
+   // Max 3 retries
+   ```
+
+---
+
+## 📊 **FLOW DIAGRAM: Current vs Improved**
+
+### **Current Flow (Mark All As Read)**:
+```
+User clicks → Hook → API → Service → Adapter
+  ↓
+getLeantimeUserId() → FAILS ❌
+  ↓
+Returns false → Service: anySuccess = false
+  ↓
+Cache NOT invalidated ❌
+  ↓
+Count refresh → Gets stale cache → Shows 65 ❌
+```
+
+### **Improved Flow (Mark All As Read)**:
+```
+User clicks → Hook → API → Service → Adapter
+  ↓
+getLeantimeUserId() → Check cache first
+  ↓
+If cached: Use cached ID ✅
+If not cached: Fetch from API → Cache result ✅
+  ↓
+Mark all as read → Success ✅
+  ↓
+Always invalidate cache (even on partial failure) ✅
+  ↓
+Count refresh → Gets fresh data → Shows 0 ✅
+```
+
+---
+
+## 🚀 **IMPLEMENTATION PRIORITY**
+
+1. **Fix getLeantimeUserId() caching** (High Priority)
+   - Add Redis cache for user ID mapping
+   - Add retry logic
+   - Better error handling
+
+2. **Always invalidate cache** (High Priority)
+   - Invalidate cache even on failure
+   - Or invalidate before marking
+
+3. **Fix count accuracy** (Medium Priority)
+   - Use dedicated count API or fetch all
+   - Show "66+ unread" if limit reached
+
+4. **Improve cache strategy** (Medium Priority)
+   - Unified invalidation
+   - Shorter TTLs
+   - Cache versioning
+
+5. **Better error recovery** (Low Priority)
+   - Graceful degradation
+   - Retry logic
+   - Better UX
+
+---
+
+**Status**: Analysis complete. Ready for implementation.
+
diff --git a/lib/services/notifications/leantime-adapter.ts b/lib/services/notifications/leantime-adapter.ts
index 7d9c4ca4..5d0b1b50 100644
--- a/lib/services/notifications/leantime-adapter.ts
+++ b/lib/services/notifications/leantime-adapter.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { Notification, NotificationCount } from '@/lib/types/notification';
 import { NotificationAdapter } from './notification-adapter.interface';
 import { getServerSession } from 'next-auth';
 import { authOptions } from "@/app/api/auth/options";
+import { getRedisClient } from '@/lib/redis';
 
 // Leantime notification type from their API
 interface LeantimeNotification {
@@ -20,6 +21,8 @@ export class LeantimeAdapter implements NotificationAdapter {
   readonly sourceName = 'leantime';
   private apiUrl: string;
   private apiToken: string;
+  private static readonly USER_ID_CACHE_TTL = 3600; // 1 hour
+  private static readonly USER_ID_CACHE_KEY_PREFIX = 'leantime:userid:';
 
   constructor() {
     this.apiUrl = process.env.LEANTIME_API_URL || '';
@@ -28,6 +31,21 @@ export class LeantimeAdapter implements NotificationAdapter {
     console.log('[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Initialized with API URL and token');
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Invalidate cached Leantime user ID for an email
+   * Useful when user data changes or for debugging
+   */
+  static async invalidateUserIdCache(email: string): Promise<void> {
+    try {
+      const redis = getRedisClient();
+      const cacheKey = `${LeantimeAdapter.USER_ID_CACHE_KEY_PREFIX}${email.toLowerCase()}`;
+      await redis.del(cacheKey);
+      console.log(`[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Invalidated user ID cache for ${email}`);
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.error(`[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Error invalidating user ID cache:`, error);
+    }
+  }
+
   async getNotifications(userId: string, page = 1, limit = 20): Promise<Notification[]> {
     console.log(`[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] getNotifications called for userId: ${userId}, page: ${page}, limit: ${limit}`);
     
@@ -122,20 +140,107 @@ export class LeantimeAdapter implements NotificationAdapter {
     console.log(`[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] getNotificationCount called for userId: ${userId}`);
     
     try {
-      // Get all notifications and count them
-      // NOTE: This only gets first 100 notifications. If there are more, the count will be inaccurate.
