diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/composebox_typeahead.js b/zephyr/static/js/composebox_typeahead.js
index 56b33873e5..176a81251a 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/composebox_typeahead.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/composebox_typeahead.js
@@ -13,16 +13,6 @@ var composebox_typeahead = (function () {
 
 var exports = {};
 
-var autocomplete_needs_update = false;
-
-exports.autocomplete_needs_update = function (needs_update) {
-    if (needs_update === undefined) {
-        return autocomplete_needs_update;
-    } else {
-        autocomplete_needs_update = needs_update;
-    }
-};
-
 var private_message_typeahead_list = [];
 var private_message_mapped = {};
 
@@ -30,14 +20,7 @@ function render_pm_object(person) {
     return person.full_name + " <" + person.email + ">";
 }
 
-exports.update_autocomplete = function () {
-    stream_list.sort();
-    people_list.sort(function (x, y) {
-        if (x.email === y.email) return 0;
-        if (x.email < y.email) return -1;
-        return 1;
-    });
-
+exports.update_typeahead = function() {
     private_message_mapped = {};
     private_message_typeahead_list = [];
     $.each(people_list, function (i, obj) {
@@ -45,8 +28,6 @@ exports.update_autocomplete = function () {
         private_message_mapped[label] = obj;
         private_message_typeahead_list.push(label);
     });
-
-    autocomplete_needs_update = false;
 };
 
 function get_pm_recipients(query_string) {
@@ -200,7 +181,7 @@ exports.initialize = function () {
         $(this).val(recipients.join(", "));
     });
 
-    composebox_typeahead.update_autocomplete();
+    typeahead_helper.update_autocomplete();
 };
 
 return exports;
diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/subs.js b/zephyr/static/js/subs.js
index 19fc56629e..d47cf3b20b 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/subs.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/subs.js
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ exports.unsubscribe = function (stream) {
                     ajaxSubscribe(name);
                 });
             remove_from_stream_list(name);
-            composebox_typeahead.update_autocomplete();
+            typeahead_helper.update_autocomplete();
             $("#streams").focus();
         },
         error: function (xhr) {
diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/typeahead_helper.js b/zephyr/static/js/typeahead_helper.js
index d71914623e..27301a79b1 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/typeahead_helper.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/typeahead_helper.js
@@ -2,6 +2,28 @@ var typeahead_helper = (function () {
 
 var exports = {};
 
+var autocomplete_needs_update = false;
+exports.autocomplete_needs_update = function (needs_update) {
+    if (needs_update === undefined) {
+        return autocomplete_needs_update;
+    } else {
+        autocomplete_needs_update = needs_update;
+    }
+};
+
+exports.update_autocomplete = function () {
+    stream_list.sort();
+    people_list.sort(function (x, y) {
+        if (x.email === y.email) return 0;
+        if (x.email < y.email) return -1;
+        return 1;
+    });
+
+    composebox_typeahead.update_typeahead();
+    autocomplete_needs_update = false;
+};
+
+
 // Loosely based on Bootstrap's default highlighter, but with escaping added.
 exports.highlight_with_escaping = function (query, item) {
     // query: The text currently in the searchbox
diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/zephyr.js b/zephyr/static/js/zephyr.js
index 95f45b48f2..774bf5a81b 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/zephyr.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/zephyr.js
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ function add_message_metadata(dummy, message) {
         if (! Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(people_set, person.email)) {
             people_set[person.email] = true;
             people_list.push(person);
-            composebox_typeahead.autocomplete_needs_update(true);
+            typeahead_helper.autocomplete_needs_update(true);
         }
     });
 
@@ -496,8 +496,8 @@ function add_messages(messages, where, add_to_home) {
                              {then_scroll: true, update_server: false});
     }
 
-    if (composebox_typeahead.autocomplete_needs_update()) {
-        composebox_typeahead.update_autocomplete();
+    if (typeahead_helper.autocomplete_needs_update()) {
+        typeahead_helper.update_autocomplete();
     }
 }