diff --git a/public/javascripts/recent_changes.js b/public/javascripts/recent_changes.js
index 246e10d60..05fe01273 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/recent_changes.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/recent_changes.js
@@ -1,86 +1,92 @@
-const recentChangesDialog = $("#recent-changes-dialog");
+const recentChanges = (function() {
+    const dialog = $("#recent-changes-dialog");
 
-async function showRecentChanges() {
-    recentChangesDialog.dialog({
-        modal: true,
-        width: 800,
-        height: 700
-    });
+    async function showDialog() {
+        dialog.dialog({
+            modal: true,
+            width: 800,
+            height: 700
+        });
 
-    const result = await $.ajax({
-        url: baseApiUrl + 'recent-changes/',
-        type: 'GET',
-        error: () => error("Error getting recent changes.")
-    });
+        const result = await $.ajax({
+            url: baseApiUrl + 'recent-changes/',
+            type: 'GET',
+            error: () => error("Error getting recent changes.")
+        });
 
-    recentChangesDialog.html('');
+        dialog.html('');
 
-    const groupedByDate = groupByDate(result);
+        const groupedByDate = groupByDate(result);
 
-    for (const [dateDay, dayChanges] of groupedByDate) {
-        const changesListEl = $('<ul>');
+        for (const [dateDay, dayChanges] of groupedByDate) {
+            const changesListEl = $('<ul>');
 
-        const dayEl = $('<div>').append($('<b>').html(formatDate(dateDay))).append(changesListEl);
+            const dayEl = $('<div>').append($('<b>').html(formatDate(dateDay))).append(changesListEl);
 
-        for (const change of dayChanges) {
-            const formattedTime = formatTime(getDateFromTS(change.date_modified_to));
+            for (const change of dayChanges) {
+                const formattedTime = formatTime(getDateFromTS(change.date_modified_to));
 
-            const noteLink = $("<a>", {
-                href: 'app#' + change.note_id,
-                text: change.note_title
-            });
+                const noteLink = $("<a>", {
+                    href: 'app#' + change.note_id,
+                    text: change.note_title
+                });
 
-            const revLink = $("<a>", {
-                href: "javascript: showNoteHistoryDialog('" + change.note_id + "', '" + change.note_history_id + "');",
-                text: 'rev'
-            });
+                const revLink = $("<a>", {
+                    href: "javascript: showNoteHistoryDialog('" + change.note_id + "', '" + change.note_history_id + "');",
+                    text: 'rev'
+                });
 
-            changesListEl.append($('<li>')
-                .append(formattedTime + ' - ')
-                .append(noteLink)
-                .append(' (').append(revLink).append(')'));
+                changesListEl.append($('<li>')
+                    .append(formattedTime + ' - ')
+                    .append(noteLink)
+                    .append(' (').append(revLink).append(')'));
+            }
+
+            dialog.append(dayEl);
         }
-
-        recentChangesDialog.append(dayEl);
     }
-}
 
-function groupByDate(result) {
-    const groupedByDate = new Map();
-    const dayCache = {};
+    function groupByDate(result) {
+        const groupedByDate = new Map();
+        const dayCache = {};
 
-    for (const row of result) {
-        row.note_title = getFullName(row.note_id);
+        for (const row of result) {
+            row.note_title = getFullName(row.note_id);
 
-        let dateDay = getDateFromTS(row.date_modified_to);
-        dateDay.setHours(0);
-        dateDay.setMinutes(0);
-        dateDay.setSeconds(0);
-        dateDay.setMilliseconds(0);
+            let dateDay = getDateFromTS(row.date_modified_to);
+            dateDay.setHours(0);
+            dateDay.setMinutes(0);
+            dateDay.setSeconds(0);
+            dateDay.setMilliseconds(0);
 
-        // this stupidity is to make sure that we always use the same day object because Map uses only
-        // reference equality
-        if (dayCache[dateDay]) {
-            dateDay = dayCache[dateDay];
+            // this stupidity is to make sure that we always use the same day object because Map uses only
+            // reference equality
+            if (dayCache[dateDay]) {
+                dateDay = dayCache[dateDay];
+            }
+            else {
+                dayCache[dateDay] = dateDay;
+            }
+
+            if (!groupedByDate.has(dateDay)) {
+                groupedByDate.set(dateDay, []);
+            }
+
+            groupedByDate.get(dateDay).push(row);
         }
-        else {
-            dayCache[dateDay] = dateDay;
-        }
-
-        if (!groupedByDate.has(dateDay)) {
-            groupedByDate.set(dateDay, []);
-        }
-
-        groupedByDate.get(dateDay).push(row);
+        return groupedByDate;
     }
-    return groupedByDate;
-}
 
 
-$(document).bind('keydown', 'alt+r', showRecentChanges);
+    $(document).bind('keydown', 'alt+r', showDialog);
 
