diff --git a/tildes/scss/modules/_nav.scss b/tildes/scss/modules/_nav.scss
index 2c552bd..415a09e 100644
--- a/tildes/scss/modules/_nav.scss
+++ b/tildes/scss/modules/_nav.scss
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@
       font-size: 0.8rem;
       font-weight: normal;
       border-bottom: 0;
+
+      &.active a {
+        color: $blue;
+        text-decoration: underline;
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/templates/base_user_menu.jinja2 b/tildes/tildes/templates/base_user_menu.jinja2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..003be42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/base_user_menu.jinja2
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{% extends 'base.jinja2' %}
+
+{% from 'macros/user_menu.jinja2' import render_user_menu with context %}
+
+{% block sidebar %}
+  {{ render_user_menu() }}
+{% endblock %}
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/templates/invite.jinja2 b/tildes/tildes/templates/invite.jinja2
index 7ae3d49..4689995 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/invite.jinja2
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/invite.jinja2
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{% extends 'base_no_sidebar.jinja2' %}
+{% extends 'base_user_menu.jinja2' %}
 
 {% block title %}Invite someone{% endblock %}
 
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/templates/macros/user_menu.jinja2 b/tildes/tildes/templates/macros/user_menu.jinja2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..761a85a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/macros/user_menu.jinja2
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+{% macro render_user_menu() %}
+  {% set route = request.matched_route.name %}
+
+  <h2>User menu</h2>
+  <ul class="nav">
+    <li>Profile</li>
+    <ul class="nav">
+      <li class="nav-item {{ 'active' if route == 'user' else ''}}">
+        <a href="/user/{{ request.user }}">
+          Recent activity
+        </a>
+      </li>
+    </ul>
+
+    <li>Notifications</li>
+    <ul class="nav">
+      {% if request.user.num_unread_notifications > 0 %}
+        <li class="nav-item {{ 'active' if route == 'notifications_unread' else '' }}">
+          <strong><a href="/notifications/unread">
+            Unread ({{ request.user.num_unread_notifications }})
+          </a></strong>
+        </li>
+      {% endif %}
+      <li class="nav-item {{ 'active' if route == 'notifications' else '' }}">
+        <a href="/notifications">
+          Previously read
+        </a>
+      </li>
+    </ul>
+
+    <li>Messages</li>
+    <ul class="nav">
+      {% if request.user.num_unread_messages > 0 %}
+        <li class="nav-item {{ 'active' if route == 'messages_unread' else '' }}">
+          <strong><a href="/messages/unread">
+          Unread ({{ request.user.num_unread_messages }})
+          </a></strong>
+        </li>
+      {% endif %}
+      <li class="nav-item {{ 'active' if route == 'messages' else '' }}">
+        <a href="/messages">
+          Inbox
+        </a>
+      </li>
+      <li class="nav-item {{ 'active' if route == 'messages_sent' else '' }}">
+        <a href="/messages/sent">
+          Sent messages
+        </a>
+      </li>
+    </ul>
+
+    <li>Misc</li>
+    <ul class="nav">
+        <li class="nav-item {{ 'active' if route == 'invite' else '' }}">
+          {% if request.user.invite_codes_remaining %}<strong>{% endif %}
+          <a href="/invite">
+            Invite someone {% if request.user.invite_codes_remaining %}({{ request.user.invite_codes_remaining }}){% endif %}
+          </a>
+          {% if request.user.invite_codes_remaining %}</strong>{% endif %}
+        </li>
+      <li class="nav-item {{ 'active' if route == 'settings' else '' }}">
+        <a href="/settings">
+          Settings
+        </a>
+      </li>
+      <li class="nav-item"><a href="/logout">Log out</a></li>
+    </ul>
+  </ul>
+{% endmacro %}
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/templates/messages.jinja2 b/tildes/tildes/templates/messages.jinja2
index d9df80b..8877a6d 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/messages.jinja2
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/messages.jinja2
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{% extends 'base_no_sidebar.jinja2' %}
+{% extends 'base_user_menu.jinja2' %}
 
