diff --git a/src/js/git/index.js b/src/js/git/index.js
index 7754f2ae..2e163168 100644
--- a/src/js/git/index.js
+++ b/src/js/git/index.js
@@ -726,7 +726,7 @@ GitEngine.prototype.makeTag = function(id, target) {
 };
 
 GitEngine.prototype.getHead = function() {
-  return _.clone(this.HEAD);
+  return Object.assign({}, this.HEAD);
 };
 
 GitEngine.prototype.getTags = function() {
diff --git a/src/js/graph/treeCompare.js b/src/js/graph/treeCompare.js
index 75835ab6..823076b0 100644
--- a/src/js/graph/treeCompare.js
+++ b/src/js/graph/treeCompare.js
@@ -165,8 +165,8 @@ TreeCompare.compareBranchesWithinTreesHashAgnostic = function(treeA, treeB, bran
     }
 
     // don't mess up the rest of comparison
-    branchA = _.clone(branchA);
-    branchB = _.clone(branchB);
+    branchA = Object.assign({}, branchA);
+    branchB = Object.assign({}, branchB);
     branchA.target = this.getBaseRef(branchA.target);
     branchB.target = this.getBaseRef(branchB.target);
 
diff --git a/src/js/intl/index.js b/src/js/intl/index.js
index 57fbabed..bab78fe5 100644
--- a/src/js/intl/index.js
+++ b/src/js/intl/index.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ var fallbackMap = {
 
 // lets change underscores template settings so it interpolates
 // things like "{branchName} does not exist".
-var templateSettings = _.clone(_.templateSettings);
+var templateSettings = Object.assign({}, _.templateSettings);
 templateSettings.interpolate = /\{(.+?)\}/g;
 var template = exports.template = function(str, params) {
   return _.template(str, params, templateSettings);
@@ -106,7 +106,8 @@ exports.getStartDialog = function(level) {
       markdown: str('error-untranslated')
     }
   };
-  var startCopy = _.clone(
+  var startCopy = Object.assign(
+    {}, 
     level.startDialog[getDefaultLocale()] || level.startDialog
   );
   startCopy.childViews.unshift(errorAlert);
diff --git a/src/js/views/gitDemonstrationView.js b/src/js/views/gitDemonstrationView.js
index f0fa0810..e769bd78 100644
--- a/src/js/views/gitDemonstrationView.js
+++ b/src/js/views/gitDemonstrationView.js
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ var GitDemonstrationView = ContainedBase.extend({
     this.render();
     this.checkScroll();
 
-    this.navEvents = _.clone(Backbone.Events);
+    this.navEvents = Object.assign({}, Backbone.Events);
     this.navEvents.on('positive', this.positive, this);
     this.navEvents.on('negative', this.negative, this);
     this.keyboardListener = new KeyboardListener({
@@ -244,4 +244,3 @@ var GitDemonstrationView = ContainedBase.extend({
 });
 
 exports.GitDemonstrationView = GitDemonstrationView;
-
diff --git a/src/js/views/index.js b/src/js/views/index.js
index 7182d2a0..6f09413b 100644
--- a/src/js/views/index.js
+++ b/src/js/views/index.js
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ var GeneralButton = ContainedBase.extend({
 
   initialize: function(options) {
     options = options || {};
-    this.navEvents = options.navEvents || _.clone(Backbone.Events);
+    this.navEvents = options.navEvents || Object.assign({}, Backbone.Events);
     this.destination = options.destination;
     if (!this.destination) {
       this.container = new ModalTerminal();
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ var LeftRightView = PositiveNegativeBase.extend({
     // events system to add support for git demonstration view taking control of the
     // click events
     this.pipeEvents = options.events;
-    this.navEvents = _.clone(Backbone.Events);
+    this.navEvents = Object.assign({}, Backbone.Events);
 
     this.JSON = {
       showLeft: (options.showLeft === undefined) ? true : options.showLeft,
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ var ModalTerminal = ContainedBase.extend({
 
   initialize: function(options) {
     options = options || {};
-    this.navEvents = options.events || _.clone(Backbone.Events);
+    this.navEvents = options.events || Object.assign({}, Backbone.Events);
 
     this.container = new ModalView();
     this.JSON = {
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ var ConfirmCancelTerminal = Backbone.View.extend({
     }.bind(this));
 
     // also setup keyboard
-    this.navEvents = _.clone(Backbone.Events);
+    this.navEvents = Object.assign({}, Backbone.Events);
     this.navEvents.on('positive', this.positive, this);
     this.navEvents.on('negative', this.negative, this);
     this.keyboardListener = new KeyboardListener({
diff --git a/src/js/views/levelDropdownView.js b/src/js/views/levelDropdownView.js
index 79858ed0..31c29024 100644
--- a/src/js/views/levelDropdownView.js
+++ b/src/js/views/levelDropdownView.js
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ var LevelDropdownView = ContainedBase.extend({
       }]
     };
 
-    this.navEvents = _.clone(Backbone.Events);
+    this.navEvents = Object.assign({}, Backbone.Events);
     this.navEvents.on('clickedID', _.debounce(
       this.loadLevelID.bind(this),
       300,
@@ -444,4 +444,3 @@ var SeriesView = BaseView.extend({
 });
 
 exports.LevelDropdownView = LevelDropdownView;
-
diff --git a/src/js/views/multiView.js b/src/js/views/multiView.js
index faffa3d0..d85bafb9 100644
--- a/src/js/views/multiView.js
+++ b/src/js/views/multiView.js
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ var MultiView = Backbone.View.extend({
     this.childViews = [];
     this.currentIndex = 0;
 
-    this.navEvents = _.clone(Backbone.Events);
+    this.navEvents = Object.assign({}, Backbone.Events);
     this.navEvents.on('negative', this.getNegFunc(), this);
     this.navEvents.on('positive', this.getPosFunc(), this);
     this.navEvents.on('quit', this.finish, this);
@@ -192,4 +192,3 @@ var MultiView = Backbone.View.extend({
 });
 
 exports.MultiView = MultiView;
-
diff --git a/src/js/visuals/visualization.js b/src/js/visuals/visualization.js
index 5cf27cb4..739af574 100644
--- a/src/js/visuals/visualization.js
+++ b/src/js/visuals/visualization.js
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-var _ = require('underscore');
 var Backbone = require('backbone');
 
 var Collections = require('../models/collections');
@@ -13,7 +12,7 @@ var Visualization = Backbone.View.extend({
   initialize: function(options) {
     options = options || {};
     this.options = options;
-    this.customEvents = _.clone(Backbone.Events);
+    this.customEvents = Object.assign({}, Backbone.Events);
     this.containerElement = options.containerElement;
 
     var _this = this;