diff --git a/web_src/js/features/repo-home.js b/web_src/js/features/repo-home.js
index 74304d7f4..2b0e38f08 100644
--- a/web_src/js/features/repo-home.js
+++ b/web_src/js/features/repo-home.js
@@ -6,55 +6,57 @@ import {POST} from '../modules/fetch.js';
 const {appSubUrl} = window.config;
 
 export function initRepoTopicBar() {
-  const $mgrBtn = $('#manage_topic');
-  if (!$mgrBtn.length) return;
-  const $editDiv = $('#topic_edit');
-  const $viewDiv = $('#repo-topics');
-  const $saveBtn = $('#save_topic');
-  const $topicDropdown = $('#topic_edit .dropdown');
-  const $topicForm = $editDiv; // the old logic, $editDiv is topicForm
+  const mgrBtn = document.getElementById('manage_topic');
+  if (!mgrBtn) return;
+  const editDiv = document.getElementById('topic_edit');
+  const viewDiv = document.getElementById('repo-topics');
+  const saveBtn = document.getElementById('save_topic');
+  const topicDropdown = editDiv.querySelector('.dropdown');
+  const $topicDropdown = $(topicDropdown);
+  const $topicForm = $(editDiv);
   const $topicDropdownSearch = $topicDropdown.find('input.search');
   const topicPrompts = {
-    countPrompt: $topicDropdown.attr('data-text-count-prompt'),
-    formatPrompt: $topicDropdown.attr('data-text-format-prompt'),
+    countPrompt: topicDropdown.getAttribute('data-text-count-prompt') ?? undefined,
+    formatPrompt: topicDropdown.getAttribute('data-text-format-prompt') ?? undefined,
   };
 
-  $mgrBtn.on('click', () => {
-    hideElem($viewDiv);
-    showElem($editDiv);
+  mgrBtn.addEventListener('click', () => {
+    hideElem(viewDiv);
+    showElem(editDiv);
     $topicDropdownSearch.trigger('focus');
   });
 
   $('#cancel_topic_edit').on('click', () => {
-    hideElem($editDiv);
-    showElem($viewDiv);
-    $mgrBtn.trigger('focus');
+    hideElem(editDiv);
+    showElem(viewDiv);
+    mgrBtn.focus();
   });
 
-  $saveBtn.on('click', async () => {
+  saveBtn.addEventListener('click', async () => {
     const topics = $('input[name=topics]').val();
 
     const data = new FormData();
     data.append('topics', topics);
 
-    const response = await POST($saveBtn.attr('data-link'), {data});
+    const response = await POST(saveBtn.getAttribute('data-link'), {data});
 
     if (response.ok) {
       const responseData = await response.json();
       if (responseData.status === 'ok') {
-        $viewDiv.children('.topic').remove();
+        $(viewDiv).children('.topic').remove();
         if (topics.length) {
           const topicArray = topics.split(',');
           topicArray.sort();
           for (const topic of topicArray) {
-            const $link = $('<a class="ui repo-topic large label topic tw-m-0"></a>');
-            $link.attr('href', `${appSubUrl}/explore/repos?q=${encodeURIComponent(topic)}&topic=1`);
-            $link.text(topic);
-            $link.insertBefore($mgrBtn); // insert all new topics before manage button
+            const link = document.createElement('a');
+            link.classList.add('ui', 'repo-topic', 'large', 'label', 'topic', 'tw-m-0');
+            link.href = `${appSubUrl}/explore/repos?q=${encodeURIComponent(topic)}&topic=1`;
+            link.textContent = topic;
+            mgrBtn.parentNode.insertBefore(link, mgrBtn); // insert all new topics before manage button
           }
         }
-        hideElem($editDiv);
-        showElem($viewDiv);
+        hideElem(editDiv);
+        showElem(viewDiv);
       }
     } else if (response.status === 422) {
       const responseData = await response.json();
@@ -144,14 +146,14 @@ export function initRepoTopicBar() {
     },
     onAdd(addedValue, _addedText, $addedChoice) {
       addedValue = addedValue.toLowerCase().trim();
-      $($addedChoice).attr('data-value', addedValue);
-      $($addedChoice).attr('data-text', addedValue);
+      $($addedChoice)[0].setAttribute('data-value', addedValue);
+      $($addedChoice)[0].setAttribute('data-text', addedValue);
     },
   });
 
   $.fn.form.settings.rules.validateTopic = function (_values, regExp) {
     const $topics = $topicDropdown.children('a.ui.label');
-    const status = $topics.length === 0 || $topics.last().attr('data-value').match(regExp);
+    const status = $topics.length === 0 || $topics.last()[0].getAttribute('data-value').match(regExp);
     if (!status) {
       $topics.last().removeClass('green').addClass('red');
     }