diff --git a/static/js/message_store.js b/static/js/message_store.js
index 72e919f3f8..c2fe8e8dbe 100644
--- a/static/js/message_store.js
+++ b/static/js/message_store.js
@@ -489,8 +489,8 @@ exports.load_old_messages = function load_old_messages(opts) {
         data.use_first_unread_anchor = true;
     }
 
-    channel.post({
-        url:      '/json/get_old_messages',
+    channel.get({
+        url:      '/json/messages',
         data:     data,
         idempotent: true,
         success: function (data) {
diff --git a/tools/deprecated/stress-test/stress-test.coffee b/tools/deprecated/stress-test/stress-test.coffee
index 10173c07ed..ef024ab50a 100644
--- a/tools/deprecated/stress-test/stress-test.coffee
+++ b/tools/deprecated/stress-test/stress-test.coffee
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class ZulipSession extends Session
 
         @update_active_status()
         @get '/json/bots'
-        @post '/json/get_old_messages', {
+        @get '/json/messages', {
             anchor: @pointer
             num_before: 200
             num_after: 200
diff --git a/zerver/lib/test_helpers.py b/zerver/lib/test_helpers.py
index 9d1d7f8535..6371896215 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/test_helpers.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/test_helpers.py
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ class AuthedTestCase(TestCase):
     def get_old_messages(self, anchor=1, num_before=100, num_after=100):
         post_params = {"anchor": anchor, "num_before": num_before,
                        "num_after": num_after}
-        result = self.client.post("/json/get_old_messages", dict(post_params))
+        result = self.client.get("/json/messages", dict(post_params))
         data = ujson.loads(result.content)
         return data['messages']
 
diff --git a/zerver/test_messages.py b/zerver/test_messages.py
index 53dcca4264..fa2577e7e6 100644
--- a/zerver/test_messages.py
+++ b/zerver/test_messages.py
@@ -755,7 +755,7 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(AuthedTestCase):
     def post_with_params(self, modified_params):
         post_params = {"anchor": 1, "num_before": 1, "num_after": 1}
         post_params.update(modified_params)
-        result = self.client.post("/json/get_old_messages", dict(post_params))
+        result = self.client.get("/json/messages", dict(post_params))
         self.assert_json_success(result)
         return ujson.loads(result.content)
 
@@ -787,7 +787,7 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(AuthedTestCase):
 
     def test_successful_get_old_messages(self):
         """
-        A call to /json/get_old_messages with valid parameters returns a list of
+        A call to GET /json/messages with valid parameters returns a list of
         messages.
         """
         self.login("hamlet@zulip.com")
@@ -976,7 +976,7 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(AuthedTestCase):
 
         for i in range(len(required_args)):
             post_params = dict(required_args[:i] + required_args[i + 1:])
-            result = self.client.post("/json/get_old_messages", post_params)
+            result = self.client.get("/json/messages", post_params)
             self.assert_json_error(result,
                                    "Missing '%s' argument" % (required_args[i][0],))
 
@@ -999,7 +999,7 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(AuthedTestCase):
                                        [(other_param, 0) for other_param in \
                                             int_params[:idx] + int_params[idx + 1:]]
                                    )
-                result = self.client.post("/json/get_old_messages", post_params)
+                result = self.client.get("/json/messages", post_params)
                 self.assert_json_error(result,
                                        "Bad value for '%s': %s" % (param, type))
 
@@ -1015,7 +1015,7 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(AuthedTestCase):
             '{foo: 3}', '[1,2]', '[["x","y","z"]]')
         for type in bad_types:
             post_params = dict(other_params + [("narrow", type)])
-            result = self.client.post("/json/get_old_messages", post_params)
+            result = self.client.get("/json/messages", post_params)
             self.assert_json_error(result,
                                    "Bad value for 'narrow': %s" % (type,))
 
@@ -1040,7 +1040,7 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(AuthedTestCase):
         for operator in ['', 'foo', 'stream:verona', '__init__']:
             narrow = [dict(operator=operator, operand='')]
             params = dict(anchor=0, num_before=0, num_after=0, narrow=ujson.dumps(narrow))
-            result = self.client.post("/json/get_old_messages", params)
+            result = self.client.get("/json/messages", params)
             self.assert_json_error_contains(result,
                 "Invalid narrow operator: unknown operator")
 
@@ -1049,7 +1049,7 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(AuthedTestCase):
         for operand in operands:
             post_params = dict(other_params + [
                 ("narrow", ujson.dumps([[operator, operand]]))])
-            result = self.client.post("/json/get_old_messages", post_params)
+            result = self.client.get("/json/messages", post_params)
             self.assert_json_error_contains(result, error_msg)
 
     def test_bad_narrow_stream_content(self):