diff --git a/static/js/message_events.js b/static/js/message_events.js
index c2097229b7..2240b396b9 100644
--- a/static/js/message_events.js
+++ b/static/js/message_events.js
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ exports.update_messages = function update_messages(events) {
     var msgs_to_rerender = [];
     var topic_edited = false;
     var changed_narrow = false;
+    var message_content_edited = false;
 
     _.each(events, function (event) {
         var msg = message_store.get(event.message_id);
@@ -213,6 +214,7 @@ exports.update_messages = function update_messages(events) {
                 msg.edit_history = [];
             }
             msg.edit_history = [edit_history_entry].concat(msg.edit_history);
+            message_content_edited = true;
         }
 
         msg.last_edit_timestamp = event.edit_timestamp;
@@ -233,9 +235,10 @@ exports.update_messages = function update_messages(events) {
             message_list.narrowed.rerender();
         }
     } else {
-        home_msg_list.view.rerender_messages(msgs_to_rerender);
+        // If the content of the message was edited, we do a special animation.
+        current_msg_list.view.rerender_messages(msgs_to_rerender, message_content_edited);
         if (current_msg_list === message_list.narrowed) {
-            message_list.narrowed.view.rerender_messages(msgs_to_rerender);
+            home_msg_list.view.rerender_messages(msgs_to_rerender);
         }
     }
     unread_ui.update_unread_counts();
diff --git a/static/js/message_list_view.js b/static/js/message_list_view.js
index fccb1a299d..8a083e6162 100644
--- a/static/js/message_list_view.js
+++ b/static/js/message_list_view.js
@@ -812,7 +812,8 @@ MessageListView.prototype = {
         header.replaceWith(rendered_recipient_row);
     },
 
-    _rerender_message: function MessageListView___rerender_message(message_container) {
+    _rerender_message: function MessageListView___rerender_message(message_container,
+                                                                   message_content_edited) {
         var row = this.get_row(message_container.msg.id);
         var was_selected = this.list.selected_message() === message_container.msg;
 
@@ -821,7 +822,9 @@ MessageListView.prototype = {
         this._maybe_format_me_message(message_container);
 
         var rendered_msg = $(this._get_message_template(message_container));
-        rendered_msg.addClass("fade-in-message");
+        if (message_content_edited) {
+            rendered_msg.addClass("fade-in-message");
+        }
         this._post_process_dom_messages(rendered_msg.get());
         row.replaceWith(rendered_msg);
 
@@ -830,7 +833,8 @@ MessageListView.prototype = {
         }
     },
 
-    rerender_messages: function MessageListView__rerender_messages(messages) {
+    rerender_messages: function MessageListView__rerender_messages(messages,
+                                                                   message_content_edited) {
         var self = this;
 
         // Convert messages to list messages
@@ -852,13 +856,13 @@ MessageListView.prototype = {
                 message_groups.push(current_group);
                 current_group = [];
             }
-            self._rerender_message(message_container);
+            self._rerender_message(message_container, message_content_edited);
         });
         if (current_group.length !== 0) {
             message_groups.push(current_group);
         }
         _.each(message_groups, function (messages_in_group) {
-            self._rerender_header(messages_in_group);
+            self._rerender_header(messages_in_group, message_content_edited);
         });
     },