diff --git a/web/chat/chat-tabs.react.js b/web/chat/chat-tabs.react.js
--- a/web/chat/chat-tabs.react.js
+++ b/web/chat/chat-tabs.react.js
@@ -11,10 +11,7 @@
 import ChatThreadTab from './chat-thread-tab.react';
 import { ThreadListContext } from './thread-list-provider';
 
-type Props = {
-  +setModal: (modal: ?React.Node) => void,
-};
-function ChatTabs(props: Props): React.Node {
+function ChatTabs(): React.Node {
   let backgroundTitle = 'Background';
   const unreadBackgroundCountVal = useSelector(unreadBackgroundCount);
   if (unreadBackgroundCountVal) {
@@ -52,7 +49,7 @@
         />
       </div>
       <div className={css.threadList}>
-        <ChatThreadList setModal={props.setModal} />
+        <ChatThreadList />
       </div>
     </div>
   );
diff --git a/web/chat/chat-thread-list-item.react.js b/web/chat/chat-thread-list-item.react.js
--- a/web/chat/chat-thread-list-item.react.js
+++ b/web/chat/chat-thread-list-item.react.js
@@ -21,10 +21,9 @@
 
 type Props = {
   +item: ChatThreadItem,
-  +setModal: (modal: ?React.Node) => void,
 };
 function ChatThreadListItem(props: Props): React.Node {
-  const { item, setModal } = props;
+  const { item } = props;
   const {
     threadInfo,
     lastUpdatedTimeIncludingSidebars,
@@ -105,7 +104,6 @@
           threadInfo={item.threadInfo}
           unread={sidebarItem.unread}
           showingSidebarsInline={sidebarItem.showingSidebarsInline}
-          setModal={setModal}
           key="seeMore"
         />
       );
diff --git a/web/chat/chat-thread-list-see-more-sidebars.react.js b/web/chat/chat-thread-list-see-more-sidebars.react.js
--- a/web/chat/chat-thread-list-see-more-sidebars.react.js
+++ b/web/chat/chat-thread-list-see-more-sidebars.react.js
@@ -1,24 +1,28 @@
 // @flow
 
 import classNames from 'classnames';
+import invariant from 'invariant';
 import * as React from 'react';
 
 import type { ThreadInfo } from 'lib/types/thread-types';
 
 import SidebarListModal from '../modals/chat/sidebar-list-modal.react';
+import { ModalContext } from '../modals/modal-provider.react';
 import css from './chat-thread-list.css';
 
 type Props = {
   +threadInfo: ThreadInfo,
   +unread: boolean,
   +showingSidebarsInline: boolean,
-  +setModal: (modal: ?React.Node) => void,
 };
 function ChatThreadListSeeMoreSidebars(props: Props): React.Node {
-  const { unread, showingSidebarsInline, setModal, threadInfo } = props;
+  const { unread, showingSidebarsInline, threadInfo } = props;
+  const modalContext = React.useContext(ModalContext);
+  invariant(modalContext, 'modal context should be set');
+
   const onClick = React.useCallback(
-    () => setModal(<SidebarListModal threadInfo={threadInfo} />),
-    [setModal, threadInfo],
+    () => modalContext.setModal(<SidebarListModal threadInfo={threadInfo} />),
+    [modalContext, threadInfo],
   );
   const buttonText = showingSidebarsInline ? 'See more...' : 'See sidebars...';
   return (
diff --git a/web/chat/chat-thread-list.react.js b/web/chat/chat-thread-list.react.js
--- a/web/chat/chat-thread-list.react.js
+++ b/web/chat/chat-thread-list.react.js
@@ -10,12 +10,7 @@
 import { ThreadListContext } from './thread-list-provider';
 import ThreadListSearch from './thread-list-search.react';
 
-type Props = {
-  +setModal: (modal: ?React.Node) => void,
-};
-
-function ChatThreadList(props: Props): React.Node {
-  const { setModal } = props;
+function ChatThreadList(): React.Node {
   const threadListContext = React.useContext(ThreadListContext);
   invariant(
     threadListContext,
@@ -31,17 +26,13 @@
 
   const threadComponents: React.Node[] = React.useMemo(() => {
     const threads = threadList.map(item => (
-      <ChatThreadListItem
-        item={item}
-        key={item.threadInfo.id}
-        setModal={setModal}
-      />
+      <ChatThreadListItem item={item} key={item.threadInfo.id} />
     ));
     if (threads.length === 0 && isBackground) {
       threads.push(<EmptyItem key="emptyItem" />);
     }
     return threads;
-  }, [threadList, isBackground, setModal]);
+  }, [threadList, isBackground]);
 
   return (
     <div className={css.threadListContainer}>
diff --git a/web/chat/chat.react.js b/web/chat/chat.react.js
--- a/web/chat/chat.react.js
+++ b/web/chat/chat.react.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
   return (
     <>
       <ThreadListProvider>
-        <ChatTabs setModal={props.setModal} />
+        <ChatTabs />
       </ThreadListProvider>
       <ChatMessageList setModal={props.setModal} />
     </>