diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index dedaf9090a2..daffb916065 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ v 8.9.0 (unreleased)
   - Make authentication service for Container Registry to be compatible with < Docker 1.11
   - Add Application Setting to configure Container Registry token expire delay (default 5min)
   - Cache assigned issue and merge request counts in sidebar nav
+  - Cache project build count in sidebar nav
 
 v 8.8.3
   - Fix incorrect links on pipeline page when merge request created from fork
diff --git a/app/models/ci/build.rb b/app/models/ci/build.rb
index f597f920a3b..64723ab6b4b 100644
--- a/app/models/ci/build.rb
+++ b/app/models/ci/build.rb
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ module Ci
       build_data = Gitlab::BuildDataBuilder.build(self)
       project.execute_hooks(build_data.dup, :build_hooks)
       project.execute_services(build_data.dup, :build_hooks)
-      project.expire_running_or_pending_build_count
+      project.running_or_pending_build_count(force: true)
     end
 
     def artifacts?
diff --git a/app/models/project.rb b/app/models/project.rb
index 3b5ca05dc3f..9ccf6a97df6 100644
--- a/app/models/project.rb
+++ b/app/models/project.rb
@@ -1012,13 +1012,9 @@ class Project < ActiveRecord::Base
     update_attribute(:pending_delete, true)
   end
 
-  def running_or_pending_build_count
-    Rails.cache.fetch(['projects', id, 'running_or_pending_build_count']) do
+  def running_or_pending_build_count(force: false)
+    Rails.cache.fetch(['projects', id, 'running_or_pending_build_count'], force: force) do
       builds.running_or_pending.count(:all)
     end
   end
-
-  def expire_running_or_pending_build_count
-    Rails.cache.delete(['projects', id, 'running_or_pending_build_count'])
-  end
 end
diff --git a/app/views/layouts/nav/_project.html.haml b/app/views/layouts/nav/_project.html.haml
index 86d2ba9ba26..2c9b9006668 100644
--- a/app/views/layouts/nav/_project.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/layouts/nav/_project.html.haml
@@ -52,15 +52,6 @@
           = icon('ship fw')
           %span
             Pipelines
-            %span.badge.count.ci_counter= number_with_delimiter(@project.ci_commits.running_or_pending.count)
-
-    - if project_nav_tab? :builds
-      = nav_link(controller: %w(builds)) do
-        = link_to project_builds_path(@project), title: 'Builds', class: 'shortcuts-builds' do
-          = icon('cubes fw')
-          %span
-            Builds
-            %span.badge.count.builds_counter= number_with_delimiter(@project.running_or_pending_build_count)
 
     - if project_nav_tab? :container_registry
       = nav_link(controller: %w(container_registry)) do
diff --git a/app/views/projects/pipelines/_head.html.haml b/app/views/projects/pipelines/_head.html.haml
index 2c8ae625e67..6e757df5417 100644
--- a/app/views/projects/pipelines/_head.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/projects/pipelines/_head.html.haml
@@ -11,4 +11,4 @@
       = link_to project_builds_path(@project), title: 'Builds', class: 'shortcuts-builds' do
         %span
           Builds
-          %span.badge.count.builds_counter= number_with_delimiter(@project.builds.running_or_pending.count(:all))
+          %span.badge.count.builds_counter= number_with_delimiter(@project.running_or_pending_build_count)
diff --git a/features/project/builds/summary.feature b/features/project/builds/summary.feature
index 3c029a973df..550ebccf0d7 100644
--- a/features/project/builds/summary.feature
+++ b/features/project/builds/summary.feature
@@ -24,3 +24,4 @@ Feature: Project Builds Summary
     Then recent build has been erased
     And recent build summary does not have artifacts widget
     And recent build summary contains information saying that build has been erased
+    And the build count cache is updated
diff --git a/features/steps/project/builds/summary.rb b/features/steps/project/builds/summary.rb
index e9e2359146e..374eb0b0e07 100644
--- a/features/steps/project/builds/summary.rb
+++ b/features/steps/project/builds/summary.rb
@@ -36,4 +36,8 @@ class Spinach::Features::ProjectBuildsSummary < Spinach::FeatureSteps
       expect(page).to have_content 'Build has been erased'
     end
   end
+
+  step 'the build count cache is updated' do
+    expect(@build.project.running_or_pending_build_count).to eq @build.project.builds.running_or_pending.count(:all)
+  end
 end