diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/people.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/people.js
index 6865a45900..84375bef99 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/people.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/people.js
@@ -191,6 +191,16 @@ initialize();
 
 initialize();
 
+(function test_set_custom_profile_field_data() {
+    var person = people.get_by_email(me.email);
+    me.profile_data = {};
+    var field = {id: 3, name: 'Custom long field', type: 'text', value: 'Field value'};
+    people.set_custom_profile_field_data(person.user_id, {});
+    assert.deepEqual(person.profile_data, {});
+    people.set_custom_profile_field_data(person.user_id, field);
+    assert.equal(person.profile_data[field.id], 'Field value');
+}());
+
 (function test_get_rest_of_realm() {
     var alice1 = {
         email: 'alice1@example.com',
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/user_events.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/user_events.js
index eebe0f2192..9bed962fa3 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/user_events.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/user_events.js
@@ -137,4 +137,8 @@ initialize();
     assert(!user_events.update_person({user_id: 29, full_name: 'Sir Isaac Newton'}));
     assert.equal(error_msg, "Got update_person event for unexpected user 29");
 
+    me.profile_data = {};
+    user_events.update_person({user_id: me.user_id, custom_profile_field: {id: 3, value: 'Value'}});
+    person = people.get_by_email(me.email);
+    assert.equal(person.profile_data[3], 'Value');
 }());
diff --git a/static/js/people.js b/static/js/people.js
index 14d21ffc08..aa4715c74f 100644
--- a/static/js/people.js
+++ b/static/js/people.js
@@ -819,6 +819,14 @@ exports.set_full_name = function (person_obj, new_full_name) {
     person_obj.full_name = new_full_name;
 };
 
+exports.set_custom_profile_field_data = function (user_id, field) {
+    if (field.id === undefined) {
+        blueslip.error("Unknown field id " + field.id);
+        return;
+    }
+    people_by_user_id_dict.get(user_id).profile_data[field.id] = field.value;
+};
+
 exports.is_current_user = function (email) {
     if (email === null || email === undefined) {
         return false;
diff --git a/static/js/user_events.js b/static/js/user_events.js
index d6c0a64fbb..83f7d0d102 100644
--- a/static/js/user_events.js
+++ b/static/js/user_events.js
@@ -64,6 +64,10 @@ exports.update_person = function update(person) {
         message_live_update.update_avatar(person_obj.user_id, person.avatar_url);
     }
 
+    if (_.has(person, 'custom_profile_field')) {
+        people.set_custom_profile_field_data(person.user_id, person.custom_profile_field);
+    }
+
      if (_.has(person, 'timezone')) {
          person_obj.timezone = person.timezone;
     }
diff --git a/zerver/lib/actions.py b/zerver/lib/actions.py
index da1b844d4b..9efd1ace46 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/actions.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/actions.py
@@ -4529,6 +4529,10 @@ def do_update_user_custom_profile_data(user_profile: UserProfile,
             update_or_create(user_profile=user_profile,
                              field_id=field['id'],
                              defaults={'value': field['value']})
+            payload = dict(user_id=user_profile.id, custom_profile_field=dict(id=field['id'],
+                                                                              value=field['value']))
+            event = dict(type="realm_user", op="update", person=payload)
+            send_event(event, active_user_ids(user_profile.realm.id))
 
 def do_send_create_user_group_event(user_group: UserGroup, members: List[UserProfile]) -> None:
     event = dict(type="user_group",