diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_store.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_store.js
index 07dae7bb2c..aab7cdd734 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_store.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_store.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ mock_esm("../../static/js/stream_topic_history", {
 });
 
 mock_esm("../../static/js/recent_senders", {
-    process_message_for_senders: noop,
+    process_stream_message: noop,
 });
 
 set_global("document", "document-stub");
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/recent_senders.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/recent_senders.js
index 6d42551da6..b72fdfdcf7 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/recent_senders.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/recent_senders.js
@@ -92,11 +92,11 @@ test("update_topics_of_deleted_message_ids", () => {
     rs.update_topics_of_deleted_message_ids([message.id]);
     assert.deepEqual(rs.get_topic_recent_senders(stream_id, topic), []);
 
-    rs.process_message_for_senders(message);
+    rs.process_stream_message(message);
     assert.deepEqual(rs.get_topic_recent_senders(stream_id, topic), [sender_id]);
 });
 
-test("process_message_for_senders", () => {
+test("process_stream_message", () => {
     const stream1 = 1;
     const stream2 = 2;
     const stream3 = 3;
@@ -125,8 +125,8 @@ test("process_message_for_senders", () => {
         sender_id: sender2,
     });
 
-    rs.process_message_for_senders(message1);
-    rs.process_message_for_senders(message2);
+    rs.process_stream_message(message1);
+    rs.process_stream_message(message2);
 
     // Users have posted in only one of the streams
     assert.equal(
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ test("process_message_for_senders", () => {
         sender_id: sender3,
     });
 
-    rs.process_message_for_senders(message3);
+    rs.process_stream_message(message3);
     assert.equal(
         rs.compare_by_recency({user_id: sender3}, {user_id: sender2}, stream1, topic2) < 0,
         true,
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ test("process_message_for_senders", () => {
         sender_id: sender2,
     });
 
-    rs.process_message_for_senders(message4);
+    rs.process_stream_message(message4);
     assert.equal(
         rs.compare_by_recency({user_id: sender1}, {user_id: sender2}, stream1, topic1) > 0,
         true,
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ test("process_message_for_senders", () => {
         sender_id: sender1,
     });
 
-    rs.process_message_for_senders(message5);
+    rs.process_stream_message(message5);
     assert.equal(
         rs.compare_by_recency({user_id: sender1}, {user_id: sender2}, stream1, topic1) < 0,
         true,
@@ -200,9 +200,9 @@ test("process_message_for_senders", () => {
         sender_id: sender3,
     });
 
-    rs.process_message_for_senders(message6);
-    rs.process_message_for_senders(message7);
-    rs.process_message_for_senders(message8);
+    rs.process_stream_message(message6);
+    rs.process_stream_message(message7);
+    rs.process_stream_message(message8);
 
     // topic3 has a message in it, but sender1 nor sender2 have participated, so sort by stream
     assert.equal(
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ test("process_message_for_senders", () => {
         sender_id: sender3,
     });
 
-    rs.process_message_for_senders(message9);
+    rs.process_stream_message(message9);
 
     // Test topic change
     assert.equal(rs.get_topic_recent_senders(stream3, topic3).toString(), "3");
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/typeahead_helper.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/typeahead_helper.js
index e0f9be17bf..3065d2f811 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/typeahead_helper.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/typeahead_helper.js
@@ -358,19 +358,19 @@ test("sort_recipients", () => {
     pm_conversations.set_partner(7);
 
     // For splitting based on recency
-    recent_senders.process_message_for_senders({
+    recent_senders.process_stream_message({
         sender_id: 7,
         stream_id: 1,
         topic: "Dev topic",
         id: (next_id += 1),
     });
-    recent_senders.process_message_for_senders({
+    recent_senders.process_stream_message({
         sender_id: 5,
         stream_id: 1,
         topic: "Dev topic",
         id: (next_id += 1),
     });
-    recent_senders.process_message_for_senders({
+    recent_senders.process_stream_message({
         sender_id: 6,
         stream_id: 1,
         topic: "Dev topic",
@@ -388,13 +388,13 @@ test("sort_recipients", () => {
         "a_bot@zulip.com",
     ]);
 
-    recent_senders.process_message_for_senders({
+    recent_senders.process_stream_message({
         sender_id: 5,
         stream_id: 2,
         topic: "Linux topic",
         id: (next_id += 1),
     });
-    recent_senders.process_message_for_senders({
+    recent_senders.process_stream_message({
         sender_id: 7,
         stream_id: 2,
         topic: "Linux topic",
diff --git a/static/js/message_helper.js b/static/js/message_helper.js
index 1836c9289e..90e5d47102 100644
--- a/static/js/message_helper.js
+++ b/static/js/message_helper.js
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export function process_new_message(message) {
                 message_id: message.id,
             });
 
-            recent_senders.process_message_for_senders(message);
+            recent_senders.process_stream_message(message);
             message_user_ids.add_user_id(message.sender_id);
             break;
 
diff --git a/static/js/recent_senders.js b/static/js/recent_senders.js
index 18e4cdb4f4..ca09d4300d 100644
--- a/static/js/recent_senders.js
+++ b/static/js/recent_senders.js
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ function add_topic_message({stream_id, topic, sender_id, message_id}) {
     id_tracker.add(message_id);
 }
 
-export function process_message_for_senders(message) {
+export function process_stream_message(message) {
     const stream_id = message.stream_id;
     const topic = message.topic;
     const sender_id = message.sender_id;