diff --git a/isso/js/embed.js b/isso/js/embed.js
index 6c7c0c61..1c1cfb8e 100644
--- a/isso/js/embed.js
+++ b/isso/js/embed.js
@@ -139,7 +139,6 @@ function fetchComments() {
                 if (comment.created > lastcreated) {
                     lastcreated = comment.created;
                 }
-                count = count + comment.total_replies;
             });
             heading.textContent = i18n.pluralize("num-comments", count);
 
diff --git a/isso/tests/test_comments.py b/isso/tests/test_comments.py
index ed4b8655..fb2b16a8 100644
--- a/isso/tests/test_comments.py
+++ b/isso/tests/test_comments.py
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ def testCreateAndGetMultiple(self):
 
         rv = loads(r.data)
         self.assertEqual(len(rv['replies']), 20)
+        self.assertEqual(rv['total_replies'], 20)
+
 
     def testCreateInvalidParent(self):
 
@@ -185,15 +187,18 @@ def testGetInvalid(self):
         self.assertEqual(self.get('/?uri=%2Fpath%2F&id=123').status_code, 200)
         data = loads(self.get('/?uri=%2Fpath%2F&id=123').data)
         self.assertEqual(len(data['replies']), 0)
+        self.assertEqual(data['total_replies'], 0)
 
         self.assertEqual(
             self.get('/?uri=%2Fpath%2Fspam%2F&id=123').status_code, 200)
         data = loads(self.get('/?uri=%2Fpath%2Fspam%2F&id=123').data)
         self.assertEqual(len(data['replies']), 0)
+        self.assertEqual(data['total_replies'], 0)
 
         self.assertEqual(self.get('/?uri=?uri=%foo%2F').status_code, 200)
         data = loads(self.get('/?uri=?uri=%foo%2F').data)
         self.assertEqual(len(data['replies']), 0)
+        self.assertEqual(data['total_replies'], 0)
 
     def testFetchEmpty(self):
 
@@ -214,6 +219,7 @@ def testGetLimited(self):
 
         rv = loads(r.data)
         self.assertEqual(len(rv['replies']), 10)
+        self.assertEqual(rv['total_replies'], 20)
 
     def testGetNested(self):
 
@@ -226,6 +232,7 @@ def testGetNested(self):
 
         rv = loads(r.data)
         self.assertEqual(len(rv['replies']), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(rv['total_replies'], 1)
 
     def testGetLimitedNested(self):
 
@@ -239,6 +246,7 @@ def testGetLimitedNested(self):
 
         rv = loads(r.data)
         self.assertEqual(len(rv['replies']), 10)
+        self.assertEqual(rv['total_replies'], 20)
 
     def testUpdate(self):
 
@@ -289,7 +297,7 @@ def testDeleteWithReference(self):
         self.assertIn('/path/', self.app.db.threads)
 
         data = loads(client.get("/?uri=%2Fpath%2F").data)
-        self.assertEqual(data["total_replies"], 1)
+        self.assertEqual(data["total_replies"], 2)
 
         self.assertEqual(self.get('/?uri=%2Fpath%2F&id=1').status_code, 200)
         self.assertEqual(self.get('/?uri=%2Fpath%2F&id=2').status_code, 200)
diff --git a/isso/views/comments.py b/isso/views/comments.py
index 3fd2d342..5cecd499 100644
--- a/isso/views/comments.py
+++ b/isso/views/comments.py
@@ -880,6 +880,9 @@ def fetch(self, environ, request, uri):
         if root_id not in reply_counts:
             reply_counts[root_id] = 0
 
+        # We need to calculate the total number of comments for the root response value
+        total_replies = sum(reply_counts.values()) if root_id is None else reply_counts[root_id]
+
         try:
             nested_limit = int(request.args.get('nested_limit'))
         except TypeError:
@@ -889,7 +892,7 @@ def fetch(self, environ, request, uri):
 
         rv = {
             'id': root_id,
-            'total_replies': reply_counts[root_id],
+            'total_replies': total_replies,
             'hidden_replies': reply_counts[root_id] - len(root_list),
             'replies': self._process_fetched_list(root_list, plain),
             'config': self.public_conf