diff --git a/.eslintrc.json b/.eslintrc.json
index 912bbfa36a..64d763d9b4 100644
--- a/.eslintrc.json
+++ b/.eslintrc.json
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@
         "unread": false,
         "alert_words_ui": false,
         "message_store": false,
+        "message_fetch": false,
         "favicon": false,
         "condense": false,
         "floating_recipient_bar": false,
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_store.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_store.js
index 415af395ca..d95fcbe71c 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_store.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_store.js
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ var message_store = require('js/message_store.js');
         display_recipient: [me, bob, cindy],
         flags: ['has_alert_word'],
     };
-    message_store._add_message_metadata(message);
+    message_store.add_message_metadata(message);
 
     assert.equal(message.is_private, true);
     assert.equal(message.reply_to, 'bob@example.com,cindy@example.com');
diff --git a/static/js/message_fetch.js b/static/js/message_fetch.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e87fae147d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/static/js/message_fetch.js
@@ -0,0 +1,224 @@
+var message_fetch = (function () {
+
+var exports = {};
+
+// If the browser hasn't scrolled away from the top of the page
+// since the last time that we ran load_more_messages(), we do
+// not load_more_messages().
+var load_more_enabled = true;
+
+exports.reset_load_more_status = function reset_load_more_status() {
+    load_more_enabled = true;
+    ui.have_scrolled_away_from_top = true;
+    ui.hide_loading_more_messages_indicator();
+};
+
+function process_result(messages, opts) {
+    $('#get_old_messages_error').hide();
+
+    if ((messages.length === 0) && (current_msg_list === message_list.narrowed) &&
+        message_list.narrowed.empty()) {
+        // Even after trying to load more messages, we have no
+        // messages to display in this narrow.
+        narrow.show_empty_narrow_message();
+    }
+
+    messages = _.map(messages, message_store.add_message_metadata);
+
+    // If we're loading more messages into the home view, save them to
+    // the message_list.all as well, as the home_msg_list is reconstructed
+    // from message_list.all.
+    if (opts.msg_list === home_msg_list) {
+        message_store.do_unread_count_updates(messages);
+        message_store.add_messages(messages, message_list.all, {messages_are_new: false});
+    }
+
+    if (messages.length !== 0 && !opts.cont_will_add_messages) {
+        message_store.add_messages(messages, opts.msg_list, {messages_are_new: false});
+    }
+
+    activity.process_loaded_messages(messages);
+    stream_list.update_streams_sidebar();
+    pm_list.update_private_messages();
+
+    if (opts.cont !== undefined) {
+        opts.cont(messages);
+    }
+}
+
+function get_old_messages_success(data, opts) {
+    if (tutorial.is_running()) {
+        // Don't actually process the messages until the tutorial is
+        // finished, but do disable the loading indicator so it isn't
+        // distracting in the background
+        loading.destroy_indicator($('#page_loading_indicator'));
+        tutorial.defer(function () { get_old_messages_success(data, opts); });
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (opts.msg_list.narrowed && opts.msg_list !== current_msg_list) {
+        // We unnarrowed before receiving new messages so
+        // don't bother processing the newly arrived messages.
+        return;
+    }
+    if (! data) {
+        // The server occationally returns no data during a
+        // restart.  Ignore those responses and try again
+        setTimeout(function () {
+            exports.load_old_messages(opts);
+        }, 0);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    process_result(data.messages, opts);
+    resize.resize_bottom_whitespace();
+}
+
+
+exports.load_old_messages = function load_old_messages(opts) {
+    opts = _.extend({cont_will_add_messages: false}, opts);
+
+    var data = {anchor: opts.anchor,
+                num_before: opts.num_before,
+                num_after: opts.num_after};
+
+    if (opts.msg_list.narrowed && narrow.active()) {
+        var operators = narrow.public_operators();
+        if (page_params.narrow !== undefined) {
+            operators = operators.concat(page_params.narrow);
+        }
+        data.narrow = JSON.stringify(operators);
+    }
+    if (opts.msg_list === home_msg_list && page_params.narrow_stream !== undefined) {
+        data.narrow = JSON.stringify(page_params.narrow);
+    }
+    if (opts.use_first_unread_anchor) {
+        data.use_first_unread_anchor = true;
+    }
+
+    channel.get({
+        url:      '/json/messages',
+        data:     data,
+        idempotent: true,
+        success: function (data) {
+            get_old_messages_success(data, opts);
+        },
+        error: function (xhr) {
+            if (opts.msg_list.narrowed && opts.msg_list !== current_msg_list) {
+                // We unnarrowed before getting an error so don't
+                // bother trying again or doing further processing.
+                return;
+            }
+            if (xhr.status === 400) {
+                // Bad request: We probably specified a narrow operator
+                // for a nonexistent stream or something.  We shouldn't
+                // retry or display a connection error.
+                //
+                // FIXME: Warn the user when this has happened?
+                process_result([], opts);
+                return;
+            }
+
+            // We might want to be more clever here
+            $('#get_old_messages_error').show();
+            setTimeout(function () {
+                exports.load_old_messages(opts);
+            }, 5000);
+        },
+    });
+};
+
+
+exports.load_more_messages = function load_more_messages(msg_list) {
+    var batch_size = 100;
+    var oldest_message_id;
+    if (!load_more_enabled) {
+        return;
+    }
+    ui.show_loading_more_messages_indicator();
+    load_more_enabled = false;
+    if (msg_list.first() === undefined) {
+        oldest_message_id = page_params.initial_pointer;
+    } else {
+        oldest_message_id = msg_list.first().id;
+    }
+    exports.load_old_messages({
+        anchor: oldest_message_id.toFixed(),
+        num_before: batch_size,
+        num_after: 0,
+        msg_list: msg_list,
+        cont: function (messages) {
+            ui.hide_loading_more_messages_indicator();
+            if (messages.length >= batch_size) {
+                load_more_enabled = true;
+            }
+        },
+    });
+};
+
+util.execute_early(function () {
+    // get the initial message list
+    function load_more(messages) {
+
+        // If we received the initially selected message, select it on the client side,
+        // but not if the user has already selected another one during load.
+        //
+        // We fall back to the closest selected id, as the user may have removed
+        // a stream from the home before already
+        if (home_msg_list.selected_id() === -1 && !home_msg_list.empty()) {
+            home_msg_list.select_id(page_params.initial_pointer,
+                                    {then_scroll: true, use_closest: true,
+                                     target_scroll_offset: page_params.initial_offset});
+        }
+
+        // catch the user up
+        if (messages.length !== 0) {
+            var latest_id = messages[messages.length-1].id;
+            if (latest_id < page_params.max_message_id) {
+                exports.load_old_messages({
+                    anchor: latest_id.toFixed(),
+                    num_before: 0,
+                    num_after: 400,
+                    msg_list: home_msg_list,
+                    cont: load_more,
+                });
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+
+        server_events.home_view_loaded();
+
+        // backfill more messages after the user is idle
+        var backfill_batch_size = 1000;
+        $(document).idle({idle: 1000*10,
+                          onIdle: function () {
+                              var first_id = message_list.all.first().id;
+                              exports.load_old_messages({
+                                  anchor: first_id,
+                                  num_before: backfill_batch_size,
+                                  num_after: 0,
+                                  msg_list: home_msg_list,
+                              });
+                          }});
+    }
+
+    if (page_params.have_initial_messages) {
+        exports.load_old_messages({
+            anchor: page_params.initial_pointer,
+            num_before: 200,
+            num_after: 200,
+            msg_list: home_msg_list,
+            cont: load_more,
+        });
+    } else {
+        server_events.home_view_loaded();
+    }
+});
+
+
+return exports;
+
+}());
+if (typeof module !== 'undefined') {
+    module.exports = message_fetch;
+}
diff --git a/static/js/message_store.js b/static/js/message_store.js
index 35d736255a..1a8b9998e2 100644
--- a/static/js/message_store.js
+++ b/static/js/message_store.js
@@ -3,11 +3,6 @@ var message_store = (function () {
 var exports = {};
 var stored_messages = {};
 
