diff --git a/src/api/index.js b/src/api/index.js
index 5c46f4a6d3ef..56961e1c9bf2 100644
--- a/src/api/index.js
+++ b/src/api/index.js
@@ -3,4 +3,5 @@
 module.exports = {
 	users: require('./users'),
 	groups: require('./groups'),
+	topics: require('./topics'),
 };
diff --git a/src/controllers/helpers.js b/src/controllers/helpers.js
index 305642fe0268..5305e746f43e 100644
--- a/src/controllers/helpers.js
+++ b/src/controllers/helpers.js
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ const meta = require('../meta');
 const middleware = require('../middleware');
 const translator = require('../translator');
 
+const websockets = require('../socket.io');
+
 const isLanguageKey = /^\[\[[\w.\-_:]+]]$/;
 const helpers = module.exports;
 
@@ -341,8 +343,8 @@ helpers.getHomePageRoutes = async function (uid) {
 };
 
 helpers.formatApiResponse = async (statusCode, res, payload) => {
-	if (statusCode === 200) {
-		res.status(200).json({
+	if (String(statusCode).startsWith('2')) {
+		res.status(statusCode).json({
 			status: {
 				code: 'ok',
 				message: 'OK',
@@ -426,6 +428,11 @@ helpers.generateError = (statusCode, message) => {
 };
 
 helpers.buildReqObject = (req) => {
+	// If a socket object is received instead, handle accordingly
+	if (req.id) {
+		return websockets.reqFromSocket(req);
+	}
+
 	var headers = req.headers;
 	var encrypted = !!req.connection.encrypted;
 	var host = headers.host;
diff --git a/src/controllers/write/topics.js b/src/controllers/write/topics.js
index 0b5471f6abe6..cd6590e76c84 100644
--- a/src/controllers/write/topics.js
+++ b/src/controllers/write/topics.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 'use strict';
 
+const api = require('../../api');
 const topics = require('../../topics');
 const posts = require('../../posts');
 const user = require('../../user');
@@ -13,29 +14,12 @@ const socketHelpers = require('../../socket.io/helpers');
 const Topics = module.exports;
 
 Topics.create = async (req, res) => {
-	const payload = { ...req.body };
-	payload.tags = payload.tags || [];
-	payload.uid = req.user.uid;
-	payload.uid = req.user.uid;
-	payload.req = req;
-	payload.timestamp = Date.now();
-	payload.fromQueue = false;
-
-	// 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 payload = await api.topics.create(req, req.body);
+	if (payload.queued) {
+		helpers.formatApiResponse(202, res, payload);
+	} else {
+		helpers.formatApiResponse(200, res, payload);
 	}
-
-	const result = await topics.post(payload);
-	helpers.formatApiResponse(200, res, result.topicData);
-
-	// TODO
-	// socket.emit('event:new_post', { posts: [result.postData] });
-	// socket.emit('event:new_topic', result.topicData);
-	socketHelpers.notifyNew(req.user.uid, 'newTopic', { posts: [result.postData], topic: result.topicData });
 };
 
 Topics.reply = async (req, res) => {
@@ -54,7 +38,8 @@ Topics.reply = async (req, res) => {
 	await meta.blacklist.test(req.ip);
 	const shouldQueue = await posts.shouldQueue(req.user.uid, payload);
 	if (shouldQueue) {
-		return await posts.addToQueue(payload);
+		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?
@@ -163,7 +148,7 @@ async function doTopicAction(action, event, socket, { tids }) {
 		const title = await topics.getTopicField(tid, 'title');
 		const data = await topics.tools[action](tid, socket.uid);
 		const notifyUids = await privileges.categories.filterUids('topics:read', data.cid, uids);
-		socketHelpers.emitToTopicAndCategory(event, data, notifyUids);
+		socketHelpers.emitToUids(event, data, notifyUids);
 		await logTopicAction(action, socket, tid, title);
 	}));
 }
diff --git a/src/socket.io/helpers.js b/src/socket.io/helpers.js
index 380da8858fe5..76f09420cdef 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/helpers.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/helpers.js
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ SocketHelpers.rescindUpvoteNotification = async function (pid, fromuid) {
 	websockets.in('uid_' + uid).emit('event:notifications.updateCount', count);
 };
 
