diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/recent_senders.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/recent_senders.js
index 4f745205b0..dd6933689d 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/recent_senders.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/recent_senders.js
@@ -28,12 +28,14 @@ run_test("process_message_for_senders", () => {
 
     // New stream
     const message1 = {
+        type: "stream",
         stream_id: stream1,
         id: (next_id += 1),
         topic: topic1,
         sender_id: sender1,
     };
     const message2 = {
+        type: "stream",
         stream_id: stream2,
         id: (next_id += 1),
         topic: topic1,
@@ -62,6 +64,7 @@ run_test("process_message_for_senders", () => {
 
     // New topic
     const message3 = {
+        type: "stream",
         stream_id: stream1,
         id: (next_id += 1),
         topic: topic2,
@@ -77,6 +80,7 @@ run_test("process_message_for_senders", () => {
 
     // New sender
     const message4 = {
+        type: "stream",
         stream_id: stream1,
         id: (next_id += 1),
         topic: topic1,
@@ -92,6 +96,7 @@ run_test("process_message_for_senders", () => {
 
     // More recent message
     const message5 = {
+        type: "stream",
         stream_id: stream1,
         id: (next_id += 1),
         topic: topic1,
@@ -107,18 +112,21 @@ run_test("process_message_for_senders", () => {
 
     // Same stream, but different topics
     const message6 = {
+        type: "stream",
         stream_id: stream3,
         id: (next_id += 1),
         topic: topic1,
         sender_id: sender1,
     };
     const message7 = {
+        type: "stream",
         stream_id: stream3,
         id: (next_id += 1),
         topic: topic2,
         sender_id: sender2,
     };
     const message8 = {
+        type: "stream",
         stream_id: stream3,
         id: (next_id += 1),
         topic: topic3,
@@ -144,6 +152,7 @@ run_test("process_message_for_senders", () => {
 
     // new message in topic2
     const message9 = {
+        type: "stream",
         stream_id: stream3,
         id: (next_id += 1),
         topic: topic2,
diff --git a/static/js/recent_senders.js b/static/js/recent_senders.js
index f55e794044..b450fc1e40 100644
--- a/static/js/recent_senders.js
+++ b/static/js/recent_senders.js
@@ -76,9 +76,11 @@ exports.update_topics_of_message_ids = function (message_ids) {
     for (const msg_id of message_ids) {
         // Note: message_store retians data of msg post deletion.
         const message = message_store.get(msg_id);
-        // Create unique keys for stream_id and topic.
-        const topic_key = message.stream_id + ":" + message.topic;
-        topics_to_update.set(topic_key, [message.stream_id, message.topic]);
+        if (message.type === "stream") {
+            // Create unique keys for stream_id and topic.
+            const topic_key = message.stream_id + ":" + message.topic;
+            topics_to_update.set(topic_key, [message.stream_id, message.topic]);
+        }
     }
 
     for (const [stream_id, topic] of topics_to_update.values()) {
diff --git a/static/js/recent_topics.js b/static/js/recent_topics.js
index 9bda62c7d5..322e68a76f 100644
--- a/static/js/recent_topics.js
+++ b/static/js/recent_topics.js
@@ -242,8 +242,10 @@ exports.update_topics_of_message_ids = function (message_ids) {
     const topics_to_rerender = new Map();
     for (const msg_id of message_ids) {
         const message = message_store.get(msg_id);
-        const topic_key = get_topic_key(message.stream_id, message.topic);
-        topics_to_rerender.set(topic_key, [message.stream_id, message.topic]);
+        if (message.type === "stream") {
+            const topic_key = get_topic_key(message.stream_id, message.topic);
+            topics_to_rerender.set(topic_key, [message.stream_id, message.topic]);
+        }
     }
 
     for (const [stream_id, topic] of topics_to_rerender.values()) {