diff --git a/web/src/stream_popover.ts b/web/src/stream_popover.ts
index a343aa1cb4..b463a53548 100644
--- a/web/src/stream_popover.ts
+++ b/web/src/stream_popover.ts
@@ -319,8 +319,12 @@ export async function build_move_topic_to_stream_popover(
 ): Promise<void> {
     const current_stream_name = sub_store.get(current_stream_id)!.name;
     const stream = sub_store.get(current_stream_id);
+    const topic_display_name = util.get_final_topic_display_name(topic_name);
+    const is_empty_string_topic = topic_name === "";
     const args: {
         topic_name: string;
+        topic_display_name: string;
+        is_empty_string_topic: boolean;
         current_stream_id: number;
         notify_new_thread: boolean;
         notify_old_thread: boolean;
@@ -331,6 +335,8 @@ export async function build_move_topic_to_stream_popover(
         stream: sub_store.StreamSubscription | undefined;
     } = {
         topic_name,
+        topic_display_name,
+        is_empty_string_topic,
         current_stream_id,
         stream,
         notify_new_thread: message_edit.notify_new_thread_default,
@@ -355,7 +361,8 @@ export async function build_move_topic_to_stream_popover(
             {
                 "z-stream-or-topic": () =>
                     render_inline_stream_or_topic_reference({
-                        topic_name,
+                        topic_display_name,
+                        is_empty_string_topic,
                         stream,
                         show_colored_icon: true,
                     }),
@@ -367,7 +374,8 @@ export async function build_move_topic_to_stream_popover(
             {
                 "z-stream-or-topic": () =>
                     render_inline_stream_or_topic_reference({
-                        topic_name,
+                        topic_display_name,
+                        is_empty_string_topic,
                         stream,
                         show_colored_icon: true,
                     }),
@@ -382,7 +390,8 @@ export async function build_move_topic_to_stream_popover(
                 "z-stream-or-topic": () =>
                     render_inline_stream_or_topic_reference({
                         stream,
-                        topic_name,
+                        topic_display_name,
+                        is_empty_string_topic,
                         show_colored_icon: true,
                     }),
             },
diff --git a/web/templates/inline_stream_or_topic_reference.hbs b/web/templates/inline_stream_or_topic_reference.hbs
index 52722b9011..09c6081ec4 100644
--- a/web/templates/inline_stream_or_topic_reference.hbs
+++ b/web/templates/inline_stream_or_topic_reference.hbs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <span class="stream-or-topic-reference">
     {{~#if stream~}}
         {{> inline_decorated_stream_name stream=stream show_colored_icon=show_colored_icon}}
-        {{#if topic_name~}} &gt; {{/if}}
+        {{#if topic_display_name~}} &gt; {{/if}}
     {{~/if~}}
-    {{~ topic_name ~}}
+    <span {{#if is_empty_string_topic}}class="empty-topic-display"{{/if}}>{{~ topic_display_name ~}}</span>
 </span>
diff --git a/web/templates/move_topic_to_stream.hbs b/web/templates/move_topic_to_stream.hbs
index ed2d18a7a1..7251d4733e 100644
--- a/web/templates/move_topic_to_stream.hbs
+++ b/web/templates/move_topic_to_stream.hbs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
         {{/unless}}
         <div class="input-group">
             <label for="move-topic-new-topic-name" class="modal-field-label">New topic</label>
-            <input id="move-topic-new-topic-name" name="new_topic_name" type="text" class="move_messages_edit_topic modal_text_input" autocomplete="off" value="{{topic_name}}" {{#if disable_topic_input}}disabled{{/if}} />
+            <input id="move-topic-new-topic-name" name="new_topic_name" type="text" class="move_messages_edit_topic modal_text_input" autocomplete="off" {{#if is_empty_string_topic}}placeholder="{{topic_display_name}}"{{/if}} value="{{topic_name}}" {{#if disable_topic_input}}disabled{{/if}} />
         </div>
         <input name="old_topic_name" type="hidden" value="{{topic_name}}" />
         <input name="current_stream_id" type="hidden" value="{{current_stream_id}}" />