diff --git a/tools/linter_lib/custom_check.py b/tools/linter_lib/custom_check.py
index 48e262d36f..d91aca9679 100644
--- a/tools/linter_lib/custom_check.py
+++ b/tools/linter_lib/custom_check.py
@@ -298,6 +298,8 @@ def build_custom_checkers(by_lang):
              ('zerver/lib/actions.py', 'get_stream(signups_stream, admin_realm)'),
              # Here we need get_stream to access streams you've since unsubscribed from.
              ('zerver/views/messages.py', 'stream = get_stream(operand, self.user_profile.realm)'),
+             # Use stream_id to exclude mutes.
+             ('zerver/views/messages.py', 'stream_id = get_stream(stream_name, user_profile.realm).id'),
          ]),
          'description': 'Please use access_stream_by_*() to fetch Stream objects',
          },
diff --git a/zerver/lib/topic_mutes.py b/zerver/lib/topic_mutes.py
index eb3ee70687..db1c459273 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/topic_mutes.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/topic_mutes.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 from zerver.models import UserProfile
 
-from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, List, Text
+from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, List, Optional, Text
 
 from zerver.models import (
     bulk_get_recipients,
@@ -89,20 +89,16 @@ def topic_is_muted(user_profile, stream, topic_name):
     ).exists()
     return is_muted
 
-def exclude_topic_mutes(conditions, user_profile, stream_name):
-    # type: (List[Selectable], UserProfile, Text) -> List[Selectable]
+def exclude_topic_mutes(conditions, user_profile, stream_id):
+    # type: (List[Selectable], UserProfile, Optional[int]) -> List[Selectable]
     query = MutedTopic.objects.filter(
         user_profile=user_profile,
     )
 
-    if stream_name is not None:
+    if stream_id is not None:
         # If we are narrowed to a stream, we can optimize the query
         # by not considering topic mutes outside the stream.
-        try:
-            stream = get_stream(stream_name, user_profile.realm)
-            query = query.filter(stream=stream)
-        except Stream.DoesNotExist:
-            pass
+        query = query.filter(stream_id=stream_id)
 
     query = query.values(
         'recipient_id',
diff --git a/zerver/views/messages.py b/zerver/views/messages.py
index 63346f3176..1afb280b92 100644
--- a/zerver/views/messages.py
+++ b/zerver/views/messages.py
@@ -530,7 +530,18 @@ def exclude_muting_conditions(user_profile, narrow):
     conditions = []
     stream_name = get_stream_name_from_narrow(narrow)
 
-    if stream_name is None:
+    stream_id = None
+    if stream_name is not None:
+        try:
+            # Note that this code works around a lint rule that
+            # says we should use access_stream_by_name to get the
+            # stream.  It is okay here, because we are only using
+            # the stream id to exclude data, not to include results.
+            stream_id = get_stream(stream_name, user_profile.realm).id
+        except Stream.DoesNotExist:
+            pass
+
+    if stream_id is None:
         rows = Subscription.objects.filter(
             user_profile=user_profile,
             active=True,
@@ -543,7 +554,7 @@ def exclude_muting_conditions(user_profile, narrow):
             condition = not_(column("recipient_id").in_(muted_recipient_ids))
             conditions.append(condition)
 
-    conditions = exclude_topic_mutes(conditions, user_profile, stream_name)
+    conditions = exclude_topic_mutes(conditions, user_profile, stream_id)
 
     return conditions