diff --git a/includes/theme.inc b/includes/theme.inc
index e8539f3ca532f94b6f901c1679d7aa45ec2825bc..c2698aef4731925c7b2b6268278e32921b8aabc1 100644
--- a/includes/theme.inc
+++ b/includes/theme.inc
@@ -12,6 +12,19 @@
  * @see themeable
  */
 
+ /**
+ * @name Content markers
+ * @{
+ * Markers used by theme_mark() and node_mark() to designate content.
+ * @see theme_mark(), node_mark()
+ */
+define('MARK_READ',    0);
+define('MARK_NEW',     1);
+define('MARK_UPDATED', 2);
+/**
+ * @} End of "Content markers".
+ */
+
 /**
  * Hook Help - returns theme specific help and information.
  *
@@ -522,7 +535,7 @@ function theme_node($node, $teaser = FALSE, $page = FALSE) {
 function theme_form_element($title, $value, $description = NULL, $id = NULL, $required = FALSE, $error = FALSE) {
 
   $output  = "<div class=\"form-item\">\n";
-  $required = $required ? theme('mark', 'required') : '';
+  $required = $required ? '<span class="form-required">*</span>' : '';
 
   if ($title) {
     if ($id) {
@@ -695,16 +708,20 @@ function theme_block($block) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Return a themed marker, useful for marking new comments or required form
- * elements.
+ * Return a themed marker, useful for marking new or updated
+ * content.
  *
  * @param $type
- *   Type of marker to return: 'new' or 'required'
+ *   Number representing the marker type to display
+ * @see MARK_NEW, MARK_UPDATED, MARK_READ
  * @return
  *   A string containing the marker.
  */
-function theme_mark($type = 'new') {
-  return '<span class="marker">*</span>';
+function theme_mark($type = MARK_NEW) {
+  global $user;
+  if ($user->uid && $type != MARK_READ) {
+    return '<span class="marker">*</span>';
+  }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/misc/drupal.css b/misc/drupal.css
index 27978f48f86861580ee747e231e0668fde34de42..531a9c1b1a945bde30b574f3662b52749ee2b0b8 100644
--- a/misc/drupal.css
+++ b/misc/drupal.css
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ tr.light .form-item, tr.dark .form-item {
 .form-submit {
   margin: 0.5em 0;
 }
-.marker {
+.marker, .form-required {
   color: #f00;
 }
 .more-link {
diff --git a/modules/comment.module b/modules/comment.module
index 18c46f354f339b6cab20b3622a529c3cc5dca85c..22c51bd1515b056d5bc1051b85ee0fd2eb93f591 100644
--- a/modules/comment.module
+++ b/modules/comment.module
@@ -1017,7 +1017,7 @@ function comment_admin_overview($type = 'new') {
   while ($comment = db_fetch_object($result)) {
     $comment->name = $comment->uid ? $comment->registered_name : $comment->name;
     $rows[] = array(
-        l($comment->subject, "node/$comment->nid", array('title' => htmlspecialchars(truncate_utf8($comment->comment, 128))), NULL, "comment-$comment->cid") ." ". (node_is_new($comment->nid, $comment->timestamp) ? theme('mark', 'new') : ''),
+        l($comment->subject, "node/$comment->nid", array('title' => htmlspecialchars(truncate_utf8($comment->comment, 128))), NULL, "comment-$comment->cid") ." ". theme('mark', node_mark($comment->nid, $comment->timestamp)),
         format_name($comment),
         ($comment->status == 0 ? t('Published') : t('Not published')),
         format_date($comment->timestamp, 'small'),
@@ -1428,8 +1428,7 @@ function theme_comment_view($comment, $links = '', $visible = 1) {
 
   // Emit selectors:
   $output = '';
-  if (node_is_new($comment->nid, $comment->timestamp)) {
-    $comment->new = 1;
+  if (($comment->new = node_mark($comment->nid, $comment->timestamp)) != MARK_READ) {
     $output .= "<a id=\"new\"></a>\n";
   }
 
