diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/list_render.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/list_render.js
index 674d867764..20fdb25314 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/list_render.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/list_render.js
@@ -185,8 +185,7 @@ run_test('filtering', () => {
         'fox',
     ];
 
-    widget.data(new_data);
-    widget.clean_redraw();
+    widget.replace_list_data(new_data);
     expected_html =
         '<div>greta</div>' +
         '<div>gary</div>' +
diff --git a/static/js/list_render.js b/static/js/list_render.js
index a7378b6a62..3308be66bd 100644
--- a/static/js/list_render.js
+++ b/static/js/list_render.js
@@ -128,32 +128,6 @@ exports.create = function ($container, list, opts) {
         meta.offset += load_count;
     };
 
-    // reset the data associated with a list. This is so that instead of
-    // initializing a new progressive list render instance, you can just
-    // update the data of an existing one.
-    widget.data = function (...args) {
-        // if no args are provided then just return the existing data.
-        // this interface is similar to how many jQuery functions operate,
-        // where a call to the method without data returns the existing data.
-        if (args.length === 0) {
-            return meta.list;
-        }
-        const [data] = args;
-
-        if (Array.isArray(data)) {
-            meta.list = data;
-            meta.filtered_list = data;
-
-            widget.filter_and_sort();
-            widget.clear();
-
-            return;
-        }
-
-        blueslip.warn("The data object provided to the progressive" +
-                          " list render is invalid");
-    };
-
     widget.clear = function () {
         $container.html("");
         meta.offset = 0;
@@ -245,6 +219,16 @@ exports.create = function ($container, list, opts) {
         }
     };
 
+    widget.replace_list_data = function (list) {
+        /*
+            We mostly use this widget for lists where you are
+            not adding or removing rows, so when you do modify
+            the list, we have a brute force solution.
+        */
+        meta.list = list;
+        widget.hard_redraw();
+    };
+
     // add built-in generic sort functions.
     widget.add_generic_sort_function("alphabetic", function (prop) {
         return function (a, b) {
diff --git a/static/js/stream_ui_updates.js b/static/js/stream_ui_updates.js
index c8d19c7447..67ec718a7e 100644
--- a/static/js/stream_ui_updates.js
+++ b/static/js/stream_ui_updates.js
@@ -188,8 +188,7 @@ exports.update_subscribers_list = function (sub) {
         // stream is open.
         if (subscribers_list) {
             stream_edit.sort_but_pin_current_user_on_top(users);
-            subscribers_list.data(users);
-            subscribers_list.clean_redraw();
+            subscribers_list.replace_list_data(users);
         }
         $(".subscriber_list_settings_container").show();
     }