-      // TODO: Consider using a dedicated count API endpoint if Leantime provides one
-      const notifications = await this.getNotifications(userId, 1, 100); // Get up to 100 for counting
+      // Fetch notifications directly from API for accurate counting (bypassing cache)
+      // Fetch up to 1000 notifications to get accurate count
+      const email = await this.getUserEmail();
+      if (!email) {
+        console.error('[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Could not get user email for count');
+        return {
+          total: 0,
+          unread: 0,
+          sources: {
+            leantime: {
+              total: 0,
+              unread: 0
+            }
+          }
+        };
+      }
       
-      // Count total and unread
-      const totalCount = notifications.length;
-      const unreadCount = notifications.filter(n => !n.isRead).length;
+      const leantimeUserId = await this.getLeantimeUserId(email);
+      if (!leantimeUserId) {
+        console.error('[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Could not get Leantime user ID for count');
+        return {
+          total: 0,
+          unread: 0,
+          sources: {
+            leantime: {
+              total: 0,
+              unread: 0
+            }
+          }
+        };
+      }
+      
+      // Fetch directly from API (bypassing cache) to get accurate count
+      const jsonRpcBody = {
+        jsonrpc: '2.0',
+        method: 'leantime.rpc.Notifications.Notifications.getAllNotifications',
+        params: {
+          userId: leantimeUserId,
+          showNewOnly: 0, // Get all notifications
+          limitStart: 0,
+          limitEnd: 1000, // Fetch up to 1000 for accurate counting
+          filterOptions: []
+        },
+        id: 1
+      };
+      
+      const response = await fetch(`${this.apiUrl}/api/jsonrpc`, {
+        method: 'POST',
+        headers: {
+          'Content-Type': 'application/json',
+          'X-API-Key': this.apiToken
+        },
+        body: JSON.stringify(jsonRpcBody)
+      });
+      
+      if (!response.ok) {
+        console.error(`[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Failed to fetch notifications for count: HTTP ${response.status}`);
+        return {
+          total: 0,
+          unread: 0,
+          sources: {
+            leantime: {
+              total: 0,
+              unread: 0
+            }
+          }
+        };
+      }
+      
+      const data = await response.json();
+      
+      if (data.error || !Array.isArray(data.result)) {
+        console.error('[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Error or invalid response for count:', data.error);
+        return {
+          total: 0,
+          unread: 0,
+          sources: {
+            leantime: {
+              total: 0,
+              unread: 0
+            }
+          }
+        };
+      }
+      
+      const rawNotifications = data.result;
+      
+      // Count total and unread from raw data
+      const totalCount = rawNotifications.length;
+      const unreadCount = rawNotifications.filter((n: any) => 
+        n.read === 0 || n.read === false || n.read === '0'
+      ).length;
+      
+      const hasMore = totalCount === 1000; // If we got exactly 1000, there might be more
       
       console.log('[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Notification counts:', {
         total: totalCount,
         unread: unreadCount,
         read: totalCount - unreadCount,
-        note: totalCount === 100 ? 'WARNING: May have more than 100 notifications total' : 'OK'
+        hasMore: hasMore,
+        note: hasMore ? 'WARNING: May have more than 1000 notifications total' : 'OK'
       });
       
       return {
@@ -447,52 +552,130 @@ export class LeantimeAdapter implements NotificationAdapter {
     }
   }
 
-  // Helper function to get Leantime user ID by email
-  private async getLeantimeUserId(email: string): Promise<number | null> {
+  // Helper function to get Leantime user ID by email with caching and retry logic
+  private async getLeantimeUserId(email: string, retryCount = 0): Promise<number | null> {
+    const MAX_RETRIES = 3;
+    const CACHE_KEY = `${LeantimeAdapter.USER_ID_CACHE_KEY_PREFIX}${email.toLowerCase()}`;
+    
     try {
       if (!this.apiToken) {
+        console.error('[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] No API token available for getLeantimeUserId');
         return null;
       }
 
-      const response = await fetch(`${this.apiUrl}/api/jsonrpc`, {
-        method: 'POST',
-        headers: {
