diff --git a/zerver/views/__init__.py b/zerver/views/__init__.py
index e7c3473401..0fa3dd8d02 100644
--- a/zerver/views/__init__.py
+++ b/zerver/views/__init__.py
@@ -43,14 +43,14 @@ from django_auth_ldap.backend import LDAPBackend, _LDAPUser
 from zerver.lib import bugdown
 from zerver.lib.validator import check_string, check_list, check_bool
 from zerver.decorator import require_post, authenticated_json_post_view, \
-    has_request_variables, to_non_negative_int, \
+    has_request_variables, \
     JsonableError, get_user_profile_by_email, REQ, \
     zulip_login_required
 from zerver.lib.avatar import avatar_url
 from zerver.lib.i18n import get_language_list, get_language_name, \
     get_language_list_for_templates
 from zerver.lib.response import json_success, json_error
-from zerver.lib.utils import statsd, generate_random_token
+from zerver.lib.utils import statsd
 from version import ZULIP_VERSION
 from zproject.backends import password_auth_enabled, dev_auth_enabled, google_auth_enabled
 
@@ -1023,47 +1023,6 @@ def is_buggy_ua(agent):
     return ("Humbug Desktop/" in agent or "Zulip Desktop/" in agent or "ZulipDesktop/" in agent) and \
         "Mac" not in agent
 
-def get_pointer_backend(request, user_profile):
-    # type: (HttpRequest, UserProfile) -> HttpResponse
-    return json_success({'pointer': user_profile.pointer})
-
-@has_request_variables
-def update_pointer_backend(request, user_profile,
-                           pointer=REQ(converter=to_non_negative_int)):
-    # type: (HttpRequest, UserProfile, int) -> HttpResponse
-    if pointer <= user_profile.pointer:
-        return json_success()
-
-    try:
-        UserMessage.objects.get(
-            user_profile=user_profile,
-            message__id=pointer
-        )
-    except UserMessage.DoesNotExist:
-        raise JsonableError(_("Invalid message ID"))
-
-    request._log_data["extra"] = "[%s]" % (pointer,)
-    update_flags = (request.client.name.lower() in ['android', "zulipandroid"])
-    do_update_pointer(user_profile, pointer, update_flags=update_flags)
-
-    return json_success()
-
-def generate_client_id():
-    # type: () -> text_type
-    return generate_random_token(32)
-
-def get_profile_backend(request, user_profile):
-    # type: (HttpRequest, UserProfile) -> HttpResponse
-    result = dict(pointer        = user_profile.pointer,
-                  client_id      = generate_client_id(),
-                  max_message_id = -1)
-
-    messages = Message.objects.filter(usermessage__user_profile=user_profile).order_by('-id')[:1]
-    if messages:
-        result['max_message_id'] = messages[0].id
-
-    return json_success(result)
-
 @csrf_exempt
 @require_post
 @has_request_variables
diff --git a/zerver/views/pointer.py b/zerver/views/pointer.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a52590287d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zerver/views/pointer.py
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+
+from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
+from django.http import HttpRequest, HttpResponse
+from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _
+from six import text_type
+
+from zerver.decorator import to_non_negative_int
+from zerver.lib.actions import do_update_pointer
+from zerver.lib.request import has_request_variables, JsonableError, REQ
+from zerver.lib.response import json_success
+from zerver.lib.utils import statsd, generate_random_token
+from zerver.models import UserProfile, Message, UserMessage
+
+def get_pointer_backend(request, user_profile):
+    # type: (HttpRequest, UserProfile) -> HttpResponse
+    return json_success({'pointer': user_profile.pointer})
+
+@has_request_variables
+def update_pointer_backend(request, user_profile,
+                           pointer=REQ(converter=to_non_negative_int)):
+    # type: (HttpRequest, UserProfile, int) -> HttpResponse
+    if pointer <= user_profile.pointer:
+        return json_success()
+
+    try:
+        UserMessage.objects.get(
+            user_profile=user_profile,
+            message__id=pointer
+        )
+    except UserMessage.DoesNotExist:
+        raise JsonableError(_("Invalid message ID"))
+
+    request._log_data["extra"] = "[%s]" % (pointer,)
+    update_flags = (request.client.name.lower() in ['android', "zulipandroid"])
+    do_update_pointer(user_profile, pointer, update_flags=update_flags)
+
+    return json_success()
+
+def generate_client_id():
+    # type: () -> text_type
+    return generate_random_token(32)
+
+def get_profile_backend(request, user_profile):
+    # type: (HttpRequest, UserProfile) -> HttpResponse
+    result = dict(pointer        = user_profile.pointer,
+                  client_id      = generate_client_id(),
+                  max_message_id = -1)
+
+    messages = Message.objects.filter(usermessage__user_profile=user_profile).order_by('-id')[:1]
+    if messages:
+        result['max_message_id'] = messages[0].id
+
+    return json_success(result)
+
diff --git a/zproject/urls.py b/zproject/urls.py
index 71ebb55d27..784db319f2 100644
--- a/zproject/urls.py
+++ b/zproject/urls.py
@@ -174,10 +174,10 @@ v1_api_and_json_patterns = [
 
     # users/me -> zerver.views
     url(r'^users/me$', 'zerver.lib.rest.rest_dispatch',
-        {'GET': 'zerver.views.get_profile_backend'}),
+        {'GET': 'zerver.views.pointer.get_profile_backend'}),
     url(r'^users/me/pointer$', 'zerver.lib.rest.rest_dispatch',
-        {'GET': 'zerver.views.get_pointer_backend',
-         'PUT': 'zerver.views.update_pointer_backend'}),
+        {'GET': 'zerver.views.pointer.get_pointer_backend',
+         'PUT': 'zerver.views.pointer.update_pointer_backend'}),
     url(r'^users/me/presence$', 'zerver.lib.rest.rest_dispatch',
         {'POST': 'zerver.views.presence.update_active_status_backend'}),
     # Endpoint used by mobile devices to register their push