diff --git a/static/js/message_scroll.js b/static/js/message_scroll.js
index 79cc46c7ce..7bc11abaec 100644
--- a/static/js/message_scroll.js
+++ b/static/js/message_scroll.js
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ exports.scroll_finished = function () {
     if (!pointer.suppress_scroll_pointer_update) {
         message_viewport.keep_pointer_in_view();
     } else {
-        pointer.suppress_scroll_pointer_update = false;
+        pointer.set_suppress_scroll_pointer_update(false);
     }
 
     floating_recipient_bar.update();
diff --git a/static/js/message_viewport.js b/static/js/message_viewport.js
index dba3545008..f154d51fa2 100644
--- a/static/js/message_viewport.js
+++ b/static/js/message_viewport.js
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ exports.set_message_position = function (message_top, message_height, viewport_i
         message_top
         - message_offset;
 
-    pointer.suppress_scroll_pointer_update = true; // Gets set to false in the scroll handler.
+    pointer.set_suppress_scroll_pointer_update(true); // Gets set to false in the scroll handler.
     exports.scrollTop(new_scroll_top);
 };
 
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ exports.is_narrow = function () {
 };
 
 exports.system_initiated_animate_scroll = function (scroll_amount) {
-    pointer.suppress_scroll_pointer_update = true; // Gets set to false in the scroll handler.
+    pointer.set_suppress_scroll_pointer_update(true); // Gets set to false in the scroll handler.
     var viewport_offset = exports.scrollTop();
     in_stoppable_autoscroll = true;
     exports.message_pane.animate({
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ exports.system_initiated_animate_scroll = function (scroll_amount) {
 };
 
 exports.user_initiated_animate_scroll = function (scroll_amount) {
-    pointer.suppress_scroll_pointer_update = true; // Gets set to false in the scroll handler.
+    pointer.set_suppress_scroll_pointer_update(true); // Gets set to false in the scroll handler.
     in_stoppable_autoscroll = false; // defensive
 
     var viewport_offset = exports.scrollTop();
diff --git a/static/js/pointer.js b/static/js/pointer.js
index a72aa90bc9..688a80674f 100644
--- a/static/js/pointer.js
+++ b/static/js/pointer.js
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ exports.set_recenter_pointer_on_display = function (value) {
 // Toggles re-centering the pointer in the window
 // when All Messages is next clicked by the user
 exports.suppress_scroll_pointer_update = false;
+exports.set_suppress_scroll_pointer_update = function (value) {
+    exports.suppress_scroll_pointer_update = value;
+};
 exports.furthest_read = -1;
 exports.set_furthest_read = function (value) {
     exports.furthest_read = value;
diff --git a/static/js/stream_muting.js b/static/js/stream_muting.js
index 2d33f414c6..5fe09677b9 100644
--- a/static/js/stream_muting.js
+++ b/static/js/stream_muting.js
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ exports.update_is_muted = function (sub, value) {
         // make sure the pointer is still visible. We don't want the auto-scroll handler to move
         // our pointer to the old scroll location before we have a chance to update it.
         pointer.set_recenter_pointer_on_display(true);
-        pointer.suppress_scroll_pointer_update = true;
+        pointer.set_suppress_scroll_pointer_update(true);
 
         if (!home_msg_list.empty()) {
             message_util.do_unread_count_updates(home_msg_list.all_messages());