diff --git a/js/conversation_panel.js b/js/conversation_panel.js
index d32666c9e5..1915b854df 100644
--- a/js/conversation_panel.js
+++ b/js/conversation_panel.js
@@ -22,15 +22,17 @@
     extension.windows.getCurrent(function (windowInfo) {
         var bg = extension.windows.getBackground();
         window.$ = bg.$;
+        var body = $('body', document)
         var conversation = bg.getConversationForWindow(windowInfo.id);
         if (conversation) {
             window.document.title = conversation.getTitle();
-            new bg.Whisper.ConversationView({
+            var view = new bg.Whisper.ConversationView({
                 model: conversation
-            }).$el.prependTo($('body', document));
-            $('input.send-message', document).focus();
+            });
+            view.$el.prependTo(body);
+            view.$('input.send-message').focus();
         } else {
-            $('<div>').text('Error').prependTo($('body', document));
+            $('<div>').text('Error').prependTo(body);
         }
     });
 }());
diff --git a/js/views/conversation_view.js b/js/views/conversation_view.js
index 380d808e82..49bae93143 100644
--- a/js/views/conversation_view.js
+++ b/js/views/conversation_view.js
@@ -32,13 +32,13 @@
             this.render();
 
             this.fileInput = new Whisper.FileInputView({
-                el: this.$el.find('.attachments')
+                el: this.$('.attachments')
             });
 
             this.view = new Whisper.MessageListView({
                 collection: this.model.messageCollection
             });
-            this.$el.find('.discussion-container').append(this.view.el);
+            this.$('.discussion-container').append(this.view.el);
             this.view.render();
 
             setTimeout(function() {
@@ -106,22 +106,22 @@
 
         closeMenu: function(e) {
             if (e && !$(e.target).hasClass('hamburger')) {
-                this.$el.find('.menu-list').hide();
+                this.$('.menu-list').hide();
             }
         },
 
         endSession: function() {
             this.model.endSession();
-            this.$el.find('.menu-list').hide();
+            this.$('.menu-list').hide();
         },
 
         leaveGroup: function() {
             this.model.leaveGroup();
-            this.$el.find('.menu-list').hide();
+            this.$('.menu-list').hide();
         },
 
         toggleMenu: function() {
-            this.$el.find('.menu-list').toggle();
+            this.$('.menu-list').toggle();
         },
 
         newGroupUpdate: function() {
@@ -137,12 +137,12 @@
             if (confirm("Permanently delete this conversation?")) {
                 this.model.destroyMessages();
             }
-            this.$el.find('.menu-list').hide();
+            this.$('.menu-list').hide();
         },
 
         sendMessage: function(e) {
             e.preventDefault();
-            var input = this.$el.find('.send input.send-message');
+            var input = this.$('.send input.send-message');
             var message = this.replace_colons(input.val());
             var convo = this.model;
 
diff --git a/js/views/file_input_view.js b/js/views/file_input_view.js
index 1548802857..fa32f7f90f 100644
--- a/js/views/file_input_view.js
+++ b/js/views/file_input_view.js
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@
         tagName: 'span',
         className: 'file-input',
         initialize: function() {
-            this.$input = this.$el.find('input[type=file]');
+            this.$input = this.$('input[type=file]');
             this.thumb = new Whisper.AttachmentPreviewView();
             this.$el.addClass('file-input');
-            this.$default = this.$el.find('.default');
+            this.$default = this.$('.default');
         },
 
         events: {
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
         addThumb: function(src) {
             this.$default.hide();
             this.thumb.src = src;
-            this.$el.find('.thumbnail').append(this.thumb.render().el);
+            this.$('.thumbnail').append(this.thumb.render().el);
         },
 
         autoScale: function(file) {
diff --git a/js/views/inbox_view.js b/js/views/inbox_view.js
index 89f2b68ee1..3ee9de9782 100644
--- a/js/views/inbox_view.js
+++ b/js/views/inbox_view.js
@@ -65,13 +65,13 @@
                 this.openConversation.bind(this, null));
 
             this.inbox = new Whisper.ConversationListView({
-                el         : this.$el.find('.conversations'),
+                el         : this.$('.conversations'),
                 collection : bg.inbox
             }).render();
 
             this.inbox.listenTo(bg.inbox, 'sort', this.inbox.render);
 
