diff --git a/zerver/lib/event_queue.py b/zerver/lib/event_queue.py
index 786b03b730..7fc9a29ff0 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/event_queue.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/event_queue.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ from zerver.decorator import RespondAsynchronously, JsonableError
 from zerver.lib.cache import cache_get_many, message_cache_key, \
     user_profile_by_id_cache_key, cache_save_user_profile
 from zerver.lib.cache_helpers import cache_with_key
-from zerver.lib.handlers import get_handler_by_id
+from zerver.lib.handlers import get_handler_by_id, finish_handler
 from zerver.lib.utils import statsd
 from zerver.middleware import async_request_restart
 from zerver.models import get_client, Message
@@ -119,23 +119,8 @@ class ClientDescriptor(object):
         if self.current_handler_id is not None:
             err_msg = "Got error finishing handler for queue %s" % (self.event_queue.id,)
             try:
-                # We call async_request_restart here in case we are
-                # being finished without any events (because another
-                # get_events request has supplanted this request)
-                handler = get_handler_by_id(self.current_handler_id)
-                request = handler._request
-                async_request_restart(request)
-                request._log_data['extra'] = "[%s/1]" % (self.event_queue.id,)
-                handler.zulip_finish(dict(result='success', msg='',
-                                          events=self.event_queue.contents(),
-                                          queue_id=self.event_queue.id),
-                                     request, apply_markdown=self.apply_markdown)
-            except IOError as e:
-                if e.message != 'Stream is closed':
-                    logging.exception(err_msg)
-            except AssertionError as e:
-                if e.message != 'Request closed':
-                    logging.exception(err_msg)
+                finish_handler(self.current_handler_id, self.event_queue.id,
+                               self.event_queue.contents(), self.apply_markdown)
             except Exception:
                 logging.exception(err_msg)
             finally:
diff --git a/zerver/lib/handlers.py b/zerver/lib/handlers.py
index b97beae43b..3d12fd8e9e 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/handlers.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/handlers.py
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+import logging
+from zerver.middleware import async_request_restart
+
 current_handler_id = 0
 handlers = {}
 
@@ -10,3 +13,26 @@ def allocate_handler_id(handler):
     ret = current_handler_id
     current_handler_id += 1
     return ret
+
+def finish_handler(handler_id, event_queue_id, contents, apply_markdown):
+    err_msg = "Got error finishing handler for queue %s" % (event_queue_id,)
+    try:
+        # We call async_request_restart here in case we are
+        # being finished without any events (because another
+        # get_events request has supplanted this request)
+        handler = get_handler_by_id(handler_id)
+        request = handler._request
+        async_request_restart(request)
+        request._log_data['extra'] = "[%s/1]" % (event_queue_id,)
+        handler.zulip_finish(dict(result='success', msg='',
+                                  events=contents,
+                                  queue_id=event_queue_id),
+                             request, apply_markdown=apply_markdown)
+    except IOError as e:
+        if e.message != 'Stream is closed':
+            logging.exception(err_msg)
+    except AssertionError as e:
+        if e.message != 'Request closed':
+            logging.exception(err_msg)
+    except Exception:
+        logging.exception(err_msg)