diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_list.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_list.js
index 85c9243b00bf33..e95fecfd507f4d 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_list.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_list.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ set_global('$', function () {
 });
 
 set_global('feature_flags', {});
+set_global('Filter', function() {});
 
 var MessageList = require('js/message_list').MessageList;
 
diff --git a/static/js/echo.js b/static/js/echo.js
index 2bc66e6ba92e60..312f12891a1a98 100644
--- a/static/js/echo.js
+++ b/static/js/echo.js
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ exports._add_message_flags = add_message_flags;
 function get_next_local_id() {
     var local_id_increment = 0.01;
     var latest = page_params.max_message_id;
-    if (typeof all_msg_list !== 'undefined' && all_msg_list.last() !== undefined) {
-        latest = all_msg_list.last().id;
+    if (typeof message_list.all !== 'undefined' && message_list.all.last() !== undefined) {
+        latest = message_list.all.last().id;
     }
     latest = Math.max(0, latest);
     return truncate_precision(latest + local_id_increment);
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ exports.message_send_error = function message_send_error(local_id, error_respons
 
 function abort_message(message) {
     // Remove in all lists in which it exists
-    _.each([all_msg_list, home_msg_list, current_msg_list], function (msg_list) {
+    _.each([message_list.all, home_msg_list, current_msg_list], function (msg_list) {
         msg_list.remove_and_rerender([message]);
     });
 }
diff --git a/static/js/message_list.js b/static/js/message_list.js
index afe20acfc41151..0e56b105a825b1 100644
--- a/static/js/message_list.js
+++ b/static/js/message_list.js
@@ -622,6 +622,11 @@ exports.MessageList.prototype = {
     }
 };
 
+exports.all = new exports.MessageList(
+    undefined, undefined,
+    {muting_enabled: false}
+);
+
 // We stop autoscrolling when the user is clearly in the middle of
 // doing something.  Be careful, though, if you try to capture
 // mousemove, then you will have to contend with the autoscroll
diff --git a/static/js/message_store.js b/static/js/message_store.js
index 9842810505a3fa..0c79754bd20e68 100644
--- a/static/js/message_store.js
+++ b/static/js/message_store.js
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ exports.insert_new_messages = function insert_new_messages(messages) {
     // You must add add messages to home_msg_list BEFORE
     // calling unread.process_loaded_messages.
     exports.add_messages(messages, home_msg_list, {messages_are_new: true});
-    exports.add_messages(messages, all_msg_list, {messages_are_new: true});
+    exports.add_messages(messages, message_list.all, {messages_are_new: true});
 
     if (narrow.active()) {
         if (narrow.filter().can_apply_locally()) {
@@ -421,11 +421,11 @@ function process_result(messages, opts) {
     messages = _.map(messages, add_message_metadata);
 
     // If we're loading more messages into the home view, save them to
-    // the all_msg_list as well, as the home_msg_list is reconstructed
-    // from all_msg_list.
+    // the message_list.all as well, as the home_msg_list is reconstructed
+    // from message_list.all.
     if (opts.msg_list === home_msg_list) {
         process_loaded_for_unread(messages);
-        exports.add_messages(messages, all_msg_list, {messages_are_new: false});
+        exports.add_messages(messages, message_list.all, {messages_are_new: false});
     }
 
     if (messages.length !== 0 && !opts.cont_will_add_messages) {
@@ -594,7 +594,7 @@ util.execute_early(function () {
         var backfill_batch_size = 1000;
         $(document).idle({'idle': 1000*10,
                           'onIdle': function () {
-                              var first_id = all_msg_list.first().id;
+                              var first_id = message_list.all.first().id;
                               exports.load_old_messages({
                                   anchor: first_id,
                                   num_before: backfill_batch_size,
@@ -632,7 +632,7 @@ util.execute_early(function () {
         // created, but due to the closure, the old list is not garbage collected. This also leads
         // to the old list receiving the change id events, and throwing errors as it does not
         // have the messages that you would expect in its internal data structures.
-        _.each([all_msg_list, home_msg_list, narrowed_msg_list], function (msg_list) {
+        _.each([message_list.all, home_msg_list, narrowed_msg_list], function (msg_list) {
             if (msg_list !== undefined) {
                 msg_list.change_message_id(old_id, new_id);
 
diff --git a/static/js/narrow.js b/static/js/narrow.js
index 9f7428dcb22b3b..17b25fb314ec44 100644
--- a/static/js/narrow.js
+++ b/static/js/narrow.js
@@ -294,8 +294,8 @@ exports.activate = function (raw_operators, opts) {
     // Don't bother populating a message list when it won't contain
     // the message we want anyway or if the filter can't be applied
     // locally.
-    if (all_msg_list.get(then_select_id) !== undefined && current_filter.can_apply_locally()) {
-        message_store.add_messages(all_msg_list.all(), narrowed_msg_list, {delay_render: true});
+    if (message_list.all.get(then_select_id) !== undefined && current_filter.can_apply_locally()) {
+        message_store.add_messages(message_list.all.all(), narrowed_msg_list, {delay_render: true});
     }
 
     var defer_selecting_closest = narrowed_msg_list.empty();
diff --git a/static/js/reload.js b/static/js/reload.js
index 0493224032431b..027af0bd650ad1 100644
--- a/static/js/reload.js
+++ b/static/js/reload.js
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ function cleanup_before_reload() {
         server_events.cleanup_event_queue();
 
