diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/topic_list.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/topic_list.js
index a7f62228d1..a5eb8bbe36 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/topic_list.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/topic_list.js
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ run_test('topic_list_build_widget', () => {
             unread: 3,
             is_zero: false,
             is_muted: false,
+            is_active_topic: false,
             url: '#narrow/stream/555-devel/topic/coding',
         };
         assert.deepEqual(info, expected);
diff --git a/static/js/topic_list.js b/static/js/topic_list.js
index fa947cb46b..aa02a1b239 100644
--- a/static/js/topic_list.js
+++ b/static/js/topic_list.js
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ exports.widget = function (parent_elem, my_stream_id) {
                 unread: num_unread,
                 is_zero: num_unread === 0,
                 is_muted: is_topic_muted,
+                is_active_topic: is_active_topic,
                 url: hash_util.by_stream_topic_uri(my_stream_id, topic_name),
             };
             const li = $(render_topic_list_item(topic_info));
@@ -275,13 +276,6 @@ exports.widget = function (parent_elem, my_stream_id) {
         return false;
     };
 
-    self.activate_topic = function () {
-        const li = self.topic_items.get(self.active_topic);
-        if (li) {
-            li.addClass('active-sub-filter');
-        }
-    };
-
     self.show_spinner = function () {
         // The spinner will go away once we get results and redraw
         // the whole list.
@@ -314,10 +308,6 @@ exports.widget = function (parent_elem, my_stream_id) {
         if (no_more_topics) {
             self.show_no_more_topics();
         }
-
-        if (active_topic) {
-            self.activate_topic();
-        }
     };
 
     return self;
diff --git a/static/templates/topic_list_item.hbs b/static/templates/topic_list_item.hbs
index adcec875e6..f9a8d24ec1 100644
--- a/static/templates/topic_list_item.hbs
+++ b/static/templates/topic_list_item.hbs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<li class='bottom_left_row {{#if is_zero}}zero-topic-unreads{{/if}} {{#if is_muted}}muted_topic{{/if}} topic-list-item' data-topic-name='{{topic_name}}'>
+<li class='bottom_left_row {{#if is_active_topic}}active-sub-filter{{/if}} {{#if is_zero}}zero-topic-unreads{{/if}} {{#if is_muted}}muted_topic{{/if}} topic-list-item' data-topic-name='{{topic_name}}'>
     <span class='topic-box'>
         <a href='{{url}}' class="topic-name" title="{{topic_name}}">
             {{topic_name}}