diff --git a/js/background.js b/js/background.js
index ccbf8c62..f9200d20 100644
--- a/js/background.js
+++ b/js/background.js
@@ -137,13 +137,13 @@
                 var message = initIncomingMessage(envelope.source, envelope.timestamp.toNumber());
                 if (e.name === 'IncomingIdentityKeyError') {
                     message.save({ errors : [e] }).then(function() {
-                        extension.trigger('updateInbox');
+                        updateInbox();
                         notifyConversation(message);
                     });
                     return;
                 } else if (e.message !== 'Bad MAC') {
                     message.save({ errors : [ _.pick(e, ['name', 'message'])]}).then(function() {
-                        extension.trigger('updateInbox');
+                        updateInbox();
                         notifyConversation(message);
                     });
                     return;
diff --git a/js/models/conversations.js b/js/models/conversations.js
index cb40490f..be01e51f 100644
--- a/js/models/conversations.js
+++ b/js/models/conversations.js
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
             timestamp   : now,
             lastMessage : body
         }).then(function() {
-            extension.trigger('updateInbox'); // inbox fetch
+            updateInbox();
         });
 
         var sendFunc;
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
             });
             if (keyErrors.length) {
                 message.save({ errors : keyErrors }).then(function() {
-                    extension.trigger('updateInbox'); // notify frontend listeners
+                    updateInbox();
                 });
             } else {
                 if (!(errors instanceof Array)) {
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@
         _.each(models, function(message) { message.destroy(); });
         this.archive();
         return this.save().then(function() {
-            extension.trigger('updateInbox');
+            updateInbox();
         });
     },
 
diff --git a/js/models/messages.js b/js/models/messages.js
index 9a85af4d..343c2806 100644
--- a/js/models/messages.js
+++ b/js/models/messages.js
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@
 
                 conversation.save().then(function() {
                     message.save().then(function() {
-                        extension.trigger('updateInbox'); // inbox fetch
+                        updateInbox();
                         if (message.isIncoming()) {
                             notifyConversation(message);
                         } else {
diff --git a/js/panel_controller.js b/js/panel_controller.js
index 188ed8a2..930e0774 100644
--- a/js/panel_controller.js
+++ b/js/panel_controller.js
@@ -41,15 +41,14 @@
         }
     });
 
-    function updateInbox() {
+    window.updateInbox = function() {
         conversations.fetchActive().then(function() {
             inbox.reset(conversations.filter(function(model) {
                 return model.get('active_at');
             }));
         });
-    }
+    };
 
-    extension.on('updateInbox', updateInbox);
     updateInbox();
     setUnreadCount(storage.get("unreadCount", 0));