diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/topic_list.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/topic_list.js
index a5eb8bbe36..c6716002f7 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/topic_list.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/topic_list.js
@@ -18,18 +18,138 @@ const devel = {
     name: 'devel',
 };
 
+const general = {
+    stream_id: 556,
+    name: 'general',
+};
+
 stream_data.add_sub('devel', devel);
+stream_data.add_sub('general', general);
 
-run_test('topic_list_build_widget', () => {
-
+function clear() {
+    narrow_state.topic = () => undefined;
     topic_data.reset();
-    topic_data.add_message({
-        stream_id: devel.stream_id,
-        topic_name: 'coding',
-        message_id: 400,
+    stream_popover.hide_topic_popover = function () {};
+    muting.is_topic_muted = () => false;
+}
+
+function get_list_info() {
+    const stream_id = general.stream_id;
+    const widget = topic_list.widget(undefined, stream_id);
+    return widget.get_list_info();
+}
+
+run_test('get_list_info w/real topic_data', () => {
+    clear();
+
+    const empty_list_info = get_list_info();
+
+    assert.deepEqual(empty_list_info, {
+        items: [],
+        more_topics_unreads: 0,
+        num_possible_topics: 0,
     });
 
-    stream_popover.hide_topic_popover = function () {};
+    _.each(_.range(7), (i) => {
+        const topic_name = 'topic ' + i;
+        topic_data.add_message({
+            stream_id: general.stream_id,
+            topic_name: topic_name,
+            message_id: 1000 + i,
+        });
+    });
+
+    const list_info = get_list_info();
+    assert.equal(list_info.items.length, 5);
+    assert.equal(list_info.more_topics_unreads, 0);
+    assert.equal(list_info.num_possible_topics, 7);
+
+    assert.deepEqual(list_info.items[0], {
+        is_active_topic: false,
+        is_muted: false,
+        is_zero: true,
+        topic_name: 'topic 6',
+        unread: 0,
+        url: '#narrow/stream/556-general/topic/topic.206',
+    });
+});
+
+run_test('get_list_info unreads', () => {
+    clear();
+
+    let list_info;
+
+    // Going forward, we just stub get_recent_names
+    // for simpler test setup.
+    topic_data.get_recent_names = () => {
+        return _.map(_.range(15), (i) => {
+            return 'topic ' + i;
+        });
+    };
+
+    const unread_cnt = {};
+    unread.num_unread_for_topic = (stream_id, topic_name) => {
+        assert.equal(stream_id, general.stream_id);
+        return unread_cnt[topic_name] || 0;
+    };
+
+    /*
+        We have 15 topics, but we only show up
+        to 8 topics, depending on how many have
+        unread counts.  We only show a max of 5
+        fully-read topics.
+
+        So first we'll get 7 topics, where 2 are
+        unread.
+    */
+    unread_cnt['topic 8'] = 8;
+    unread_cnt['topic 9'] = 9;
+
+    list_info = get_list_info();
+    assert.equal(list_info.items.length, 7);
+    assert.equal(list_info.more_topics_unreads, 0);
+    assert.equal(list_info.num_possible_topics, 15);
+
+    assert.deepEqual(
+        _.map(list_info.items, (li) => li.topic_name),
+        [
+            'topic 0',
+            'topic 1',
+            'topic 2',
+            'topic 3',
+            'topic 4',
+            'topic 8',
+            'topic 9',
+        ]);
+
+    unread_cnt['topic 6'] = 6;
+    unread_cnt['topic 7'] = 7;
+
+    list_info = get_list_info();
+    assert.equal(list_info.items.length, 8);
+    assert.equal(list_info.more_topics_unreads, 9);
+    assert.equal(list_info.num_possible_topics, 15);
+
+    assert.deepEqual(
+        _.map(list_info.items, (li) => li.topic_name),
+        [
+            'topic 0',
+            'topic 1',
+            'topic 2',
+            'topic 3',
+            'topic 4',
+            'topic 6',
+            'topic 7',
+            'topic 8',
+        ]);
+});
+
+run_test('topic_list_build_widget', () => {
+    clear();
+
+    topic_data.get_recent_names = () => {
+        return ['coding'];
+    };
 
     narrow_state.topic = function () {
         return 'testing';