diff --git a/web/src/stream_color.js b/web/src/stream_color.js
index c8af0e1f75..32f3b4e2bd 100644
--- a/web/src/stream_color.js
+++ b/web/src/stream_color.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import $ from "jquery";
 import {$t} from "./i18n";
 import * as settings_data from "./settings_data";
 import * as stream_data from "./stream_data";
-import * as stream_settings_ui from "./stream_settings_ui";
+import * as stream_settings_api from "./stream_settings_api";
 
 extend([lchPlugin, mixPlugin]);
 
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ function picker_do_change_color(color) {
     $(".colorpicker").spectrum(sidebar_popover_colorpicker_options_full);
     const stream_id = Number.parseInt($(this).attr("stream_id"), 10);
     const hex_color = color.toHexString();
-    stream_settings_ui.set_color(stream_id, hex_color);
+    stream_settings_api.set_color(stream_id, hex_color);
 }
 subscriptions_table_colorpicker_options.change = picker_do_change_color;
 
diff --git a/web/src/stream_events.js b/web/src/stream_events.js
index 539abda629..28ac9c5d59 100644
--- a/web/src/stream_events.js
+++ b/web/src/stream_events.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import * as stream_color_events from "./stream_color_events";
 import * as stream_data from "./stream_data";
 import * as stream_list from "./stream_list";
 import * as stream_muting from "./stream_muting";
+import * as stream_settings_api from "./stream_settings_api";
 import * as stream_settings_ui from "./stream_settings_ui";
 import * as sub_store from "./sub_store";
 import * as unread_ui from "./unread_ui";
@@ -130,7 +131,7 @@ export function mark_subscribed(sub, subscribers, color) {
         // needed.
         blueslip.warn("Frontend needed to pick a color in mark_subscribed");
         color = color_data.pick_color();
-        stream_settings_ui.set_color(sub.stream_id, color);
+        stream_settings_api.set_color(sub.stream_id, color);
     }
     stream_data.subscribe_myself(sub);
     if (subscribers) {
diff --git a/web/src/stream_settings_api.js b/web/src/stream_settings_api.js
index e5b6198c6a..21535e62ec 100644
--- a/web/src/stream_settings_api.js
+++ b/web/src/stream_settings_api.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import * as channel from "./channel";
 import * as settings_ui from "./settings_ui";
+import * as sub_store from "./sub_store";
 
 export function bulk_set_stream_property(sub_data, $status_element) {
     const url = "/json/users/me/subscriptions/properties";
@@ -20,3 +21,8 @@ export function set_stream_property(sub, property, value, $status_element) {
     const sub_data = {stream_id: sub.stream_id, property, value};
     bulk_set_stream_property([sub_data], $status_element);
 }
+
+export function set_color(stream_id, color) {
+    const sub = sub_store.get(stream_id);
+    set_stream_property(sub, "color", color);
+}
diff --git a/web/src/stream_settings_ui.js b/web/src/stream_settings_ui.js
index efb1d0ce22..82d64daf9e 100644
--- a/web/src/stream_settings_ui.js
+++ b/web/src/stream_settings_ui.js
@@ -254,11 +254,6 @@ export function update_is_default_stream() {
     }
 }
 
-export function set_color(stream_id, color) {
-    const sub = sub_store.get(stream_id);
-    stream_settings_api.set_stream_property(sub, "color", color);
-}
-
 export function update_subscribers_ui(sub) {
     update_left_panel_row(sub);
     stream_edit_subscribers.update_subscribers_list(sub);
diff --git a/web/tests/stream_events.test.js b/web/tests/stream_events.test.js
index ea7cbedc11..18b5bcfb4a 100644
--- a/web/tests/stream_events.test.js
+++ b/web/tests/stream_events.test.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ const compose_fade = mock_esm("../src/compose_fade");
 const stream_color_events = mock_esm("../src/stream_color_events");
 const stream_list = mock_esm("../src/stream_list");
 const stream_muting = mock_esm("../src/stream_muting");
+const stream_settings_api = mock_esm("../src/stream_settings_api");
 const stream_settings_ui = mock_esm("../src/stream_settings_ui", {
     update_settings_for_subscribed: noop,
     update_empty_left_panel_message: noop,
@@ -344,7 +345,7 @@ test("marked_subscribed (color)", ({override}) => {
     // narrow state is undefined
     {
         const stub = make_stub();
-        override(stream_settings_ui, "set_color", stub.f);
+        override(stream_settings_api, "set_color", stub.f);
         blueslip.expect("warn", "Frontend needed to pick a color in mark_subscribed");
         stream_events.mark_subscribed(sub, [], undefined);
         assert.equal(stub.num_calls, 1);