diff --git a/static/js/message_edit.js b/static/js/message_edit.js
index d7c1e3da79..316fd14017 100644
--- a/static/js/message_edit.js
+++ b/static/js/message_edit.js
@@ -6,7 +6,14 @@ var currently_editing_messages = {};
 //returns true if the edit task should end.
 exports.save = function (row) {
     var msg_list = current_msg_list;
-    var message = current_msg_list.get(rows.id(row));
+    var message_row;
+
+    if (row.hasClass('recipient_row')) {
+        message_row = rows.first_message_in_group(row);
+    } else {
+        message_row = row;
+    }
+    var message = current_msg_list.get(rows.id(message_row));
     var changed = false;
 
     var new_content = row.find(".message_edit_content").val();
@@ -155,7 +162,7 @@ exports.start_topic_edit = function (recipient_row) {
     var form = $(templates.render('topic_edit_form'));
     current_msg_list.show_edit_topic(recipient_row, form);
     form.keydown(handle_edit_keydown);
-    var message = current_msg_list.get(rows.id(recipient_row));
+    var message = current_msg_list.get(rows.id(rows.first_message_in_group(recipient_row)));
     var topic = message.subject;
     if (topic === compose.empty_subject_placeholder()) {
         topic = '';
diff --git a/static/js/message_store.js b/static/js/message_store.js
index cf68415294..ac54c2fa7b 100644
--- a/static/js/message_store.js
+++ b/static/js/message_store.js
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ function maybe_add_narrowed_messages(messages, msg_list, messages_are_new) {
 
 exports.update_messages = function update_messages(events) {
     var msgs_to_rerender = [];
+    var topic_edited = false;
 
     _.each(events, function (event) {
         var msg = stored_messages[event.message_id];
@@ -237,6 +238,7 @@ exports.update_messages = function update_messages(events) {
             // A topic edit may affect multiple messages, listed in
             // event.message_ids. event.message_id is still the first message
             // where the user initiated the edit.
+            topic_edited = true;
             _.each(event.message_ids, function (id) {
                 var msg = message_store.get(id);
                 if (msg === undefined) {
@@ -271,9 +273,18 @@ exports.update_messages = function update_messages(events) {
         alert_words.process_message(msg);
     });
 
-    home_msg_list.view.rerender_messages(msgs_to_rerender);
-    if (current_msg_list === narrowed_msg_list) {
-        narrowed_msg_list.view.rerender_messages(msgs_to_rerender);
+    // If a topic was edited, we re-render the whole view to get any propagated edits
+    // to be updated
+    if (topic_edited) {
+        home_msg_list.rerender();
+        if (current_msg_list === narrowed_msg_list) {
+            narrowed_msg_list.rerender();
+        }
+    } else {
+        home_msg_list.view.rerender_messages(msgs_to_rerender);
+        if (current_msg_list === narrowed_msg_list) {
+            narrowed_msg_list.view.rerender_messages(msgs_to_rerender);
+        }
     }
     unread.update_unread_counts();
     stream_list.update_streams_sidebar();