diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/hashchange.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/hashchange.js
index ee62a4ff23..9842afa130 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/hashchange.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/hashchange.js
@@ -14,17 +14,19 @@ set_global("location", {
 set_global("to_$", () => window_stub);
 
 const people = zrequire("people");
+zrequire("localstorage");
 const hash_util = zrequire("hash_util");
 const hashchange = zrequire("hashchange");
 const stream_data = zrequire("stream_data");
 zrequire("navigate");
-zrequire("recent_topics");
+
+const recent_topics = zrequire("recent_topics");
 recent_topics.show = () => {};
+recent_topics.is_visible = () => false;
 
 set_global("search", {
     update_button_visibility: () => {},
 });
-set_global((recent_topics.is_visible = () => false));
 set_global("document", "document-stub");
 const history = set_global("history", {});
 
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/recent_topics.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/recent_topics.js
index 35978c59ee..283565ca03 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/recent_topics.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/recent_topics.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ const $ = require("../zjsunit/zjquery");
 
 zrequire("message_util");
 zrequire("narrow_state");
+zrequire("localstorage");
 
 const noop = () => {};
 set_global("top_left_corner", {
@@ -87,6 +88,22 @@ set_global("drafts", {
     update_draft: noop,
 });
 
+const ls_container = new Map();
+set_global("localStorage", {
+    getItem(key) {
+        return ls_container.get(key);
+    },
+    setItem(key, val) {
+        ls_container.set(key, val);
+    },
+    removeItem(key) {
+        ls_container.delete(key);
+    },
+    clear() {
+        ls_container.clear();
+    },
+});
+
 // Custom Data
 
 // New stream
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/tutorial.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/tutorial.js
index 7992f41276..f4881564a1 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/tutorial.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/tutorial.js
@@ -113,9 +113,10 @@ const messages = {
 // This is an example of a deep unit test, where our dependencies
 // are easy to test.  Start by requiring the dependencies:
 zrequire("recent_senders");
+zrequire("localstorage");
 const unread = zrequire("unread");
 const stream_topic_history = zrequire("stream_topic_history");
-zrequire("recent_topics");
+const recent_topics = zrequire("recent_topics");
 
 // And finally require the module that we will test directly:
 const message_store = zrequire("message_store");
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/ui_init.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/ui_init.js
index b20191a7ea..814eb67b0d 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/ui_init.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/ui_init.js
@@ -105,6 +105,8 @@ rewiremock.proxy(() => zrequire("notifications"), {
     "../../static/js/favicon": {},
 });
 zrequire("pm_list");
+zrequire("list_cursor");
+zrequire("localstorage");
 zrequire("keydown_util");
 zrequire("stream_list");
 zrequire("topic_list");
diff --git a/static/js/recent_topics.js b/static/js/recent_topics.js
index d12fb1f0b6..355bda62f2 100644
--- a/static/js/recent_topics.js
+++ b/static/js/recent_topics.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ const render_recent_topic_row = require("../templates/recent_topic_row.hbs");
 const render_recent_topics_filters = require("../templates/recent_topics_filters.hbs");
 const render_recent_topics_body = require("../templates/recent_topics_table.hbs");
 
+const {localstorage} = require("./localstorage");
 const people = require("./people");
 
 const topics = new Map(); // Key is stream-id:topic.
@@ -11,7 +12,6 @@ let topics_widget;
 // Sets the number of avatars to display.
 // Rest of the avatars, if present, are displayed as {+x}
 const MAX_AVATAR = 4;
-let filters = new Set();
 
 // Use this to set the focused element.
 //
@@ -35,6 +35,19 @@ let col_focus = 1;
 // actions that only appear in some rows.
 const MAX_SELECTABLE_COLS = 4;
 
+// we use localstorage to persist the recent topic filters
+const ls_key = "recent_topic_filters";
+const ls = localstorage();
+
+let filters = new Set();
+exports.save_filters = function () {
+    ls.set(ls_key, Array.from(filters));
+};
+
+exports.load_filters = function () {
+    filters = new Set(ls.get(ls_key));
+};
+
 function set_default_focus() {
     // If at any point we are confused about the currently
     // focused element, we switch focus to search.
@@ -338,11 +351,14 @@ exports.set_filter = function (filter) {
     } else {
         filters.add(filter);
     }
+
+    exports.save_filters();
 };
 
 function show_selected_filters() {
     // Add `btn-selected-filter` to the buttons to show
     // which filters are applied.
+    exports.load_filters();
     if (filters.size === 0) {
         $("#recent_topics_filter_buttons")
             .find('[data-filter="all"]')