diff --git a/web/src/activity_ui.ts b/web/src/activity_ui.ts
index 0748538524..9a5405c840 100644
--- a/web/src/activity_ui.ts
+++ b/web/src/activity_ui.ts
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ export function searching(): boolean {
 }
 
 export function render_empty_user_list_message_if_needed($container: JQuery): void {
-    const empty_list_message = $container.data("search-results-empty");
+    const empty_list_message = $container.attr("data-search-results-empty");
 
     if (!empty_list_message || $container.children().length) {
         return;
diff --git a/web/src/buddy_list.ts b/web/src/buddy_list.ts
index 8754e59b02..f8e9ea2f42 100644
--- a/web/src/buddy_list.ts
+++ b/web/src/buddy_list.ts
@@ -291,8 +291,8 @@ export class BuddyList extends BuddyListConf {
             }
         }
 
-        $("#buddy-list-users-matching-view").data(
-            "search-results-empty",
+        $("#buddy-list-users-matching-view").attr(
+            "data-search-results-empty",
             matching_view_empty_list_message,
         );
         if ($("#buddy-list-users-matching-view .empty-list-message").length) {
@@ -302,7 +302,10 @@ export class BuddyList extends BuddyListConf {
             $("#buddy-list-users-matching-view").html(empty_list_widget_html);
         }
 
-        $("#buddy-list-other-users").data("search-results-empty", other_users_empty_list_message);
+        $("#buddy-list-other-users").attr(
+            "data-search-results-empty",
+            other_users_empty_list_message,
+        );
         if ($("#buddy-list-other-users .empty-list-message").length) {
             const empty_list_widget_html = render_empty_list_widget_for_list({
                 other_users_empty_list_message,
diff --git a/web/src/list_widget.ts b/web/src/list_widget.ts
index 6ec2f51a1b..20a180825b 100644
--- a/web/src/list_widget.ts
+++ b/web/src/list_widget.ts
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ export function render_empty_list_message_if_needed(
 ): void {
     let empty_list_message = $container.data("empty");
 
-    const empty_search_results_message = $container.data("search-results-empty");
+    const empty_search_results_message = $container.attr("data-search-results-empty");
     if (filter_value && empty_search_results_message) {
         empty_list_message = empty_search_results_message;
     }
diff --git a/web/tests/activity.test.js b/web/tests/activity.test.js
index 2d1d0c5c75..9eb6271207 100644
--- a/web/tests/activity.test.js
+++ b/web/tests/activity.test.js
@@ -489,7 +489,8 @@ test("render_empty_user_list_message", ({override, mock_template}) => {
         append($data) {
             $appended_data = $data;
         },
-        data() {
+        attr(name) {
+            assert.equal(name, "data-search-results-empty");
             return empty_list_message;
         },
         children: () => [],
diff --git a/web/tests/list_widget.test.js b/web/tests/list_widget.test.js
index 90b78fff88..bc13b50f2b 100644
--- a/web/tests/list_widget.test.js
+++ b/web/tests/list_widget.test.js
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ const ListWidget = zrequire("list_widget");
 
 function make_container() {
     const $container = {};
+    $container.attr = noop;
     $container.empty = noop;
     $container.data = noop;
 
diff --git a/web/tests/user_search.test.js b/web/tests/user_search.test.js
index 5011b71e9d..a938764f49 100644
--- a/web/tests/user_search.test.js
+++ b/web/tests/user_search.test.js
@@ -10,10 +10,10 @@ const {realm} = require("./lib/zpage_params");
 const fake_buddy_list = {
     scroll_container_selector: "#whatever",
     $users_matching_view_container: {
-        data() {},
+        attr() {},
     },
     $other_users_container: {
-        data() {},
+        attr() {},
     },
     find_li() {},
     first_key() {},