diff --git a/.eslintrc.json b/.eslintrc.json
index 857e1e216d..7b677345bd 100644
--- a/.eslintrc.json
+++ b/.eslintrc.json
@@ -137,7 +137,6 @@
                 "UserSearch": false,
                 "activity": false,
                 "admin": false,
-                "alert_words": false,
                 "alert_words_ui": false,
                 "attachments_ui": false,
                 "avatar": false,
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/echo.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/echo.js
index 5df5fc4be4..7139ffbb2d 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/echo.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/echo.js
@@ -37,10 +37,6 @@ set_global("message_store", {
     update_booleans: () => {},
 });
 
-set_global("alert_words", {
-    process_message: () => {},
-});
-
 set_global("home_msg_list", {
     view: {
         rerender_messages: (msgs) => {
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/general.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/general.js
index d7430e1ca0..a6e8154618 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/general.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/general.js
@@ -114,10 +114,6 @@ const messages = {
 
 const noop = () => undefined;
 
-const alert_words = set_global("alert_words", {});
-
-alert_words.process_message = noop;
-
 // We can also bring in real code:
 zrequire("recent_senders");
 const unread = zrequire("unread");
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_events.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_events.js
index e270ec4026..7ff74b088a 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_events.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_events.js
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ const stream_topic_history = zrequire("stream_topic_history");
 const unread = zrequire("unread");
 
 set_global("$", make_zjquery());
-const alert_words = set_global("alert_words", {});
 set_global("condense", {});
 set_global("current_msg_list", {});
 set_global("message_edit", {});
@@ -27,8 +26,6 @@ set_global("pm_list", {});
 set_global("stream_list", {});
 set_global("unread_ui", {});
 
-alert_words.process_message = () => {};
-
 const alice = {
     email: "alice@example.com",
     user_id: 32,
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_store.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_store.js
index 4a11bc0476..de381e4667 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_store.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_store.js
@@ -16,10 +16,6 @@ const noop = function () {};
 set_global("$", make_zjquery());
 set_global("document", "document-stub");
 
-set_global("alert_words", {
-    process_message: noop,
-});
-
 set_global("stream_topic_history", {
     add_message: noop,
 });
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/notifications.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/notifications.js
index 44524542f6..eb3ee89f28 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/notifications.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/notifications.js
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ const _navigator = {
 };
 set_global("navigator", _navigator);
 
-zrequire("alert_words");
 const muting = zrequire("muting");
 const stream_data = zrequire("stream_data");
 zrequire("ui");
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/ui_init.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/ui_init.js
index ea477c8ba8..f7a57e7629 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/ui_init.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/ui_init.js
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@ util.is_mobile = () => false;
 stub_templates(() => "some-html");
 ui.get_scroll_element = (element) => element;
 
-zrequire("alert_words");
 zrequire("hash_util");
 zrequire("colorspace");
 zrequire("stream_color");
diff --git a/static/js/alert_words.js b/static/js/alert_words.js
index ce2941af7a..4c0a8bfe49 100644
--- a/static/js/alert_words.js
+++ b/static/js/alert_words.js
@@ -1,31 +1,29 @@
-"use strict";
+import _ from "lodash";
 
-const _ = require("lodash");
-
-const people = require("./people");
+import * as people from "./people";
 
 // For simplicity, we use a list for our internal
 // data, since that matches what the server sends us.
 let my_alert_words = [];
 
-exports.set_words = function (words) {
+export function set_words(words) {
     my_alert_words = words;
-};
+}
 
-exports.get_word_list = function () {
+export function get_word_list() {
     // People usually only have a couple alert
     // words, so it's cheap to be defensive
     // here and give a copy of the list to
     // our caller (in case they want to sort it
     // or something).
     return [...my_alert_words];
-};
+}
 
-exports.has_alert_word = function (word) {
+export function has_alert_word(word) {
     return my_alert_words.includes(word);
-};
+}
 
-exports.process_message = function (message) {
+export function process_message(message) {
     // Parsing for alert words is expensive, so we rely on the host
     // to tell us there any alert words to even look for.
     if (!message.alerted) {
@@ -57,18 +55,16 @@ exports.process_message = function (message) {
             },
         );
     }
-};
+}
 
