diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/composebox_typeahead.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/composebox_typeahead.js
index 1a916e9f05..10f95da62c 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/composebox_typeahead.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/composebox_typeahead.js
@@ -60,8 +60,21 @@ global.people.add({
     assert_typeahead_equals("test no@o", false);
     assert_typeahead_equals("test :-P", false);
 
-    var all_items = [{ special_item_text: 'all (Notify everyone)', email: 'all', pm_recipient_count: Infinity, full_name: 'all' },
-                     { special_item_text: 'everyone (Notify everyone)', email: 'everyone', full_name: 'everyone' }];
+    var all_items = [
+        {
+            special_item_text: 'all (Notify everyone)',
+            email: 'all',
+            pm_recipient_count: Infinity,
+            full_name: 'all',
+        },
+        {
+            special_item_text: 'everyone (Notify everyone)',
+            email: 'everyone',
+            pm_recipient_count: Infinity,
+            full_name: 'everyone',
+        },
+    ];
+
     var people_with_all = global.people.get_realm_persons().concat(all_items);
 
     assert_typeahead_equals("test @o", people_with_all);
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/people.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/people.js
index 844083967f..1470b9d876 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/people.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/people.js
@@ -135,11 +135,11 @@ initialize();
 initialize();
 
 (function test_recipient_counts() {
-    var email = 'anybody@example.com';
-    assert.equal(people.get_recipient_count({email: email}), 0);
-    people.incr_recipient_count(email);
-    people.incr_recipient_count(email);
-    assert.equal(people.get_recipient_count({email: email}), 2);
+    var user_id = 99;
+    assert.equal(people.get_recipient_count({id: user_id}), 0);
+    people.incr_recipient_count(user_id);
+    people.incr_recipient_count(user_id);
+    assert.equal(people.get_recipient_count({user_id: user_id}), 2);
 
     assert.equal(people.get_recipient_count({pm_recipient_count: 5}), 5);
 }());
diff --git a/static/js/composebox_typeahead.js b/static/js/composebox_typeahead.js
index a8f13b3057..47bea2a49b 100644
--- a/static/js/composebox_typeahead.js
+++ b/static/js/composebox_typeahead.js
@@ -286,6 +286,7 @@ exports.compose_content_begins_typeahead = function (query) {
         var everyone_item = {
             special_item_text: "everyone (Notify everyone)",
             email: "everyone",
+            pm_recipient_count: Infinity,
             full_name: "everyone",
         };
         var persons = people.get_realm_persons();
diff --git a/static/js/people.js b/static/js/people.js
index 0e05620ee8..8e6905e16c 100644
--- a/static/js/people.js
+++ b/static/js/people.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ exports.init = function () {
     // People in this realm
     realm_people_dict = new Dict({fold_case: true});
     cross_realm_dict = new Dict({fold_case: true});
-    pm_recipient_count_dict = new Dict({fold_case: true});
+    pm_recipient_count_dict = new Dict();
 };
 
 // WE INITIALIZE DATA STRUCTURES HERE!
@@ -249,14 +249,15 @@ exports.get_recipient_count = function (person) {
         return person.pm_recipient_count;
     }
 
-    var count = pm_recipient_count_dict.get(person.email);
+    var user_id = person.user_id || person.id;
+    var count = pm_recipient_count_dict.get(user_id);
 
     return count || 0;
 };
 
-exports.incr_recipient_count = function (email) {
-    var old_count = pm_recipient_count_dict.get(email) || 0;
-    pm_recipient_count_dict.set(email, old_count + 1);
+exports.incr_recipient_count = function (user_id) {
+    var old_count = pm_recipient_count_dict.get(user_id) || 0;
+    pm_recipient_count_dict.set(user_id, old_count + 1);
 };
 
 exports.filter_people_by_search_terms = function (users, search_terms) {
@@ -386,10 +387,13 @@ exports.extract_people_from_message = function (message) {
     // Add new people involved in this message to the people list
     _.each(involved_people, function (person) {
         if (!person.unknown_local_echo_user) {
+
+            var user_id = person.user_id || person.id;
+
             if (! exports.get_by_email(person.email)) {
                 exports.add({
                     email: person.email,
-                    user_id: person.user_id || person.id,
+                    user_id: user_id,
                     full_name: person.full_name,
                     is_admin: person.is_realm_admin || false,
                     is_bot: person.is_bot || false,
@@ -398,7 +402,7 @@ exports.extract_people_from_message = function (message) {
 
             if (message.type === 'private' && message.sent_by_me) {
                 // Track the number of PMs we've sent to this person to improve autocomplete
-                exports.incr_recipient_count(person.email);
+                exports.incr_recipient_count(user_id);
             }
         }
     });