-            new SocketView().render().$el.appendTo(this.$el.find('.socket-status'));
+            new SocketView().render().$el.appendTo(this.$('.socket-status'));
 
             window.addEventListener('beforeunload', function () {
                 this.inbox.stopListening();
diff --git a/js/views/message_detail_view.js b/js/views/message_detail_view.js
index 9b54ef22da..1bfe7504ca 100644
--- a/js/views/message_detail_view.js
+++ b/js/views/message_detail_view.js
@@ -95,14 +95,14 @@
                 received_at : moment(this.model.get('received_at')).toString(),
                 tofrom      : this.model.isIncoming() ? 'From' : 'To',
             }));
-            this.view.render().$el.prependTo(this.$el.find('.message-container'));
+            this.view.render().$el.prependTo(this.$('.message-container'));
 
             if (this.model.isOutgoing()) {
                 this.conversation.contactCollection.each(function(contact) {
                     var v = new ContactView({
                         model: contact,
                         conflict: this.model.getKeyConflict(contact.id)
-                    }).render().$el.appendTo(this.$el.find('.contacts'));
+                    }).render().$el.appendTo(this.$('.contacts'));
                 }.bind(this));
             } else {
                 var number = this.model.get('source');
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@
                 var v = new ContactView({
                     model: contact,
                     conflict: this.model.getKeyConflict(number)
-                }).render().$el.appendTo(this.$el.find('.contacts'));
+                }).render().$el.appendTo(this.$('.contacts'));
             }
         }
     });
diff --git a/js/views/message_view.js b/js/views/message_view.js
index be92d25a42..e899ff2ffd 100644
--- a/js/views/message_view.js
+++ b/js/views/message_view.js
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
         renderControl: function() {
             if (this.model.isEndSession() || this.model.isGroupUpdate()) {
                 this.$el.addClass('control');
-                this.$el.find('.content').text(this.model.getDescription());
+                this.$('.content').text(this.model.getDescription());
             } else {
                 this.$el.removeClass('control');
             }
@@ -62,13 +62,13 @@
 
             twemoji.parse(this.el, { base: '/images/twemoji/', size: 16 });
 
-            var content = this.$el.find('.content');
+            var content = this.$('.content');
             content.html(this.autoLink(content.html()));
 
             this.renderDelivered();
             this.renderControl();
 
-            this.$el.find('.attachments').append(
+            this.$('.attachments').append(
                 this.model.get('attachments').map(function(attachment) {
                     return new Whisper.AttachmentView({
                         model: attachment
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
 
             var errors = this.model.get('errors');
             if (errors && errors.length) {
-                this.$el.find('.bubble').prepend(
+                this.$('.bubble').prepend(
                     errors.map(function(error) {
                         return new Whisper.MessageErrorView({
                             model: error,
diff --git a/js/views/new_conversation_view.js b/js/views/new_conversation_view.js
index fafd79d733..a35e863131 100644
--- a/js/views/new_conversation_view.js
+++ b/js/views/new_conversation_view.js
@@ -22,17 +22,17 @@
         template: $('#new-conversation').html(),
         initialize: function() {
             this.render();
-            this.$group_update = this.$el.find('.new-group-update-form');
-            this.$create = this.$el.find('.create');
-            this.$input = this.$el.find('input.search');
+            this.$group_update = this.$('.new-group-update-form');
+            this.$create = this.$('.create');
+            this.$input = this.$('input.search');
 
             // Group avatar file input
             this.avatarInput = new Whisper.FileInputView({
-                el: this.$el.find('.group-avatar')
+                el: this.$('.group-avatar')
             });
 
             this.recipients_view = new Whisper.RecipientsInputView();
-            this.$el.find('.scrollable').append(this.recipients_view.el);
+            this.$('.scrollable').append(this.recipients_view.el);
             this.listenTo(this.getRecipients(), 'add', this.updateControls);
             this.listenTo(this.getRecipients(), 'remove', this.updateControls);
         },
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
         },
 
         create: function() {
-            var errors = this.recipients_view.$el.find('.error');
+            var errors = this.recipients_view.$('.error');
             if (errors.length) {
 
