diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/list_render.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/list_render.js
index 29ac789dec..89025760dd 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/list_render.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/list_render.js
@@ -1,17 +1,5 @@
-// TODO: make an initialize function for list_render.
-const initialize = (function () {
-    var initalize_function;
-
-    set_global('$', (f) => {
-        initalize_function = f;
-    });
-
-    // We can move this module scope when we have
-    // an explicit initialize function.
-    zrequire('list_render');
-
-    return initalize_function;
-}());
+set_global('$', () => {});
+zrequire('list_render');
 
 // We need these stubs to get by instanceof checks.
 // The list_render library allows you to insert objects
@@ -22,11 +10,6 @@ set_global('Element', function () {
     return { };
 });
 
-// This function will be the anonymous click handler
-// for clicking on any element that matches the
-// CSS selector of "[data-sort]".
-var handle_sort_click;
-
 // We only need very simple jQuery wrappers for when the
 // "real" code wraps html or sets up click handlers.
 // We'll simulate most other objects ourselves.
@@ -35,16 +18,6 @@ set_global('$', (arg) => {
         return arg.to_jquery();
     }
 
-    if (arg === 'body') {
-        return {
-            on: (event_name, selector, f) => {
-                assert.equal(event_name, 'click');
-                assert.equal(selector, '[data-sort]');
-                handle_sort_click = f;
-            },
-        };
-    }
-
     return {
         html: () => arg,
     };
@@ -266,7 +239,6 @@ run_test('sorting', () => {
     }
 
     list_render.create(container, list, opts);
-    initialize();
 
     var button_opts;
     var button;
@@ -281,7 +253,7 @@ run_test('sorting', () => {
 
     button = sort_button(button_opts);
 
-    handle_sort_click.call(button);
+    list_render.handle_sort.call(button);
 
     assert(cleared);
     assert(button.siblings_deactivated);
@@ -302,7 +274,7 @@ run_test('sorting', () => {
     cleared = false;
     button.siblings_deactivated = false;
 
-    handle_sort_click.call(button);
+    list_render.handle_sort.call(button);
 
     assert(cleared);
     assert(button.siblings_deactivated);
diff --git a/static/js/list_render.js b/static/js/list_render.js
index 542efb7298..dd4478e3b7 100644
--- a/static/js/list_render.js
+++ b/static/js/list_render.js
@@ -329,35 +329,26 @@ var list_render = (function () {
         return DEFAULTS.instances[name] || false;
     };
 
-    return exports;
-}());
+    exports.handle_sort = function () {
+        /*
+        one would specify sort parameters like this:
+            - name => sort alphabetic.
+            - age  => sort numeric.
 
-if (typeof module !== 'undefined') {
-    module.exports = list_render;
-}
+        you MUST specify the `data-list-render` in the `.progressive-table-wrapper`
 
-$(function () {
-    /*
-    one would specify sort parameters like this:
-        - name => sort alphabetic.
-        - age  => sort numeric.
-
-    you MUST specify the `data-list-render` in the `.progressive-table-wrapper`
-    otherwise it will not know what `list_render` instance to look up.
-
-    <table>
-        <tr>
-            <td data-sort="alphabetic" data-sort-prop="name">
-            <td data-sort="numeric" data-sort-prop="age">
-        </tr>
-    </table>
-    <div class="progressive-table-wrapper" data-list-render="some-list">
         <table>
-            <tbody></tbody>
+            <tr>
+                <td data-sort="alphabetic" data-sort-prop="name">
+                <td data-sort="numeric" data-sort-prop="age">
+            </tr>
         </table>
-    </div>
-    */
-    $("body").on("click", "[data-sort]", function () {
+        <div class="progressive-table-wrapper" data-list-render="some-list">
+            <table>
+                <tbody></tbody>
+            </table>
+        </div>
+        */
         var $this = $(this);
         var sort_type = $this.data("sort");
         var prop_name = $this.data("sort-prop");
@@ -388,5 +379,15 @@ $(function () {
 
         $this.siblings(".active").removeClass("active");
         $this.addClass("active");
-    });
+    };
+
+    return exports;
+}());
+
+$(function () {
+    $("body").on("click", "[data-sort]", list_render.handle_sort);
 });
+
+if (typeof module !== 'undefined') {
+    module.exports = list_render;
+}