diff --git a/frontend_tests/casper_lib/common.js b/frontend_tests/casper_lib/common.js
index 88809e996a..c6dfb69d6f 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/casper_lib/common.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/casper_lib/common.js
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ exports.check_form = function (form_selector, expected, test_name) {
 exports.wait_for_message_actually_sent = function () {
     casper.waitFor(function () {
         return casper.evaluate(function () {
-            return current_msg_list.last().local_id === undefined;
+            return !current_msg_list.last().locally_echoed;
         });
     });
 };
diff --git a/frontend_tests/casper_tests/12-toggle-message-editing.js b/frontend_tests/casper_tests/12-toggle-message-editing.js
index c51b87dd0d..bfc37d1934 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/casper_tests/12-toggle-message-editing.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/casper_tests/12-toggle-message-editing.js
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ casper.then(function () {
 // wait for message to be sent
 casper.waitFor(function () {
     return casper.evaluate(function () {
-        return current_msg_list.last().local_id === undefined;
+        return !current_msg_list.last().locally_echoed;
     });
 });
 
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/compose.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/compose.js
index 0e7042a471..ed22bb9ada 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/compose.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/compose.js
@@ -380,9 +380,10 @@ people.add(bob);
               private_message_recipient: 'alice@example.com',
               to_user_ids: '31',
               local_id: 1,
+              locally_echoed: true,
             };
             assert.equal(payload.url, '/json/messages');
-            assert.equal(_.keys(payload.data).length, 11);
+            assert.equal(_.keys(payload.data).length, 12);
             assert.deepEqual(payload.data, single_msg);
             payload.data.id = stub_state.local_id_counter;
             payload.success(payload.data);
diff --git a/static/js/compose.js b/static/js/compose.js
index d614f7ee51..e2ed5ac354 100644
--- a/static/js/compose.js
+++ b/static/js/compose.js
@@ -332,6 +332,8 @@ exports.send_message = function send_message(request) {
 
     var locally_echoed = local_id !== undefined;
 
+    request.locally_echoed = locally_echoed;
+
     function success(data) {
         exports.send_message_success(local_id, data.id, start_time, locally_echoed);
     }
@@ -339,7 +341,7 @@ exports.send_message = function send_message(request) {
     function error(response) {
         // If we're not local echo'ing messages, or if this message was not
         // locally echoed, show error in compose box
-        if (request.local_id === undefined) {
+        if (!request.locally_echoed) {
             compose_error(response, $('#new_message_content'));
             return;
         }
diff --git a/static/js/echo.js b/static/js/echo.js
index 9ce2793a5f..a04227b19e 100644
--- a/static/js/echo.js
+++ b/static/js/echo.js
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ function insert_local_message(message_request, local_id) {
     message.avatar_url = page_params.avatar_url;
     message.timestamp = new XDate().getTime() / 1000;
     message.local_id = local_id;
+    message.locally_echoed = true;
     message.id = message.local_id;
     markdown.add_message_flags(message);
     markdown.add_subject_links(message);
@@ -125,7 +126,7 @@ function insert_local_message(message_request, local_id) {
     // It is a little bit funny to go through the message_events
     // codepath, but it's sort of the idea behind local echo that
     // we are simulating server events before they actually arrive.
-    message_events.insert_new_messages([message], local_id);
+    message_events.insert_new_messages([message], true);
     return message.local_id;
 }
 
@@ -180,7 +181,7 @@ exports.reify_message_id = function reify_message_id(local_id, server_id) {
     }
 
     message.id = server_id;
-    delete message.local_id;
+    message.locally_echoed = false;
 
     var opts = {old_id: local_id, new_id: server_id};
 
diff --git a/static/js/message_edit.js b/static/js/message_edit.js
index 8886133ce3..d84cf21188 100644
--- a/static/js/message_edit.js
+++ b/static/js/message_edit.js
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ function get_editability(message, edit_limit_seconds_buffer) {
 
     // Locally echoed messages are not editable, since the message hasn't
     // finished being sent yet.
-    if (message.local_id !== undefined) {
+    if (message.locally_echoed) {
         return editability_types.NO;
     }
 
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ exports.save = function (row, from_topic_edited_only) {
     }
     // Editing a not-yet-acked message (because the original send attempt failed)
     // just results in the in-memory message being changed
-    if (message.local_id !== undefined) {
+    if (message.locally_echoed) {
         if (new_content !== message.raw_content || topic_changed) {
             echo.edit_locally(message, new_content, topic_changed ? new_topic : undefined);
             row = current_msg_list.get_row(message_id);
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ function edit_message(row, raw_content) {
     edit_obj.scrolled_by = scroll_by;
     message_viewport.scrollTop(message_viewport.scrollTop() + scroll_by);
 
