diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_store.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_store.js
index 5562707e3c..07097900ff 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_store.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_store.js
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ people.add_in_realm(cindy);
 global.people.initialize_current_user(me.user_id);
 
 var message_store = require('js/message_store.js');
-message_store.initialize();
 
 (function test_insert_recent_private_message() {
     message_store.insert_recent_private_message('1', 1001);
@@ -244,16 +243,14 @@ message_store.initialize();
     set_global('message_list', {});
     set_global('home_msg_list', {});
 
-    var event = {
+    var opts = {
         old_id: 401,
         new_id: 402,
     };
 
-    var on_id_message_changed_func = $(document).get_on_handler('message_id_changed');
-
     global.with_stub(function (stub) {
         home_msg_list.change_message_id = stub.f;
-        on_id_message_changed_func(event);
+        message_store.reify_message_id(opts);
         var msg_id = stub.get_args('old', 'new');
         assert.equal(msg_id.old, 401);
         assert.equal(msg_id.new, 402);
@@ -262,7 +259,7 @@ message_store.initialize();
     home_msg_list.view = {};
     global.with_stub(function (stub) {
         home_msg_list.view.change_message_id = stub.f;
-        on_id_message_changed_func(event);
+        message_store.reify_message_id(opts);
         var msg_id = stub.get_args('old', 'new');
         assert.equal(msg_id.old, 401);
         assert.equal(msg_id.new, 402);
diff --git a/static/js/echo.js b/static/js/echo.js
index 5f33d7247f..1edc98829f 100644
--- a/static/js/echo.js
+++ b/static/js/echo.js
@@ -182,8 +182,11 @@ exports.reify_message_id = function reify_message_id(local_id, server_id) {
     message.id = server_id;
     delete message.local_id;
 
-    // We have the real message ID  for this message
-    $(document).trigger($.Event('message_id_changed', {old_id: local_id, new_id: server_id}));
+    var opts = {old_id: local_id, new_id: server_id};
+
+    message_store.reify_message_id(opts);
+
+    $(document).trigger($.Event('message_id_changed', opts));
 };
 
 exports.process_from_server = function process_from_server(messages) {
diff --git a/static/js/message_store.js b/static/js/message_store.js
index 99b1dc469f..95478f7332 100644
--- a/static/js/message_store.js
+++ b/static/js/message_store.js
@@ -176,33 +176,25 @@ exports.add_message_metadata = function (message) {
     return message;
 };
 
-exports.initialize = function () {
-    $(document).on('message_id_changed', function (event) {
-        var old_id = event.old_id;
-        var new_id = event.new_id;
-        if (pointer.furthest_read === old_id) {
-            pointer.furthest_read = new_id;
-        }
-        if (stored_messages[old_id]) {
-            stored_messages[new_id] = stored_messages[old_id];
-            delete stored_messages[old_id];
-        }
+exports.reify_message_id = function (opts) {
+    var old_id = opts.old_id;
+    var new_id = opts.new_id;
+    if (pointer.furthest_read === old_id) {
+        pointer.furthest_read = new_id;
+    }
+    if (stored_messages[old_id]) {
+        stored_messages[new_id] = stored_messages[old_id];
+        delete stored_messages[old_id];
+    }
 
-        // This handler cannot be in the MessageList constructor, which is the logical place
-        // If it's there, the event handler creates a closure with a reference to the message
-        // list itself. When narrowing, the old narrow message list is discarded and a new one
-        // created, but due to the closure, the old list is not garbage collected. This also leads
-        // to the old list receiving the change id events, and throwing errors as it does not
-        // have the messages that you would expect in its internal data structures.
-        _.each([message_list.all, home_msg_list, message_list.narrowed], function (msg_list) {
-            if (msg_list !== undefined) {
-                msg_list.change_message_id(old_id, new_id);
+    _.each([message_list.all, home_msg_list, message_list.narrowed], function (msg_list) {
+        if (msg_list !== undefined) {
+            msg_list.change_message_id(old_id, new_id);
 
-                if (msg_list.view !== undefined) {
-                    msg_list.view.change_message_id(old_id, new_id);
-                }
+            if (msg_list.view !== undefined) {
+                msg_list.view.change_message_id(old_id, new_id);
             }
-        });
+        }
     });
 };
 
diff --git a/static/js/ui_init.js b/static/js/ui_init.js
index 4b1d02e7a2..50a3bc15e2 100644
--- a/static/js/ui_init.js
+++ b/static/js/ui_init.js
@@ -251,7 +251,6 @@ $(function () {
     people.initialize();
     bot_data.initialize(); // Must happen after people.initialize()
     message_fetch.initialize();
-    message_store.initialize();
     markdown.initialize();
     composebox_typeahead.initialize();
     search.initialize();