diff --git a/src/components/navigation/www/navigation.jsx b/src/components/navigation/www/navigation.jsx
index 3346aeb79..4844fe8ca 100644
--- a/src/components/navigation/www/navigation.jsx
+++ b/src/components/navigation/www/navigation.jsx
@@ -37,14 +37,16 @@ class Navigation extends React.Component {
     componentDidMount () {
         if (this.props.user) {
             // Setup polling for messages to start in 2 minutes.
-            setTimeout(this.pollForMessages.bind(this, 2), 2 * 60 * 1000);
+            const twoMinInMs = 2 * 60 * 1000;
+            setTimeout(this.pollForMessages.bind(this, twoMinInMs), twoMinInMs);
         }
     }
     componentDidUpdate (prevProps) {
         if (prevProps.user !== this.props.user) {
             this.props.handleCloseAccountNav();
             if (this.props.user) {
-                setTimeout(this.pollForMessages.bind(this, 2), 2 * 60 * 1000);
+                const twoMinInMs = 2 * 60 * 1000;
+                setTimeout(this.pollForMessages.bind(this, twoMinInMs), twoMinInMs);
             } else {
                 // clear message count check, and set to default id.
                 clearTimeout(this.state.messageCountIntervalId);
@@ -70,16 +72,16 @@ class Navigation extends React.Component {
         return `/users/${this.props.user.username}/`;
     }
 
-    pollForMessages (minutes) {
+    pollForMessages (ms) {
         this.props.getMessageCount(this.props.user.username);
         // We only poll if it has been less than 30 minutes.
         // Chances of someone actively using the page for that long without
         // a navigation is low.
-        if (minutes < 32) {
-            const nextFetch = minutes * 2;
+        if (ms < 32 * 60 * 1000) { // 32 minutes
+            const nextFetch = ms * 2; // exponentially back off next fetch time.
             const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => {
                 this.pollForMessages(nextFetch);
-            }, nextFetch * 60000);
+            }, nextFetch);
             this.setState({ // eslint-disable-line react/no-did-mount-set-state
                 messageCountIntervalId: timeoutId
             });
diff --git a/test/unit/components/navigation.test.jsx b/test/unit/components/navigation.test.jsx
index 2333bc509..07c8a7139 100644
--- a/test/unit/components/navigation.test.jsx
+++ b/test/unit/components/navigation.test.jsx
@@ -167,16 +167,16 @@ describe('Navigation', () => {
         // has already called pollForMessages.
         jest.clearAllTimers();
         jest.clearAllMocks();
-
-        navInstance.pollForMessages(2);
+        let twoMinInMs = 2 * 60 * 1000; // 2 minutes in ms.
+        navInstance.pollForMessages(twoMinInMs);
 
         // Check that we set the timeout to backoff exponentially
-        let minutes = 2 * 60 * 1000;
+
         for (let count = 1; count < 5; ++count) {
-            jest.advanceTimersByTime(minutes + 1);
-            expect(setTimeout).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(expect.any(Function), minutes * 2);
+            jest.advanceTimersByTime(twoMinInMs + 1);
+            expect(setTimeout).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(expect.any(Function), twoMinInMs * 2);
             expect(props.getMessageCount).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(count);
-            minutes = minutes * 2;
+            twoMinInMs = twoMinInMs * 2;
         }
 
         // Exhaust all timers (there shouldn't be any left)