diff --git a/src/api/topics.js b/src/api/topics.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..cee48c87bf6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/api/topics.js
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const user = require('../user');
+const topics = require('../topics');
+const posts = require('../posts');
+const meta = require('../meta');
+
+const controllerHelpers = require('../controllers/helpers');
+const socketHelpers = require('../socket.io/helpers');
+
+const topicsAPI = module.exports;
+
+topicsAPI.create = async function (caller, data) {
+	if (!data) {
+		throw new Error('[[error:invalid-data]]');
+	}
+
+	const payload = { ...data };
+	payload.tags = payload.tags || [];
+	payload.uid = caller.uid;
+	payload.uid = caller.uid;
+	payload.req = controllerHelpers.buildReqObject(caller);
+	payload.timestamp = Date.now();
+	payload.fromQueue = false;
+
+	// Blacklist & Post Queue
+	await meta.blacklist.test(caller.ip);
+	const shouldQueue = await posts.shouldQueue(caller.uid, payload);
+	if (shouldQueue) {
+		const queueObj = await posts.addToQueue(payload);
+		return queueObj;
+	}
+
+	const result = await topics.post(payload);
+
+	socketHelpers.emitToUids('event:new_post', { posts: [result.postData] }, [caller.uid]);
+	socketHelpers.emitToUids('event:new_topic', result.topicData, [caller.uid]);
+	socketHelpers.notifyNew(caller.uid, 'newTopic', { posts: [result.postData], topic: result.topicData });
+
+	return result.topicData;
+};
+
+topicsAPI.reply = async function (caller, data) {
+	var payload = {
+		tid: data.tid,
+		uid: caller.uid,
+		req: controllerHelpers.buildReqObject(caller),	// For IP recording
+		content: data.content,
+		timestamp: data.timestamp,
+		fromQueue: false,
+	};
+
+	if (data.toPid) { payload.toPid = data.toPid; }
+
+	// Blacklist & Post Queue
+	await meta.blacklist.test(caller.ip);
+	const shouldQueue = await posts.shouldQueue(caller.uid, payload);
+	if (shouldQueue) {
+		const queueObj = await posts.addToQueue(payload);
+		return queueObj;
+	}
+
+	const postData = await topics.reply(payload);	// postData seems to be a subset of postObj, refactor?
+	const postObj = await posts.getPostSummaryByPids([postData.pid], caller.uid, {});
+
+	const result = {
+		posts: [postData],
+		'reputation:disabled': meta.config['reputation:disabled'] === 1,
+		'downvote:disabled': meta.config['downvote:disabled'] === 1,
+	};
+
+	user.updateOnlineUsers(caller.uid);
+	socketHelpers.emitToUids('event:new_post', result, [caller.uid]);
+	socketHelpers.notifyNew(caller.uid, 'newPost', result);
+
+	return postObj[0];
+};
diff --git a/src/controllers/write/topics.js b/src/controllers/write/topics.js
index cd6590e76c84..543fe3fd58b8 100644
--- a/src/controllers/write/topics.js
+++ b/src/controllers/write/topics.js
@@ -2,9 +2,7 @@
 
 const api = require('../../api');
 const topics = require('../../topics');
-const posts = require('../../posts');
 const user = require('../../user');
-const meta = require('../../meta');
 const events = require('../../events');
 const privileges = require('../../privileges');
 
@@ -23,40 +21,8 @@ Topics.create = async (req, res) => {
 };
 
 Topics.reply = async (req, res) => {
-	var payload = {
-		tid: req.params.tid,
-		uid: req.user.uid,
-		req: helpers.buildReqObject(req),	// For IP recording
-		content: req.body.content,
-		timestamp: req.body.timestamp,
-		fromQueue: false,
-	};
-
-	if (req.body.toPid) { payload.toPid = req.body.toPid; }
-
-	// Blacklist & Post Queue
-	await meta.blacklist.test(req.ip);
-	const shouldQueue = await posts.shouldQueue(req.user.uid, payload);
-	if (shouldQueue) {
-		const queueObj = await posts.addToQueue(payload);
-		return helpers.formatApiResponse(202, res, queueObj);
-	}
-
-	const postData = await topics.reply(payload);	// postData seems to be a subset of postObj, refactor?
-	const postObj = await posts.getPostSummaryByPids([postData.pid], req.user.uid, {});
-	helpers.formatApiResponse(200, res, postObj[0]);
-
-	const result = {
-		posts: [postData],
-		'reputation:disabled': meta.config['reputation:disabled'] === 1,
-		'downvote:disabled': meta.config['downvote:disabled'] === 1,
-	};
-
-	// TODO
-	// socket.emit('event:new_post', result);
-
-	user.updateOnlineUsers(req.user.uid);
-	socketHelpers.notifyNew(req.user.uid, 'newPost', result);
+	const payload = await api.topics.reply(req, { ...req.body, tid: req.params.tid });
+	helpers.formatApiResponse(200, res, payload);
 };
 
 Topics.delete = async (req, res) => {