diff --git a/static/js/compose.js b/static/js/compose.js
index 139c3b9296..ebda185030 100644
--- a/static/js/compose.js
+++ b/static/js/compose.js
@@ -736,40 +736,10 @@ exports.update_email = function (user_id, new_email) {
     exports.recipient(reply_to);
 };
 
-// *Synchronously* check if a stream exists.
-exports.check_stream_existence = function (stream_name, autosubscribe) {
-    var result = "error";
-    var request = {stream: stream_name};
-    if (autosubscribe) {
-        request.autosubscribe = true;
-    }
-    channel.post({
-        url: "/json/subscriptions/exists",
-        data: request,
-        async: false,
-        success: function (data) {
-            if (data.subscribed) {
-                result = "subscribed";
-            } else {
-                result = "not-subscribed";
-            }
-        },
-        error: function (xhr) {
-            if (xhr.status === 404) {
-                result = "does-not-exist";
-            } else {
-                result = "error";
-            }
-        },
-    });
-    return result;
-};
-
-
 // Checks if a stream exists. If not, displays an error and returns
 // false.
 function check_stream_for_send(stream_name, autosubscribe) {
-    var result = exports.check_stream_existence(stream_name, autosubscribe);
+    var result = subs.check_stream_existence(stream_name, autosubscribe);
 
     if (result === "error") {
         compose_error(i18n.t("Error checking subscription"), $("#stream"));
diff --git a/static/js/subs.js b/static/js/subs.js
index da3531f047..b6722e5576 100644
--- a/static/js/subs.js
+++ b/static/js/subs.js
@@ -1239,7 +1239,7 @@ $(function () {
     $(".subscriptions").on("focusout", "#create_stream_name", function () {
         var stream = $.trim($("#create_stream_name").val());
         if (stream.length !== 0) {
-            var stream_status = compose.check_stream_existence(stream);
+            var stream_status = exports.check_stream_existence(stream);
 
             if (stream_status !== "does-not-exist") {
                 $("#stream_name_error").text(i18n.t("A stream with this name already exists"));
@@ -1542,6 +1542,36 @@ exports.show_and_focus_on_narrow = function () {
     ui.change_tab_to("#streams");
 };
 
+// *Synchronously* check if a stream exists.
+// This is deprecated nad we hope to remove it.
+exports.check_stream_existence = function (stream_name, autosubscribe) {
+    var result = "error";
+    var request = {stream: stream_name};
+    if (autosubscribe) {
+        request.autosubscribe = true;
+    }
+    channel.post({
+        url: "/json/subscriptions/exists",
+        data: request,
+        async: false,
+        success: function (data) {
+            if (data.subscribed) {
+                result = "subscribed";
+            } else {
+                result = "not-subscribed";
+            }
+        },
+        error: function (xhr) {
+            if (xhr.status === 404) {
+                result = "does-not-exist";
+            } else {
+                result = "error";
+            }
+        },
+    });
+    return result;
+};
+
 return exports;
 
 }());