diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/stream_pill.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/stream_pill.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ba8c489983
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/stream_pill.js
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+"use strict";
+
+zrequire("stream_data");
+zrequire("stream_pill");
+
+const denmark = {
+    stream_id: 1,
+    name: "Denmark",
+    subscribed: true,
+    subscriber_count: 10,
+};
+const sweden = {
+    stream_id: 2,
+    name: "Sweden",
+    subscribed: false,
+    subscriber_count: 30,
+};
+
+const denmark_pill = {
+    stream_name: denmark.name,
+    stream_id: denmark.stream_id,
+    display_value: "#" + denmark.name + ": " + denmark.subscriber_count + " users",
+};
+const sweden_pill = {
+    stream_name: sweden.name,
+    stream_id: sweden.stream_id,
+    display_value: "#" + sweden.name + ": " + sweden.subscriber_count + " users",
+};
+
+const subs = [denmark, sweden];
+for (const sub of subs) {
+    stream_data.add_sub(sub);
+}
+
+run_test("create_item", () => {
+    function test_create_item(stream_name, current_items, expected_item) {
+        const item = stream_pill.create_item_from_stream_name(stream_name, current_items);
+        assert.deepEqual(item, expected_item);
+    }
+
+    test_create_item("sweden", [], undefined);
+    test_create_item("#sweden", [sweden_pill], undefined);
+    test_create_item("  #sweden", [], sweden_pill);
+    test_create_item("#test", [], undefined);
+});
+
+run_test("get_stream_id", () => {
+    assert.equal(stream_pill.get_stream_name_from_item(denmark_pill), denmark.name);
+});
diff --git a/static/js/stream_edit.js b/static/js/stream_edit.js
index 3816e817e9..91407b09dd 100644
--- a/static/js/stream_edit.js
+++ b/static/js/stream_edit.js
@@ -298,10 +298,26 @@ function show_subscription_settings(sub) {
             stream_id +
             "'] .pill-container",
     );
+
+    function create_item_from_text(text, current_items) {
+        const item = stream_pill.create_item_from_stream_name(text, current_items);
+        if (item) {
+            return item;
+        }
+        return user_pill.create_item_from_email(text, current_items);
+    }
+    function get_text_from_item(item) {
+        const text = stream_pill.get_stream_name_from_item(item);
+        if (text) {
+            return text;
+        }
+        return user_pill.get_email_from_item(item);
+    }
+
     exports.pill_widget = input_pill.create({
         container,
-        create_item_from_text: user_pill.create_item_from_email,
-        get_text_from_item: user_pill.get_email_from_item,
+        create_item_from_text,
+        get_text_from_item,
     });
 
     if (!sub.render_subscribers) {
diff --git a/static/js/stream_pill.js b/static/js/stream_pill.js
index 3807d8db48..7383b6dc75 100644
--- a/static/js/stream_pill.js
+++ b/static/js/stream_pill.js
@@ -1,5 +1,39 @@
 "use strict";
 
+function display_pill(sub) {
+    return "#" + sub.name + ": " + sub.subscriber_count + " users";
+}
+
+exports.create_item_from_stream_name = function (stream_name, current_items) {
+    stream_name = stream_name.trim();
+    if (!stream_name.startsWith("#")) {
+        return;
+    }
+    stream_name = stream_name.substring(1);
+
+    const sub = stream_data.get_sub(stream_name);
+    if (!sub) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    const existing_ids = current_items.map((item) => item.stream_id);
+    if (existing_ids.includes(sub.stream_id)) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    const item = {
+        display_value: display_pill(sub),
+        stream_id: sub.stream_id,
+        stream_name: sub.name,
+    };
+
+    return item;
+};
+
+exports.get_stream_name_from_item = function (item) {
+    return item.stream_name;
+};
+
 function get_user_ids_from_subs(items) {
     let user_ids = [];
     const stream_ids = items.map((item) => item.stream_id);
@@ -24,8 +58,9 @@ exports.get_user_ids = function (pill_widget) {
 
 exports.append_stream = function (stream, pill_widget) {
     pill_widget.appendValidatedData({
-        display_value: "#" + stream.name + ": " + stream.subscriber_count + " users",
+        display_value: display_pill(stream),
         stream_id: stream.stream_id,
+        stream_name: stream.name,
     });
     pill_widget.clear_text();
 };