diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/metrics.js b/zephyr/static/js/metrics.js
index 4b209f8990..cb2ff7f20e 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/metrics.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/metrics.js
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ $(function () {
 
         var operators = event.filter.operators();
         var stream_operands = event.filter.operands('stream');
-        var subject_operands = event.filter.operands('subject');
+        var subject_operands = event.filter.operands('topic');
         var reported_operators;
         if (operators.length === 1) {
             reported_operators = operators[0][0];
diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/narrow.js b/zephyr/static/js/narrow.js
index 84afdd1309..e0fad5e5eb 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/narrow.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/narrow.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ function Filter(operators) {
     }
 }
 
-var canonical_operators = {"from": "sender"};
+var canonical_operators = {"from": "sender", "subject": "topic"};
 
 exports.canonicalize_operator = function (operator) {
     operator = operator.toLowerCase();
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ Filter.prototype = {
                     }
                     break;
 
-                case 'subject':
+                case 'topic':
                     if ((message.type !== 'stream') ||
                         (message.subject.toLowerCase() !== operand))
                         return false;
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ exports.set_compose_defaults = function (opts) {
 
     // Set the stream, subject, and/or PM recipient if they are
     // uniquely specified in the narrow view.
-    $.each(['stream', 'subject'], function (idx, key) {
+    $.each(['stream', 'topic'], function (idx, key) {
         if (single[key] !== undefined)
             opts[key] = single[key];
     });
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ exports.by_subject = function (target_id, opts) {
     opts = $.extend({}, {then_select_id: target_id}, opts);
     exports.activate([
             ['stream',  original.stream],
-            ['subject', original.subject]
+            ['topic', original.subject]
         ], opts);
 };
 
@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ exports.narrowed_by_reply = function () {
              current_filter.operands("pm-with").length === 1) ||
             (operators.length === 2 &&
              current_filter.operands("stream").length === 1 &&
-             current_filter.operands("subject").length === 1));
+             current_filter.operands("topic").length === 1));
 };
 
 return exports;
diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/search.js b/zephyr/static/js/search.js
index 768b8bb1fc..f37cb334db 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/search.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/search.js
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@ function describe(operators) {
         case 'stream':
             return 'Narrow to stream ' + operand;
 
-        case 'subject':
-            return 'Narrow to subject ' + operand;
+        case 'topic':
+            return 'Narrow to topic ' + operand;
 
         case 'sender':
             return 'Narrow to sender ' + operand;
diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/stream_list.js b/zephyr/static/js/stream_list.js
index 3f3325c630..3be1aebf6f 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/stream_list.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/stream_list.js
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ exports.update_streams_sidebar = function () {
     }
 
     var op_stream = narrow.filter().operands('stream');
-    var op_subject = narrow.filter().operands('subject');
+    var op_subject = narrow.filter().operands('topic');
     var subject;
     if (op_stream.length !== 0) {
         if (op_subject.length !== 0) {
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ $(function () {
         var op_stream = event.filter.operands('stream');
         if (op_stream.length !== 0 && subs.is_subscribed(op_stream[0])) {
             var stream_li = get_filter_li('stream', op_stream[0]);
-            var op_subject = event.filter.operands('subject');
+            var op_subject = event.filter.operands('topic');
             var subject;
             if (op_subject.length !== 0) {
                 subject = op_subject[0];
diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/tab_bar.js b/zephyr/static/js/tab_bar.js
index 5e972ca308..82b05d70ef 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/tab_bar.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/tab_bar.js
@@ -68,9 +68,9 @@ function make_tab_data() {
 
         // Third breadcrumb item for stream-subject naarrows
         if (filter.has_operator("stream") &&
-            filter.has_operator("subject")) {
+            filter.has_operator("topic")) {
             stream = filter.operands("stream")[0];
-            var subject = filter.operands("subject")[0];
+            var subject = filter.operands("topic")[0];
             hashed = hashchange.operators_to_hash(ops.slice(0, 2));
 
             tabs.push(make_tab(subject, hashed, null));
diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/ui.js b/zephyr/static/js/ui.js
index 1ace1d105f..853909091a 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/ui.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/ui.js
@@ -1205,7 +1205,7 @@ $(function () {
         var subject = $(e.target).parents('li').attr('data-name');
 
         narrow.activate([['stream',  stream],
-                         ['subject', subject]],
+                         ['topic', subject]],
                         {select_first_unread: true, trigger: 'sidebar'});
 
         e.preventDefault();
diff --git a/zephyr/views.py b/zephyr/views.py
index 5445c44dcc..257bd05c84 100644
--- a/zephyr/views.py
+++ b/zephyr/views.py
@@ -702,7 +702,7 @@ class NarrowBuilder(object):
         recipient = get_recipient(Recipient.STREAM, type_id=stream.id)
         return self.pQ(recipient=recipient)
 
-    def by_subject(self, operand):
+    def by_topic(self, operand):
         return self.pQ(subject__iexact=operand)
 
     def by_sender(self, operand):