diff --git a/zerver/lib/actions.py b/zerver/lib/actions.py
index 25ff074fc4..a633016e32 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/actions.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/actions.py
@@ -1744,8 +1744,7 @@ def do_update_message(user_profile, message_id, subject, propagate_mode, content
             'id': um.user_profile_id,
             'flags': um.flags_list()
         }
-    notice = dict(event=event, users=map(user_info, ums), type='update_message')
-    tornado_callbacks.send_notification(notice)
+    send_event(event, map(user_info, ums))
 
 def encode_email_address(stream):
     return encode_email_address_helper(stream.name, stream.email_token)
diff --git a/zerver/tornado_callbacks.py b/zerver/tornado_callbacks.py
index 58928d7f23..01739201df 100644
--- a/zerver/tornado_callbacks.py
+++ b/zerver/tornado_callbacks.py
@@ -197,25 +197,27 @@ def process_event(data):
             if client.accepts_event(event):
                 client.add_event(event.copy())
 
-def process_update_message(data):
-    event = data['event']
-    for user in data['users']:
-        user_profile_id = user['id']
-        user_event = event.copy() # shallow, but deep enough for our needs
-        user_event['flags'] = user['flags']
+def process_userdata_event(data):
+    raw_event = data['event']
+    for user_data in data['users']:
+        user_profile_id = user_data['id']
+        user_event = raw_event.copy() # shallow, but deep enough for our needs
+        for key in user_data.keys():
+            if key != "id":
+                user_event[key] = user_data[key]
 
         for client in get_client_descriptors_for_user(user_profile_id):
             if client.accepts_event(user_event):
                 client.add_event(user_event)
 
 def process_notification(data):
-    if 'type' not in data:
+    if data['event']['type'] in ["update_message"]:
+        process_userdata_event(data)
+    elif 'type' not in data:
         # Generic event that doesn't need special handling
         process_event(data)
     elif data['type'] == 'new_message':
         process_new_message(data)
-    elif data['type'] == 'update_message':
-        process_update_message(data)
     else:
         raise JsonableError('bad notification type ' + data['type'])