-var load_more_enabled = true;
-// If the browser hasn't scrolled away from the top of the page
-// since the last time that we ran load_more_messages(), we do
-// not load_more_messages().
-
 exports.recent_private_messages = [];
 
 exports.get = function get(message_id) {
@@ -108,7 +103,7 @@ function set_topic_edit_properties(message) {
     }
 }
 
-function add_message_metadata(message) {
+exports.add_message_metadata = function (message) {
     var cached_msg = stored_messages[message.id];
     if (cached_msg !== undefined) {
         // Copy the match subject and content over if they exist on
@@ -171,7 +166,7 @@ function add_message_metadata(message) {
     }
     stored_messages[message.id] = message;
     return message;
-}
+};
 
 exports.add_messages = function add_messages(messages, msg_list, opts) {
     if (!messages) {
@@ -224,7 +219,7 @@ function maybe_add_narrowed_messages(messages, msg_list, messages_are_new, local
                 }
             });
 
-            new_messages = _.map(new_messages, add_message_metadata);
+            new_messages = _.map(new_messages, exports.add_message_metadata);
             exports.add_messages(new_messages, msg_list, {messages_are_new: messages_are_new});
             unread_ops.process_visible();
             notifications.possibly_notify_new_messages_outside_viewport(new_messages, local_id);
@@ -387,7 +382,7 @@ exports.do_unread_count_updates = function do_unread_count_updates(messages) {
 };
 
 exports.insert_new_messages = function insert_new_messages(messages, local_id) {
-    messages = _.map(messages, add_message_metadata);
+    messages = _.map(messages, exports.add_message_metadata);
 
