diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/drafts.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/drafts.js
index cecbfa8ebb..775a098aed 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/drafts.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/drafts.js
@@ -67,20 +67,6 @@ const {localstorage} = zrequire("localstorage");
 const drafts = zrequire("drafts");
 const timerender = zrequire("timerender");
 
-const legacy_draft = {
-    stream: "stream",
-    subject: "lunch",
-    type: "stream",
-    content: "whatever",
-};
-
-const compose_args_for_legacy_draft = {
-    stream: "stream",
-    topic: "lunch",
-    type: "stream",
-    content: "whatever",
-};
-
 const draft_1 = {
     stream: "stream",
     stream_id: 30,
@@ -96,7 +82,7 @@ const draft_2 = {
 };
 const short_msg = {
     stream: "stream",
-    subject: "topic",
+    topic: "topic",
     type: "stream",
     content: "a",
 };
@@ -109,10 +95,6 @@ function test(label, f) {
     });
 }
 
-test("legacy", () => {
-    assert.deepEqual(drafts.restore_message(legacy_draft), compose_args_for_legacy_draft);
-});
-
 test("draft_model add", ({override}) => {
     const draft_model = drafts.draft_model;
     const ls = localstorage();
@@ -223,7 +205,7 @@ test("initialize", ({override_rewire}) => {
 test("remove_old_drafts", () => {
     const draft_3 = {
         stream: "stream",
-        subject: "topic",
+        topic: "topic",
         type: "stream",
         content: "Test stream message",
         updatedAt: Date.now(),
@@ -349,7 +331,7 @@ test("format_drafts", ({override_rewire, mock_template}) => {
     };
     const draft_3 = {
         stream: "stream 2",
-        subject: "topic",
+        topic: "topic",
         type: "stream",
         content: "Test stream message 2",
         updatedAt: date(-10),
@@ -490,7 +472,7 @@ test("filter_drafts", ({override_rewire, mock_template}) => {
     };
     const stream_draft_2 = {
         stream: "stream 2",
-        subject: "topic",
+        topic: "topic",
         type: "stream",
         content: "Test stream message 2",
         updatedAt: date(-10),
diff --git a/static/js/drafts.js b/static/js/drafts.js
index c712ef17ef..ab3875c918 100644
--- a/static/js/drafts.js
+++ b/static/js/drafts.js
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ export function restore_message(draft) {
         compose_args = {
             type: "stream",
             stream: draft.stream,
-            topic: util.get_draft_topic(draft),
+            topic: draft.topic,
             content: draft.content,
         };
     } else {
@@ -306,13 +306,9 @@ export function format_draft(draft) {
                 draft_model.editDraft(id, draft);
             }
         }
-        let draft_topic = util.get_draft_topic(draft);
+        const draft_topic = draft.topic || compose.empty_topic_placeholder();
         const draft_stream_color = stream_data.get_color(stream_name);
 
-        if (draft_topic === "") {
-            draft_topic = compose.empty_topic_placeholder();
-        }
-
         formatted = {
             draft_id: draft.id,
             is_stream: true,
diff --git a/static/js/util.js b/static/js/util.js
index 4171ad41d3..35e6430497 100644
--- a/static/js/util.js
+++ b/static/js/util.js
@@ -217,11 +217,6 @@ export function get_match_topic(obj) {
     return obj.match_subject;
 }
 
-export function get_draft_topic(obj) {
-    // We will need to support subject for old drafts.
-    return obj.topic || obj.subject || "";
-}
-
 export function get_reload_topic(obj) {
     // When we first upgrade to releases that have
     // topic=foo in the code, the user's reload URL