backend/src/modules/organization/organization.controller.ts

@@ -64,6 +64,14 @@ export class OrganizationController {
     return this.organizationService.searchCounterpartOrganizations(req.user.id, organizationId, q);
   }
 
+  @Get('connections/pending-count')
+  @UseGuards(JwtAuthGuard)
+  @ApiOperation({ summary: 'Count incoming pending connection requests for sidebar badge' })
+  countPendingConnections(@Req() req: { user: { id: string; organizationId?: string } }) {
+    const organizationId = this.organizationService.getOrganizationIdFromUser(req.user);
+    return this.organizationService.countIncomingPendingConnections(req.user.id, organizationId);
+  }
+
   @Get('connections')
   @UseGuards(JwtAuthGuard)
   @ApiOperation({ summary: 'List counterpart connections for current organization' })

backend/src/modules/organization/organization.service.ts

@@ -160,6 +160,29 @@ export class OrganizationService {
     };
   }
 
+  /** Lightweight count for sidebar badge — incoming PENDING requests only. */
+  async countIncomingPendingConnections(userId: string, organizationId: string) {
+    const actor = await this.getActorMembership(userId, organizationId);
+    if (!actor || !this.canEditOrganizations(actor)) {
+      throw new ForbiddenException('You do not have permission to manage organizations');
+    }
+
+    const links = await this.prisma.organizationLink.findMany({
+      where: {
+        status: LinkStatus.PENDING,
+        OR: [{ organizationAId: organizationId }, { organizationBId: organizationId }],
+      },
+      select: { sharedDataTypes: true },
+    });
+
+    const count = links.filter((link) => {
+      const requesterOrgId = this.getRequesterOrganizationId(link.sharedDataTypes);
+      return requesterOrgId !== null && requesterOrgId !== organizationId;
+    }).length;
+
+    return { success: true, data: { count } };
+  }
+
   async listInvitationHistory(userId: string, organizationId: string) {
     const actor = await this.getActorMembership(userId, organizationId);
     if (!actor || !this.canEditOrganizations(actor)) {

frontend/src/app/[locale]/(dashboard)/organizations/page.tsx

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { useTranslations } from 'next-intl';
 import { useToast } from '@/lib/hooks/useToast';
 import { Check, Trash2, UserPlus, X } from 'lucide-react';
 import { useAuth } from '@/lib/hooks/useAuth';
+import { notifyPendingConnectionsChanged } from '@/lib/hooks/usePendingConnectionsCount';
 import { useOrganizationInviteLinkCopy } from '@/lib/hooks/useOrganizationInviteLinkCopy';
 import {
   organizationApi,
@@ -254,6 +255,7 @@ export default function OrganizationsPage() {
       toast.showSuccess(
         action === 'ACCEPT' ? t('successAccepted') : t('successDeclined'),
       );
+      notifyPendingConnectionsChanged();
       await loadList();
     } catch (e) {
       toast.showError(formatApiMessage(e));

frontend/src/components/ui/shared/Sidebar.tsx

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import {
   CreditCard,
 } from 'lucide-react';
 import { useAuth } from '@/lib/hooks/useAuth';
+import { usePendingConnectionsCount } from '@/lib/hooks/usePendingConnectionsCount';
 import { canAccessAppointmentsSection, canViewTab } from '@/components/shared/permissions';
 import {
   counterpartOrganizationType,
@@ -24,6 +25,8 @@ function Sidebar() {
   const tCommon = useTranslations('common');
   const pathname = usePathname();
   const { currentOrganization } = useAuth();
+  const pendingConnectionsCount = usePendingConnectionsCount();
+
 
   const menu = useMemo(
     () => [
@@ -66,6 +69,8 @@ function Sidebar() {
         {visibleMenu.map((item) => {
           const Icon = item.icon;
           const isActive = pathname === item.path;
+          const showPendingBadge =
+            item.path === '/organizations' && pendingConnectionsCount > 0;
 
           return (
             <Link
@@ -79,7 +84,15 @@ function Sidebar() {
               }`}
             >
               <Icon className="w-[18px] h-[18px] icon-flat" />
-              <span className="text-sm">{item.name}</span>
+              <span className="text-sm flex-1">{item.name}</span>
+              {showPendingBadge && (
+                <span
+                  className="min-w-[1.25rem] rounded-full bg-badge-warning-bg px-1.5 py-0.5 text-center text-xs font-medium tabular-nums text-badge-warning-fg border border-badge-warning-border"
+                  aria-label={`${pendingConnectionsCount} pending connection requests`}
+                >
+                  {pendingConnectionsCount}
+                </span>
+              )}
             </Link>
           );
         })}

frontend/src/lib/api/organization.ts

@@ -46,6 +46,11 @@ export const organizationApi = {
     return response.data;
   },
 
+  pendingIncomingCount: async (): Promise<{ success: boolean; data: { count: number } }> => {
+    const response = await apiClient.get('/organizations/connections/pending-count');
+    return response.data;
+  },
+
   listInvitations: async (): Promise<{
     success: boolean;
     data: { items: OrganizationInvitationHistoryItemDto[] };

frontend/src/lib/hooks/usePendingConnectionsCount.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+'use client';
+
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+import { usePathname } from 'next/navigation';
+import { canViewTab } from '@/components/shared/permissions';
+import { organizationApi } from '@/lib/api/organization';
+import { useAuth } from '@/lib/hooks/useAuth';
+
+/** Tell the sidebar badge to refetch after accept/decline on the organizations page. */
+export function notifyPendingConnectionsChanged() {
+  window.dispatchEvent(new Event('pending-connections-changed'));
+}
+
+/**
+ * Sidebar-only: fetches GET /organizations/connections/pending-count.
+ * Independent from the organizations tab list API.
+ */
+export function usePendingConnectionsCount(): number {
+  const pathname = usePathname();
+  const { currentOrganization } = useAuth();
+  const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
+
+  const fetchCount = useCallback(async () => {
+    if (!currentOrganization?.id || !canViewTab(currentOrganization, 'TAB_ORGANIZATIONS_READ')) {
+      setCount(0);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    try {
+      const res = await organizationApi.pendingIncomingCount();
+      setCount(res.data.count);
+    } catch {
+      setCount(0);
+    }
+  }, [currentOrganization]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    void fetchCount();
+  }, [fetchCount, pathname]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const onChanged = () => void fetchCount();
+    window.addEventListener('pending-connections-changed', onChanged);
+    return () => window.removeEventListener('pending-connections-changed', onChanged);
+  }, [fetchCount]);
+
+  return count;
+}