diff --git a/zerver/lib/actions.py b/zerver/lib/actions.py
index 719d4a2979..81f5a86244 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/actions.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/actions.py
@@ -100,8 +100,8 @@ from zerver.lib.message import (
     MessageDict,
     access_message,
     get_last_message_id,
+    normalize_body,
     render_markdown,
-    truncate_body,
     truncate_topic,
     update_first_visible_message_id,
     wildcard_mention_allowed,
@@ -2333,13 +2333,7 @@ def check_message(sender: UserProfile, client: Client, addressee: Addressee,
     """
     stream = None
 
-    message_content = message_content_raw.rstrip()
-    if len(message_content) == 0:
-        raise JsonableError(_("Message must not be empty"))
-    if '\x00' in message_content:
-        raise JsonableError(_("Message must not contain null bytes"))
-
-    message_content = truncate_body(message_content)
+    message_content = normalize_body(message_content_raw)
 
     if realm is None:
         realm = sender.realm
diff --git a/zerver/lib/email_mirror.py b/zerver/lib/email_mirror.py
index 82d14ec2c8..8716e5ee84 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/email_mirror.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/email_mirror.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ from zerver.lib.email_mirror_helpers import (
 )
 from zerver.lib.email_notifications import convert_html_to_markdown
 from zerver.lib.exceptions import RateLimited
-from zerver.lib.message import truncate_body, truncate_topic
+from zerver.lib.message import normalize_body, truncate_topic
 from zerver.lib.queue import queue_json_publish
 from zerver.lib.rate_limiter import RateLimitedObject
 from zerver.lib.send_email import FromAddress
@@ -161,8 +161,7 @@ def construct_zulip_body(message: EmailMessage, realm: Realm, show_sender: bool=
     if not body.endswith('\n'):
         body += '\n'
     body += extract_and_upload_attachments(message, realm)
-    body = body.strip()
-    if not body:
+    if not body.rstrip():
         body = '(No email body)'
 
     if show_sender:
@@ -182,7 +181,7 @@ def send_zulip(sender: UserProfile, stream: Stream, topic: str, content: str) ->
         sender,
         stream,
         truncate_topic(topic),
-        truncate_body(content),
+        normalize_body(content),
         email_gateway=True)
 
 def get_message_part_by_type(message: EmailMessage, content_type: str) -> Optional[str]:
diff --git a/zerver/lib/message.py b/zerver/lib/message.py
index a31c089cd9..2b0a191202 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/message.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/message.py
@@ -89,7 +89,12 @@ def truncate_content(content: str, max_length: int, truncation_message: str) ->
         content = content[:max_length - len(truncation_message)] + truncation_message
     return content
 
-def truncate_body(body: str) -> str:
+def normalize_body(body: str) -> str:
+    body = body.rstrip()
+    if len(body) == 0:
+        raise JsonableError(_("Message must not be empty"))
+    if '\x00' in body:
+        raise JsonableError(_("Message must not contain null bytes"))
     return truncate_content(body, MAX_MESSAGE_LENGTH, "\n[message truncated]")
 
 def truncate_topic(topic: str) -> str:
diff --git a/zerver/tests/test_drafts.py b/zerver/tests/test_drafts.py
index e9dd65c953..e6b4fdf65d 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/test_drafts.py
+++ b/zerver/tests/test_drafts.py
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ class DraftCreationTests(ZulipTestCase):
         }]
         self.create_and_check_drafts_for_error(
             draft_dicts,
-            "Content must not contain null bytes"
+            "Message must not contain null bytes"
         )
 
         draft_dicts = [{
diff --git a/zerver/views/drafts.py b/zerver/views/drafts.py
index a663a54235..3969c73e5e 100644
--- a/zerver/views/drafts.py
+++ b/zerver/views/drafts.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _
 from zerver.lib.actions import recipient_for_user_profiles
 from zerver.lib.addressee import get_user_profiles_by_ids
 from zerver.lib.exceptions import JsonableError
-from zerver.lib.message import truncate_body, truncate_topic
+from zerver.lib.message import normalize_body, truncate_topic
 from zerver.lib.request import REQ, has_request_variables
 from zerver.lib.response import json_error, json_success
 from zerver.lib.streams import access_stream_by_id
@@ -48,9 +48,7 @@ def further_validated_draft_dict(draft_dict: Dict[str, Any],
     validated" draft dict. It will have a slightly different set of keys the values
     for which can be used to directly create a Draft object. """
 
-    content = truncate_body(draft_dict["content"])
-    if "\x00" in content:
-        raise JsonableError(_("Content must not contain null bytes"))
+    content = normalize_body(draft_dict["content"])
 
     timestamp = draft_dict.get("timestamp", time.time())
     timestamp = round(timestamp, 6)
diff --git a/zerver/views/message_edit.py b/zerver/views/message_edit.py
index 8153bc9244..cd26942737 100644
--- a/zerver/views/message_edit.py
+++ b/zerver/views/message_edit.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ from zerver.lib.actions import (
 from zerver.lib.exceptions import JsonableError
 from zerver.lib.html_diff import highlight_html_differences
 from zerver.lib.markdown import MentionData
-from zerver.lib.message import access_message, truncate_body
+from zerver.lib.message import access_message, normalize_body
 from zerver.lib.queue import queue_json_publish
 from zerver.lib.response import json_error, json_success
 from zerver.lib.streams import get_stream_by_id
@@ -161,10 +161,9 @@ def update_message_backend(request: HttpRequest, user_profile: UserMessage,
     mention_user_ids: Set[int] = set()
     mention_data: Optional[MentionData] = None
     if content is not None:
-        content = content.strip()
-        if content == "":
+        if content.rstrip() == "":
             content = "(deleted)"
-        content = truncate_body(content)
+        content = normalize_body(content)
 
         mention_data = MentionData(
             realm_id=user_profile.realm.id,