diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/activity.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/activity.js
index 04b32cac74..8c79b103b6 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/activity.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/activity.js
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ run_test('PM_update_dom_counts', () => {
     buddy_list_add(pm_key, li);
     count.set_find_results('.value', value);
     li.set_find_results('.count', count);
-    count.set_parent(li);
+    count.set_parents_result('li', li);
 
     const counts = new Dict();
     counts.set(pm_key, 5);
diff --git a/static/js/activity.js b/static/js/activity.js
index d69d79d066..22aa7fc8cf 100644
--- a/static/js/activity.js
+++ b/static/js/activity.js
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ exports.new_user_input = true;
 var huddle_timestamps = new Dict();
 
 function update_pm_count_in_dom(count_span, value_span, count) {
-    var li = count_span.parent();
+    var li = count_span.parents('li');
 
     if (count === 0) {
         count_span.hide();