diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/unread.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/unread.js
index a119ff638c..754d6179e1 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/unread.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/unread.js
@@ -699,32 +699,34 @@ test("message_unread", () => {
 test("server_counts", () => {
     // note that user_id 30 is "me"
 
-    page_params.unread_msgs = {
-        pms: [
-            {
-                other_user_id: 101,
-                // sender_id is deprecated.
-                sender_id: 101,
-                unread_message_ids: [31, 32, 60, 61, 62, 63],
-            },
-        ],
-        huddles: [
-            {
-                user_ids_string: "4,6,30,101",
-                unread_message_ids: [34, 50],
-            },
-        ],
-        streams: [
-            {
-                stream_id: 1,
-                topic: "test",
-                unread_message_ids: [33, 35, 36],
-            },
-        ],
-        mentions: [31, 34, 40, 41],
+    const unread_params = {
+        unread_msgs: {
+            pms: [
+                {
+                    other_user_id: 101,
+                    // sender_id is deprecated.
+                    sender_id: 101,
+                    unread_message_ids: [31, 32, 60, 61, 62, 63],
+                },
+            ],
+            huddles: [
+                {
+                    user_ids_string: "4,6,30,101",
+                    unread_message_ids: [34, 50],
+                },
+            ],
+            streams: [
+                {
+                    stream_id: 1,
+                    topic: "test",
+                    unread_message_ids: [33, 35, 36],
+                },
+            ],
+            mentions: [31, 34, 40, 41],
+        },
     };
 
-    unread.initialize();
+    unread.initialize(unread_params);
 
     assert.equal(unread.num_unread_for_user_ids_string("101"), 6);
     assert.equal(unread.num_unread_for_user_ids_string("4,6,101"), 2);
diff --git a/static/js/ui_init.js b/static/js/ui_init.js
index 14573ba648..7d4515d93b 100644
--- a/static/js/ui_init.js
+++ b/static/js/ui_init.js
@@ -558,6 +558,8 @@ export function initialize_everything() {
 
     const user_groups_params = pop_fields("realm_user_groups");
 
+    const unread_params = pop_fields("unread_msgs");
+
     const user_status_params = pop_fields("user_status");
     const i18n_params = pop_fields("language_list");
     const user_settings_params = pop_fields("user_settings");
@@ -648,7 +650,7 @@ export function initialize_everything() {
     search_pill_widget.initialize();
     reload.initialize();
     user_groups.initialize(user_groups_params);
-    unread.initialize();
+    unread.initialize(unread_params);
     bot_data.initialize(bot_params); // Must happen after people.initialize()
     message_fetch.initialize(server_events.home_view_loaded);
     message_scroll.initialize();
diff --git a/static/js/unread.js b/static/js/unread.js
index 0e2d060dcb..b4b8087381 100644
--- a/static/js/unread.js
+++ b/static/js/unread.js
@@ -793,8 +793,8 @@ export function get_msg_ids_for_starred() {
     return [];
 }
 
-export function initialize() {
-    const unread_msgs = page_params.unread_msgs;
+export function initialize(params) {
+    const unread_msgs = params.unread_msgs;
 
     unread_pm_counter.set_huddles(unread_msgs.huddles);
     unread_pm_counter.set_pms(unread_msgs.pms);