-SocketHelpers.emitToTopicAndCategory = async function (event, data, uids) {
+SocketHelpers.emitToUids = async function (event, data, uids) {
 	uids.forEach(toUid => websockets.in('uid_' + toUid).emit(event, data));
 };
 
diff --git a/src/socket.io/index.js b/src/socket.io/index.js
index 21744deca743..5215c5957d61 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/index.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/index.js
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ const logger = require('../logger');
 const plugins = require('../plugins');
 const ratelimit = require('../middleware/ratelimit');
 
-
 const Namespaces = {};
 
 const Sockets = module.exports;
diff --git a/src/socket.io/topics.js b/src/socket.io/topics.js
index 8bee5f156279..ffbab912545d 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/topics.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/topics.js
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 'use strict';
 
+const api = require('../api');
 const topics = require('../topics');
-const posts = require('../posts');
 const user = require('../user');
 const meta = require('../meta');
 const apiController = require('../controllers/api');
 const privileges = require('../privileges');
 const sockets = require('.');
-const socketHelpers = require('./helpers');
 
 const SocketTopics = module.exports;
 
@@ -20,30 +19,9 @@ require('./topics/merge')(SocketTopics);
 
 SocketTopics.post = async function (socket, data) {
 	sockets.warnDeprecated(socket, 'POST /api/v3/topics');
-
-	if (!data) {
-		throw new Error('[[error:invalid-data]]');
-	}
-
-	socketHelpers.setDefaultPostData(data, socket);
-	await meta.blacklist.test(data.req.ip);
-	const shouldQueue = await posts.shouldQueue(socket.uid, data);
-	if (shouldQueue) {
-		return await posts.addToQueue(data);
-	}
-	return await postTopic(socket, data);
+	return await api.topics.create(socket, data);
 };
 
-async function postTopic(socket, data) {
-	const result = await topics.post(data);
-
-	socket.emit('event:new_post', { posts: [result.postData] });
-	socket.emit('event:new_topic', result.topicData);
-
-	socketHelpers.notifyNew(socket.uid, 'newTopic', { posts: [result.postData], topic: result.topicData });
-	return result.topicData;
-}
-
 SocketTopics.postcount = async function (socket, tid) {
 	const canRead = await privileges.topics.can('topics:read', tid, socket.uid);
 	if (!canRead) {
diff --git a/src/socket.io/topics/move.js b/src/socket.io/topics/move.js
index f2b6b84cba35..3115adffa662 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/topics/move.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/topics/move.js
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ module.exports = function (SocketTopics) {
 			await topics.tools.move(tid, data);
 
 			const notifyUids = await privileges.categories.filterUids('topics:read', topicData.cid, uids);
-			socketHelpers.emitToTopicAndCategory('event:topic_moved', topicData, notifyUids);
+			socketHelpers.emitToUids('event:topic_moved', topicData, notifyUids);
 			if (!topicData.deleted) {
 				socketHelpers.sendNotificationToTopicOwner(tid, socket.uid, 'move', 'notifications:moved_your_topic');
 			}
diff --git a/src/socket.io/topics/tools.js b/src/socket.io/topics/tools.js
index cd364ea9c893..3e7a3a2e0950 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/topics/tools.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/topics/tools.js
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ module.exports = function (SocketTopics) {
 			const title = await topics.getTopicField(tid, 'title');
 			const data = await topics.tools[action](tid, socket.uid);
 			const notifyUids = await privileges.categories.filterUids('topics:read', data.cid, uids);
-			socketHelpers.emitToTopicAndCategory(event, data, notifyUids);
+			socketHelpers.emitToUids(event, data, notifyUids);
 			await logTopicAction(action, socket, tid, title);
 		}));
 	};