diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/messages-section.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/messages-section.js
index 9c964bf4ab6..44ba8e23103 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/messages-section.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/messages-section.js
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
-import { action } from "@ember/object";
 import { cached } from "@glimmer/tracking";
 
 import GlimmerComponent from "discourse/components/glimmer";
-import Composer from "discourse/models/composer";
-import { getOwner } from "discourse-common/lib/get-owner";
 import GroupMessageSectionLink from "discourse/lib/sidebar/messages-section/group-message-section-link";
 import PersonalMessageSectionLink from "discourse/lib/sidebar/messages-section/personal-message-section-link";
 
@@ -90,14 +87,4 @@ export default class SidebarMessagesSection extends GlimmerComponent {
 
     return links;
   }
-
-  @action
-  composePersonalMessage() {
-    const composerArgs = {
-      action: Composer.PRIVATE_MESSAGE,
-      draftKey: Composer.NEW_TOPIC_KEY,
-    };
-
-    getOwner(this).lookup("controller:composer").open(composerArgs);
-  }
 }
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/components/sidebar/messages-section.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/components/sidebar/messages-section.hbs
index bed39761eff..f02235cd284 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/components/sidebar/messages-section.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/components/sidebar/messages-section.hbs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   @sectionName="messages"
   @headerRoute="userPrivateMessages.index"
   @headerModel={{this.currentUser}}
-  @headerAction={{this.composePersonalMessage}}
+  @headerAction={{fn (route-action "composePrivateMessage") null null}}
   @headerActionIcon="plus"
   @headerLinkText={{i18n "sidebar.sections.messages.header_link_text"}}
   @headerLinkTitle={{i18n "sidebar.sections.messages.header_link_title"}} >