diff --git a/static/js/click_handlers.js b/static/js/click_handlers.js
index 0c666b73a6..31973b07b8 100644
--- a/static/js/click_handlers.js
+++ b/static/js/click_handlers.js
@@ -251,7 +251,6 @@ exports.initialize = function () {
     });
     $("body").on("click", ".topic_edit_save", function (e) {
         const recipient_row = $(this).closest(".recipient_row");
-        message_edit.show_topic_edit_spinner(recipient_row);
         message_edit.save_inline_topic_edit(recipient_row);
         e.stopPropagation();
         popovers.hide_all();
diff --git a/static/js/message_edit.js b/static/js/message_edit.js
index 989b592f98..35bfd84be4 100644
--- a/static/js/message_edit.js
+++ b/static/js/message_edit.js
@@ -209,7 +209,6 @@ function handle_inline_topic_edit_keydown(e) {
     switch (code) {
     case 13: // Handle enter key in the recipient bar/inline topic edit form
         row = $(e.target).closest(".recipient_row");
-        exports.show_topic_edit_spinner(row);
         exports.save_inline_topic_edit(row);
         e.stopPropagation();
         e.preventDefault();
@@ -519,6 +518,8 @@ exports.save_inline_topic_edit = function (row) {
         return;
     }
 
+    exports.show_topic_edit_spinner(row);
+
     if (message.locally_echoed) {
         if (topic_changed) {
             echo.edit_locally(message, {new_topic: new_topic});