diff --git a/zerver/lib/actions.py b/zerver/lib/actions.py
index 5eb0c82fa2..433096df40 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/actions.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/actions.py
@@ -2480,3 +2480,54 @@ def get_emails_from_user_ids(user_ids):
 
 def realm_aliases(realm):
     return [alias.domain for alias in realm.realmalias_set.all()]
+
+def do_get_streams(user_profile, include_public=True, include_subscribed=True,
+                   include_all_active=False):
+    if include_all_active and not is_super_user(user_profile):
+        raise JsonableError("User not authorized for this query")
+
+    # Listing public streams are disabled for some users (e.g. a
+    # contractor for CUSTOMER5) and for the mit.edu realm.
+    include_public = include_public and not (user_profile.public_streams_disabled or
+                                             user_profile.realm.domain == "mit.edu")
+
+    # Only get streams someone is currently subscribed to
+    subs_filter = Subscription.objects.filter(active=True).values('recipient_id')
+    stream_ids = Recipient.objects.filter(
+        type=Recipient.STREAM, id__in=subs_filter).values('type_id')
+
+    # Start out with all active streams in the realm
+    query = Stream.objects.filter(id__in = stream_ids, realm=user_profile.realm)
+
+    if not include_all_active:
+        user_subs = Subscription.objects.select_related("recipient").filter(
+            active=True, user_profile=user_profile,
+            recipient__type=Recipient.STREAM)
+
+        if include_subscribed:
+            recipient_check = Q(id__in=[sub.recipient.type_id for sub in user_subs])
+        if include_public:
+            invite_only_check = Q(invite_only=False)
+
+        if include_subscribed and include_public:
+            query = query.filter(recipient_check | invite_only_check)
+        elif include_public:
+            query = query.filter(invite_only_check)
+        elif include_subscribed:
+            query = query.filter(recipient_check)
+        else:
+            # We're including nothing, so don't bother hitting the DB.
+            query = []
+
+    def make_dict(row):
+        return dict(
+            stream_id = row.id,
+            name = row.name,
+            description = row.description,
+            invite_only = row.invite_only,
+        )
+
+    streams = [make_dict(row) for row in query]
+    streams.sort(key=lambda elt: elt["name"])
+
+    return streams
diff --git a/zerver/views/__init__.py b/zerver/views/__init__.py
index c51187b1dc..0af6e700ea 100644
--- a/zerver/views/__init__.py
+++ b/zerver/views/__init__.py
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ from zerver.lib.actions import bulk_remove_subscriptions, do_change_password, \
     do_deactivate_stream, do_change_autoscroll_forever, do_make_stream_public, \
     do_make_stream_private, do_change_default_desktop_notifications, \
     do_change_enable_stream_desktop_notifications, do_change_enable_stream_sounds, \
-    do_change_stream_description, do_update_pointer, do_add_default_stream, do_remove_default_stream
+    do_change_stream_description, do_update_pointer, do_add_default_stream, do_remove_default_stream, \
+    do_get_streams
 from zerver.lib.create_user import random_api_key
 from zerver.lib.push_notifications import num_push_devices_for_user
 from zerver.forms import RegistrationForm, HomepageForm, ToSForm, \
@@ -1065,53 +1066,9 @@ def get_streams_backend(request, user_profile,
                         include_public=REQ(validator=check_bool, default=True),
                         include_subscribed=REQ(validator=check_bool, default=True),
                         include_all_active=REQ(validator=check_bool, default=False)):
-    if include_all_active and not is_super_user_api(request):
-            return json_error("User not authorized for this query")
-
-    # Listing public streams are disabled for some users (e.g. a
-    # contractor for CUSTOMER5) and for the mit.edu realm.
-    include_public = include_public and not (user_profile.public_streams_disabled or
-                                             user_profile.realm.domain == "mit.edu")
-
-    # Only get streams someone is currently subscribed to
-    subs_filter = Subscription.objects.filter(active=True).values('recipient_id')
-    stream_ids = Recipient.objects.filter(
-        type=Recipient.STREAM, id__in=subs_filter).values('type_id')
-
-    # Start out with all active streams in the realm
-    query = Stream.objects.filter(id__in = stream_ids, realm=user_profile.realm)
-
-    if not include_all_active:
-        user_subs = Subscription.objects.select_related("recipient").filter(
-            active=True, user_profile=user_profile,
-            recipient__type=Recipient.STREAM)
-
-        if include_subscribed:
-            recipient_check = Q(id__in=[sub.recipient.type_id for sub in user_subs])
-        if include_public:
-            invite_only_check = Q(invite_only=False)
-
-        if include_subscribed and include_public:
-            query = query.filter(recipient_check | invite_only_check)
-        elif include_public:
-            query = query.filter(invite_only_check)
-        elif include_subscribed:
-            query = query.filter(recipient_check)
-        else:
-            # We're including nothing, so don't bother hitting the DB.
-            query = []
-
-    def make_dict(row):
-        return dict(
-            stream_id = row.id,
-            name = row.name,
-            description = row.description,
-            invite_only = row.invite_only,
-        )
-
-    streams = [make_dict(row) for row in query]
-    streams.sort(key=lambda elt: elt["name"])
 
+    streams = do_get_streams(user_profile, include_public, include_subscribed,
+                             include_all_active)
     return json_success({"streams": streams})
 
 def get_public_streams_backend(request, user_profile):