-    if (feature_flags.propagate_topic_edits && message.local_id === undefined) {
+    if (feature_flags.propagate_topic_edits && !message.locally_echoed) {
         var original_topic = message.subject;
         message_edit_topic.keyup( function () {
             var new_topic = message_edit_topic.val();
diff --git a/static/js/message_events.js b/static/js/message_events.js
index f2f72aa944..b8d8706769 100644
--- a/static/js/message_events.js
+++ b/static/js/message_events.js
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ function maybe_add_narrowed_messages(messages, msg_list, messages_are_new) {
 }
 
 
-exports.insert_new_messages = function insert_new_messages(messages, local_id) {
+exports.insert_new_messages = function insert_new_messages(messages, locally_echoed) {
     messages = _.map(messages, message_store.add_message_metadata);
 
     // You must add add messages to home_msg_list BEFORE
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ exports.insert_new_messages = function insert_new_messages(messages, local_id) {
     }
 
 
-    if (local_id) {
+    if (locally_echoed) {
         notifications.notify_local_mixes(messages);
     }
 
diff --git a/static/js/message_flags.js b/static/js/message_flags.js
index 58df359fd9..58e1ba2823 100644
--- a/static/js/message_flags.js
+++ b/static/js/message_flags.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ function batched_updater(flag, op, immediate) {
     function server_request() {
         // Wait for server IDs before sending flags
         var real_msgs = _.filter(queue, function (msg) {
-            return msg.local_id === undefined;
+            return !msg.locally_echoed;
         });
         var real_msg_ids = _.map(real_msgs, function (msg) {
             return msg.id;
diff --git a/static/js/pointer.js b/static/js/pointer.js
index d870a95efc..2d58ddb85a 100644
--- a/static/js/pointer.js
+++ b/static/js/pointer.js
@@ -96,9 +96,11 @@ exports.initialize = function initialize() {
         // Additionally, don't advance the pointer server-side
         // if the selected message is local-only
         if (event.msg_list === home_msg_list && page_params.narrow_stream === undefined) {
-            if (event.id > pointer.furthest_read &&
-                home_msg_list.get(event.id).local_id === undefined) {
-                pointer.furthest_read = event.id;
+            if (event.id > pointer.furthest_read) {
+                var msg = home_msg_list.get(event.id);
+                if (!msg.locally_echoed) {
+                    pointer.furthest_read = event.id;
+                }
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/static/templates/single_message.handlebars b/static/templates/single_message.handlebars
index 8ccf67eed6..e36e25fd1e 100644
--- a/static/templates/single_message.handlebars
+++ b/static/templates/single_message.handlebars
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <div zid="{{msg/id}}" id="{{table_name}}{{msg/id}}"
-    class="message_row{{^msg/is_stream}} private-message{{/msg/is_stream}}{{#include_sender}} include-sender{{/include_sender}}{{#contains_mention}} mention{{/contains_mention}}{{#include_footer}} last_message{{/include_footer}}{{#msg.unread}} unread{{/msg.unread}} {{#if msg.local_id}}local{{/if}} selectable_row">
+    class="message_row{{^msg/is_stream}} private-message{{/msg/is_stream}}{{#include_sender}} include-sender{{/include_sender}}{{#contains_mention}} mention{{/contains_mention}}{{#include_footer}} last_message{{/include_footer}}{{#msg.unread}} unread{{/msg.unread}} {{#if msg.locally_echoed}}local{{/if}} selectable_row">
     <div class="unread_marker"><div class="unread-marker-fill"></div></div>
     <div class="messagebox{{^include_sender}} prev_is_same_sender{{/include_sender}}{{^msg/is_stream}} private-message{{/msg/is_stream}} {{#if next_is_same_sender}}next_is_same_sender{{/if}}"
         style="box-shadow: inset 2px 0px 0px 0px {{#if msg/is_stream}}{{background_color}}{{else}}#444444{{/if}}, -1px 0px 0px 0px {{#if msg/is_stream}}{{background_color}}{{else}}#444444{{/if}};">
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
                         {{/include_sender}}
                     </span>
                     <span class="alert-copied pull-right">{{t 'Copied!' }}</span>
-                    <span class="message_time{{#if msg.local_id}} notvisible{{/if}}{{#if status_message}} status-time{{/if}}">{{timestr}}</span>
+                    <span class="message_time{{#if msg.locally_echoed}} notvisible{{/if}}{{#if status_message}} status-time{{/if}}">{{timestr}}</span>
                     {{#if_and last_edit_timestr include_sender}}
                         {{#unless status_message}}
                         <div class="message_edit_notice" title="{{#tr this}}Edited (__last_edit_timestr__){{/tr}}">{{t "EDITED" }}</div>