diff --git a/zerver/lib/actions.py b/zerver/lib/actions.py
index d13e56468f..e77ac0775a 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/actions.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/actions.py
@@ -196,8 +196,26 @@ def realm_user_count(realm: Realm) -> int:
     return UserProfile.objects.filter(realm=realm, is_active=True, is_bot=False).count()
 
 def get_topic_history_for_stream(user_profile: UserProfile,
-                                 recipient: Recipient) -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:
-    query = '''
+                                 recipient: Recipient,
+                                 public_history: bool) -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:
+    cursor = connection.cursor()
+    if public_history:
+        query = '''
+        SELECT
+            "zerver_message"."subject" as topic,
+            max("zerver_message".id) as max_message_id
+        FROM "zerver_message"
+        WHERE (
+            "zerver_message"."recipient_id" = %s
+        )
+        GROUP BY (
+            "zerver_message"."subject"
+        )
+        ORDER BY max("zerver_message".id) DESC
+        '''
+        cursor.execute(query, [recipient.id])
+    else:
+        query = '''
         SELECT
             "zerver_message"."subject" as topic,
             max("zerver_message".id) as max_message_id
@@ -213,9 +231,8 @@ def get_topic_history_for_stream(user_profile: UserProfile,
             "zerver_message"."subject"
         )
         ORDER BY max("zerver_message".id) DESC
-    '''
-    cursor = connection.cursor()
-    cursor.execute(query, [user_profile.id, recipient.id])
+        '''
+        cursor.execute(query, [user_profile.id, recipient.id])
     rows = cursor.fetchall()
     cursor.close()
 
diff --git a/zerver/tests/test_messages.py b/zerver/tests/test_messages.py
index 76a9cc0bf5..e82badc776 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/test_messages.py
+++ b/zerver/tests/test_messages.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ from zerver.lib.actions import (
     do_create_user,
     get_client,
     do_add_alert_words,
+    do_change_stream_invite_only,
 )
 
 from zerver.lib.message import (
@@ -87,6 +88,7 @@ class TopicHistoryTest(ZulipTestCase):
         recipient = get_stream_recipient(stream.id)
 
         def create_test_message(topic: str) -> int:
+            # TODO: Clean this up to send messages the normal way.
 
             hamlet = self.example_user('hamlet')
             message = Message.objects.create(
@@ -144,6 +146,46 @@ class TopicHistoryTest(ZulipTestCase):
             topic2_msg_id,
         ])
 
+        # Now try as cordelia, who we imagine as a totally new user in
+        # that she doesn't have UserMessage rows.  We should see the
+        # same results for a public stream.
+        self.login(self.example_email("cordelia"))
+        result = self.client_get(endpoint, dict())
+        self.assert_json_success(result)
+        history = result.json()['topics']
+
+        # We only look at the most recent three topics, because
+        # the prior fixture data may be unreliable.
+        history = history[:3]
+
+        self.assertEqual([topic['name'] for topic in history], [
+            'topic0',
+            'topic1',
+            'topic2',
+        ])
+        self.assertIn('topic0', [topic['name'] for topic in history])
+
+        self.assertEqual([topic['max_id'] for topic in history], [
+            topic0_msg_id,
+            topic1_msg_id,
+            topic2_msg_id,
+        ])
+
+        # Now make stream private, but subscribe cordelia
+        do_change_stream_invite_only(stream, True)
+        self.subscribe(self.example_user("cordelia"), stream.name)
+
+        result = self.client_get(endpoint, dict())
+        self.assert_json_success(result)
+        history = result.json()['topics']
+        history = history[:3]
+
+        # Cordelia doesn't have these recent history items when we
+        # wasn't subscribed in her results.
+        self.assertNotIn('topic0', [topic['name'] for topic in history])
+        self.assertNotIn('topic1', [topic['name'] for topic in history])
+        self.assertNotIn('topic2', [topic['name'] for topic in history])
+
     def test_bad_stream_id(self) -> None:
         email = self.example_email("iago")
         self.login(email)
diff --git a/zerver/views/streams.py b/zerver/views/streams.py
index 409b70ffdd..165bc9bece 100644
--- a/zerver/views/streams.py
+++ b/zerver/views/streams.py
@@ -440,6 +440,7 @@ def get_topics_backend(request: HttpRequest, user_profile: UserProfile,
     result = get_topic_history_for_stream(
         user_profile=user_profile,
         recipient=recipient,
+        public_history=not stream.invite_only,
     )
 
     return json_success(dict(topics=result))