@@ -1549,7 +1548,7 @@ function theme_comment_moderation_form($comment) {
 
 function theme_comment($comment, $links = 0) {
   $output  = "<div class=\"comment\">\n";
-  $output .= '<div class="subject">'. l($comment->subject, $_GET['q'], NULL, NULL, "comment-$comment->cid") . ($comment->new ? ' '. theme('mark', 'new') : '') ."</div>\n";
+  $output .= '<div class="subject">'. l($comment->subject, $_GET['q'], NULL, NULL, "comment-$comment->cid") . ' ' . theme('mark', $comment->new) ."</div>\n";
   $output .= '<div class="moderation">'. $comment->moderation ."</div>\n";
   $output .= '<div class="credit">'. t('by %a on %b', array('%a' => format_name($comment), '%b' => format_date($comment->timestamp))) ."</div>\n";
   $output .= "<div class=\"body\">$comment->comment</div>\n";
@@ -1560,7 +1559,7 @@ function theme_comment($comment, $links = 0) {
 
 function theme_comment_folded($comment) {
   $output  = "<div class=\"comment-folded\">\n";
-  $output .= ' <span class="subject">'. l($comment->subject, comment_node_url() .'/'. $comment->cid, NULL, NULL, "comment-$comment->cid") . ($comment->new ? ' '. theme('mark', 'new') : '') .'</span> ';
+  $output .= ' <span class="subject">'. l($comment->subject, comment_node_url() .'/'. $comment->cid, NULL, NULL, "comment-$comment->cid") . ' '. theme('mark', $comment->new) .'</span> ';
   $output .= '<span class="credit">'. t('by') .' '. format_name($comment) ."</span>\n";
   $output .= "</div>\n";
   return $output;
diff --git a/modules/comment/comment.module b/modules/comment/comment.module
index 18c46f354f339b6cab20b3622a529c3cc5dca85c..22c51bd1515b056d5bc1051b85ee0fd2eb93f591 100644
--- a/modules/comment/comment.module
+++ b/modules/comment/comment.module
@@ -1017,7 +1017,7 @@ function comment_admin_overview($type = 'new') {
   while ($comment = db_fetch_object($result)) {
     $comment->name = $comment->uid ? $comment->registered_name : $comment->name;
     $rows[] = array(
-        l($comment->subject, "node/$comment->nid", array('title' => htmlspecialchars(truncate_utf8($comment->comment, 128))), NULL, "comment-$comment->cid") ." ". (node_is_new($comment->nid, $comment->timestamp) ? theme('mark', 'new') : ''),
+        l($comment->subject, "node/$comment->nid", array('title' => htmlspecialchars(truncate_utf8($comment->comment, 128))), NULL, "comment-$comment->cid") ." ". theme('mark', node_mark($comment->nid, $comment->timestamp)),
         format_name($comment),
         ($comment->status == 0 ? t('Published') : t('Not published')),
         format_date($comment->timestamp, 'small'),
@@ -1428,8 +1428,7 @@ function theme_comment_view($comment, $links = '', $visible = 1) {
 
   // Emit selectors:
   $output = '';
-  if (node_is_new($comment->nid, $comment->timestamp)) {
-    $comment->new = 1;
+  if (($comment->new = node_mark($comment->nid, $comment->timestamp)) != MARK_READ) {
     $output .= "<a id=\"new\"></a>\n";
   }
 
@@ -1549,7 +1548,7 @@ function theme_comment_moderation_form($comment) {
 
 function theme_comment($comment, $links = 0) {
   $output  = "<div class=\"comment\">\n";
-  $output .= '<div class="subject">'. l($comment->subject, $_GET['q'], NULL, NULL, "comment-$comment->cid") . ($comment->new ? ' '. theme('mark', 'new') : '') ."</div>\n";
+  $output .= '<div class="subject">'. l($comment->subject, $_GET['q'], NULL, NULL, "comment-$comment->cid") . ' ' . theme('mark', $comment->new) ."</div>\n";
   $output .= '<div class="moderation">'. $comment->moderation ."</div>\n";
   $output .= '<div class="credit">'. t('by %a on %b', array('%a' => format_name($comment), '%b' => format_date($comment->timestamp))) ."</div>\n";
   $output .= "<div class=\"body\">$comment->comment</div>\n";
@@ -1560,7 +1559,7 @@ function theme_comment($comment, $links = 0) {
 
