diff --git a/zerver/data_import/hipchat.py b/zerver/data_import/hipchat.py
index 068b0d4b49..43a8676f30 100755
--- a/zerver/data_import/hipchat.py
+++ b/zerver/data_import/hipchat.py
@@ -32,13 +32,13 @@ from zerver.data_import.import_util import (
     build_personal_subscriptions,
     build_public_stream_subscriptions,
     build_stream_subscriptions,
-    build_user_message,
     build_user_profile,
     build_zerver_realm,
     create_converted_data_files,
     make_subscriber_map,
+    make_user_messages,
     write_avatar_png,
-    SubscriberHandler
+    SubscriberHandler,
 )
 
 from zerver.data_import.hipchat_attachment import AttachmentHandler
@@ -754,33 +754,6 @@ def process_raw_message_batch(realm_id: int,
     message_file = "/messages-%06d.json" % (dump_file_id,)
     create_converted_data_files(message_json, output_dir, message_file)
 
-def make_user_messages(zerver_message: List[ZerverFieldsT],
-                       subscriber_map: Dict[int, Set[int]],
-                       is_pm_data: bool,
-                       mention_map: Dict[int, Set[int]]) -> List[ZerverFieldsT]:
-
-    zerver_usermessage = []
-
-    for message in zerver_message:
-        message_id = message['id']
-        recipient_id = message['recipient']
-        sender_id = message['sender']
-        mention_user_ids = mention_map[message_id]
-        subscriber_ids = subscriber_map.get(recipient_id, set())
-        user_ids = subscriber_ids | {sender_id}
-
-        for user_id in user_ids:
-            is_mentioned = user_id in mention_user_ids
-            user_message = build_user_message(
-                user_id=user_id,
-                message_id=message_id,
-                is_private=is_pm_data,
-                is_mentioned=is_mentioned,
-            )
-            zerver_usermessage.append(user_message)
-
-    return zerver_usermessage
-
 def do_convert_data(input_tar_file: str,
                     output_dir: str,
                     masking_content: bool,
diff --git a/zerver/data_import/import_util.py b/zerver/data_import/import_util.py
index b7abaf76b0..b9a9f75fad 100644
--- a/zerver/data_import/import_util.py
+++ b/zerver/data_import/import_util.py
@@ -103,6 +103,33 @@ def make_subscriber_map(zerver_subscription: List[ZerverFieldsT]) -> Dict[int, S
 
     return subscriber_map
 
+def make_user_messages(zerver_message: List[ZerverFieldsT],
+                       subscriber_map: Dict[int, Set[int]],
+                       is_pm_data: bool,
+                       mention_map: Dict[int, Set[int]]) -> List[ZerverFieldsT]:
+
+    zerver_usermessage = []
+
+    for message in zerver_message:
+        message_id = message['id']
+        recipient_id = message['recipient']
+        sender_id = message['sender']
+        mention_user_ids = mention_map[message_id]
+        subscriber_ids = subscriber_map.get(recipient_id, set())
+        user_ids = subscriber_ids | {sender_id}
+
+        for user_id in user_ids:
+            is_mentioned = user_id in mention_user_ids
+            user_message = build_user_message(
+                user_id=user_id,
+                message_id=message_id,
+                is_private=is_pm_data,
+                is_mentioned=is_mentioned,
+            )
+            zerver_usermessage.append(user_message)
+
+    return zerver_usermessage
+
 def build_subscription(recipient_id: int, user_id: int,
                        subscription_id: int) -> ZerverFieldsT:
     subscription = Subscription(