Index: modules/forum/forum.css
===================================================================
--- modules/forum/forum.css	(revision 6811)
+++ modules/forum/forum.css	(working copy)
@@ -10,6 +10,15 @@
 #forum td.posts, #forum td.topics, #forum td.replies, #forum td.pager {
   text-align: center;
 }
+#forum tr td.forum {
+  padding-left: 25px;
+  background-position: 2px 2px;
+  background-image: url(../../misc/forum-default.png);
+  background-repeat: no-repeat;
+}
+#forum tr.new-topics td.forum {
+  background-image: url(../../misc/forum-new.png);
+}
 .forum-topic-navigation {
   padding: 1em 0 0 3em;
   border-top: 1px solid #888;
Index: modules/forum/forum.module
===================================================================
--- modules/forum/forum.module	(revision 6835)
+++ modules/forum/forum.module	(working copy)
@@ -970,11 +970,18 @@
         }
         $description .= "</div>\n";
 
-        $rows[] = array(
-          array('data' => $description, 'class' => 'forum'),
-          array('data' => $forum->num_topics . ($new_topics ? '<br />'. l(format_plural($new_topics, '1 new', '@count new'), "forum/$forum->tid", NULL, NULL, 'new') : ''), 'class' => 'topics'),
-          array('data' => $forum->num_posts, 'class' => 'posts'),
-          array('data' => _forum_format($forum->last_post), 'class' => 'last-reply'));
+        $row = array(
+          'data' => array(
+            array('data' => $description, 'class' => 'forum'),
+            array('data' => $forum->num_topics . ($new_topics ? '<br />'. l(format_plural($new_topics, '1 new', '@count new'), "forum/$forum->tid", NULL, NULL, 'new') : ''), 'class' => 'topics'),
+            array('data' => $forum->num_posts, 'class' => 'posts'),
+            array('data' => _forum_format($forum->last_post), 'class' => 'last-reply'),
+          ),
+        );
+        if ($new_topics > 0) {
+          $row['class'] = 'new-topics';
+        }
+        $rows[] = $row;
       }
     }