diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 8283d9aeda..c56bba82b9 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
     "script-loader": "0.7.2",
     "source-map-loader": "0.2.3",
     "string.prototype.codepointat": "0.2.0",
+    "string.prototype.startswith": "0.2.0",
     "to-markdown": "3.1.0",
     "ts-loader": "2.1.0",
     "ts-node": "3.3.0",
diff --git a/tools/webpack.assets.json b/tools/webpack.assets.json
index 1167e7db9a..704c5bc676 100644
--- a/tools/webpack.assets.json
+++ b/tools/webpack.assets.json
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
         "./static/js/portico/header.js"
     ],
     "common": [
+               "string.prototype.startswith",
                "./node_modules/jquery/dist/jquery.js",
                "./node_modules/underscore/underscore.js",
                "./static/js/blueslip.js",
diff --git a/version.py b/version.py
index 647828958e..48ea64a186 100644
--- a/version.py
+++ b/version.py
@@ -8,4 +8,4 @@ ZULIP_VERSION = "1.7.1+git"
 # Typically, adding a dependency only requires a minor version bump, and
 # removing a dependency requires a major version bump.
 
-PROVISION_VERSION = '17.11'
+PROVISION_VERSION = '17.12'
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 66261aed66..ad99928093 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -5980,6 +5980,10 @@ string.prototype.codepointat@0.2.0, string.prototype.codepointat@^0.2.0:
   version "0.2.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/string.prototype.codepointat/-/string.prototype.codepointat-0.2.0.tgz#6b26e9bd3afcaa7be3b4269b526de1b82000ac78"
 
+string.prototype.startswith@0.2.0:
+  version "0.2.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/string.prototype.startswith/-/string.prototype.startswith-0.2.0.tgz#da68982e353a4e9ac4a43b450a2045d1c445ae7b"
+
 string.prototype.trim@~1.1.2:
   version "1.1.2"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/string.prototype.trim/-/string.prototype.trim-1.1.2.tgz#d04de2c89e137f4d7d206f086b5ed2fae6be8cea"