diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/general.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/general.js
index 6bc0940a6a..3dc07c89d7 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/general.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/general.js
@@ -707,16 +707,10 @@ run_test('stream_list', () => {
     const sidebar_helper = make_sidebar_helper();
     const topic_list_helper = make_topic_list_helper();
 
-    var streams_shown;
-    stream_list.zoom_out_topics = () => {
-        streams_shown = true;
-    };
 
     // This is what we are testing!
     stream_list.update_streams_sidebar();
 
-    assert(streams_shown);
-
     jquery_helper.verify_actions();
     sidebar_helper.verify_actions();
     topic_list_helper.verify_actions();
diff --git a/static/js/topic_zoom.js b/static/js/topic_zoom.js
index b3d637fe9e..82d342f911 100644
--- a/static/js/topic_zoom.js
+++ b/static/js/topic_zoom.js
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ var topic_zoom = (function () {
 
 var exports = {};
 
+var zoomed_in = false;
+
 function zoom_in() {
     var stream_id = topic_list.active_stream_id();
 
@@ -10,6 +12,8 @@ function zoom_in() {
     stream_list.zoom_in_topics({
         stream_id: stream_id,
     });
+
+    zoomed_in = true;
 }
 
 function zoom_out() {
@@ -22,11 +26,18 @@ function zoom_out() {
     if (stream_li) {
         stream_list.scroll_stream_into_view(stream_li);
     }
+
+    zoomed_in = false;
 }
 
 exports.clear_topics = function () {
     topic_list.close();
-    stream_list.zoom_out_topics();
+
+    if (zoomed_in) {
+        stream_list.zoom_out_topics();
+    }
+
+    zoomed_in = false;
 };
 
 exports.initialize = function () {