diff --git a/server/shell.ts b/server/shell.ts
index cb5e75e..0fdde38 100644
--- a/server/shell.ts
+++ b/server/shell.ts
@@ -243,6 +243,7 @@ export function renderShell(opts: ShellOptions): string {
     <div class="rstack-header__right">
       <a class="rstack-header__demo-btn" ${spaceSlug === "demo" ? 'data-hide' : ''} href="${shellDemoUrl}">Try Demo</a>
       <rstack-offline-indicator></rstack-offline-indicator>
+      <rstack-comment-bell></rstack-comment-bell>
       <rstack-notification-bell></rstack-notification-bell>
       <rstack-share-panel></rstack-share-panel>
       <rstack-identity></rstack-identity>
diff --git a/shared/components/rstack-comment-bell.ts b/shared/components/rstack-comment-bell.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e222a4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shared/components/rstack-comment-bell.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+/**
+ * <rstack-comment-bell> — Comment button with unresolved-count badge.
+ *
+ * Shows a chat-bubble icon in the header bar. Badge displays the count
+ * of unresolved comment pins on the current canvas. Clicking dispatches
+ * a `comment-pin-activate` event on `window` so canvas.html can enter
+ * pin-placement mode.
+ *
+ * Data source: `window.__communitySync?.doc?.commentPins`
+ * Listens for `comment-pins-changed` on `window` (re-dispatched by canvas).
+ * Polls every 5s as fallback (sync may appear after component mounts).
+ */
+
+const POLL_INTERVAL = 5_000;
+
+export class RStackCommentBell extends HTMLElement {
+  #shadow: ShadowRoot;
+  #count = 0;
+  #pollTimer: ReturnType<typeof setInterval> | null = null;
+
+  constructor() {
+    super();
+    this.#shadow = this.attachShadow({ mode: "open" });
+  }
+
+  connectedCallback() {
+    this.#render();
+    this.#refreshCount();
+    this.#pollTimer = setInterval(() => this.#refreshCount(), POLL_INTERVAL);
+    window.addEventListener("comment-pins-changed", this.#onPinsChanged);
+  }
+
+  disconnectedCallback() {
+    if (this.#pollTimer) clearInterval(this.#pollTimer);
+    window.removeEventListener("comment-pins-changed", this.#onPinsChanged);
+  }
+
+  #onPinsChanged = () => {
+    this.#refreshCount();
+  };
+
+  #refreshCount() {
+    const sync = (window as any).__communitySync;
+    const pins = sync?.doc?.commentPins;
+    if (!pins) {
+      if (this.#count !== 0) {
+        this.#count = 0;
+        this.#render();
+      }
+      return;
+    }
+    const newCount = Object.values(pins).filter(
+      (p: any) => !p.resolved
+    ).length;
+    if (newCount !== this.#count) {
+      this.#count = newCount;
+      this.#render();
+    }
+  }
+
+  #render() {
+    const badge =
+      this.#count > 0
+        ? `<span class="badge">${this.#count > 99 ? "99+" : this.#count}</span>`
+        : "";
+
+    this.#shadow.innerHTML = `
+      <style>${STYLES}</style>
+      <button class="comment-btn" aria-label="Leave Comment" title="Leave Comment (/)">
+        <svg width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round">
+          <path d="M21 11.5a8.38 8.38 0 01-.9 3.8 8.5 8.5 0 01-7.6 4.7 8.38 8.38 0 01-3.8-.9L3 21l1.9-5.7a8.38 8.38 0 01-.9-3.8 8.5 8.5 0 014.7-7.6 8.38 8.38 0 013.8-.9h.5a8.48 8.48 0 018 8v.5z"/>
+        </svg>
+        ${badge}
+      </button>
+    `;
+
+    this.#shadow
+      .querySelector(".comment-btn")
+      ?.addEventListener("click", (e) => {
+        e.stopPropagation();
+        window.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent("comment-pin-activate"));
+      });
+  }
+
+  static define(tag = "rstack-comment-bell") {
+    if (!customElements.get(tag)) customElements.define(tag, RStackCommentBell);
+  }
+}
+
+const STYLES = `
+:host {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+}
+
+.comment-btn {
+  position: relative;
+  background: none;
+  border: none;
+  color: var(--rs-text-muted, #94a3b8);
+  cursor: pointer;
+  padding: 6px;
+  border-radius: 8px;
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  transition: color 0.15s, background 0.15s;
+}
+.comment-btn:hover {
+  color: var(--rs-text-primary, #e2e8f0);
+  background: var(--rs-bg-hover, rgba(255,255,255,0.05));
+}
+
+.badge {
+  position: absolute;
+  top: 2px;
+  right: 2px;
+  min-width: 16px;
+  height: 16px;
+  border-radius: 8px;
+  background: #ef4444;
+  color: white;
+  font-size: 10px;
+  font-weight: 700;
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  padding: 0 4px;
+  line-height: 1;
+  pointer-events: none;
+}
+
+@media (max-width: 640px) {
+  .comment-btn { display: none; }
+}
+`;
diff --git a/website/canvas.html b/website/canvas.html
index b1b8bda..a703ec8 100644
--- a/website/canvas.html
+++ b/website/canvas.html
@@ -2198,9 +2198,6 @@
 			<button class="tool-btn" id="tool-text" title="Note (T)">
 				<svg width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2"><polyline points="4 7 4 4 20 4 20 7"/><line x1="12" y1="4" x2="12" y2="20"/><line x1="8" y1="20" x2="16" y2="20"/></svg>
 			</button>
-			<button class="tool-btn" id="tool-comment" title="Leave Comment (/)">
-				<svg width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2"><path d="M21 11.5a8.38 8.38 0 01-.9 3.8 8.5 8.5 0 01-7.6 4.7 8.38 8.38 0 01-3.8-.9L3 21l1.9-5.7a8.38 8.38 0 01-.9-3.8 8.5 8.5 0 014.7-7.6 8.38 8.38 0 013.8-.9h.5a8.48 8.48 0 018 8v.5z"/></svg>
-			</button>
 			<span class="tool-sep"></span>
 			<button class="tool-btn" id="tool-eraser" title="Eraser (E)">
 				<svg width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2"><path d="M20 20H7L3 16a1 1 0 010-1.4l9.6-9.6a1 1 0 011.4 0l7 7a1 1 0 010 1.4L15 20"/><line x1="18" y1="13" x2="11" y2="6"/></svg>
@@ -4070,7 +4067,7 @@
 				else if (key === "t") { document.getElementById("tool-text")?.click(); }
 				else if (key === "a") { toggleConnectMode(); }
 				else if (key === "e") { document.getElementById("tool-eraser")?.click(); }
-				else if (key === "/") { document.getElementById("tool-comment")?.click(); }
+				else if (key === "/") { window.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent("comment-pin-activate")); }
 			});
 