-exports.notifies = function (message) {
+export function notifies(message) {
     // We exclude ourselves from notifications when we type one of our own
     // alert words into a message, just because that can be annoying for
     // certain types of workflows where everybody on your team, including
     // yourself, sets up an alert word to effectively mention the team.
     return !people.is_current_user(message.sender_email) && message.alerted;
-};
+}
 
-exports.initialize = (params) => {
+export const initialize = (params) => {
     my_alert_words = params.alert_words;
 };
-
-window.alert_words = exports;
diff --git a/static/js/alert_words_ui.js b/static/js/alert_words_ui.js
index 23dc973557..7e2c805b1b 100644
--- a/static/js/alert_words_ui.js
+++ b/static/js/alert_words_ui.js
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 const render_alert_word_settings_item = require("../templates/settings/alert_word_settings_item.hbs");
 
+const alert_words = require("./alert_words");
+
 exports.render_alert_words_ui = function () {
     const words = alert_words.get_word_list();
     words.sort();
diff --git a/static/js/bundles/app.js b/static/js/bundles/app.js
index 9e6177791a..9e1317e70f 100644
--- a/static/js/bundles/app.js
+++ b/static/js/bundles/app.js
@@ -103,7 +103,6 @@ import "../hash_util";
 import "../hashchange";
 import "../message_flags";
 import "../starred_messages";
-import "../alert_words";
 import "../alert_words_ui";
 import "../attachments_ui";
 import "../message_store";
diff --git a/static/js/echo.js b/static/js/echo.js
index 6f61103687..a26a863218 100644
--- a/static/js/echo.js
+++ b/static/js/echo.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import * as alert_words from "./alert_words";
 import * as people from "./people";
 import * as util from "./util";
 
diff --git a/static/js/global.d.ts b/static/js/global.d.ts
index 38a3e4b776..72e22904e7 100644
--- a/static/js/global.d.ts
+++ b/static/js/global.d.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ declare let MessageListView: any;
 declare let UserSearch: any;
 declare let activity: any;
 declare let admin: any;
-declare let alert_words: any;
 declare let alert_words_ui: any;
 declare let attachments_ui: any;
 declare let avatar: any;
diff --git a/static/js/message_events.js b/static/js/message_events.js
index 07c12246a0..501823b8b1 100644
--- a/static/js/message_events.js
+++ b/static/js/message_events.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 "use strict";
 
+const alert_words = require("./alert_words");
 const huddle_data = require("./huddle_data");
 const message_edit_history = require("./message_edit_history");
 const util = require("./util");
diff --git a/static/js/message_store.js b/static/js/message_store.js
index a36827bf81..211404ec9b 100644
--- a/static/js/message_store.js
+++ b/static/js/message_store.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 "use strict";
 
+const alert_words = require("./alert_words");
 const people = require("./people");
 const pm_conversations = require("./pm_conversations");
 const util = require("./util");
diff --git a/static/js/notifications.js b/static/js/notifications.js
index d1265078bd..0d6074998c 100644
--- a/static/js/notifications.js
+++ b/static/js/notifications.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ const _ = require("lodash");
 const render_compose_notification = require("../templates/compose_notification.hbs");
 const render_notification = require("../templates/notification.hbs");
 
+const alert_words = require("./alert_words");
 const favicon = require("./favicon");
 const people = require("./people");
 const settings_config = require("./settings_config");
diff --git a/static/js/server_events_dispatch.js b/static/js/server_events_dispatch.js
index 9ba673ffa0..97ad5bd143 100644
--- a/static/js/server_events_dispatch.js
+++ b/static/js/server_events_dispatch.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 const emoji = require("../shared/js/emoji");
 
+const alert_words = require("./alert_words");
 const peer_data = require("./peer_data");
 const people = require("./people");
 const settings_config = require("./settings_config");
diff --git a/static/js/ui_init.js b/static/js/ui_init.js
index 759389c1f4..5e1b7b7d2e 100644
--- a/static/js/ui_init.js
+++ b/static/js/ui_init.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const emoji = require("../shared/js/emoji");
 const fenced_code = require("../shared/js/fenced_code");
 const render_edit_content_button = require("../templates/edit_content_button.hbs");
 
+const alert_words = require("./alert_words");
 const copy_and_paste = require("./copy_and_paste");
 const echo = require("./echo");
 const emojisets = require("./emojisets");