 function theme_comment_folded($comment) {
   $output  = "<div class=\"comment-folded\">\n";
-  $output .= ' <span class="subject">'. l($comment->subject, comment_node_url() .'/'. $comment->cid, NULL, NULL, "comment-$comment->cid") . ($comment->new ? ' '. theme('mark', 'new') : '') .'</span> ';
+  $output .= ' <span class="subject">'. l($comment->subject, comment_node_url() .'/'. $comment->cid, NULL, NULL, "comment-$comment->cid") . ' '. theme('mark', $comment->new) .'</span> ';
   $output .= '<span class="credit">'. t('by') .' '. format_name($comment) ."</span>\n";
   $output .= "</div>\n";
   return $output;
diff --git a/modules/node.module b/modules/node.module
index b21c4ea5e097016b56e134cb0f6a01bc35672516..63bc7b1dfadee8064424a9a2a293c3555efa81a8 100644
--- a/modules/node.module
+++ b/modules/node.module
@@ -125,28 +125,32 @@ function node_last_viewed($nid) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Determine whether the supplied timestamp is newer than the user's last view
- * of a given node.
+ * Decide on the type of marker to be displayed for a given node.
  *
  * @param $nid
  *   Node ID whose history supplies the "last viewed" timestamp.
  * @param $timestamp
  *   Time which is compared against node's "last viewed" timestamp.
+ * @return
+ *   One of the MARK constants.
  */
-function node_is_new($nid, $timestamp) {
+function node_mark($nid, $timestamp) {
   global $user;
   static $cache;
 
+  if (!$user->uid) {
+    return MARK_READ;
+  }
   if (!isset($cache[$nid])) {
-    if ($user->uid) {
-      $cache[$nid] = node_last_viewed($nid);
-    }
-    else {
-      $cache[$nid] = time();
-    }
+    $cache[$nid] = node_last_viewed($nid);
   }
-
-  return ($timestamp > $cache[$nid] && $timestamp > NODE_NEW_LIMIT);
+  if ($cache[$nid] == 0 && $timestamp > NODE_NEW_LIMIT) {
+    return MARK_NEW;
+  }
+  elseif ($timestamp > $cache[$nid] && $timestamp > NODE_NEW_LIMIT) {
+    return MARK_UPDATED;
+  }
+  return MARK_READ;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -807,7 +811,7 @@ function node_admin_nodes() {
   $header = array(NULL, t('Title'), t('Type'), t('Author'), t('Status'), array('data' => t('Operations'), 'colspan' => '2'));
 
   while ($node = db_fetch_object($result)) {
-    $rows[] = array(form_checkbox(NULL, 'status]['. $node->nid, 1, 0), l($node->title, 'node/'. $node->nid) .' '. (node_is_new($node->nid, $node->changed) ? theme_mark() : ''), node_invoke($node, 'node_name'), format_name($node), ($node->status ? t('published') : t('not published')), l(t('edit'), 'node/'. $node->nid .'/edit'), l(t('delete'), 'admin/node/delete/'. $node->nid));
+    $rows[] = array(form_checkbox(NULL, 'status]['. $node->nid, 1, 0), l($node->title, 'node/'. $node->nid) .' '. theme('mark', node_mark($node->nid, $node->changed)), node_invoke($node, 'node_name'), format_name($node), ($node->status ? t('published') : t('not published')), l(t('edit'), 'node/'. $node->nid .'/edit'), l(t('delete'), 'admin/node/delete/'. $node->nid));
   }
 
   if ($pager = theme('pager', NULL, 50, 0)) {
diff --git a/modules/node/node.module b/modules/node/node.module
index b21c4ea5e097016b56e134cb0f6a01bc35672516..63bc7b1dfadee8064424a9a2a293c3555efa81a8 100644
--- a/modules/node/node.module
+++ b/modules/node/node.module
@@ -125,28 +125,32 @@ function node_last_viewed($nid) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Determine whether the supplied timestamp is newer than the user's last view
- * of a given node.
+ * Decide on the type of marker to be displayed for a given node.
  *
  * @param $nid
  *   Node ID whose history supplies the "last viewed" timestamp.
  * @param $timestamp
  *   Time which is compared against node's "last viewed" timestamp.
+ * @return
+ *   One of the MARK constants.
  */
-function node_is_new($nid, $timestamp) {
+function node_mark($nid, $timestamp) {
   global $user;
   static $cache;
 
