diff --git a/static/js/activity.js b/static/js/activity.js
index 3d70d2cb58..b9e005480e 100644
--- a/static/js/activity.js
+++ b/static/js/activity.js
@@ -98,9 +98,11 @@ exports.huddle_fraction_present = function (huddle, presence_info) {
 
     var num_present = 0;
     _.each(emails, function (email) {
-        var status = presence_info[email];
-        if (status && (status !== 'offline')) {
-            ++num_present;
+        if (presence_info[email]) {
+            var status = presence_info[email].status;
+            if (status && (status !== 'offline')) {
+                ++num_present;
+            }
         }
     });
 
@@ -112,15 +114,15 @@ exports.huddle_fraction_present = function (huddle, presence_info) {
 function sort_users(users, presence_info) {
     // TODO sort by unread count first, once we support that
     users.sort(function (a, b) {
-        if (presence_info[a] === 'active' && presence_info[b] !== 'active') {
+        if (presence_info[a].status === 'active' && presence_info[b].status !== 'active') {
             return -1;
-        } else if (presence_info[b] === 'active' && presence_info[a] !== 'active') {
+        } else if (presence_info[b].status === 'active' && presence_info[a].status !== 'active') {
             return 1;
         }
 
-        if (presence_info[a] === 'idle' && presence_info[b] !== 'idle') {
+        if (presence_info[a].status === 'idle' && presence_info[b].status !== 'idle') {
             return -1;
-        } else if (presence_info[b] === 'idle' && presence_info[a] !== 'idle') {
+        } else if (presence_info[b].status === 'idle' && presence_info[a].status !== 'idle') {
             return 1;
         }
 
@@ -206,7 +208,7 @@ function actually_update_users() {
     // the commit that added this comment.
 
     function info_for(email) {
-        var presence = presence_info[email];
+        var presence = presence_info[email].status;
         return {
             name: people.get_by_email(email).full_name,
             email: email,
@@ -276,7 +278,7 @@ exports.update_huddles = function () {
 
 function status_from_timestamp(baseline_time, presence) {
     if (presence.website === undefined) {
-        return 'offline';
+        return {status: 'offline'};
     }
 
     var age = baseline_time - presence.website.timestamp;
@@ -285,7 +287,7 @@ function status_from_timestamp(baseline_time, presence) {
     if (age < OFFLINE_THRESHOLD_SECS) {
         status = presence.website.status;
     }
-    return status;
+    return {status: status};
 }
 
 function focus_ping() {
diff --git a/zerver/tests/frontend/node/activity.js b/zerver/tests/frontend/node/activity.js
index 8a85c8ece9..0ad10c8123 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/frontend/node/activity.js
+++ b/zerver/tests/frontend/node/activity.js
@@ -43,9 +43,9 @@ var activity = require('js/activity.js');
     var users = ['alice@zulip.com', 'fred@zulip.com', 'jill@zulip.com'];
 
     var user_info = {
-        'alice@zulip.com': 'inactive',
-        'fred@zulip.com': 'active',
-        'jill@zulip.com': 'active'
+        'alice@zulip.com': {status: 'inactive'},
+        'fred@zulip.com': {status: 'active'},
+        'jill@zulip.com': {status: 'active'}
     };
 
     activity._sort_users(users, user_info);
@@ -141,10 +141,10 @@ var activity = require('js/activity.js');
     var huddle = 'alice@zulip.com,fred@zulip.com,jill@zulip.com,mark@zulip.com';
 
     var presence_list = {
-        'alice@zulip.com': 'active',
-        'fred@zulip.com': 'idle', // counts as present
+        'alice@zulip.com': {status: 'active'},
+        'fred@zulip.com': {status: 'idle'}, // counts as present
         // jill not in list
-        'mark@zulip.com': 'offline' // does not count
+        'mark@zulip.com': {status: 'offline'} // does not count
     };
 
     assert.equal(