diff --git a/static/js/message_edit.js b/static/js/message_edit.js
index 544a700d05..95755a7b16 100644
--- a/static/js/message_edit.js
+++ b/static/js/message_edit.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import * as markdown from "./markdown";
 import * as message_lists from "./message_lists";
 import * as message_store from "./message_store";
 import * as message_viewport from "./message_viewport";
+import * as overlays from "./overlays";
 import {page_params} from "./page_params";
 import * as resize from "./resize";
 import * as rows from "./rows";
@@ -918,7 +919,7 @@ function hide_delete_btn_show_spinner(deleting) {
 
 export function delete_message(msg_id) {
     $("#delete-message-error").html("");
-    $("#delete_message_modal").modal("show");
+    overlays.open_modal("#delete_message_modal");
     if (currently_deleting_messages.includes(msg_id)) {
         hide_delete_btn_show_spinner(true);
     } else {
@@ -934,7 +935,7 @@ export function delete_message(msg_id) {
             channel.del({
                 url: "/json/messages/" + msg_id,
                 success() {
-                    $("#delete_message_modal").modal("hide");
+                    overlays.close_modal("#delete_message_modal");
                     currently_deleting_messages = currently_deleting_messages.filter(
                         (id) => id !== msg_id,
                     );
@@ -962,7 +963,7 @@ export function delete_topic(stream_id, topic_name) {
             topic_name,
         },
         success() {
-            $("#delete_topic_modal").modal("hide");
+            overlays.close_modal("#delete_topic_modal");
         },
     });
 }
@@ -988,7 +989,7 @@ export function move_topic_containing_message_to_stream(
             (id) => id !== message_id,
         );
         hide_topic_move_spinner();
-        $("#move_topic_modal").modal("hide");
+        overlays.close_modal("#move_topic_modal");
     }
     if (currently_topic_editing_messages.includes(message_id)) {
         hide_topic_move_spinner();
diff --git a/static/js/message_edit_history.js b/static/js/message_edit_history.js
index d07ef60572..fccf89ec32 100644
--- a/static/js/message_edit_history.js
+++ b/static/js/message_edit_history.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import render_message_edit_history from "../templates/message_edit_history.hbs";
 
 import * as channel from "./channel";
 import {$t_html} from "./i18n";
+import * as overlays from "./overlays";
 import * as people from "./people";
 import * as timerender from "./timerender";
 import * as ui_report from "./ui_report";
@@ -74,6 +75,6 @@ export function fetch_and_render_message_history(message) {
 
 export function show_history(message) {
     $("#message-history").html("");
-    $("#message-edit-history").modal("show");
+    overlays.open_modal("#message-edit-history");
     fetch_and_render_message_history(message);
 }
diff --git a/static/js/popovers.js b/static/js/popovers.js
index dbdfea5559..c74528d7c2 100644
--- a/static/js/popovers.js
+++ b/static/js/popovers.js
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ export function hide_mobile_message_buttons_popover() {
 }
 
 export function hide_user_profile() {
-    $("#user-profile-modal").modal("hide");
+    overlays.close_modal("#user-profile-modal");
 }
 
 export function show_user_profile(user) {
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ export function show_user_profile(user) {
     };
 
     $("#user-profile-modal-holder").html(render_user_profile_modal(args));
-    $("#user-profile-modal").modal("show");
+    overlays.open_modal("#user-profile-modal");
 
     settings_account.initialize_custom_user_type_fields(
         "#user-profile-modal #content",
diff --git a/static/js/settings_account.js b/static/js/settings_account.js
index 032e8dd209..070f849b2a 100644
--- a/static/js/settings_account.js
+++ b/static/js/settings_account.js
@@ -558,7 +558,7 @@ export function set_up() {
         // will not show up because of a call to `close_active_modal` in `settings.js`.
         e.preventDefault();
         e.stopPropagation();
-        $("#deactivate_self_modal").modal("show");
+        overlays.open_modal("#deactivate_self_modal");
     });
 
     $("#account-settings").on("click", ".custom_user_field .remove_date", (e) => {
@@ -598,7 +598,7 @@ export function set_up() {
             channel.del({
                 url: "/json/users/me",
                 success() {
-                    $("#deactivate_self_modal").modal("hide");
+                    overlays.close_modal("#deactivate_self_modal");
                     window.location.href = "/login/";
                 },
                 error(xhr) {
@@ -623,7 +623,7 @@ export function set_up() {
                             rendered_error_msg = error_last_user;
                         }
                     }
-                    $("#deactivate_self_modal").modal("hide");
+                    overlays.close_modal("#deactivate_self_modal");
                     $("#account-settings-status")
                         .addClass("alert-error")
                         .html(rendered_error_msg)
diff --git a/static/js/stream_popover.js b/static/js/stream_popover.js
index b6983a8aeb..1f985e3cc9 100644
--- a/static/js/stream_popover.js
+++ b/static/js/stream_popover.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import {$t, $t_html} from "./i18n";
 import * as message_edit from "./message_edit";
 import * as muting from "./muting";
 import * as muting_ui from "./muting_ui";
+import * as overlays from "./overlays";
 import {page_params} from "./page_params";
 import * as popovers from "./popovers";
 import * as resize from "./resize";
@@ -363,7 +364,7 @@ function build_move_topic_to_stream_popover(e, current_stream_id, topic_name) {
     );
 
     stream_bar.decorate(current_stream_name, stream_header_colorblock, false);
-    $("#move_topic_modal").modal("show");
+    overlays.open_modal("#move_topic_modal");
 }
 
 export function register_click_handlers() {
diff --git a/static/js/ui.js b/static/js/ui.js
index da26ef0dc2..f20d645ac9 100644
--- a/static/js/ui.js
+++ b/static/js/ui.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {$t} from "./i18n";
 import {localstorage} from "./localstorage";
 import * as message_list from "./message_list";
 import * as message_lists from "./message_lists";
+import * as overlays from "./overlays";
 
 // What, if anything, obscures the home tab?
 
@@ -144,7 +145,7 @@ export function maybe_show_deprecation_notice(key) {
     }
 
     if (!shown_deprecation_notices.includes(key)) {
-        $("#deprecation-notice-modal").modal("show");
+        overlays.open_modal("#deprecation-notice-modal");
         $("#deprecation-notice-message").text(message);
         $("#close-deprecation-notice").trigger("focus");
         shown_deprecation_notices.push(key);