diff --git a/static/js/echo.js b/static/js/echo.js
index 64b5764050..df0a4d424c 100644
--- a/static/js/echo.js
+++ b/static/js/echo.js
@@ -191,9 +191,9 @@ exports.edit_locally = function edit_locally(message, raw_content, new_topic) {
     message.content = exports.apply_markdown(raw_content);
     // We don't handle unread counts since local messages must be sent by us
 
-    home_msg_list.rerender();
+    home_msg_list.view.rerender_message(message);
     if (current_msg_list === narrowed_msg_list) {
-        narrowed_msg_list.rerender();
+        narrowed_msg_list.view().rerender_message(message);
     }
     stream_list.update_streams_sidebar();
 };
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ exports.reify_message_id = function reify_message_id(local_id, server_id) {
 exports.process_from_server = function process_from_server(messages) {
     var updated = false;
     var locally_processed_ids = [];
+    var msgs_to_rerender = [];
     messages = _.filter(messages, function (message) {
         // In case we get the sent message before we get the send ACK, reify here
         exports.reify_message_id(message.local_id, message.id);
@@ -246,6 +247,7 @@ exports.process_from_server = function process_from_server(messages) {
                     updated = true;
                 }
             }
+            msgs_to_rerender.push(client_message);
             locally_processed_ids.push(client_message.id);
             compose.report_as_received(client_message);
             delete waiting_for_ack[client_message.id];
@@ -255,10 +257,9 @@ exports.process_from_server = function process_from_server(messages) {
     });
 
     if (updated) {
-        // TODO just rerender the message, not the whole list
-        home_msg_list.rerender();
+        home_msg_list.view.rerender_messages(msgs_to_rerender);
         if (current_msg_list === narrowed_msg_list) {
-            narrowed_msg_list.rerender();
+            narrowed_msg_list.view().rerender_messages(msgs_to_rerender);
         }
     } else {
         _.each(locally_processed_ids, function (id) {
diff --git a/static/js/message_list_view.js b/static/js/message_list_view.js
index e4c490fdd9..4f9f2acf23 100644
--- a/static/js/message_list_view.js
+++ b/static/js/message_list_view.js
@@ -583,6 +583,27 @@ MessageListView.prototype = {
         }
     },
 
+    rerender_message: function MessageListView__rerender_message(message) {
+        var row = this.get_row(message.id);
+
+        if (row === undefined) {
+            blueslip.error("Cannot rerender a message that's not in this list!");
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // Re-render just this one message
+        var rendered_msg = $(templates.render('single_message', message));
+        this._rows[message.id] = rendered_msg;
+        row.replaceWith(rendered_msg);
+    },
+
+    rerender_messages: function MessageListView__rerender_messages(messages) {
+        var self = this;
+        _.each(messages, function (message) {
+            self.rerender_message(message);
+        });
+    },
+
     append: function MessageListView__append(messages, messages_are_new) {
         var cur_window_size = this._render_win_end - this._render_win_start;
         if (cur_window_size < this._RENDER_WINDOW_SIZE) {
diff --git a/static/js/message_store.js b/static/js/message_store.js
index 7ac7242575..8362f71b79 100644
--- a/static/js/message_store.js
+++ b/static/js/message_store.js
@@ -214,11 +214,14 @@ function maybe_add_narrowed_messages(messages, msg_list, messages_are_new) {
 }
 
 exports.update_messages = function update_messages(events) {
+    var msgs_to_rerender = [];
+
     _.each(events, function (event) {
         var msg = stored_messages[event.message_id];
         if (msg === undefined) {
             return;
         }
+        msgs_to_rerender.push(msg);
 
         msg.alerted = event.flags.indexOf("has_alert_word") !== -1;
         msg.mentioned = event.flags.indexOf("mentioned") !== -1 ||
@@ -268,9 +271,9 @@ exports.update_messages = function update_messages(events) {
         alert_words.process_message(msg);
     });
 
-    home_msg_list.rerender();
+    home_msg_list.view.rerender_messages(msgs_to_rerender);
     if (current_msg_list === narrowed_msg_list) {
-        narrowed_msg_list.rerender();
+        narrowed_msg_list.view().rerender_messages(msgs_to_rerender);
     }
     unread.update_unread_counts();
     stream_list.update_streams_sidebar();