diff --git a/static/js/click_handlers.js b/static/js/click_handlers.js
index 52f79518e1..a95159d809 100644
--- a/static/js/click_handlers.js
+++ b/static/js/click_handlers.js
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ $(function () {
             }
 
             current_msg_list.select_id(id);
-            respond_to_message({trigger: 'message click'});
+            compose.respond_to_message({trigger: 'message click'});
             e.stopPropagation();
             popovers.hide_all();
         }
diff --git a/static/js/compose.js b/static/js/compose.js
index 326cdfcd41..f17e1aa501 100644
--- a/static/js/compose.js
+++ b/static/js/compose.js
@@ -598,6 +598,46 @@ function send_message(request) {
     }
 }
 
+exports.respond_to_message = function (opts) {
+    var message, msg_type;
+    // Before initiating a reply to a message, if there's an
+    // in-progress composition, snapshot it.
+    compose.snapshot_message();
+
+    message = current_msg_list.selected_message();
+
+    if (message === undefined) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    unread.mark_message_as_read(message);
+
+    var stream = '';
+    var subject = '';
+    if (message.type === "stream") {
+        stream = message.stream;
+        subject = message.subject;
+    }
+
+    var pm_recipient = message.reply_to;
+    if (opts.reply_type === "personal" && message.type === "private") {
+        // reply_to for private messages is everyone involved, so for
+        // personals replies we need to set the the private message
+        // recipient to just the sender
+        pm_recipient = message.sender_email;
+    }
+    if (opts.reply_type === 'personal' || message.type === 'private') {
+        msg_type = 'private';
+    } else {
+        msg_type = message.type;
+    }
+    compose.start(msg_type, {'stream': stream, 'subject': subject,
+                             'private_message_recipient': pm_recipient,
+                             'replying_to_message': message,
+                             'trigger': opts.trigger});
+
+};
+
 // This function is for debugging / data collection only.  Arguably it
 // should live in debug.js, but then it wouldn't be able to call
 // send_message() directly below.
diff --git a/static/js/hotkey.js b/static/js/hotkey.js
index efc24b2567..56b832a94c 100644
--- a/static/js/hotkey.js
+++ b/static/js/hotkey.js
@@ -306,13 +306,13 @@ function process_hotkey(e) {
         case 'narrow_by_subject':
             return do_narrow_action(narrow.by_subject);
         case  'enter': // Enter: respond to message (unless we need to do something else)
-            respond_to_message({trigger: 'hotkey enter'});
+            compose.respond_to_message({trigger: 'hotkey enter'});
             return true;
         case 'reply_message': // 'r': respond to message
-            respond_to_message({trigger: 'hotkey'});
+            compose.respond_to_message({trigger: 'hotkey'});
             return true;
         case 'respond_to_author': // 'R': respond to author
-            respond_to_message({reply_type: "personal", trigger: 'hotkey pm'});
+            compose.respond_to_message({reply_type: "personal", trigger: 'hotkey pm'});
             return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/static/js/popovers.js b/static/js/popovers.js
index 3c93d80f7e..f77657d3af 100644
--- a/static/js/popovers.js
+++ b/static/js/popovers.js
@@ -459,13 +459,13 @@ exports.register_click_handlers = function () {
     });
 
     $('body').on('click', '.respond_button', function (e) {
-        respond_to_message({trigger: 'popover respond'});
+        compose.respond_to_message({trigger: 'popover respond'});
         popovers.hide_actions_popover();
         e.stopPropagation();
         e.preventDefault();
     });
     $('body').on('click', '.respond_personal_button', function (e) {
-        respond_to_message({reply_type: 'personal', trigger: 'popover respond pm'});
+        compose.respond_to_message({reply_type: 'personal', trigger: 'popover respond pm'});
         popovers.hide_all();
         e.stopPropagation();
         e.preventDefault();
diff --git a/static/js/zulip.js b/static/js/zulip.js
index 4aa7f2ebb2..923d624e8e 100644
--- a/static/js/zulip.js
+++ b/static/js/zulip.js
@@ -10,51 +10,6 @@ var current_msg_list = home_msg_list;
 var queued_mark_as_read = [];
 var queued_flag_timer;
 
-
-function respond_to_message(opts) {
-    var message, msg_type;
-    // Before initiating a reply to a message, if there's an
-    // in-progress composition, snapshot it.
-    compose.snapshot_message();
-
-    message = current_msg_list.selected_message();
-
-    if (message === undefined) {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    unread.mark_message_as_read(message);
-
-    var stream = '';
-    var subject = '';
-    if (message.type === "stream") {
-        stream = message.stream;
-        subject = message.subject;
-    }
-
-    var pm_recipient = message.reply_to;
-    if (opts.reply_type === "personal" && message.type === "private") {
-        // reply_to for private messages is everyone involved, so for
-        // personals replies we need to set the the private message
-        // recipient to just the sender
-        pm_recipient = message.sender_email;
-    }
-    if (opts.reply_type === 'personal' || message.type === 'private') {
-        msg_type = 'private';
-    } else {
-        msg_type = message.type;
-    }
-    compose.start(msg_type, {'stream': stream, 'subject': subject,
-                             'private_message_recipient': pm_recipient,
-                             'replying_to_message': message,
-                             'trigger': opts.trigger});
-
-}
-
-
-
-
-
 function consider_bankruptcy() {
     // Until we've handled possibly declaring bankruptcy, don't show
     // unread counts since they only consider messages that are loaded
diff --git a/tools/jslint/check-all.js b/tools/jslint/check-all.js
index bc09c4f93a..e7635f858e 100644
--- a/tools/jslint/check-all.js
+++ b/tools/jslint/check-all.js
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ var globals =
 
     // zulip.js
     + ' home_msg_list current_msg_list'
-    + ' respond_to_message'
     + ' process_loaded_for_unread'
     ;