                 // TODO: css animation or error notification
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@
         },
 
         createGroup: function() {
-            var name = this.$el.find('.new-group-update-form .name').val();
+            var name = this.$('.new-group-update-form .name').val();
             if (!name.trim().length) {
                 return;
             }
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@
 
         reset: function() {
             this.$create.hide();
-            this.$el.find('.new-group-update-form .name').val('');
+            this.$('.new-group-update-form .name').val('');
             this.$group_update.hide();
             this.recipients_view.reset();
         },
diff --git a/js/views/new_group_update_view.js b/js/views/new_group_update_view.js
index fa94b91dcf..1896d39ba8 100644
--- a/js/views/new_group_update_view.js
+++ b/js/views/new_group_update_view.js
@@ -24,12 +24,12 @@
         initialize: function(options) {
             this.render();
             this.avatarInput = new Whisper.FileInputView({
-                el: this.$el.find('.group-avatar')
+                el: this.$('.group-avatar')
             });
 
             this.recipients_view = new Whisper.RecipientsInputView();
-            this.$el.find('.scrollable').append(this.recipients_view.el);
-            this.$el.find('.avatar').addClass('default');
+            this.$('.scrollable').append(this.recipients_view.el);
+            this.$('.avatar').addClass('default');
         },
         events: {
             'click .back': 'goBack',
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
         send: function() {
             return this.avatarInput.getFiles().then(function(avatarFiles) {
                 this.model.save({
-                    name: this.$el.find('.name').val(),
+                    name: this.$('.name').val(),
                     avatar: avatarFiles[0],
                     members: _.union(this.model.get('members'), this.recipients_view.recipients.pluck('id'))
                 });
diff --git a/js/views/phone-input-view.js b/js/views/phone-input-view.js
index 96cf1ebd3c..86863ecfcb 100644
--- a/js/views/phone-input-view.js
+++ b/js/views/phone-input-view.js
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
         template: $('#phone-number').html(),
         render: function() {
             this.$el.html($(Mustache.render(this.template)));
-            this.$el.find('input.number').intlTelInput();
+            this.$('input.number').intlTelInput();
             return this;
         },
 
@@ -33,18 +33,18 @@
         },
 
         validateNumber: function() {
-            var input = this.$el.find('input.number');
+            var input = this.$('input.number');
             try {
-                var regionCode = this.$el.find('li.active').attr('data-country-code').toUpperCase();
+                var regionCode = this.$('li.active').attr('data-country-code').toUpperCase();
                 var number = input.val();
 
                 var parsedNumber = libphonenumber.util.verifyNumber(number, regionCode);
 
-                this.$el.find('.number-container').removeClass('invalid');
-                this.$el.find('.number-container').addClass('valid');
+                this.$('.number-container').removeClass('invalid');
+                this.$('.number-container').addClass('valid');
                 return parsedNumber;
             } catch(e) {
-                this.$el.find('.number-container').removeClass('valid');
+                this.$('.number-container').removeClass('valid');
             } finally {
                 input.trigger('validation');
             }
diff --git a/js/views/recipients_input_view.js b/js/views/recipients_input_view.js
index d3c0dd67fd..4cc859dec5 100644
--- a/js/views/recipients_input_view.js
+++ b/js/views/recipients_input_view.js
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@
         template: $('#recipients-input').html(),
         initialize: function() {
             this.render();
-            this.$input = this.$el.find('input.search');
-            this.$new_contact = this.$el.find('.new-contact');
+            this.$input = this.$('input.search');
+            this.$new_contact = this.$('.new-contact');
 
             // Collection of recipients selected for the new message
             this.recipients = new Whisper.ConversationCollection([], {
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
             // View to display the selected recipients
             this.recipients_view = new Whisper.RecipientListView({
                 collection: this.recipients,
-                el: this.$el.find('.recipients')
+                el: this.$('.recipients')
             });
 
             // Collection of contacts to match user input against
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
                     comparator: function(m) { return m.getTitle(); }
                 })
             });
-            this.$el.find('.contacts').append(this.typeahead_view.el);
+            this.$('.contacts').append(this.typeahead_view.el);
 
             this.initNewContact();
         },