diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/channel.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/channel.js
index 89fb4fb6cb..40934996ce 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/channel.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/channel.js
@@ -19,15 +19,6 @@ const xhr_401 = {
     responseText: '{"msg": "Use cannnot access XYZ"}',
 };
 
-const xhr_password_changes = new WeakMap();
-xhr_password_changes.set(xhr_401, 0);
-
-const setup = mock_esm("../../static/js/setup", {
-    password_change_in_progress: false,
-    password_changes: 0,
-    xhr_password_changes,
-});
-
 let login_to_access_shown = false;
 mock_esm("../../static/js/spectators", {
     login_to_access: () => {
@@ -44,7 +35,7 @@ set_global("window", {
 const reload_state = zrequire("reload_state");
 const channel = zrequire("channel");
 
-const default_stub_xhr = "default-stub-xhr";
+const default_stub_xhr = {"default-stub-xhr": 0};
 
 const $ = mock_jquery({});
 
@@ -176,7 +167,7 @@ test("normal_post", () => {
 
     let orig_success_called;
     let orig_error_called;
-    const stub_xhr = "stub-xhr-normal-post";
+    const stub_xhr = {"stub-xhr-normal-post": 0};
 
     test_with_mock_ajax({
         xhr: stub_xhr,
@@ -273,12 +264,12 @@ test("authentication_error_401_password_change_in_progress", () => {
         // password_change_in_progress = true
         check_ajax_options(options) {
             page_params.is_spectator = true;
-            setup.password_change_in_progress = true;
+            channel.set_password_change_in_progress(true);
 
             options.simulate_error();
             assert.ok(!login_to_access_shown);
 
-            setup.password_change_in_progress = false;
+            channel.set_password_change_in_progress(false);
             page_params.is_spectator = false;
             login_to_access_shown = false;
         },
@@ -372,7 +363,7 @@ test("retry", () => {
 test("too_many_pending", () => {
     channel.clear_for_tests();
     $.ajax = () => {
-        const xhr = "stub";
+        const xhr = {stub: 0};
         return xhr;
     };
 
diff --git a/static/js/channel.js b/static/js/channel.js
index 0475004502..11ace4eb4d 100644
--- a/static/js/channel.js
+++ b/static/js/channel.js
@@ -3,9 +3,19 @@ import $ from "jquery";
 import * as blueslip from "./blueslip";
 import {page_params} from "./page_params";
 import * as reload_state from "./reload_state";
-import * as setup from "./setup";
 import * as spectators from "./spectators";
 
+let password_change_in_progress = false;
+export let password_changes = 0;
+
+export function set_password_change_in_progress(value) {
+    password_change_in_progress = value;
+    if (!value) {
+        password_changes += 1;
+    }
+}
+export const xhr_password_changes = new WeakMap();
+
 const pending_requests = [];
 
 export function clear_for_tests() {
@@ -56,10 +66,7 @@ function call(args, idempotent) {
         }
 
         if (xhr.status === 401) {
-            if (
-                setup.password_change_in_progress ||
-                setup.xhr_password_changes.get(xhr) !== setup.password_changes
-            ) {
+            if (password_change_in_progress || xhr.password_changes !== password_changes) {
                 // The backend for handling password change API requests
                 // will replace the user's session; this results in a
                 // brief race where any API request will fail with a 401
@@ -135,6 +142,13 @@ function call(args, idempotent) {
 
     const jqXHR = $.ajax(args);
     add_pending_request(jqXHR);
+
+    // Remember the number of completed password changes when the
+    // request was initiated. This allows us to detect race
+    // situations where a password change occurred before we got a
+    // response that failed due to the ongoing password change.
+    jqXHR.password_changes = password_changes;
+
     return jqXHR;
 }
 
diff --git a/static/js/settings_account.js b/static/js/settings_account.js
index e9326e711a..15c81a41fd 100644
--- a/static/js/settings_account.js
+++ b/static/js/settings_account.js
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import * as pill_typeahead from "./pill_typeahead";
 import * as settings_bots from "./settings_bots";
 import * as settings_data from "./settings_data";
 import * as settings_ui from "./settings_ui";
-import * as setup from "./setup";
 import * as ui_report from "./ui_report";
 import * as user_pill from "./user_pill";
 import * as user_profile from "./user_profile";
@@ -443,14 +442,14 @@ export function set_up() {
             }
         }
 
-        setup.set_password_change_in_progress(true);
+        channel.set_password_change_in_progress(true);
         const opts = {
             success_continuation() {
-                setup.set_password_change_in_progress(false);
+                channel.set_password_change_in_progress(false);
                 overlays.close_modal("#change_password_modal");
             },
             error_continuation() {
-                setup.set_password_change_in_progress(false);
+                channel.set_password_change_in_progress(false);
             },
             error_msg_element: change_password_error,
             failure_msg_html: null,
diff --git a/static/js/setup.js b/static/js/setup.js
index 7ccf4bb863..9d45334f20 100644
--- a/static/js/setup.js
+++ b/static/js/setup.js
@@ -6,17 +6,6 @@ import {page_params} from "./page_params";
 import * as util from "./util";
 
 // Miscellaneous early setup.
-export let password_change_in_progress = false;
-export let password_changes = 0;
-export const xhr_password_changes = new WeakMap();
-
-export function set_password_change_in_progress(value) {
-    password_change_in_progress = value;
-    if (!value) {
-        password_changes += 1;
-    }
-}
-
 $(() => {
     if (util.is_mobile()) {
         // Disable the tutorial; it's ugly on mobile.
@@ -47,14 +36,6 @@ $(() => {
         return this.outerWidth(...args) || 0;
     };
 
-    // Remember the number of completed password changes when the
-    // request was initiated.  This allows us to detect race
-    // situations where a password change occurred before we got a
-    // response that failed due to the ongoing password change.
-    $(document).ajaxSend((event, xhr) => {
-        xhr_password_changes.set(xhr, password_changes);
-    });
-
     $.fn.expectOne = function () {
         if (blueslip && this.length !== 1) {
             blueslip.error("Expected one element in jQuery set, " + this.length + " found");