diff --git a/web/src/composebox_typeahead.js b/web/src/composebox_typeahead.js
index 9e53718c2a..fa9096f0bd 100644
--- a/web/src/composebox_typeahead.js
+++ b/web/src/composebox_typeahead.js
@@ -1262,10 +1262,4 @@ export function initialize({on_enter_send}) {
     });
 
     initialize_compose_typeahead("textarea#compose-textarea");
-
-    $("#private_message_recipient").on("blur", function () {
-        const val = $(this).val();
-        const recipients = typeahead_helper.get_cleaned_pm_recipients(val);
-        $(this).val(recipients.join(", "));
-    });
 }
diff --git a/web/src/typeahead_helper.ts b/web/src/typeahead_helper.ts
index 5c18d45f7f..6cd658c6fb 100644
--- a/web/src/typeahead_helper.ts
+++ b/web/src/typeahead_helper.ts
@@ -36,14 +36,6 @@ export type CombinedPillItem =
     | InputPillItem<UserGroupPill>
     | InputPillItem<StreamPill>;
 
-// Returns an array of direct message recipients, removing empty elements.
-// For example, "a,,b, " => ["a", "b"]
-export function get_cleaned_pm_recipients(query_string: string): string[] {
-    let recipients = util.extract_pm_recipients(query_string);
-    recipients = recipients.filter((elem) => elem.match(/\S/));
-    return recipients;
-}
-
 export function build_highlight_regex(query: string): RegExp {
     const regex = new RegExp("(" + _.escapeRegExp(query) + ")", "ig");
     return regex;
diff --git a/web/tests/composebox_typeahead.test.js b/web/tests/composebox_typeahead.test.js
index 8da26cd02c..f465d40497 100644
--- a/web/tests/composebox_typeahead.test.js
+++ b/web/tests/composebox_typeahead.test.js
@@ -1199,10 +1199,6 @@ test("initialize", ({override, override_rewire, mock_template}) => {
         on_enter_send: finish,
     });
 
-    $("#private_message_recipient").val("othello@zulip.com, ");
-    $("#private_message_recipient").trigger("blur");
-    assert.equal($("#private_message_recipient").val(), "othello@zulip.com");
-
     // the UI of selecting a stream is tested in puppeteer tests.
     compose_state.set_stream_id(sweden_stream.stream_id);