diff --git a/static/js/echo.js b/static/js/echo.js
index 312f12891a..62ef8747de 100644
--- a/static/js/echo.js
+++ b/static/js/echo.js
@@ -195,8 +195,8 @@ exports.edit_locally = function edit_locally(message, raw_content, new_topic) {
     // We don't handle unread counts since local messages must be sent by us
 
     home_msg_list.view.rerender_messages([message]);
-    if (current_msg_list === narrowed_msg_list) {
-        narrowed_msg_list.view.rerender_messages([message]);
+    if (current_msg_list === message_list.narrowed) {
+        message_list.narrowed.view.rerender_messages([message]);
     }
     stream_list.update_streams_sidebar();
     stream_list.update_private_messages();
@@ -262,8 +262,8 @@ exports.process_from_server = function process_from_server(messages) {
 
     if (updated) {
         home_msg_list.view.rerender_messages(msgs_to_rerender);
-        if (current_msg_list === narrowed_msg_list) {
-            narrowed_msg_list.view.rerender_messages(msgs_to_rerender);
+        if (current_msg_list === message_list.narrowed) {
+            message_list.narrowed.view.rerender_messages(msgs_to_rerender);
         }
     } else {
         _.each(locally_processed_ids, function (id) {
diff --git a/static/js/message_list.js b/static/js/message_list.js
index 809641174e..f309bb4916 100644
--- a/static/js/message_list.js
+++ b/static/js/message_list.js
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ var message_list = (function () {
 
 var exports = {};
 
+exports.narrowed = undefined;
+
 exports.MessageList = function (table_name, filter, opts) {
     _.extend(this, {
         collapse_messages: true,
@@ -76,14 +78,14 @@ exports.MessageList.prototype = {
             self.append(bottom_messages, opts);
         }
 
-        if ((self === narrowed_msg_list) && !self.empty()) {
+        if ((self === exports.narrowed) && !self.empty()) {
             // If adding some new messages to the message tables caused
             // our current narrow to no longer be empty, hide the empty
             // feed placeholder text.
             narrow.hide_empty_narrow_message();
         }
 
-        if ((self === narrowed_msg_list) && !self.empty() &&
+        if ((self === exports.narrowed) && !self.empty() &&
             (self.selected_id() === -1) && !opts.delay_render) {
             // And also select the newly arrived message.
             self.select_id(self.selected_id(), {then_scroll: true, use_closest: true});
diff --git a/static/js/message_store.js b/static/js/message_store.js
index 0c79754bd2..6736635444 100644
--- a/static/js/message_store.js
+++ b/static/js/message_store.js
@@ -342,14 +342,14 @@ exports.update_messages = function update_messages(events) {
     if (topic_edited) {
         if (!changed_narrow) {
             home_msg_list.rerender();
-            if (current_msg_list === narrowed_msg_list) {
-                narrowed_msg_list.rerender();
+            if (current_msg_list === message_list.narrowed) {
+                message_list.narrowed.rerender();
             }
         }
     } else {
         home_msg_list.view.rerender_messages(msgs_to_rerender);
-        if (current_msg_list === narrowed_msg_list) {
-            narrowed_msg_list.view.rerender_messages(msgs_to_rerender);
+        if (current_msg_list === message_list.narrowed) {
+            message_list.narrowed.view.rerender_messages(msgs_to_rerender);
         }
     }
     unread.update_unread_counts();
@@ -367,11 +367,11 @@ exports.insert_new_messages = function insert_new_messages(messages) {
 
     if (narrow.active()) {
         if (narrow.filter().can_apply_locally()) {
-            exports.add_messages(messages, narrowed_msg_list, {messages_are_new: true});
+            exports.add_messages(messages, message_list.narrowed, {messages_are_new: true});
             notifications.possibly_notify_new_messages_outside_viewport(messages);
         } else {
             // if we cannot apply locally, we have to wait for this callback to happen to notify
-            maybe_add_narrowed_messages(messages, narrowed_msg_list, true);
+            maybe_add_narrowed_messages(messages, message_list.narrowed, true);
         }
     } else {
         notifications.possibly_notify_new_messages_outside_viewport(messages);
@@ -411,8 +411,8 @@ exports.insert_new_messages = function insert_new_messages(messages) {
 function process_result(messages, opts) {
     $('#get_old_messages_error').hide();
 
