diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/people.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/people.js
index 6f0e64cb96..890f0357c6 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/people.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/people.js
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ initialize();
     assert.equal(_.size(realm_persons), 1);
     assert.equal(realm_persons[0].full_name, 'Isaac Newton');
 
+    var human_user_ids = people.get_realm_human_user_ids();
+    assert.deepEqual(human_user_ids, [isaac.user_id]);
+
     // Now deactivate isaac
     people.deactivate(isaac);
     person = people.realm_get(email);
diff --git a/static/js/activity.js b/static/js/activity.js
index f0e3137cb8..a7c42403e8 100644
--- a/static/js/activity.js
+++ b/static/js/activity.js
@@ -350,9 +350,7 @@ exports.build_user_sidebar = function () {
     if (exports.get_filter_text()) {
         // If there's a filter, select from all users, not just those
         // recently active.
-        user_ids = filter_and_sort(people.get_realm_persons().map(function (person) {
-            return person.user_id;
-        }));
+        user_ids = filter_and_sort(people.get_realm_human_user_ids());
     } else {
         user_ids = filter_and_sort(presence.get_user_ids());
     }
diff --git a/static/js/people.js b/static/js/people.js
index bcc3ca9b77..c26e7ceb4d 100644
--- a/static/js/people.js
+++ b/static/js/people.js
@@ -538,6 +538,12 @@ exports.get_realm_persons = function () {
     return realm_people_dict.values();
 };
 
+exports.get_realm_human_user_ids = function () {
+    // This returns user_ids for all non-bot users
+    // in the realm.
+    return realm_people_dict.keys();
+};
+
 exports.is_cross_realm_email = function (email) {
     var person = people.get_by_email(email);
     if (!person) {