     // You must add add messages to home_msg_list BEFORE
     // calling unread.process_loaded_messages.
@@ -438,215 +433,11 @@ exports.insert_new_messages = function insert_new_messages(messages, local_id) {
     pm_list.update_private_messages();
 };
 
-function process_result(messages, opts) {
-    $('#get_old_messages_error').hide();
-
-    if ((messages.length === 0) && (current_msg_list === message_list.narrowed) &&
-        message_list.narrowed.empty()) {
-        // Even after trying to load more messages, we have no
-        // messages to display in this narrow.
-        narrow.show_empty_narrow_message();
-    }
-
-    messages = _.map(messages, add_message_metadata);
-
-    // If we're loading more messages into the home view, save them to
-    // the message_list.all as well, as the home_msg_list is reconstructed
-    // from message_list.all.
-    if (opts.msg_list === home_msg_list) {
-        exports.do_unread_count_updates(messages);
-        exports.add_messages(messages, message_list.all, {messages_are_new: false});
-    }
-
-    if (messages.length !== 0 && !opts.cont_will_add_messages) {
-        exports.add_messages(messages, opts.msg_list, {messages_are_new: false});
-    }
-
-    activity.process_loaded_messages(messages);
-    stream_list.update_streams_sidebar();
-    pm_list.update_private_messages();
-
-    if (opts.cont !== undefined) {
-        opts.cont(messages);
-    }
-}
-
-function get_old_messages_success(data, opts) {
-    if (tutorial.is_running()) {
-        // Don't actually process the messages until the tutorial is
-        // finished, but do disable the loading indicator so it isn't
-        // distracting in the background
-        loading.destroy_indicator($('#page_loading_indicator'));
-        tutorial.defer(function () { get_old_messages_success(data, opts); });
-        return;
-    }
-
-    if (opts.msg_list.narrowed && opts.msg_list !== current_msg_list) {
-        // We unnarrowed before receiving new messages so
-        // don't bother processing the newly arrived messages.
-        return;
-    }
-    if (! data) {
-        // The server occationally returns no data during a
-        // restart.  Ignore those responses and try again
-        setTimeout(function () {
-            exports.load_old_messages(opts);
-        }, 0);
-        return;
-    }
-
-    process_result(data.messages, opts);
-    resize.resize_bottom_whitespace();
-}
-
-exports.load_old_messages = function load_old_messages(opts) {
-    opts = _.extend({cont_will_add_messages: false}, opts);
-
-    var data = {anchor: opts.anchor,
-                num_before: opts.num_before,
-                num_after: opts.num_after};
-
-    if (opts.msg_list.narrowed && narrow.active()) {
-        var operators = narrow.public_operators();
-        if (page_params.narrow !== undefined) {
-            operators = operators.concat(page_params.narrow);
-        }
-        data.narrow = JSON.stringify(operators);
-    }
-    if (opts.msg_list === home_msg_list && page_params.narrow_stream !== undefined) {
-        data.narrow = JSON.stringify(page_params.narrow);
-    }
-    if (opts.use_first_unread_anchor) {
-        data.use_first_unread_anchor = true;
-    }
-
-    channel.get({
-        url:      '/json/messages',
-        data:     data,
-        idempotent: true,
-        success: function (data) {
-            get_old_messages_success(data, opts);
-        },
-        error: function (xhr) {
-            if (opts.msg_list.narrowed && opts.msg_list !== current_msg_list) {
-                // We unnarrowed before getting an error so don't
-                // bother trying again or doing further processing.
-                return;
-            }
-            if (xhr.status === 400) {
-                // Bad request: We probably specified a narrow operator
-                // for a nonexistent stream or something.  We shouldn't
-                // retry or display a connection error.
-                //
-                // FIXME: Warn the user when this has happened?
-                process_result([], opts);
-                return;
-            }
-
-            // We might want to be more clever here
-            $('#get_old_messages_error').show();
-            setTimeout(function () {
-                exports.load_old_messages(opts);
-            }, 5000);
-        },
-    });
-};
-
-exports.reset_load_more_status = function reset_load_more_status() {
-    load_more_enabled = true;
-    ui.have_scrolled_away_from_top = true;
-    ui.hide_loading_more_messages_indicator();
-};
-
-exports.load_more_messages = function load_more_messages(msg_list) {
-    var batch_size = 100;
-    var oldest_message_id;
-    if (!load_more_enabled) {
-        return;
-    }
-    ui.show_loading_more_messages_indicator();
-    load_more_enabled = false;
-    if (msg_list.first() === undefined) {
-        oldest_message_id = page_params.initial_pointer;
-    } else {
-        oldest_message_id = msg_list.first().id;
-    }
-    exports.load_old_messages({
-        anchor: oldest_message_id.toFixed(),
-        num_before: batch_size,
-        num_after: 0,
-        msg_list: msg_list,
-        cont: function (messages) {
-            ui.hide_loading_more_messages_indicator();
-            if (messages.length >= batch_size) {
-                load_more_enabled = true;
-            }
-        },
-    });
-};
-
 exports.clear = function clear() {
     this.stored_messages = {};
 };
 
