diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/people.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/people.js
index 295fe48b94..e38f63eaef 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/people.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/people.js
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ initialize();
 
     var active_user_ids = people.get_active_user_ids();
     assert.deepEqual(active_user_ids, [isaac.user_id]);
-    assert.equal(people.realm_user_is_active_human_or_bot(isaac.user_id), true);
+    assert.equal(people.is_active_user_for_popover(isaac.user_id), true);
     assert(people.is_valid_email_for_compose(isaac.email));
 
     // Now deactivate isaac
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ initialize();
     person = people.get_active_user_for_email(email);
     assert(!person);
     assert.equal(people.get_realm_count(), 0);
-    assert.equal(people.realm_user_is_active_human_or_bot(isaac.user_id), false);
+    assert.equal(people.is_active_user_for_popover(isaac.user_id), false);
     assert.equal(people.is_valid_email_for_compose(isaac.email), false);
 
     var bot_botson = {
@@ -83,11 +83,17 @@ initialize();
         full_name: 'Bot Botson',
         is_bot: true,
     };
-    people.add(bot_botson);
-    assert.equal(people.realm_user_is_active_human_or_bot(bot_botson.user_id), true);
+    people.add_in_realm(bot_botson);
+    assert.equal(people.is_active_user_for_popover(bot_botson.user_id), true);
 
-    // Invalid user ID just returns false
-    assert.equal(people.realm_user_is_active_human_or_bot(123412), false);
+    // Invalid user ID returns false and warns.
+    var message;
+    blueslip.warn = function (msg) {
+        message = msg;
+    };
+
+    assert.equal(people.is_active_user_for_popover(123412), false);
+    assert.equal(message, 'Unexpectedly invalid user_id in user popover query: 123412');
 
     // We can still get their info for non-realm needs.
     person = people.get_by_email(email);
@@ -176,6 +182,8 @@ initialize();
     assert.equal(person.user_id, 42);
 }());
 
+initialize();
+
 (function test_get_rest_of_realm() {
     var alice1 = {
         email: 'alice1@example.com',
@@ -655,6 +663,7 @@ initialize();
     people.initialize();
 
     assert.equal(people.get_active_user_for_email('alice@example.com').full_name, 'Alice');
+    assert.equal(people.is_active_user_for_popover(17), true);
     assert(people.is_cross_realm_email('bot@example.com'));
     assert(people.is_valid_email_for_compose('bot@example.com'));
     assert(people.is_valid_email_for_compose('alice@example.com'));
diff --git a/static/js/people.js b/static/js/people.js
index 86b830c8ca..70a93615f4 100644
--- a/static/js/people.js
+++ b/static/js/people.js
@@ -545,19 +545,24 @@ exports.get_active_user_for_email = function (email) {
     return active_user_dict.get(person.user_id);
 };
 
-exports.realm_user_is_active_human_or_bot = function (id) {
-    if (active_user_dict.get(id) !== undefined) {
+exports.is_active_user_for_popover = function (user_id) {
+    // For popover menus, we include cross-realm bots as active
+    // users.
+
+    if (cross_realm_dict.get(user_id)) {
         return true;
     }
-    // TODO: Technically, we should probably treat deactivated bots
-    // like deactivated users here.  But we don't have the data to do
-    // that.  See #7153 for notes on fixing this.
-    var person = exports.get_person_from_user_id(id);
-    if (person === undefined) {
-        blueslip.error("Unexpectedly invalid user ID in user popover query " + id);
-        return false;
+    if (active_user_dict.has(user_id)) {
+        return true;
     }
-    return !!person.is_bot;
+
+    // TODO: We can report errors here once we start loading
+    //       deactivated users at page-load time. For now just warn.
+    if (!people_by_user_id_dict.has(user_id)) {
+        blueslip.warn("Unexpectedly invalid user_id in user popover query: " + user_id);
+    }
+
+    return false;
 };
 
 exports.get_all_persons = function () {
diff --git a/static/js/popovers.js b/static/js/popovers.js
index 861e1a97ba..00a327997e 100644
--- a/static/js/popovers.js
+++ b/static/js/popovers.js
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ function show_user_info_popover(element, user, message) {
             sent_by_uri: narrow.by_sender_uri(user.email),
             narrowed: narrow_state.active(),
             private_message_class: "respond_personal_button",
-            is_active: people.realm_user_is_active_human_or_bot(user.user_id),
+            is_active: people.is_active_user_for_popover(user.user_id),
         };
 
         var ypos = elt.offset().top;
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ exports.register_click_handlers = function () {
             pm_with_uri: narrow.pm_with_uri(user_email),
             sent_by_uri: narrow.by_sender_uri(user_email),
             private_message_class: "compose_private_message",
-            is_active: people.realm_user_is_active_human_or_bot(user_id),
+            is_active: people.is_active_user_for_popover(user_id),
         };
 
         target.popover({