diff --git a/static/js/message_fetch.js b/static/js/message_fetch.js
index 50f62ebd49..fe7265b800 100644
--- a/static/js/message_fetch.js
+++ b/static/js/message_fetch.js
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ function get_messages_success(data, opts) {
 // because doing so breaks the app in various modules that expect emails string.
 function handle_user_ids_supported_operators(data) {
     var user_ids_supported_operators = ['pm-with'];
+    var user_id_supported_operators = ['sender', 'group-pm-with'];
 
     if (data.narrow === undefined) {
         return data;
@@ -121,6 +122,13 @@ function handle_user_ids_supported_operators(data) {
             filter.operand = people.emails_strings_to_user_ids_array(filter.operand);
         }
 
+        if (user_id_supported_operators.indexOf(filter.operator) !== -1) {
+            var person = people.get_by_email(filter.operand);
+            if (person !== undefined) {
+                filter.operand = person.user_id;
+            }
+        }
+
         return filter;
     });