diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/unread.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/unread.js
index 921068cec5..27c7af1913 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/unread.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/unread.js
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ stream_data.get_stream_id = function () {
     assert.equal(counts.pm_count.get('999'), 0);
 }());
 
-(function test_num_unread_for_person() {
+(function test_private_messages() {
     var alice = {
         email: 'alice@example.com',
         user_id: 101,
@@ -425,6 +425,7 @@ stream_data.get_stream_id = function () {
     assert.deepEqual(unread.get_msg_ids_for_person(alice.user_id), []);
     assert.deepEqual(unread.get_msg_ids_for_person(bob.user_id), []);
     assert.deepEqual(unread.get_msg_ids_for_person(), []);
+    assert.deepEqual(unread.get_msg_ids_for_private(), []);
 
     var message = {
         id: 15,
@@ -443,6 +444,7 @@ stream_data.get_stream_id = function () {
 
     assert.deepEqual(unread.get_msg_ids_for_person(alice.user_id), [message.id]);
     assert.deepEqual(unread.get_msg_ids_for_person(bob.user_id), []);
+    assert.deepEqual(unread.get_msg_ids_for_private(), [message.id]);
 }());
 
 
diff --git a/static/js/unread.js b/static/js/unread.js
index 0dae80d772..900f4a113e 100644
--- a/static/js/unread.js
+++ b/static/js/unread.js
@@ -179,7 +179,20 @@ exports.unread_pm_counter = (function () {
         return bucket.count();
     };
 
-    self.get_msg_ids = function (user_ids_string) {
+    self.get_msg_ids = function () {
+        var lists = [];
+
+        bucketer.each(function (id_set) {
+            var members = id_set.members();
+            lists.push(members);
+        });
+
+        var ids = [].concat.apply([], lists);
+
+        return util.sorted_ids(ids);
+    };
+
+    self.get_msg_ids_for_person = function (user_ids_string) {
         if (!user_ids_string) {
             return [];
         }
@@ -513,7 +526,11 @@ exports.get_msg_ids_for_topic = function (stream_id, subject) {
 };
 
 exports.get_msg_ids_for_person = function (user_ids_string) {
-    return exports.unread_pm_counter.get_msg_ids(user_ids_string);
+    return exports.unread_pm_counter.get_msg_ids_for_person(user_ids_string);
+};
+
+exports.get_msg_ids_for_private = function () {
+    return exports.unread_pm_counter.get_msg_ids();
 };
 
 exports.load_server_counts = function () {