-$(document).on('click', '#recent-changes-dialog a', e => {
-    goToInternalNote(e, () => {
-        recentChangesDialog.dialog('close');
+    $(document).on('click', '#recent-changes-dialog a', e => {
+        goToInternalNote(e, () => {
+            dialog.dialog('close');
+        });
     });
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+
+    return {
+        showDialog
+    };
+})();
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/public/javascripts/recent_notes.js b/public/javascripts/recent_notes.js
index 92d933fa2..ce8831cfe 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/recent_notes.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/recent_notes.js
@@ -1,36 +1,39 @@
-glob.recentNotes = [];
-
-recentNotes = (function() {
-    const recentNotesSelectBox = $('#recent-notes-select-box');
-    const recentNotesDialog = $("#recent-notes-dialog");
-    const recentNotesJumpTo = $('#recentNotesJumpTo');
-    const recentNotesAddLink = $('#recentNotesAddLink');
+const recentNotes = (function() {
+    const dialog = $("#recent-notes-dialog");
+    const selectBox = $('#recent-notes-select-box');
+    const jumpToButton = $('#recentNotesJumpTo');
+    const addLinkButton = $('#recentNotesAddLink');
     const noteDetail = $('#note-detail');
+    let list = [];
 
     function addRecentNote(noteTreeId, noteContentId) {
         setTimeout(() => {
             // we include the note into recent list only if the user stayed on the note at least 5 seconds
             if (noteTreeId === glob.currentNote.detail.note_id || noteContentId === glob.currentNote.detail.note_id) {
                 // if it's already there, remove the note
-                glob.recentNotes = glob.recentNotes.filter(note => note !== noteTreeId);
+                list = list.filter(note => note !== noteTreeId);
 
-                glob.recentNotes.unshift(noteTreeId);
+                list.unshift(noteTreeId);
             }
         }, 1500);
     }
 
-    function showRecentNotes() {
+    function removeRecentNote(noteIdToRemove) {
+        list = list.filter(note => note !== noteIdToRemove);
+    }
+
+    function showDialog() {
         noteDetail.summernote('editor.saveRange');
 
-        recentNotesDialog.dialog({
+        dialog.dialog({
             modal: true,
             width: 800
         });
 
-        recentNotesSelectBox.find('option').remove();
+        selectBox.find('option').remove();
 
         // remove the current note
-        const recNotes = glob.recentNotes.filter(note => note !== glob.currentNote.detail.note_id);
+        const recNotes = list.filter(note => note !== glob.currentNote.detail.note_id);
 
         $.each(recNotes, (key, valueNoteId) => {
             const noteTitle = getFullName(valueNoteId);
@@ -48,14 +51,12 @@ recentNotes = (function() {
                 option.attr("selected", "selected");
             }
 
-            recentNotesSelectBox.append(option);
+            selectBox.append(option);
         });
     }
 
-    $(document).bind('keydown', 'alt+q', showRecentNotes);
-
     function getSelectedNoteIdFromRecentNotes() {
-        return recentNotesSelectBox.find("option:selected").val();
+        return selectBox.find("option:selected").val();
     }
 
     function setActiveNoteBasedOnRecentNotes() {
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ recentNotes = (function() {
 
         getNodeByKey(noteId).setActive();
 
-        recentNotesDialog.dialog('close');
+        dialog.dialog('close');
     }
 
     function addLinkBasedOnRecentNotes() {
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ recentNotes = (function() {
 
         const linkTitle = getNoteTitle(noteId);
 
-        recentNotesDialog.dialog("close");
+        dialog.dialog("close");
 
         noteDetail.summernote('editor.restoreRange');
 
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ recentNotes = (function() {
         });
     }
 
-    recentNotesSelectBox.keydown(e => {
+    selectBox.keydown(e => {
         const key = e.which;
 
         if (key === 13)// the enter key code
@@ -99,14 +100,18 @@ recentNotes = (function() {
         e.preventDefault();
     });
 
-    recentNotesSelectBox.dblclick(e => {
+    $(document).bind('keydown', 'alt+q', showDialog);
+
+    selectBox.dblclick(e => {
         setActiveNoteBasedOnRecentNotes();
     });
 
-    recentNotesJumpTo.click(setActiveNoteBasedOnRecentNotes);
-    recentNotesAddLink.click(addLinkBasedOnRecentNotes);
+    jumpToButton.click(setActiveNoteBasedOnRecentNotes);
+    addLinkButton.click(addLinkBasedOnRecentNotes);
 
     return {
-        addRecentNote
+        showDialog,
+        addRecentNote,
+        removeRecentNote
     };
 })();
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/public/javascripts/tree_mutations.js b/public/javascripts/tree_mutations.js
index e0c39da38..ca667e380 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/tree_mutations.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/tree_mutations.js
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@ function deleteNode(node) {
 
                 glob.allNoteIds = glob.allNoteIds.filter(e => e !== node.key);
 
-                // remove from recent notes
-                glob.recentNotes = glob.recentNotes.filter(note => note !== node.key);
+                recentNotes.removeRecentNote(node.key);
 
                 let next = node.getNextSibling();
                 if (!next) {
diff --git a/views/index.ejs b/views/index.ejs
index afcbd999d..b724879db 100644
--- a/views/index.ejs
+++ b/views/index.ejs
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@
         </div>
 
         <div style="flex-grow: 100;">
-          <button class="btn btn-xs" onclick="showRecentChanges();">Recent changes</button>
-          <button class="btn btn-xs" onclick="showRecentNotes();">Recent notes</button>
+          <button class="btn btn-xs" onclick="recentChanges.showDialog();">Recent changes</button>
+          <button class="btn btn-xs" onclick="recentNotes.showDialog();">Recent notes</button>
           <button class="btn btn-xs" onclick="showJumpToNote();">Jump to note</button>
           <button class="btn btn-xs" onclick="showEventLog();">Event log</button>
         </div>