+  if (!$user->uid) {
+    return MARK_READ;
+  }
   if (!isset($cache[$nid])) {
-    if ($user->uid) {
-      $cache[$nid] = node_last_viewed($nid);
-    }
-    else {
-      $cache[$nid] = time();
-    }
+    $cache[$nid] = node_last_viewed($nid);
   }
-
-  return ($timestamp > $cache[$nid] && $timestamp > NODE_NEW_LIMIT);
+  if ($cache[$nid] == 0 && $timestamp > NODE_NEW_LIMIT) {
+    return MARK_NEW;
+  }
+  elseif ($timestamp > $cache[$nid] && $timestamp > NODE_NEW_LIMIT) {
+    return MARK_UPDATED;
+  }
+  return MARK_READ;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -807,7 +811,7 @@ function node_admin_nodes() {
   $header = array(NULL, t('Title'), t('Type'), t('Author'), t('Status'), array('data' => t('Operations'), 'colspan' => '2'));
 
   while ($node = db_fetch_object($result)) {
-    $rows[] = array(form_checkbox(NULL, 'status]['. $node->nid, 1, 0), l($node->title, 'node/'. $node->nid) .' '. (node_is_new($node->nid, $node->changed) ? theme_mark() : ''), node_invoke($node, 'node_name'), format_name($node), ($node->status ? t('published') : t('not published')), l(t('edit'), 'node/'. $node->nid .'/edit'), l(t('delete'), 'admin/node/delete/'. $node->nid));
+    $rows[] = array(form_checkbox(NULL, 'status]['. $node->nid, 1, 0), l($node->title, 'node/'. $node->nid) .' '. theme('mark', node_mark($node->nid, $node->changed)), node_invoke($node, 'node_name'), format_name($node), ($node->status ? t('published') : t('not published')), l(t('edit'), 'node/'. $node->nid .'/edit'), l(t('delete'), 'admin/node/delete/'. $node->nid));
   }
 
   if ($pager = theme('pager', NULL, 50, 0)) {
diff --git a/modules/tracker.module b/modules/tracker.module
index 8f377f07d3fa766485af5d7eebabc2501d8ce47a..d4fb00e15f5abbaff494c5e3f41008f035f9a7c1 100644
--- a/modules/tracker.module
+++ b/modules/tracker.module
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ function tracker_page($uid = 0) {
 
     $rows[] = array(
       node_invoke($node->type, 'node_name'),
-      l($node->title, "node/$node->nid") .' '. (node_is_new($node->nid, $node->changed) ? theme('mark', 'new') : ''),
+      l($node->title, "node/$node->nid") .' '. theme('mark', node_mark($node->nid, $node->changed)),
       format_name($node),
       array('class' => 'replies', 'data' => $comments),
       t('%time ago', array('%time' => format_interval(time() - $node->last_post)))
diff --git a/modules/tracker/tracker.module b/modules/tracker/tracker.module
index 8f377f07d3fa766485af5d7eebabc2501d8ce47a..d4fb00e15f5abbaff494c5e3f41008f035f9a7c1 100644
--- a/modules/tracker/tracker.module
+++ b/modules/tracker/tracker.module
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ function tracker_page($uid = 0) {
 
     $rows[] = array(
       node_invoke($node->type, 'node_name'),
-      l($node->title, "node/$node->nid") .' '. (node_is_new($node->nid, $node->changed) ? theme('mark', 'new') : ''),
+      l($node->title, "node/$node->nid") .' '. theme('mark', node_mark($node->nid, $node->changed)),
       format_name($node),
       array('class' => 'replies', 'data' => $comments),
       t('%time ago', array('%time' => format_interval(time() - $node->last_post)))