 util.execute_early(function () {
-    // get the initial message list
-    function load_more(messages) {
-
-        // If we received the initially selected message, select it on the client side,
-        // but not if the user has already selected another one during load.
-        //
-        // We fall back to the closest selected id, as the user may have removed
-        // a stream from the home before already
-        if (home_msg_list.selected_id() === -1 && !home_msg_list.empty()) {
-            home_msg_list.select_id(page_params.initial_pointer,
-                                    {then_scroll: true, use_closest: true,
-                                     target_scroll_offset: page_params.initial_offset});
-        }
-
-        // catch the user up
-        if (messages.length !== 0) {
-            var latest_id = messages[messages.length-1].id;
-            if (latest_id < page_params.max_message_id) {
-                exports.load_old_messages({
-                    anchor: latest_id.toFixed(),
-                    num_before: 0,
-                    num_after: 400,
-                    msg_list: home_msg_list,
-                    cont: load_more,
-                });
-                return;
-            }
-        }
-
-        server_events.home_view_loaded();
-
-        // backfill more messages after the user is idle
-        var backfill_batch_size = 1000;
-        $(document).idle({idle: 1000*10,
-                          onIdle: function () {
-                              var first_id = message_list.all.first().id;
-                              exports.load_old_messages({
-                                  anchor: first_id,
-                                  num_before: backfill_batch_size,
-                                  num_after: 0,
-                                  msg_list: home_msg_list,
-                              });
-                          }});
-    }
-
-    if (page_params.have_initial_messages) {
-        exports.load_old_messages({
-            anchor: page_params.initial_pointer,
-            num_before: 200,
-            num_after: 200,
-            msg_list: home_msg_list,
-            cont: load_more,
-        });
-    } else {
-        server_events.home_view_loaded();
-    }
-
     $(document).on('message_id_changed', function (event) {
         var old_id = event.old_id;
         var new_id = event.new_id;
@@ -676,9 +467,6 @@ util.execute_early(function () {
     });
 });
 
-// This is for testing.
-exports._add_message_metadata = add_message_metadata;
-
 return exports;
 
 }());
diff --git a/static/js/narrow.js b/static/js/narrow.js
index d8f180a712..4352b3485b 100644
--- a/static/js/narrow.js
+++ b/static/js/narrow.js
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ exports.activate = function (raw_operators, opts) {
     }
 
     var defer_selecting_closest = message_list.narrowed.empty();
-    message_store.load_old_messages({
+    message_fetch.load_old_messages({
         anchor: then_select_id.toFixed(),
         num_before: 50,
         num_after: 50,
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ exports.activate = function (raw_operators, opts) {
     });
 
     if (! defer_selecting_closest) {
-        message_store.reset_load_more_status();
+        message_fetch.reset_load_more_status();
         maybe_select_closest();
     } else {
         ui.show_loading_more_messages_indicator();
@@ -468,7 +468,7 @@ exports.deactivate = function () {
     condense.condense_and_collapse($("#zhome tr.message_row"));
 
     $('#search_query').val('');
-    message_store.reset_load_more_status();
+    message_fetch.reset_load_more_status();
     hashchange.save_narrow();
 
     if (current_msg_list.selected_id() !== -1) {
diff --git a/static/js/ui.js b/static/js/ui.js
index ab7add1508..85db45d24d 100644
--- a/static/js/ui.js
+++ b/static/js/ui.js
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ function scroll_finished() {
         if (message_viewport.scrollTop() === 0 &&
             ui.have_scrolled_away_from_top) {
             ui.have_scrolled_away_from_top = false;
-            message_store.load_more_messages(current_msg_list);
+            message_fetch.load_more_messages(current_msg_list);
         } else if (!ui.have_scrolled_away_from_top) {
             ui.have_scrolled_away_from_top = true;
         }
diff --git a/zproject/settings.py b/zproject/settings.py
index f7dcd66a5c..48540c27de 100644
--- a/zproject/settings.py
+++ b/zproject/settings.py
@@ -878,6 +878,7 @@ JS_SPECS = {
             'js/alert_words_ui.js',
             'js/attachments_ui.js',
             'js/message_store.js',
+            'js/message_fetch.js',
             'js/server_events.js',
             'js/zulip.js',
             'js/activity.js',