diff --git a/web/src/compose_recipient.js b/web/src/compose_recipient.js
index 9f549eba64..973191b3e9 100644
--- a/web/src/compose_recipient.js
+++ b/web/src/compose_recipient.js
@@ -305,6 +305,12 @@ function on_hidden_callback() {
     }
 }
 
+export function handle_middle_pane_transition() {
+    if (compose_state.composing) {
+        update_narrow_to_recipient_visibility();
+    }
+}
+
 export function initialize() {
     new dropdown_widget.DropdownWidget({
         widget_name: "compose_select_recipient",
diff --git a/web/src/message_lists.js b/web/src/message_lists.js
index 4f04a67788..36a1823124 100644
--- a/web/src/message_lists.js
+++ b/web/src/message_lists.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import $ from "jquery";
 
+import * as blueslip from "./blueslip";
 import * as inbox_util from "./inbox_util";
 import * as recent_view_util from "./recent_view_util";
 import * as ui_util from "./ui_util";
@@ -34,6 +35,23 @@ export function update_recipient_bar_background_color() {
     inbox_util.update_stream_colors();
 }
 
+export function save_pre_narrow_offset_for_reload() {
+    if (current.selected_id() !== -1) {
+        if (current.selected_row().length === 0) {
+            blueslip.debug("narrow.activate missing selected row", {
+                selected_id: current.selected_id(),
+                selected_idx: current.selected_idx(),
+                selected_idx_exact: current
+                    .all_messages()
+                    .indexOf(current.get(current.selected_id())),
+                render_start: current.view._render_win_start,
+                render_end: current.view._render_win_end,
+            });
+        }
+        current.pre_narrow_offset = current.selected_row().get_offset_to_window().top;
+    }
+}
+
 export function initialize() {
     // For users with automatic color scheme, we need to detect change
     // in `prefers-color-scheme`as it changes based on time.
diff --git a/web/src/narrow.js b/web/src/narrow.js
index 5ae5e0f5a9..06b0cd7abf 100644
--- a/web/src/narrow.js
+++ b/web/src/narrow.js
@@ -55,27 +55,6 @@ import * as widgetize from "./widgetize";
 
 const LARGER_THAN_MAX_MESSAGE_ID = 10000000000000000;
 
-export function save_pre_narrow_offset_for_reload() {
-    if (message_lists.current.selected_id() !== -1) {
-        if (message_lists.current.selected_row().length === 0) {
-            blueslip.debug("narrow.activate missing selected row", {
-                selected_id: message_lists.current.selected_id(),
-                selected_idx: message_lists.current.selected_idx(),
-                selected_idx_exact: message_lists.current
-                    .all_messages()
-                    .indexOf(message_lists.current.get(message_lists.current.selected_id())),
-                render_start: message_lists.current.view._render_win_start,
-                render_end: message_lists.current.view._render_win_end,
-            });
-        }
-        message_lists.current.pre_narrow_offset = message_lists.current
-            .selected_row()
-            .get_offset_to_window().top;
-    }
-}
-
-export let has_shown_message_list_view = false;
-
 export function reset_ui_state() {
     // Resets the state of various visual UI elements that are
     // a function of the current narrow.
@@ -85,12 +64,6 @@ export function reset_ui_state() {
     unread_ui.reset_unread_banner();
 }
 
-export function handle_middle_pane_transition() {
-    if (compose_state.composing) {
-        compose_recipient.update_narrow_to_recipient_visibility();
-    }
-}
-
 export function changehash(newhash) {
     if (browser_history.state.changing_hash) {
         return;
@@ -355,7 +328,7 @@ export function activate(raw_operators, opts) {
             // We must instead be switching from another message view.
             // Save the scroll position in that message list, so that
             // we can restore it if/when we later navigate back to that view.
-            save_pre_narrow_offset_for_reload();
+            message_lists.save_pre_narrow_offset_for_reload();
         }
 
         // most users aren't going to send a bunch of a out-of-narrow messages
@@ -392,7 +365,7 @@ export function activate(raw_operators, opts) {
         // populating the new narrow, so we update our narrow_state.
         // From here on down, any calls to the narrow_state API will
         // reflect the upcoming narrow.
-        has_shown_message_list_view = true;
+        narrow_state.set_has_shown_message_list_view();
         narrow_state.set_current_filter(filter);
 
         const excludes_muted_topics = narrow_state.excludes_muted_topics();
@@ -507,7 +480,7 @@ export function activate(raw_operators, opts) {
 
         // It is important to call this after other important updates
         // like narrow filter and compose recipients happen.
-        handle_middle_pane_transition();
+        compose_recipient.handle_middle_pane_transition();
 
         const post_span = span.startChild({
             op: "function",
@@ -1025,7 +998,7 @@ export function deactivate(coming_from_all_messages = true, is_actively_scrollin
         }
 
         narrow_state.reset_current_filter();
-        has_shown_message_list_view = true;
+        narrow_state.set_has_shown_message_list_view();
 
         $("body").removeClass("narrowed_view");
         $("#zfilt").removeClass("focused-message-list");
@@ -1035,7 +1008,7 @@ export function deactivate(coming_from_all_messages = true, is_actively_scrollin
         condense.condense_and_collapse($("#zhome div.message_row"));
 
         reset_ui_state();
-        handle_middle_pane_transition();
+        compose_recipient.handle_middle_pane_transition();
         save_narrow();
 
         if (message_lists.current.selected_id() !== -1) {
diff --git a/web/src/narrow_state.js b/web/src/narrow_state.js
index 53e8af4d90..086ebad59d 100644
--- a/web/src/narrow_state.js
+++ b/web/src/narrow_state.js
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import * as unread from "./unread";
 
 let current_filter;
 
