diff --git a/zerver/lib/message.py b/zerver/lib/message.py
index 01c034040f..42b737cb25 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/message.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/message.py
@@ -213,3 +213,19 @@ class MessageDict(object):
 
         return obj
 
+def re_render_content_for_management_command(message):
+    # type: (Message) -> None
+
+    '''
+    Please avoid using this function, as its only used in a management command that
+    is somewhat deprecated.
+    '''
+    assert Message.need_to_render_content(message.rendered_content,
+                                          message.rendered_content_version,
+                                          bugdown.version)
+
+    rendered_content = message.render_markdown(message.content)
+    message.rendered_content = rendered_content
+    message.rendered_content_version = bugdown.version
+    message.save_rendered_content()
+
diff --git a/zerver/models.py b/zerver/models.py
index bbfd280971..a942c7d300 100644
--- a/zerver/models.py
+++ b/zerver/models.py
@@ -878,22 +878,6 @@ class Message(ModelReprMixin, models.Model):
         # type: () -> None
         self.save(update_fields=["rendered_content", "rendered_content_version"])
 
-    def maybe_render_content(self, domain, save = False):
-        # type: (Optional[text_type], bool) -> bool
-        """Render the markdown if there is no existing rendered_content"""
-        # TODO: see #1379 to eliminate bugdown dependencies
-        global bugdown
-        if bugdown is None:
-            import zerver.lib.bugdown as bugdown
-            # 'from zerver.lib import bugdown' gives mypy error in python 3 mode.
-
-        if Message.need_to_render_content(self.rendered_content,
-                                          self.rendered_content_version,
-                                          bugdown.version):
-            return self.set_rendered_content(self.render_markdown(self.content, domain), save)
-        else:
-            return True
-
     @staticmethod
     def need_to_render_content(rendered_content, rendered_content_version, bugdown_version):
         # type: (Optional[text_type], int, int) -> bool
diff --git a/zilencer/management/commands/render_old_messages.py b/zilencer/management/commands/render_old_messages.py
index 7a4b15e790..34125a26fc 100644
--- a/zilencer/management/commands/render_old_messages.py
+++ b/zilencer/management/commands/render_old_messages.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ from typing import Any
 
 from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand
 
+import zerver.lib.bugdown as bugdown
+from zerver.lib.message import re_render_content_for_management_command
 from zerver.models import Message
 import datetime
 import time
@@ -18,11 +20,11 @@ Usage: python manage.py render_old_messages"""
         # type: (*Any, **Any) -> None
         total_rendered = 0
         while True:
-            messages = Message.objects.filter(rendered_content_version=None)[0:100]
+            messages = Message.objects.exclude(rendered_content_version=bugdown.version)[0:100]
             if len(messages) == 0:
                 break
             for message in messages:
-                message.maybe_render_content(None, save=True)
+                re_render_content_for_management_command(message)
             total_rendered += len(messages)
             print(datetime.datetime.now(), total_rendered)
             # Put in some sleep so this can run safely on low resource machines