diff --git a/zerver/lib/message.py b/zerver/lib/message.py
index d93bf082be..1080ddd075 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/message.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/message.py
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ from zerver.models import (
     Subscription,
     UserProfile,
     UserMessage,
-    Reaction
+    Reaction,
+    get_usermessage_by_message_id,
 )
 
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Set, Tuple, Union
@@ -475,7 +476,7 @@ class ReactionDict:
                          'full_name': row['user_profile__full_name']}}
 
 
-def access_message(user_profile: UserProfile, message_id: int) -> Tuple[Message, UserMessage]:
+def access_message(user_profile: UserProfile, message_id: int) -> Tuple[Message, Optional[UserMessage]]:
     """You can access a message by ID in our APIs that either:
     (1) You received or have previously accessed via starring
         (aka have a UserMessage row for).
@@ -489,11 +490,7 @@ def access_message(user_profile: UserProfile, message_id: int) -> Tuple[Message,
     except Message.DoesNotExist:
         raise JsonableError(_("Invalid message(s)"))
 
-    try:
-        user_message = UserMessage.objects.select_related().get(user_profile=user_profile,
-                                                                message=message)
-    except UserMessage.DoesNotExist:
-        user_message = None
+    user_message = get_usermessage_by_message_id(user_profile, message_id)
 
     if user_message is None:
         if message.recipient.type != Recipient.STREAM:
diff --git a/zerver/models.py b/zerver/models.py
index ac7470bf67..c451c76641 100644
--- a/zerver/models.py
+++ b/zerver/models.py
@@ -1558,6 +1558,12 @@ class AbstractUserMessage(models.Model):
 class UserMessage(AbstractUserMessage):
     message = models.ForeignKey(Message, on_delete=CASCADE)  # type: Message
 
+def get_usermessage_by_message_id(user_profile: UserProfile, message_id: int) -> Optional[UserMessage]:
+    try:
+        return UserMessage.objects.select_related().get(user_profile=user_profile,
+                                                        message__id=message_id)
+    except UserMessage.DoesNotExist:
+        return None
 
 class ArchivedUserMessage(AbstractUserMessage):
     """Used as a temporary holding place for deleted UserMessages objects
diff --git a/zerver/views/home.py b/zerver/views/home.py
index 7acd1e16cb..3335580844 100644
--- a/zerver/views/home.py
+++ b/zerver/views/home.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ from zerver.models import Message, UserProfile, Stream, Subscription, Huddle, \
     Recipient, Realm, UserMessage, DefaultStream, RealmEmoji, RealmDomain, \
     RealmFilter, PreregistrationUser, UserActivity, \
     UserPresence, get_stream_recipient, name_changes_disabled, email_to_username, \
-    get_realm_domains
+    get_realm_domains, get_usermessage_by_message_id
 from zerver.lib.events import do_events_register
 from zerver.lib.actions import update_user_presence, do_change_tos_version, \
     do_update_pointer, realm_user_count
@@ -157,13 +157,10 @@ def home_real(request: HttpRequest) -> HttpResponse:
     if user_profile.pointer == -1:
         latest_read = None
     else:
-        try:
-            latest_read = UserMessage.objects.get(user_profile=user_profile,
-                                                  message__id=user_profile.pointer)
-        except UserMessage.DoesNotExist:
+        latest_read = get_usermessage_by_message_id(user_profile, user_profile.pointer)
+        if latest_read is None:
             # Don't completely fail if your saved pointer ID is invalid
             logging.warning("%s has invalid pointer %s" % (user_profile.email, user_profile.pointer))
-            latest_read = None
 
     # We pick a language for the user as follows:
     # * First priority is the language in the URL, for debugging.
diff --git a/zerver/views/pointer.py b/zerver/views/pointer.py
index 8e9bcb4de9..19c57e0b30 100644
--- a/zerver/views/pointer.py
+++ b/zerver/views/pointer.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from zerver.decorator import to_non_negative_int
 from zerver.lib.actions import do_update_pointer
 from zerver.lib.request import has_request_variables, JsonableError, REQ
 from zerver.lib.response import json_success
-from zerver.models import UserProfile, UserMessage
+from zerver.models import UserProfile, UserMessage, get_usermessage_by_message_id
 
 def get_pointer_backend(request: HttpRequest, user_profile: UserProfile) -> HttpResponse:
     return json_success({'pointer': user_profile.pointer})
@@ -17,12 +17,7 @@ def update_pointer_backend(request: HttpRequest, user_profile: UserProfile,
     if pointer <= user_profile.pointer:
         return json_success()
 
-    try:
-        UserMessage.objects.get(
-            user_profile=user_profile,
-            message__id=pointer
-        )
-    except UserMessage.DoesNotExist:
+    if get_usermessage_by_message_id(user_profile, pointer) is None:
         raise JsonableError(_("Invalid message ID"))
 
     request._log_data["extra"] = "[%s]" % (pointer,)