diff --git a/zerver/lib/actions.py b/zerver/lib/actions.py
index ed197d47b6..2ef6c03221 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/actions.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/actions.py
@@ -1038,7 +1038,6 @@ def render_incoming_message(message: Message,
             content=content,
             realm=realm,
             realm_alert_words_automaton = realm_alert_words_automaton,
-            user_ids=user_ids,
             mention_data=mention_data,
             email_gateway=email_gateway,
         )
diff --git a/zerver/lib/import_realm.py b/zerver/lib/import_realm.py
index ce0f769afb..ab58601a13 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/import_realm.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/import_realm.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import datetime
 import logging
 import os
 import shutil
-from typing import Any, Dict, Iterable, List, Optional, Set, Tuple, cast
+from typing import Any, Dict, Iterable, List, Optional, Tuple, cast
 
 import boto3
 import ujson
@@ -323,14 +323,12 @@ def fix_message_rendered_content(realm: Realm,
             # platforms, since they generally don't have an "alert
             # words" type feature, and notifications aren't important anyway.
             realm_alert_words_automaton = None
-            message_user_ids: Set[int] = set()
 
             rendered_content = do_render_markdown(
                 message=cast(Message, message_object),
                 content=content,
                 realm=realm,
                 realm_alert_words_automaton=realm_alert_words_automaton,
-                message_user_ids=message_user_ids,
                 sent_by_bot=sent_by_bot,
                 translate_emoticons=translate_emoticons,
             )
diff --git a/zerver/lib/message.py b/zerver/lib/message.py
index f8ebc82a34..c76caa751c 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/message.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/message.py
@@ -658,18 +658,12 @@ def render_markdown(message: Message,
                     content: str,
                     realm: Optional[Realm]=None,
                     realm_alert_words_automaton: Optional[ahocorasick.Automaton]=None,
-                    user_ids: Optional[Set[int]]=None,
                     mention_data: Optional[bugdown.MentionData]=None,
                     email_gateway: bool=False) -> str:
     '''
     This is basically just a wrapper for do_render_markdown.
     '''
 
-    if user_ids is None:
-        message_user_ids: Set[int] = set()
-    else:
-        message_user_ids = user_ids
-
     if realm is None:
         realm = message.get_realm()
 
@@ -682,7 +676,6 @@ def render_markdown(message: Message,
         content=content,
         realm=realm,
         realm_alert_words_automaton=realm_alert_words_automaton,
-        message_user_ids=message_user_ids,
         sent_by_bot=sent_by_bot,
         translate_emoticons=translate_emoticons,
         mention_data=mention_data,
@@ -694,7 +687,6 @@ def render_markdown(message: Message,
 def do_render_markdown(message: Message,
                        content: str,
                        realm: Realm,
-                       message_user_ids: Set[int],
                        sent_by_bot: bool,
                        translate_emoticons: bool,
                        realm_alert_words_automaton: Optional[ahocorasick.Automaton]=None,
diff --git a/zerver/tests/test_bugdown.py b/zerver/tests/test_bugdown.py
index 85618a8739..0809117bd2 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/test_bugdown.py
+++ b/zerver/tests/test_bugdown.py
@@ -1118,8 +1118,7 @@ class BugdownTest(ZulipTestCase):
         def render(msg: Message, content: str) -> str:
             return render_markdown(msg,
                                    content,
-                                   realm_alert_words_automaton=realm_alert_words_automaton,
-                                   user_ids={user_profile.id})
+                                   realm_alert_words_automaton=realm_alert_words_automaton)
 
         content = "We have an ALERTWORD day today!"
         self.assertEqual(render(msg, content), "<p>We have an ALERTWORD day today!</p>")
@@ -1137,22 +1136,18 @@ class BugdownTest(ZulipTestCase):
             'othello': ['how are you'], 'aaron': ['hey'],
         }
         user_profiles: Dict[str, UserProfile] = {}
-        user_ids: Set[int] = set()
         for (username, alert_words) in alert_words_for_users.items():
             user_profile = self.example_user(username)
             user_profiles.update({username: user_profile})
-            user_ids.add(user_profile.id)
             do_add_alert_words(user_profile, alert_words)
         sender_user_profile = self.example_user('polonius')
-        user_ids.add(sender_user_profile.id)
         msg = Message(sender=sender_user_profile, sending_client=get_client("test"))
         realm_alert_words_automaton = get_alert_word_automaton(sender_user_profile.realm)
 
         def render(msg: Message, content: str) -> str:
             return render_markdown(msg,
                                    content,
-                                   realm_alert_words_automaton=realm_alert_words_automaton,
-                                   user_ids = user_ids)
+                                   realm_alert_words_automaton=realm_alert_words_automaton)
 
