diff --git a/app/views/user_notifications/digest.html.erb b/app/views/user_notifications/digest.html.erb
index fda5eb572..685df1817 100644
--- a/app/views/user_notifications/digest.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/user_notifications/digest.html.erb
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
         <div class='featured-topic'>
           <%= link_to t.title, "#{Discourse.base_url}#{t.relative_url}" %>
           <br/>
-          <%= category_badge(t.category) %>
+          <%= category_badge(t.category, inline_style: true, absolute_url: true) %>
         </div>
 
         <%- if t.best_post.present? %>
diff --git a/lib/category_badge.rb b/lib/category_badge.rb
index 034b12b82..3175372d9 100644
--- a/lib/category_badge.rb
+++ b/lib/category_badge.rb
@@ -5,7 +5,20 @@ module CategoryBadge
     "<span class='#{classes}' #{style}></span>"
   end
 
-  def self.html_for(category, opts=nil)
+  def self.inline_category_stripe(color, styles = '', insert_blank = false)
+    "<span style='background-color: ##{color};#{styles}'>#{insert_blank ? '&nbsp;' : ''}</span>"
+  end
+
+  def self.inline_badge_wrapper_style
+    style = case (SiteSetting.category_style || :box).to_sym
+            when :bar then 'line-height: 1.25; margin-right: 5px;'
+            when :box then 'line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 5px;'
+            when :bullet then 'line-height: 1; margin-right: 10px;'
+            end
+    " style='font-size: 0.857em; white-space: nowrap; display: inline-block; position: relative; #{style}'"
+  end
+
+  def self.html_for(category, opts = nil)
     opts = opts || {}
 
     # If there is no category, bail
@@ -18,20 +31,50 @@ module CategoryBadge
 
     result = ''
 
+    # parent span
     unless category.parent_category_id.nil? || opts[:hide_parent]
       parent_category = Category.find_by(id: category.parent_category_id)
-      result << category_stripe(parent_category.color, 'badge-category-parent-bg')
+      result << if opts[:inline_style]
+        case (SiteSetting.category_style || :box).to_sym
+        when :bar then inline_category_stripe(parent_category.color, 'display: inline-block; padding: 1px;', true)
+        when :box then inline_category_stripe(parent_category.color, 'display: block; position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%;')
+        when :bullet then inline_category_stripe(parent_category.color, 'display: inline-block; width: 5px; height: 10px; line-height: 1;')
+        end
+      else
+        category_stripe(parent_category.color, 'badge-category-parent-bg')
+      end
     end
-    result << category_stripe(category.color, 'badge-category-bg')
 
+    # sub parent or main category span
+    result << if opts[:inline_style]
+      case (SiteSetting.category_style || :box).to_sym
+      when :bar then inline_category_stripe(category.color, 'display: inline-block; padding: 1px;', true)
+      when :box then inline_category_stripe(category.color, 'left: 5px; display: block; position: absolute; width: calc(100% - 5px); height: 100%;')
+      when :bullet then inline_category_stripe(category.color, "display: inline-block; width: #{category.parent_category_id.nil? ? 10 : 5}px; height: 10px;", true)
+      end
+    else
+      category_stripe(category.color, 'badge-category-bg')
+    end
+
+    # category name
     class_names = 'badge-category clear-badge'
     text_color = "##{category.text_color}"
     description = category.description_text ? "title='#{category.description_text.html_safe}'" : ''
+    category_url = opts[:absolute_url] ? "#{Discourse.base_url}#{category.url}" : category.url
 
-    result << "<span style='color: #{text_color};' data-drop-close='true' class='#{class_names}'
-                 #{description}'>"
+    extra_span_classes = if opts[:inline_style]
+        case (SiteSetting.category_style || :box).to_sym
+        when :bar then 'padding: 3px; color: #222222 !important; vertical-align: text-top; margin-top: -3px; display: inline-block;'
+        when :box then 'margin-left: 5px; position: relative; padding: 0 5px; margin-top: 2px;'
+        when :bullet then 'color: #222222 !important; vertical-align: text-top; line-height: 1; margin-left: 4px; padding-left: 2px; display: inline;'
+        end + 'max-width: 150px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;'
+      else
+        ''
+      end
+    result << "<span style='color: #{text_color};#{extra_span_classes}' data-drop-close='true' class='#{class_names}'
+                 #{description}>"
 
     result << category.name.html_safe << '</span>'
-    "<a class='badge-wrapper #{extra_classes}' href='#{Discourse.base_url}#{category.url}'>#{result}</a>"
+    "<a class='badge-wrapper #{extra_classes}' href='#{category_url}'" + (opts[:inline_style] ? inline_badge_wrapper_style : '') + ">#{result}</a>"
   end
 end