-    if ((messages.length === 0) && (current_msg_list === narrowed_msg_list) &&
-        narrowed_msg_list.empty()) {
+    if ((messages.length === 0) && (current_msg_list === message_list.narrowed) &&
+        message_list.narrowed.empty()) {
         // Even after trying to load more messages, we have no
         // messages to display in this narrow.
         narrow.show_empty_narrow_message();
@@ -632,7 +632,7 @@ util.execute_early(function () {
         // created, but due to the closure, the old list is not garbage collected. This also leads
         // to the old list receiving the change id events, and throwing errors as it does not
         // have the messages that you would expect in its internal data structures.
-        _.each([message_list.all, home_msg_list, narrowed_msg_list], function (msg_list) {
+        _.each([message_list.all, home_msg_list, message_list.narrowed], function (msg_list) {
             if (msg_list !== undefined) {
                 msg_list.change_message_id(old_id, new_id);
 
diff --git a/static/js/narrow.js b/static/js/narrow.js
index fbd6981001..46c4aa349b 100644
--- a/static/js/narrow.js
+++ b/static/js/narrow.js
@@ -256,14 +256,14 @@ exports.activate = function (raw_operators, opts) {
     $("body").addClass("narrowed_view");
     $("#zfilt").addClass("focused_table");
     $("#zhome").removeClass("focused_table");
-    narrowed_msg_list = msg_list;
-    current_msg_list = narrowed_msg_list;
+    message_list.narrowed = msg_list;
+    current_msg_list = message_list.narrowed;
 
     function maybe_select_closest() {
-        if (! narrowed_msg_list.empty()) {
+        if (! message_list.narrowed.empty()) {
             if (opts.select_first_unread) {
-                then_select_id = narrowed_msg_list.last().id;
-                var first_unread = _.find(narrowed_msg_list.all_messages(), unread.message_unread);
+                then_select_id = message_list.narrowed.last().id;
+                var first_unread = _.find(message_list.narrowed.all_messages(), unread.message_unread);
                 if (first_unread) {
                     then_select_id = first_unread.id;
                 }
@@ -271,12 +271,12 @@ exports.activate = function (raw_operators, opts) {
 
             var preserve_pre_narrowing_screen_position =
                 !opts.select_first_unread &&
-                (narrowed_msg_list.get(then_select_id) !== undefined) &&
+                (message_list.narrowed.get(then_select_id) !== undefined) &&
                 (then_select_offset !== undefined);
 
             var then_scroll = !preserve_pre_narrowing_screen_position;
 
-            narrowed_msg_list.select_id(then_select_id, {then_scroll: then_scroll,
+            message_list.narrowed.select_id(then_select_id, {then_scroll: then_scroll,
                                                          use_closest: true,
                                                          force_rerender: true
                                                         });
@@ -294,15 +294,15 @@ exports.activate = function (raw_operators, opts) {
     // the message we want anyway or if the filter can't be applied
     // locally.
     if (message_list.all.get(then_select_id) !== undefined && current_filter.can_apply_locally()) {
-        message_store.add_messages(message_list.all.all_messages(), narrowed_msg_list, {delay_render: true});
+        message_store.add_messages(message_list.all.all_messages(), message_list.narrowed, {delay_render: true});
     }
 
-    var defer_selecting_closest = narrowed_msg_list.empty();
+    var defer_selecting_closest = message_list.narrowed.empty();
     message_store.load_old_messages({
         anchor: then_select_id.toFixed(),
         num_before: 50,
         num_after: 50,
-        msg_list: narrowed_msg_list,
+        msg_list: message_list.narrowed,
         use_first_unread_anchor: opts.first_unread_from_server,
         cont: function (messages) {
             ui.hide_loading_more_messages_indicator();
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ exports.activate = function (raw_operators, opts) {
         }
     }
 
