diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/hotkey.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/hotkey.js
index 058668857b..476f94a41d 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/hotkey.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/hotkey.js
@@ -177,11 +177,11 @@ function stubbing(func_name_to_stub, test_function) {
     }
 
     _.each([return_true, return_false], function (is_settings_page) {
-        _.each([return_true, return_false], function (home_tab_obscured) {
+        _.each([return_true, return_false], function (is_active) {
             _.each([return_true, return_false], function (is_info_overlay) {
                 hotkey.is_settings_page = is_settings_page;
-                set_global('ui_state', {home_tab_obscured: home_tab_obscured,
-                                        is_info_overlay: is_info_overlay});
+                set_global('modals', {is_active: is_active});
+                set_global('ui_state', {is_info_overlay: is_info_overlay});
 
                 test_normal_typing();
             });
diff --git a/static/js/click_handlers.js b/static/js/click_handlers.js
index 89659dd956..0363d96b08 100644
--- a/static/js/click_handlers.js
+++ b/static/js/click_handlers.js
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ $(function () {
     });
 
     $(".brand").on('click', function (e) {
-        if (ui_state.home_tab_obscured()) {
+        if (modals.is_active()) {
             ui_util.change_tab_to('#home');
         } else {
             narrow.restore_home_state();
diff --git a/static/js/hotkey.js b/static/js/hotkey.js
index e5ffd47e7a..c04b4949ff 100644
--- a/static/js/hotkey.js
+++ b/static/js/hotkey.js
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ exports.process_hotkey = function (e, hotkey) {
         return false;
     }
 
-    if (hotkey.message_view_only && ui_state.home_tab_obscured()) {
+    if (hotkey.message_view_only && modals.is_active()) {
         return false;
     }
 
diff --git a/static/js/modals.js b/static/js/modals.js
index 10cd7db836..9247ded770 100644
--- a/static/js/modals.js
+++ b/static/js/modals.js
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ function reset_state() {
     open_modal_name = undefined;
 }
 
+exports.is_active = function () {
+    return !!open_modal_name;
+};
+
 exports.open_overlay = function (opts) {
     if (!opts.name || !opts.overlay || !opts.on_close) {
         blueslip.error('Programming error in open_modal');
diff --git a/static/js/narrow.js b/static/js/narrow.js
index a389f71b68..f5a2d0e950 100644
--- a/static/js/narrow.js
+++ b/static/js/narrow.js
@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@ exports.restore_home_state = function () {
     // If we click on the Home link from another nav pane, just go
     // back to the state you were in (possibly still narrowed) before
     // you left the Home pane.
-    if (!ui_state.home_tab_obscured()) {
+    if (!modals.is_active()) {
         exports.deactivate();
     }
     navigate.maybe_scroll_to_selected();
diff --git a/static/js/stream_list.js b/static/js/stream_list.js
index e2487355b2..3916fcf7f9 100644
--- a/static/js/stream_list.js
+++ b/static/js/stream_list.js
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ $(function () {
         if (e.metaKey || e.ctrlKey) {
             return;
         }
-        if (ui_state.home_tab_obscured()) {
+        if (modals.is_active()) {
             ui_util.change_tab_to('#home');
         }
         var stream = $(e.target).parents('li').attr('data-name');
@@ -500,7 +500,7 @@ function maybe_select_stream(e) {
         var topStream = $('#stream_filters li.narrow-filter').first().data('name');
         if (topStream !== undefined) {
             // undefined if there are no results
-            if (ui_state.home_tab_obscured()) {
+            if (modals.is_active()) {
                 ui_util.change_tab_to('#home');
             }
             exports.clear_and_hide_search();
diff --git a/static/js/stream_muting.js b/static/js/stream_muting.js
index 3cf5289357..619d0f3978 100644
--- a/static/js/stream_muting.js
+++ b/static/js/stream_muting.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ exports.update_in_home_view = function (sub, value) {
         var msg_offset;
         var saved_ypos;
         // Save our current scroll position
-        if (ui_state.home_tab_obscured()) {
+        if (modals.is_active()) {
             saved_ypos = message_viewport.scrollTop();
         } else if (home_msg_list === current_msg_list &&
                    current_msg_list.selected_row().offset() !== null) {
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ exports.update_in_home_view = function (sub, value) {
         message_util.add_messages(message_list.all.all_messages(), home_msg_list);
 
         // Ensure we're still at the same scroll position
-        if (ui_state.home_tab_obscured()) {
+        if (modals.is_active()) {
             message_viewport.scrollTop(saved_ypos);
         } else if (home_msg_list === current_msg_list) {
             // We pass use_closest to handle the case where the
diff --git a/static/js/topic_list.js b/static/js/topic_list.js
index 89bfc95ff0..8d961f7be4 100644
--- a/static/js/topic_list.js
+++ b/static/js/topic_list.js
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ exports.set_click_handlers = function (callbacks) {
 
         // In a more componentized world, we would delegate some
         // of this stuff back up to our parents.
-        if (ui_state.home_tab_obscured()) {
+        if (modals.is_active()) {
             ui_util.change_tab_to('#home');
         }
 
diff --git a/static/js/tutorial.js b/static/js/tutorial.js
index 1316433ad7..30df587742 100644
--- a/static/js/tutorial.js
+++ b/static/js/tutorial.js
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ function welcome() {
 }
 
 exports.start = function () {
-    if (ui_state.home_tab_obscured()) {
+    if (modals.is_active()) {
         ui_util.change_tab_to('#home');
     }
     narrow.deactivate();
diff --git a/static/js/ui_init.js b/static/js/ui_init.js
index 49442393d3..3f03e57541 100644
--- a/static/js/ui_init.js
+++ b/static/js/ui_init.js
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ $(function () {
     });
 
     message_viewport.message_pane.mousewheel(function (e, delta) {
-        if (!ui_state.home_tab_obscured()) {
+        if (!modals.is_active()) {
             // In the message view, we use a throttled mousewheel handler.
             throttled_mousewheelhandler(e, delta);
         }
diff --git a/static/js/ui_state.js b/static/js/ui_state.js
index a46f588cab..b92efe3ec9 100644
--- a/static/js/ui_state.js
+++ b/static/js/ui_state.js
@@ -2,14 +2,6 @@ var ui_state = (function () {
 
 var exports = {};
 
-exports.home_tab_obscured = function () {
-    if ($('.overlay.show').length > 0) {
-        return 'modal';
-    }
-
-    return false;
-};
-
 exports.is_info_overlay = function () {
     return ($(".informational-overlays").hasClass("show"));
 };