+export let has_shown_message_list_view = false;
+
 export function reset_current_filter() {
     current_filter = undefined;
 }
@@ -369,3 +371,7 @@ export function is_for_stream_id(stream_id) {
 
     return stream_id === narrow_sub.stream_id;
 }
+
+export function set_has_shown_message_list_view() {
+    has_shown_message_list_view = true;
+}
diff --git a/web/src/views_util.js b/web/src/views_util.js
index 4d76013f39..5d2ce2de90 100644
--- a/web/src/views_util.js
+++ b/web/src/views_util.js
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import $ from "jquery";
 
+import * as compose_recipient from "./compose_recipient";
+import * as message_lists from "./message_lists";
 import * as message_view_header from "./message_view_header";
-import * as narrow from "./narrow";
 import * as narrow_state from "./narrow_state";
 import * as narrow_title from "./narrow_title";
 import * as navigate from "./navigate";
@@ -12,8 +13,8 @@ import * as stream_list from "./stream_list";
 import * as unread_ui from "./unread_ui";
 
 export function show(opts) {
-    if (narrow.has_shown_message_list_view) {
-        narrow.save_pre_narrow_offset_for_reload();
+    if (narrow_state.has_shown_message_list_view) {
+        message_lists.save_pre_narrow_offset_for_reload();
     }
 
     if (opts.is_visible()) {
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ export function show(opts) {
     narrow_state.reset_current_filter();
     narrow_title.update_narrow_title(narrow_state.filter());
     message_view_header.render_title_area();
-    narrow.handle_middle_pane_transition();
+    compose_recipient.handle_middle_pane_transition();
     search.clear_search_form();
     opts.complete_rerender();
     resize.update_recent_view_filters_height();
diff --git a/web/tests/narrow_activate.test.js b/web/tests/narrow_activate.test.js
index f5a3c2ec13..47a91fb083 100644
--- a/web/tests/narrow_activate.test.js
+++ b/web/tests/narrow_activate.test.js
@@ -83,16 +83,17 @@ function test_helper({override}) {
     stub(compose_banner, "clear_message_sent_banners");
     stub(compose_actions, "on_narrow");
     stub(compose_closed_ui, "update_reply_recipient_label");
+    stub(compose_recipient, "handle_middle_pane_transition");
     stub(narrow_history, "save_narrow_state_and_flush");
     stub(message_feed_loading, "hide_indicators");
     stub(message_feed_top_notices, "hide_top_of_narrow_notices");
+    stub(message_lists, "save_pre_narrow_offset_for_reload");
     stub(narrow_title, "update_narrow_title");
     stub(stream_list, "handle_narrow_activated");
     stub(message_view_header, "render_title_area");
     stub(message_viewport, "stop_auto_scrolling");
     stub(left_sidebar_navigation_area, "handle_narrow_activated");
     stub(typing_events, "render_notifications_for_narrow");
-    stub(compose_recipient, "update_narrow_to_recipient_visibility");
     stub(unread_ops, "process_visible");
     stub(compose_closed_ui, "update_buttons_for_stream");
     stub(compose_closed_ui, "update_buttons_for_private");
@@ -186,6 +187,7 @@ run_test("basics", ({override}) => {
     helper.assert_events([
         [message_feed_top_notices, "hide_top_of_narrow_notices"],
         [message_feed_loading, "hide_indicators"],
+        [message_lists, "save_pre_narrow_offset_for_reload"],
         [compose_banner, "clear_message_sent_banners"],
         [unread_ops, "process_visible"],
         [narrow_history, "save_narrow_state_and_flush"],
@@ -199,7 +201,7 @@ run_test("basics", ({override}) => {
         [left_sidebar_navigation_area, "handle_narrow_activated"],
         [stream_list, "handle_narrow_activated"],
         [compose_actions, "on_narrow"],
-        [compose_recipient, "update_narrow_to_recipient_visibility"],
+        [compose_recipient, "handle_middle_pane_transition"],
     ]);
 
     message_lists.current.selected_id = () => -1;
diff --git a/web/tests/recent_view.test.js b/web/tests/recent_view.test.js
index f4b8ff1b94..483b5f2da8 100644
--- a/web/tests/recent_view.test.js
+++ b/web/tests/recent_view.test.js
@@ -141,11 +141,6 @@ mock_esm("../src/user_topics", {
     },
     all_visibility_policies,
 });
-const narrow = mock_esm("../src/narrow", {
-    hide_unread_banner: noop,
-    handle_middle_pane_transition: noop,
-    has_shown_message_list_view: true,
-});
 mock_esm("../src/narrow_title", {
     update_narrow_title() {},
 });
@@ -452,9 +447,7 @@ function test(label, f) {
     });
 }
 
-test("test_recent_view_show", ({mock_template, override}) => {
-    override(narrow, "save_pre_narrow_offset_for_reload", () => {});
-
+test("test_recent_view_show", ({mock_template}) => {
     // Note: unread count and urls are fake,
     // since they are generated in external libraries
     // and are not to be tested here.