-          'Content-Type': 'application/json',
-          'X-API-Key': this.apiToken
-        },
-        body: JSON.stringify({
-          jsonrpc: '2.0',
-          method: 'leantime.rpc.users.getAll',
-          id: 1
-        }),
-      });
-
-      if (!response.ok) {
-        return null;
+      // Check Redis cache first
+      try {
+        const redis = getRedisClient();
+        const cachedUserId = await redis.get(CACHE_KEY);
+        if (cachedUserId) {
+          const userId = parseInt(cachedUserId, 10);
+          if (!isNaN(userId)) {
+            console.log(`[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Found cached Leantime user ID for ${email}: ${userId}`);
+            return userId;
+          }
+        }
+      } catch (cacheError) {
+        console.warn('[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Error checking cache for user ID, will fetch from API:', cacheError);
       }
 
-      const data = await response.json();
-      
-      if (!data.result || !Array.isArray(data.result)) {
-        return null;
-      }
+      // Fetch from API with retry logic
+      const fetchWithRetry = async (attempt: number): Promise<number | null> => {
+        try {
+          console.log(`[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Fetching Leantime user ID for ${email} (attempt ${attempt + 1}/${MAX_RETRIES + 1})`);
+          
+          const response = await fetch(`${this.apiUrl}/api/jsonrpc`, {
+            method: 'POST',
+            headers: {
+              'Content-Type': 'application/json',
+              'X-API-Key': this.apiToken
+            },
+            body: JSON.stringify({
+              jsonrpc: '2.0',
+              method: 'leantime.rpc.users.getAll',
+              id: 1
+            }),
+          });
 
-      const users = data.result;
-      
-      // Find user with matching email (check in both username and email fields)
-      const user = users.find((u: any) => 
-        u.username === email || 
-        u.email === email || 
-        (typeof u.username === 'string' && u.username.toLowerCase() === email.toLowerCase())
-      );
-      
-      if (user) {
-        return user.id;
-      }
-      
-      return null;
+          if (!response.ok) {
+            const errorText = await response.text();
+            console.error(`[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] API error (HTTP ${response.status}):`, errorText.substring(0, 200));
+            
+            // Retry on server errors (5xx) or rate limiting (429)
+            if ((response.status >= 500 || response.status === 429) && attempt < MAX_RETRIES) {
+              const delay = Math.min(1000 * Math.pow(2, attempt), 5000); // Exponential backoff, max 5s
+              console.log(`[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Retrying in ${delay}ms...`);
+              await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay));
+              return fetchWithRetry(attempt + 1);
+            }
+            return null;
+          }
+
+          const data = await response.json();
+          
+          if (data.error) {
+            console.error('[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] JSON-RPC error:', data.error);
+            // Retry on certain errors
+            if (attempt < MAX_RETRIES && (data.error.code === -32603 || data.error.code === -32000)) {
+              const delay = Math.min(1000 * Math.pow(2, attempt), 5000);
+              console.log(`[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Retrying after error in ${delay}ms...`);
+              await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay));
+              return fetchWithRetry(attempt + 1);
+            }
+            return null;
+          }
+          
+          if (!data.result || !Array.isArray(data.result)) {
+            console.error('[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Invalid response format:', data);
+            return null;
+          }
+
+          const users = data.result;
+          
+          // Find user with matching email (check in both username and email fields)
+          const user = users.find((u: any) => 
+            u.username === email || 
+            u.email === email || 
+            (typeof u.username === 'string' && u.username.toLowerCase() === email.toLowerCase())
+          );
+          
+          if (user && user.id) {
+            const userId = typeof user.id === 'number' ? user.id : parseInt(String(user.id), 10);
+            
+            if (!isNaN(userId)) {
+              // Cache the result
+              try {
+                const redis = getRedisClient();
