diff --git a/keyserver/src/creators/thread-creator.js b/keyserver/src/creators/thread-creator.js
--- a/keyserver/src/creators/thread-creator.js
+++ b/keyserver/src/creators/thread-creator.js
@@ -27,7 +27,10 @@
 
 import { dbQuery, SQL } from '../database/database';
 import { fetchMessageInfoByID } from '../fetchers/message-fetchers';
-import { determineThreadAncestry } from '../fetchers/thread-fetchers';
+import {
+  determineThreadAncestry,
+  personalThreadQuery,
+} from '../fetchers/thread-fetchers';
 import {
   checkThreadPermission,
   validateCandidateMembers,
@@ -233,17 +236,7 @@
       otherMemberID,
       'Other member id should be set for a PERSONAL thread',
     );
-    existingThreadQuery = SQL`
-      SELECT t.id 
-      FROM threads t
-      INNER JOIN memberships m1 
-        ON m1.thread = t.id AND m1.user = ${viewer.userID}
-      INNER JOIN memberships m2
-        ON m2.thread = t.id AND m2.user = ${otherMemberID}
-      WHERE t.type = ${threadTypes.PERSONAL}
-        AND m1.role > 0
-        AND m2.role > 0
-    `;
+    existingThreadQuery = personalThreadQuery(viewer.userID, otherMemberID);
   } else if (sourceMessageID) {
     existingThreadQuery = SQL`
       SELECT t.id
diff --git a/keyserver/src/fetchers/thread-fetchers.js b/keyserver/src/fetchers/thread-fetchers.js
--- a/keyserver/src/fetchers/thread-fetchers.js
+++ b/keyserver/src/fetchers/thread-fetchers.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 // @flow
 
+import type { QueryResults } from 'mysql';
+
 import { getAllThreadPermissions } from 'lib/permissions/thread-permissions';
 import {
   rawThreadInfoFromServerThreadInfo,
@@ -214,6 +216,31 @@
   return { containingThreadID, community, depth };
 }
 
+function personalThreadQuery(
+  firstMemberID: string,
+  secondMemberID: string,
+): SQLStatementType {
+  return SQL`
+    SELECT t.id 
+    FROM threads t
+    INNER JOIN memberships m1 
+      ON m1.thread = t.id AND m1.user = ${firstMemberID}
+    INNER JOIN memberships m2
+      ON m2.thread = t.id AND m2.user = ${secondMemberID}
+    WHERE t.type = ${threadTypes.PERSONAL}
+      AND m1.role > 0
+      AND m2.role > 0
+    `;
+}
+
+async function fetchPersonalThreadID(
+  viewerID: string,
+  otherMemberID: string,
+): Promise<QueryResults> {
+  const query = personalThreadQuery(viewerID, otherMemberID);
+  return await dbQuery(query);
+}
+
 export {
   fetchServerThreadInfos,
   fetchThreadInfos,
@@ -221,4 +248,6 @@
   verifyThreadIDs,
   verifyThreadID,
   determineThreadAncestry,
+  personalThreadQuery,
+  fetchPersonalThreadID,
 };