         content = "hello how is this possible how are you doing today"
         render(msg, content)
@@ -1171,22 +1166,18 @@ class BugdownTest(ZulipTestCase):
             'othello': ['last'],
         }
         user_profiles: Dict[str, UserProfile] = {}
-        user_ids: Set[int] = set()
         for (username, alert_words) in alert_words_for_users.items():
             user_profile = self.example_user(username)
             user_profiles.update({username: user_profile})
-            user_ids.add(user_profile.id)
             do_add_alert_words(user_profile, alert_words)
         sender_user_profile = self.example_user('polonius')
-        user_ids.add(sender_user_profile.id)
         msg = Message(sender=sender_user_profile, sending_client=get_client("test"))
         realm_alert_words_automaton = get_alert_word_automaton(sender_user_profile.realm)
 
         def render(msg: Message, content: str) -> str:
             return render_markdown(msg,
                                    content,
-                                   realm_alert_words_automaton=realm_alert_words_automaton,
-                                   user_ids = user_ids)
+                                   realm_alert_words_automaton=realm_alert_words_automaton)
 
         content = """Hello, everyone. Prod deployment has been completed
         And this is a new line
@@ -1212,22 +1203,18 @@ class BugdownTest(ZulipTestCase):
             'othello': ['last'],
         }
         user_profiles: Dict[str, UserProfile] = {}
-        user_ids: Set[int] = set()
         for (username, alert_words) in alert_words_for_users.items():
             user_profile = self.example_user(username)
             user_profiles.update({username: user_profile})
-            user_ids.add(user_profile.id)
             do_add_alert_words(user_profile, alert_words)
         sender_user_profile = self.example_user('polonius')
-        user_ids.add(sender_user_profile.id)
         msg = Message(sender=sender_user_profile, sending_client=get_client("test"))
         realm_alert_words_automaton = get_alert_word_automaton(sender_user_profile.realm)
 
         def render(msg: Message, content: str) -> str:
             return render_markdown(msg,
                                    content,
-                                   realm_alert_words_automaton=realm_alert_words_automaton,
-                                   user_ids = user_ids)
+                                   realm_alert_words_automaton=realm_alert_words_automaton)
 
         content = """This is to test out alert words work in languages with accented characters too
         bonjour est (énormément) ce a quoi ressemble le français
@@ -1244,7 +1231,6 @@ class BugdownTest(ZulipTestCase):
             'othello': [], 'aaron': [],
         }
         user_profiles: Dict[str, UserProfile] = {}
-        user_ids: Set[int] = set()
         for (username, alert_words) in alert_words_for_users.items():
             user_profile = self.example_user(username)
             user_profiles.update({username: user_profile})
@@ -1256,8 +1242,7 @@ class BugdownTest(ZulipTestCase):
         def render(msg: Message, content: str) -> str:
             return render_markdown(msg,
                                    content,
-                                   realm_alert_words_automaton=realm_alert_words_automaton,
-                                   user_ids = user_ids)
+                                   realm_alert_words_automaton=realm_alert_words_automaton)
 
         content = """hello how is this possible how are you doing today
         This is to test that the no user_ids who have alrert wourldword is participating
@@ -1280,21 +1265,18 @@ class BugdownTest(ZulipTestCase):
             'othello': [],
         }
         user_profiles: Dict[str, UserProfile] = {}
-        user_ids: Set[int] = set()
         for (username, alert_words) in alert_words_for_users.items():
             user_profile = self.example_user(username)
             user_profiles.update({username: user_profile})
             do_add_alert_words(user_profile, alert_words)
         sender_user_profile = self.example_user('polonius')
-        user_ids = {user_profiles['hamlet'].id, user_profiles['iago'].id, user_profiles['othello'].id}
         msg = Message(sender=sender_user_profile, sending_client=get_client("test"))
         realm_alert_words_automaton = get_alert_word_automaton(sender_user_profile.realm)
 
         def render(msg: Message, content: str) -> str:
             return render_markdown(msg,
                                    content,
-                                   realm_alert_words_automaton=realm_alert_words_automaton,
-                                   user_ids = user_ids)
+                                   realm_alert_words_automaton=realm_alert_words_automaton)
 
         content = """This is to test a empty alert words i.e. no user has any alert-words set"""
         render(msg, content)
@@ -1310,21 +1292,18 @@ class BugdownTest(ZulipTestCase):
             'othello': self.get_mock_alert_words(500, 10),
         }
         user_profiles: Dict[str, UserProfile] = {}
-        user_ids: Set[int] = set()
         for (username, alert_words) in alert_words_for_users.items():
             user_profile = self.example_user(username)
             user_profiles.update({username: user_profile})
             do_add_alert_words(user_profile, alert_words)
         sender_user_profile = self.example_user('polonius')
-        user_ids = {user_profiles['hamlet'].id, user_profiles['iago'].id, user_profiles['othello'].id}
         msg = Message(sender=sender_user_profile, sending_client=get_client("test"))
         realm_alert_words_automaton = get_alert_word_automaton(sender_user_profile.realm)
 
         def render(msg: Message, content: str) -> str:
             return render_markdown(msg,
                                    content,
-                                   realm_alert_words_automaton=realm_alert_words_automaton,
-                                   user_ids = user_ids)
+                                   realm_alert_words_automaton=realm_alert_words_automaton)
 
         content = """The code above will print 10 random values of numbers between 1 and 100.
         The second line, for x in range(10), determines how many values will be printed (when you use