diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/composebox_typeahead.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/composebox_typeahead.js
index 185ef7a720..6609ec839e 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/composebox_typeahead.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/composebox_typeahead.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ var emoji_list = [{emoji_name: "tada", emoji_url: "TBD"},
 var stream_list = ['Denmark', 'Sweden'];
 
 set_global('emoji', {emojis: emoji_list});
-set_global('stream_data', {subscribed_streams: function () {
+set_global('stream_data', {subscribed_subs: function () {
     return stream_list;
 }});
 
diff --git a/static/js/composebox_typeahead.js b/static/js/composebox_typeahead.js
index 077afd68d7..d17aa8ba67 100644
--- a/static/js/composebox_typeahead.js
+++ b/static/js/composebox_typeahead.js
@@ -67,7 +67,10 @@ function query_matches_person(query, person) {
 }
 
 function query_matches_stream(query, stream) {
-    return ( stream.toLowerCase().indexOf(query.toLowerCase()) !== -1);
+    query = query.toLowerCase();
+
+    return ( stream.name       .toLowerCase().indexOf(query) !== -1
+         ||  stream.description.toLowerCase().indexOf(query) !== -1);
 }
 
 // Case-insensitive
@@ -271,7 +274,7 @@ exports.compose_content_begins_typeahead = function (query) {
 
         this.completing = 'stream';
         this.token = current_token.substring(current_token.indexOf("#")+1);
-        return stream_data.subscribed_streams();
+        return stream_data.subscribed_subs();
     }
     return false;
 };
@@ -283,7 +286,7 @@ exports.content_highlighter = function (item) {
         var item_formatted = typeahead_helper.render_person(item);
         return typeahead_helper.highlight_with_escaping(this.token, item_formatted);
     } else if (this.completing === 'stream') {
-        return typeahead_helper.highlight_with_escaping(this.token, item);
+        return typeahead_helper.render_stream(this.token, item);
     }
 };
 
@@ -305,7 +308,7 @@ exports.content_typeahead_selected = function (item) {
         $(document).trigger('usermention_completed.zulip', {mentioned: item});
     } else if (this.completing === 'stream') {
         beginning = (beginning.substring(0, beginning.length - this.token.length-1)
-                + '#**' + item + '** ');
+                + '#**' + item.name + '** ');
         $(document).trigger('streamname_completed.zulip', {stream: item});
     }
 
diff --git a/static/js/typeahead_helper.js b/static/js/typeahead_helper.js
index f974ff8a8a..ad538deb06 100644
--- a/static/js/typeahead_helper.js
+++ b/static/js/typeahead_helper.js
@@ -66,6 +66,21 @@ exports.render_person = function (person) {
     return person.full_name + " <" + person.email + ">";
 };
 
+exports.render_stream = function (token, stream) {
+    var desc = stream.description;
+    var short_desc = desc.substring(0, 35);
+
+    if (desc === short_desc) {
+        desc = exports.highlight_with_escaping(token, desc);
+    } else {
+        desc = exports.highlight_with_escaping(token, short_desc) + "...";
+    }
+
+    var name = exports.highlight_with_escaping(token, stream.name);
+
+    return name + '&nbsp;&nbsp;<small class = "autocomplete_secondary">' + desc + '</small>';
+};
+
 function prefix_sort(query, objs, get_item) {
     // Based on Bootstrap typeahead's default sorter, but taking into
     // account case sensitivity on "begins with"
@@ -173,9 +188,23 @@ exports.sort_emojis = function (matches, query) {
     return results.matches.concat(results.rest);
 };
 
+exports.compare_by_sub_count = function (stream_a, stream_b) {
+    return stream_a.subscribers.num_items() < stream_b.subscribers.num_items();
+};
+
 exports.sort_streams = function (matches, query) {
-    var results = prefix_sort(query, matches, function (x) { return x; });
-    return results.matches.concat(results.rest);
+    var name_results = prefix_sort(query, matches, function (x) { return x.name; });
+    var desc_results
+        = prefix_sort(query, name_results.rest, function (x) { return x.description; });
+
+    // Streams that start with the query.
+    name_results.matches = name_results.matches.sort(exports.compare_by_sub_count);
+    // Streams with descriptions that start with the query.
+    desc_results.matches = desc_results.matches.sort(exports.compare_by_sub_count);
+    // Streams with names and descriptions that don't start with the query.
+    desc_results.rest = desc_results.rest.sort(exports.compare_by_sub_count);
+
+    return name_results.matches.concat(desc_results.matches.concat(desc_results.rest));
 };
 
 exports.sort_recipientbox_typeahead = function (matches) {
diff --git a/static/styles/compose.css b/static/styles/compose.css
index 84a9b32df5..1e07a89ed9 100644
--- a/static/styles/compose.css
+++ b/static/styles/compose.css
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@
     padding: 10px 10px 8px 5px;
 }
 
+.autocomplete_secondary {
+    opacity: 0.6;
+}
+
 #compose_buttons {
     text-align: center;
 }