diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_list_view.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_list_view.js
index a2306d4c39..b32413260d 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_list_view.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_list_view.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ set_global('page_params', {
 });
 set_global('home_msg_list', null);
 set_global('feature_flags', {twenty_four_hour_time: false});
-set_global('ui', {small_avatar_url: function () { return ''; }});
+set_global('people', {small_avatar_url: function () { return ''; }});
 set_global('notifications', {speaking_at_me: function () {}});
 set_global('unread', {message_unread: function () {}});
 // timerender calls setInterval when imported
diff --git a/static/js/message_list_view.js b/static/js/message_list_view.js
index 2041294d3a..092724abc1 100644
--- a/static/js/message_list_view.js
+++ b/static/js/message_list_view.js
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ MessageListView.prototype = {
 
             self._add_msg_timestring(message_container);
 
-            message_container.small_avatar_url = ui.small_avatar_url(message_container.msg);
+            message_container.small_avatar_url = people.small_avatar_url(message_container.msg);
             if (message_container.msg.stream !== undefined) {
                 message_container.background_color =
                     stream_data.get_color(message_container.msg.stream);
diff --git a/static/js/notifications.js b/static/js/notifications.js
index db4f2d35fd..a254cedccd 100644
--- a/static/js/notifications.js
+++ b/static/js/notifications.js
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ exports.window_has_focus = function () {
 
 function in_browser_notify(message, title, content, raw_operators, opts) {
     var notification_html = $(templates.render('notification', {
-        gravatar_url: ui.small_avatar_url(message),
+        gravatar_url: people.small_avatar_url(message),
         title: title,
         content: content,
         message_id: message.id,
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ function process_notification(notification) {
     }
 
     if (window.bridge === undefined && notification.webkit_notify === true) {
-        var icon_url = ui.small_avatar_url(message);
+        var icon_url = people.small_avatar_url(message);
         notice_memory[key] = {
             obj: notifications_api.createNotification(
                     icon_url, title, content, message.id),
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ function process_notification(notification) {
             if (perm === 'granted') {
                 notification_object = new Notification(title, {
                     body: content,
-                    iconUrl: ui.small_avatar_url(message),
+                    iconUrl: people.small_avatar_url(message),
                     tag: message.id,
                 });
             } else {
diff --git a/static/js/people.js b/static/js/people.js
index 73b80d9656..bb61a54fa9 100644
--- a/static/js/people.js
+++ b/static/js/people.js
@@ -120,6 +120,24 @@ exports.slug_to_emails = function (slug) {
     }
 };
 
+exports.small_avatar_url = function (message) {
+    // Try to call this function in all places where we need 25px
+    // avatar images, so that the browser can help
+    // us avoid unnecessary network trips.  (For user-uploaded avatars,
+    // the s=25 parameter is essentially ignored, but it's harmless.)
+    //
+    // We actually request these at s=50, so that we look better
+    // on retina displays.
+    if (message.avatar_url) {
+        var url = message.avatar_url + "&s=50";
+        if (message.sent_by_me) {
+            url += "&stamp=" + settings.avatar_stamp;
+        }
+        return url;
+    }
+    return "";
+};
+
 exports.realm_get = function realm_get(email) {
     return realm_people_dict.get(email);
 };
diff --git a/static/js/ui.js b/static/js/ui.js
index caf801d36b..d06d066ec3 100644
--- a/static/js/ui.js
+++ b/static/js/ui.js
@@ -259,24 +259,6 @@ exports.show_failed_message_success = function (message_id) {
     });
 };
 
-exports.small_avatar_url = function (message) {
-    // Try to call this function in all places where we need 25px
-    // avatar images, so that the browser can help
-    // us avoid unnecessary network trips.  (For user-uploaded avatars,
-    // the s=25 parameter is essentially ignored, but it's harmless.)
-    //
-    // We actually request these at s=50, so that we look better
-    // on retina displays.
-    if (message.avatar_url) {
-        var url = message.avatar_url + "&s=50";
-        if (message.sent_by_me) {
-            url += "&stamp=" + settings.avatar_stamp;
-        }
-        return url;
-    }
-    return "";
-};
-
 exports.lightbox = function (data) {
     switch (data.type) {
         case "photo":