-    $(document).trigger($.Event('narrow_activated.zulip', {msg_list: narrowed_msg_list,
+    $(document).trigger($.Event('narrow_activated.zulip', {msg_list: message_list.narrowed,
                                                             filter: current_filter,
                                                             trigger: opts.trigger}));
     msg_list.initial_core_time = new Date();
diff --git a/static/js/reload.js b/static/js/reload.js
index 027af0bd65..55f9ef62ec 100644
--- a/static/js/reload.js
+++ b/static/js/reload.js
@@ -51,11 +51,11 @@ function preserve_state(send_after_reload, save_pointer, save_narrow, save_compo
         } else {
             url += "+offset=" + home_msg_list.pre_narrow_offset;
 
-            var narrow_pointer = narrowed_msg_list.selected_id();
+            var narrow_pointer = message_list.narrowed.selected_id();
             if (narrow_pointer !== -1) {
                 url += "+narrow_pointer=" + narrow_pointer;
             }
-            var narrow_row = narrowed_msg_list.selected_row();
+            var narrow_row = message_list.narrowed.selected_row();
             if (narrow_row.length > 0) {
                 url += "+narrow_offset=" + narrow_row.offset().top;
             }
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ function cleanup_before_reload() {
         // Empty the large collections
         clear_message_list(message_list.all);
         clear_message_list(home_msg_list);
-        clear_message_list(narrowed_msg_list);
+        clear_message_list(message_list.narrowed);
         message_store.clear();
 
     } catch (ex) {
diff --git a/static/js/ui.js b/static/js/ui.js
index 62ce51c4dd..7f69644dde 100644
--- a/static/js/ui.js
+++ b/static/js/ui.js
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ function need_skinny_mode() {
 }
 
 function update_message_in_all_views(message_id, callback) {
-    _.each([message_list.all, home_msg_list, narrowed_msg_list], function (list) {
+    _.each([message_list.all, home_msg_list, message_list.narrowed], function (list) {
         if (list === undefined) {
             return;
         }
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ exports.find_message = function (message_id) {
     // (if it was loaded when narrowed), or only in the message_list.all
     // (if received from the server while in a different narrow)
     var message;
-    _.each([message_list.all, home_msg_list, narrowed_msg_list], function (msg_list) {
+    _.each([message_list.all, home_msg_list, message_list.narrowed], function (msg_list) {
         if (msg_list !== undefined && message === undefined) {
             message = msg_list.get(message_id);
         }
diff --git a/static/js/unread.js b/static/js/unread.js
index 10fd6ec5cc..f2866dfef2 100644
--- a/static/js/unread.js
+++ b/static/js/unread.js
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ exports.mark_messages_as_read = function mark_messages_as_read (messages, option
             // Don't do anything if the message is already read.
             return;
         }
-        if (current_msg_list === narrowed_msg_list) {
+        if (current_msg_list === message_list.narrowed) {
             unread.messages_read_in_narrow = true;
         }
 
@@ -236,8 +236,8 @@ exports.mark_messages_as_read = function mark_messages_as_read (messages, option
         unread.process_read_message(message, options);
         home_msg_list.show_message_as_read(message, options);
         message_list.all.show_message_as_read(message, options);
-        if (narrowed_msg_list) {
-            narrowed_msg_list.show_message_as_read(message, options);
+        if (message_list.narrowed) {
+            message_list.narrowed.show_message_as_read(message, options);
         }
         notifications.close_notification(message);
         processed = true;
diff --git a/static/js/zulip.js b/static/js/zulip.js
index 3681876966..9f2cd7ba6f 100644
--- a/static/js/zulip.js
+++ b/static/js/zulip.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 var home_msg_list = new message_list.MessageList('zhome',
     new Filter([{operator: "in", operand: "home"}]), {muting_enabled: true}
 );
-var narrowed_msg_list;
 var current_msg_list = home_msg_list;
 
 var recent_subjects = new Dict({fold_case: true});
diff --git a/tools/jslint/check-all.js b/tools/jslint/check-all.js
index 2320335f14..84b4be5572 100644
--- a/tools/jslint/check-all.js
+++ b/tools/jslint/check-all.js
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ var globals =
     + ' localstorage'
 
     // zulip.js
-    + ' home_msg_list narrowed_msg_list current_msg_list'
+    + ' home_msg_list current_msg_list'
     + ' respond_to_message recenter_view last_viewport_movement_direction'
     + ' scroll_to_selected get_private_message_recipient'
     + ' process_loaded_for_unread'