+                await redis.set(CACHE_KEY, userId.toString(), 'EX', LeantimeAdapter.USER_ID_CACHE_TTL);
+                console.log(`[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Cached Leantime user ID for ${email}: ${userId} (TTL: ${LeantimeAdapter.USER_ID_CACHE_TTL}s)`);
+              } catch (cacheError) {
+                console.warn('[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Failed to cache user ID (non-fatal):', cacheError);
+                // Continue even if caching fails
+              }
+              
+              return userId;
+            }
+          }
+          
+          console.warn(`[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] User not found in Leantime for email: ${email}`);
+          return null;
+        } catch (error) {
+          console.error(`[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Error fetching user ID (attempt ${attempt + 1}):`, error);
+          
+          // Retry on network errors
+          if (attempt < MAX_RETRIES && error instanceof Error) {
+            const delay = Math.min(1000 * Math.pow(2, attempt), 5000);
+            console.log(`[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Retrying after network error in ${delay}ms...`);
+            await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay));
+            return fetchWithRetry(attempt + 1);
+          }
+          
+          return null;
+        }
+      };
+
+      return await fetchWithRetry(retryCount);
     } catch (error) {
-      console.error('[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Error getting Leantime user ID:', error);
+      console.error('[LEANTIME_ADAPTER] Fatal error getting Leantime user ID:', error);
       return null;
     }
   }
diff --git a/lib/services/notifications/notification-service.ts b/lib/services/notifications/notification-service.ts
index 683a011a..19104847 100644
--- a/lib/services/notifications/notification-service.ts
+++ b/lib/services/notifications/notification-service.ts
@@ -237,17 +237,28 @@ export class NotificationService {
     const sourceId = idParts.join('-'); // Reconstruct the ID in case it has hyphens
     
     if (!source || !this.adapters.has(source)) {
+      console.log(`[NOTIFICATION_SERVICE] markAsRead - Invalid source or adapter not found: ${source}`);
+      // Still invalidate cache to ensure fresh data
+      await this.invalidateCache(userId);
       return false;
     }
     
     const adapter = this.adapters.get(source)!;
-    const success = await adapter.markAsRead(userId, notificationId);
+    let success = false;
     
-    if (success) {
-      // Invalidate caches
-      await this.invalidateCache(userId);
+    try {
+      success = await adapter.markAsRead(userId, notificationId);
+      console.log(`[NOTIFICATION_SERVICE] markAsRead - Result: ${success} for notification ${notificationId}`);
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.error(`[NOTIFICATION_SERVICE] markAsRead - Error:`, error);
+      success = false;
     }
     
+    // Always invalidate cache after marking attempt (even on failure)
+    // This ensures fresh data on next fetch, even if the operation partially failed
+    console.log(`[NOTIFICATION_SERVICE] markAsRead - Invalidating cache for user ${userId} (success: ${success})`);
+    await this.invalidateCache(userId);
+    
     return success;
   }
 
@@ -290,15 +301,11 @@ export class NotificationService {
     const anySuccess = results.some(result => result);
     console.log(`[NOTIFICATION_SERVICE] markAllAsRead overall success: ${success}, any success: ${anySuccess}`);
     
-    // Always invalidate cache if any notifications were marked (even partial success)
-    // This ensures count and list are refreshed after marking
-    if (anySuccess) {
-      console.log(`[NOTIFICATION_SERVICE] Invalidating caches for user ${userId} (some notifications were marked)`);
-      // Invalidate caches to force fresh data on next fetch
-      await this.invalidateCache(userId);
-    } else {
-      console.log(`[NOTIFICATION_SERVICE] Not invalidating caches - no notifications were marked`);
-    }
+    // Always invalidate cache after marking attempt (even on failure)
+    // This ensures fresh data on next fetch, even if the operation failed
+    // The user might have marked some notifications manually, or the operation might have partially succeeded
+    console.log(`[NOTIFICATION_SERVICE] Invalidating caches for user ${userId} (anySuccess: ${anySuccess}, overallSuccess: ${success})`);
+    await this.invalidateCache(userId);
     
     return success;
   }