diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_events.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_events.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..078c300eec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_events.js
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+zrequire('message_events');
+zrequire('message_store');
+zrequire('people');
+
+set_global('alert_words', {});
+set_global('condense', {});
+set_global('current_msg_list', {});
+set_global('message_edit', {});
+set_global('message_list', {});
+set_global('notifications', {});
+set_global('page_params', {});
+set_global('pm_list', {});
+set_global('stream_list', {});
+set_global('unread_ui', {});
+
+alert_words.process_message = () => {};
+
+const alice = {
+    email: 'alice@example.com',
+    user_id: 32,
+    full_name: 'Alice Patel',
+};
+
+people.add(alice);
+
+function test_helper(side_effects) {
+    const events = [];
+
+    _.each(side_effects, (side_effect) => {
+        const parts = side_effect.split('.');
+        const module = parts[0];
+        const field = parts[1];
+
+        global[module][field] = () => {
+            events.push(side_effect);
+        };
+    });
+
+    const self = {};
+
+    self.verify = () => {
+        assert.deepEqual(side_effects, events);
+    };
+
+    return self;
+}
+
+run_test('update_messages', () => {
+    const original_message = {
+        id: 111,
+        sender_id: alice.user_id,
+    };
+
+    message_store.add_message_metadata(original_message);
+
+    const events = [
+        {
+            message_id: 111,
+            flags: [],
+            orig_content: 'old stuff',
+            content: '**new content**',
+            rendered_content: '<b>new content</b>',
+        },
+    ];
+
+    current_msg_list.get_row = (message_id) => {
+        assert.equal(message_id, 111);
+        return ['row-stub'];
+    };
+    current_msg_list.view = {};
+
+    var rendered_mgs;
+
+    current_msg_list.view.rerender_messages = (msgs_to_rerender, message_content_edited) => {
+        rendered_mgs = msgs_to_rerender;
+        assert.equal(message_content_edited, true);
+    };
+
+    const side_effects = [
+        'condense.un_cache_message_content_height',
+        'message_edit.end',
+        'notifications.received_messages',
+        'unread_ui.update_unread_counts',
+        'stream_list.update_streams_sidebar',
+        'pm_list.update_private_messages',
+    ];
+
+    const helper = test_helper(side_effects);
+
+    page_params.realm_allow_edit_history = false;
+    message_list.narrowed = 'stub-to-ignore';
+
+    // TEST THIS:
+    message_events.update_messages(events);
+
+    helper.verify();
+
+    assert.deepEqual(rendered_mgs,  [
+        {
+            alerted: false,
+            content: '<b>new content</b>',
+            id: 111,
+            last_edit_timestamp: undefined,
+            mentioned: false,
+            mentioned_me_directly: false,
+            raw_content: '**new content**',
+            reactions: [],
+            sender_email: 'alice@example.com',
+            sender_full_name: 'Alice Patel',
+            sender_id: 32,
+            sent_by_me: false,
+        },
+    ]);
+
+});