         // Empty the large collections
-        clear_message_list(all_msg_list);
+        clear_message_list(message_list.all);
         clear_message_list(home_msg_list);
         clear_message_list(narrowed_msg_list);
         message_store.clear();
diff --git a/static/js/subs.js b/static/js/subs.js
index ef429282cf333a..8164934ec9a04b 100644
--- a/static/js/subs.js
+++ b/static/js/subs.js
@@ -105,8 +105,8 @@ function update_in_home_view(sub, value) {
 
         home_msg_list.clear({clear_selected_id: false});
 
-        // Recreate the home_msg_list with the newly filtered all_msg_list
-        message_store.add_messages(all_msg_list.all(), home_msg_list);
+        // Recreate the home_msg_list with the newly filtered message_list.all
+        message_store.add_messages(message_list.all.all(), home_msg_list);
 
         // Ensure we're still at the same scroll position
         if (ui.home_tab_obscured()) {
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ function update_stream_name(sub, new_name) {
     stream_list.rename_stream(sub);
 
     // Update the message feed.
-    _.each([home_msg_list, current_msg_list, all_msg_list], function (list) {
+    _.each([home_msg_list, current_msg_list, message_list.all], function (list) {
         list.change_display_recipient(old_name, new_name);
     });
 }
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ exports.mark_subscribed = function (stream_name, attrs) {
 
     // Update unread counts as the new stream in sidebar might
     // need its unread counts re-calculated
-    process_loaded_for_unread(all_msg_list.all());
+    process_loaded_for_unread(message_list.all.all());
 
     $(document).trigger($.Event('subscription_add_done.zulip', {sub: sub}));
 };
diff --git a/static/js/ui.js b/static/js/ui.js
index b7f2faf4b71a42..62ce51c4ddfe83 100644
--- a/static/js/ui.js
+++ b/static/js/ui.js
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ function need_skinny_mode() {
 }
 
 function update_message_in_all_views(message_id, callback) {
-    _.each([all_msg_list, home_msg_list, narrowed_msg_list], function (list) {
+    _.each([message_list.all, home_msg_list, narrowed_msg_list], function (list) {
         if (list === undefined) {
             return;
         }
@@ -192,10 +192,10 @@ function update_message_in_all_views(message_id, callback) {
 
 exports.find_message = function (message_id) {
     // Try to find the message object. It might be in the narrow list
-    // (if it was loaded when narrowed), or only in the all_msg_list
+    // (if it was loaded when narrowed), or only in the message_list.all
     // (if received from the server while in a different narrow)
     var message;
-    _.each([all_msg_list, home_msg_list, narrowed_msg_list], function (msg_list) {
+    _.each([message_list.all, home_msg_list, narrowed_msg_list], function (msg_list) {
         if (msg_list !== undefined && message === undefined) {
             message = msg_list.get(message_id);
         }
diff --git a/static/js/unread.js b/static/js/unread.js
index d495651c8d6097..df438a1c483bdd 100644
--- a/static/js/unread.js
+++ b/static/js/unread.js
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ exports.enable = function enable() {
 };
 
 exports.mark_all_as_read = function mark_all_as_read(cont) {
-    _.each(all_msg_list.all(), function (msg) {
+    _.each(message_list.all.all(), function (msg) {
         msg.flags = msg.flags || [];
         msg.flags.push('read');
     });
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ exports.mark_messages_as_read = function mark_messages_as_read (messages, option
         message.unread = false;
         unread.process_read_message(message, options);
         home_msg_list.show_message_as_read(message, options);
-        all_msg_list.show_message_as_read(message, options);
+        message_list.all.show_message_as_read(message, options);
         if (narrowed_msg_list) {
             narrowed_msg_list.show_message_as_read(message, options);
         }
diff --git a/static/js/zulip.js b/static/js/zulip.js
index b3c7bdfc0936ea..3681876966b232 100644
--- a/static/js/zulip.js
+++ b/static/js/zulip.js
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-var all_msg_list = new message_list.MessageList(
-    undefined, undefined,
-    {muting_enabled: false}
-);
 var home_msg_list = new message_list.MessageList('zhome',
     new Filter([{operator: "in", operand: "home"}]), {muting_enabled: true}
 );
diff --git a/tools/jslint/check-all.js b/tools/jslint/check-all.js
index aa2e3eb49bea9c..2320335f14ee15 100644
--- a/tools/jslint/check-all.js
+++ b/tools/jslint/check-all.js
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ var globals =
     + ' localstorage'
 
     // zulip.js
-    + ' all_msg_list home_msg_list narrowed_msg_list current_msg_list'
+    + ' home_msg_list narrowed_msg_list current_msg_list'
     + ' respond_to_message recenter_view last_viewport_movement_direction'
     + ' scroll_to_selected get_private_message_recipient'
     + ' process_loaded_for_unread'