diff --git a/.eslintrc.json b/.eslintrc.json
index 3e783ec5d2..ba32c15052 100644
--- a/.eslintrc.json
+++ b/.eslintrc.json
@@ -153,7 +153,6 @@
                 "message_events": false,
                 "message_list": false,
                 "narrow": false,
-                "padded_widget": false,
                 "page_params": false,
                 "panels": false,
                 "pointer": false,
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/activity.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/activity.js
index 83774b503f..13ba253bd0 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/activity.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/activity.js
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ const _resize = {
     resize_page_components: () => {},
 };
 
-set_global("padded_widget", {
+rewiremock("../../static/js/padded_widget").with({
     update_padding: () => {},
 });
 rewiremock("../../static/js/channel").with(channel);
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/buddy_list.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/buddy_list.js
index 91eed08e77..ce951a4211 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/buddy_list.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/buddy_list.js
@@ -5,11 +5,11 @@ const {strict: assert} = require("assert");
 const _ = require("lodash");
 const rewiremock = require("rewiremock/node");
 
-const {set_global, zrequire} = require("../zjsunit/namespace");
+const {zrequire} = require("../zjsunit/namespace");
 const {run_test} = require("../zjsunit/test");
 const $ = require("../zjsunit/zjquery");
 
-set_global("padded_widget", {
+rewiremock("../../static/js/padded_widget").with({
     update_padding: () => {},
 });
 
diff --git a/static/js/buddy_list.js b/static/js/buddy_list.js
index 748f547373..901dc9b3c4 100644
--- a/static/js/buddy_list.js
+++ b/static/js/buddy_list.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ const render_user_presence_rows = require("../templates/user_presence_rows.hbs")
 
 const buddy_data = require("./buddy_data");
 const message_viewport = require("./message_viewport");
+const padded_widget = require("./padded_widget");
 
 class BuddyListConf {
     container_sel = "#user_presences";
diff --git a/static/js/bundles/app.js b/static/js/bundles/app.js
index e4d3b1880d..4be523885a 100644
--- a/static/js/bundles/app.js
+++ b/static/js/bundles/app.js
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ import "../notifications";
 import "../message_events";
 import "../server_events";
 import "../zulip";
-import "../padded_widget";
 import "../buddy_list";
 import "../activity";
 import "../user_events";
diff --git a/static/js/global.d.ts b/static/js/global.d.ts
index bde9d5acdc..49e45d3176 100644
--- a/static/js/global.d.ts
+++ b/static/js/global.d.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ declare let input_pill: any;
 declare let message_events: any;
 declare let message_list: any;
 declare let narrow: any;
-declare let padded_widget: any;
 declare let page_params: any;
 declare let panels: any;
 declare let pointer: any;
diff --git a/static/js/padded_widget.js b/static/js/padded_widget.js
index 3a74104e90..84a7320eb8 100644
--- a/static/js/padded_widget.js
+++ b/static/js/padded_widget.js
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
-"use strict";
-
-exports.update_padding = function (opts) {
+export function update_padding(opts) {
     const content = $(opts.content_sel);
     const padding = $(opts.padding_sel);
     const total_rows = opts.total_rows;
@@ -19,6 +17,4 @@ exports.update_padding = function (opts) {
 
     padding.height(new_padding_height);
     padding.width(1);
-};
-
-window.padded_widget = exports;
+}