diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/presence.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/presence.js
index 1a05ea053b..baa5beaa68 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/presence.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/presence.js
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
 zrequire('people');
 zrequire('presence');
 
+var return_false = function () { return false; };
+
 set_global('server_events', {});
 set_global('blueslip', {});
+set_global('reload', {
+    is_in_progress: return_false,
+});
 
 var OFFLINE_THRESHOLD_SECS = 140;
 
diff --git a/static/js/presence.js b/static/js/presence.js
index ebe64fe084..d8f18684ed 100644
--- a/static/js/presence.js
+++ b/static/js/presence.js
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ exports.set_info = function (presences, server_timestamp) {
         if (!people.is_current_user(this_email)) {
             var person = people.get_by_email(this_email);
             if (person === undefined) {
-                if (!server_events.suspect_offline) {
+                if (!(server_events.suspect_offline || reload.is_in_progress())) {
                     // If we're online, and we get a user who we don't
                     // know about in the presence data, throw an error.
                     blueslip.error('Unknown email in presence data: ' + this_email);