diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/settings_user_groups.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/settings_user_groups.js
index 6cd2d935b5..4f2ca89c81 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/settings_user_groups.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/settings_user_groups.js
@@ -232,12 +232,12 @@ test_ui("populate_user_groups", (override) => {
         })();
 
         (function test_sorter() {
-            let sort_recipientbox_typeahead_called = false;
-            typeahead_helper.sort_recipientbox_typeahead = () => {
-                sort_recipientbox_typeahead_called = true;
+            let sort_recipients_typeahead_called = false;
+            typeahead_helper.sort_recipients = function () {
+                sort_recipients_typeahead_called = true;
             };
             config.sorter.call(fake_context);
-            assert(sort_recipientbox_typeahead_called);
+            assert(sort_recipients_typeahead_called);
         })();
 
         (function test_updater() {
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/typeahead_helper.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/typeahead_helper.js
index 4ff3481b09..ae76d016f2 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/typeahead_helper.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/typeahead_helper.js
@@ -733,29 +733,3 @@ test("sort_slash_commands", () => {
         {name: "test"},
     ]);
 });
-
-test("sort_recipientbox_typeahead", () => {
-    let recipients = th.sort_recipientbox_typeahead("b, a", matches, ""); // search "a"
-    let recipients_email = recipients.map((person) => person.email);
-    assert.deepEqual(recipients_email, [
-        "a_user@zulip.org", // matches "a"
-        "a_bot@zulip.com", // matches "a"
-        "b_user_1@zulip.net",
-        "b_user_2@zulip.net",
-        "b_user_3@zulip.net",
-        "zman@test.net",
-        "b_bot@example.com",
-    ]);
-
-    recipients = th.sort_recipientbox_typeahead("b, a, b", matches, ""); // search "b"
-    recipients_email = recipients.map((person) => person.email);
-    assert.deepEqual(recipients_email, [
-        "b_user_1@zulip.net",
-        "b_user_2@zulip.net",
-        "b_user_3@zulip.net",
-        "b_bot@example.com",
-        "a_user@zulip.org",
-        "zman@test.net",
-        "a_bot@zulip.com",
-    ]);
-});
diff --git a/static/js/pill_typeahead.js b/static/js/pill_typeahead.js
index 4e36bafd75..ac2c2a9f7b 100644
--- a/static/js/pill_typeahead.js
+++ b/static/js/pill_typeahead.js
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export function set_up(input, pills, opts) {
                 return typeahead_helper.sort_streams(matches, this.query.trim().slice(1));
             }
 
-            return typeahead_helper.sort_recipientbox_typeahead(this.query, matches, "");
+            return typeahead_helper.sort_recipients(matches, this.query, "");
         },
         updater(item) {
             if (include_streams(this.query)) {
diff --git a/static/js/typeahead_helper.js b/static/js/typeahead_helper.js
index 5153c6fc22..17293db380 100644
--- a/static/js/typeahead_helper.js
+++ b/static/js/typeahead_helper.js
@@ -380,10 +380,3 @@ export function sort_streams(matches, query) {
 
     return name_results.matches.concat(desc_results.matches.concat(desc_results.rest));
 }
-
-export function sort_recipientbox_typeahead(query, matches, current_stream) {
-    // input_text may be one or more pm recipients
-    const cleaned = get_cleaned_pm_recipients(query);
-    query = cleaned[cleaned.length - 1];
-    return sort_recipients(matches, query, current_stream);
-}