 {% from 'macros/datetime.jinja2' import time_ago_responsive %}
 {% from 'macros/links.jinja2' import username_linked %}
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/templates/notifications_unread.jinja2 b/tildes/tildes/templates/notifications_unread.jinja2
index 7ae6a63..b580f1f 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/notifications_unread.jinja2
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/notifications_unread.jinja2
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{% extends 'base_no_sidebar.jinja2' %}
+{% extends 'base_user_menu.jinja2' %}
 
 {% from 'macros/comments.jinja2' import comment_tag_options_template, render_single_comment with context %}
 {% from 'macros/links.jinja2' import group_linked %}
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/templates/settings.jinja2 b/tildes/tildes/templates/settings.jinja2
index 49175a8..e8264f6 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/settings.jinja2
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/settings.jinja2
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{% extends 'base_no_sidebar.jinja2' %}
+{% extends 'base_user_menu.jinja2' %}
 
 {% block title %}User settings{% endblock %}
 
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/templates/user.jinja2 b/tildes/tildes/templates/user.jinja2
index 1bb53d6..1e3a1f1 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/user.jinja2
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/user.jinja2
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{% extends 'base.jinja2' %}
+{% extends 'base_user_menu.jinja2' %}
 
 {% from 'macros/comments.jinja2' import render_single_comment with context %}
 {% from 'macros/links.jinja2' import group_linked, username_linked %}
@@ -37,40 +37,7 @@
 
 {% block sidebar %}
 {% if user == request.user %}
-  <h2>User menu</h2>
-  <ul class="nav">
-    <li>Notifications</li>
-    <ul class="nav">
-      {% if request.user.num_unread_notifications > 0 %}
-        <li class="nav-item"><strong><a href="/notifications/unread">
-          Unread ({{ request.user.num_unread_notifications }})
-        </a></strong></li>
-      {% endif %}
-      <li class="nav-item"><a href="/notifications">Previously read</a></li>
-    </ul>
-
-    <li>Messages</li>
-    <ul class="nav">
-      {% if request.user.num_unread_messages > 0 %}
-        <li class="nav-item"><strong><a href="/messages/unread">
-          Unread ({{ request.user.num_unread_messages }})
-        </a></strong></li>
-      {% endif %}
-      <li class="nav-item"><a href="/messages">Inbox</a></li>
-      <li class="nav-item"><a href="/messages/sent">Sent messages</a></li>
-    </ul>
-
-    <li>Misc</li>
-    <ul class="nav">
-      {% if request.user.invite_codes_remaining or num_active_invite_codes %}
-        <li class="nav-item"><strong><a href="/invite">
-          Invite someone ({{ request.user.invite_codes_remaining + num_active_invite_codes }})
-        </a></strong></li>
-      {% endif %}
-      <li class="nav-item"><a href="/settings">Settings</a></li>
-      <li class="nav-item"><a href="/logout">Log out</a></li>
-    </ul>
-  </ul>
+  {{ super() }}
 <hr>
 {% endif %}
 
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/views/user.py b/tildes/tildes/views/user.py
index 7627861..3b3da0b 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/views/user.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/views/user.py
@@ -54,22 +54,9 @@ def get_user(request: Request) -> dict:
     )
     merged_posts = merged_posts[:page_size]
 
-    # if the user is on their own page, check if they have active invite codes
-    num_active_invite_codes = None
-    if user == request.user:
-        num_active_invite_codes = (
-            request.query(UserInviteCode)
-            .filter(
-                UserInviteCode.user_id == request.user.user_id,
-                UserInviteCode.invitee_id == None,  # noqa
-            )
-            .count()
-        )
-
     return {
         'user': user,
         'merged_posts': merged_posts,
-        'num_active_invite_codes': num_active_invite_codes,
     }