 			// Create a shape, add to canvas, and register for sync.
@@ -5199,9 +5196,7 @@
 			function syncBottomToolbar() {
 				bottomToolBtns.forEach(b => b.classList.remove("active"));
 
-				if (pinManager?.placementMode) {
-					document.getElementById("tool-comment")?.classList.add("active");
-				} else if (wbTool) {
+				if (wbTool) {
 					const map = { pencil: "tool-pencil", line: "tool-line", rect: "tool-rect", circle: "tool-circle", eraser: "tool-eraser" };
 					document.getElementById(map[wbTool])?.classList.add("active");
 				} else if (connectMode) {
@@ -5253,14 +5248,13 @@
 				setWbTool("eraser");
 			});
 
-			// ── Comment tool ──
+			// ── Comment tool (header bell triggers this via custom event) ──
 			function exitCommentMode() {
 				if (pinManager.placementMode) {
 					pinManager.exitPinPlacementMode();
-					document.getElementById("tool-comment").classList.remove("active");
 				}
 			}
-			document.getElementById("tool-comment").addEventListener("click", () => {
+			window.addEventListener("comment-pin-activate", () => {
 				if (pendingTool) clearPendingTool();
 				if (wbTool) setWbTool(null);
 				if (connectMode) {
@@ -5273,8 +5267,7 @@
 					syncBottomToolbar();
 				} else {
 					pinManager.enterPinPlacementMode();
-					bottomToolBtns.forEach(b => b.classList.remove("active"));
-					document.getElementById("tool-comment").classList.add("active");
+					syncBottomToolbar();
 				}
 			});
 
@@ -5634,7 +5627,6 @@
 				const worldX = (e.clientX - rect.left - panX) / scale;
 				const worldY = (e.clientY - rect.top - panY) / scale;
 				pinManager.handleCanvasClick(worldX, worldY, e.clientX, e.clientY);
-				document.getElementById("tool-comment").classList.remove("active");
 			}, true);
 
 			// Eraser for any folk-shape — capturing phase intercepts
@@ -6293,6 +6285,11 @@
 				if (memoryPanel.classList.contains("open")) renderMemoryPanel();
 			});
 
+			// Re-dispatch comment-pins-changed on window so header bell can update
+			sync.addEventListener("comment-pins-changed", () => {
+				window.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent("comment-pins-changed"));
+			});
+
 			// Navigate to comment pin position
 			canvas.addEventListener("comment-pin-navigate", (e) => {
 				const { x, y } = e.detail;
diff --git a/website/shell.ts b/website/shell.ts
index 25da0dd..c6b35b0 100644
--- a/website/shell.ts
+++ b/website/shell.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { RStackModuleSetup } from "../shared/components/rstack-module-setup";
 import { RStackHistoryPanel } from "../shared/components/rstack-history-panel";
 import { RStackOfflineIndicator } from "../shared/components/rstack-offline-indicator";
 import { RStackSharePanel } from "../shared/components/rstack-share-panel";
+import { RStackCommentBell } from "../shared/components/rstack-comment-bell";
 import { RStackCollabOverlay } from "../shared/components/rstack-collab-overlay";
 import { RStackUserDashboard } from "../shared/components/rstack-user-dashboard";
 import { rspaceNavUrl } from "../shared/url-helpers";
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ RStackModuleSetup.define();
 RStackHistoryPanel.define();
 RStackOfflineIndicator.define();
 RStackSharePanel.define();
+RStackCommentBell.define();
 RStackCollabOverlay.define();
 RStackUserDashboard.define();