diff --git a/edit/settings.js b/edit/settings.js
index 6e6d0b9a..e1264f11 100644
--- a/edit/settings.js
+++ b/edit/settings.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ async function StyleSettings() {
   await t.fetchTemplate('/edit/settings.html', SS_ID);
   const {style} = editor;
   const ui = t.template[SS_ID].cloneNode(true);
-  const elAuto = $('[id="config.autosave"]', ui);
+  const elAuto = $('#config\\.autosave', ui);
   const elSave = $('#ss-save', ui);
   const pendingSetters = new Map();
   const updaters = [
diff --git a/install-usercss/install-usercss.js b/install-usercss/install-usercss.js
index 793bf07e..a121b681 100644
--- a/install-usercss/install-usercss.js
+++ b/install-usercss/install-usercss.js
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ setTimeout(() => !cm && showSpinner($('#header')), 200);
 
   ({tabId, initialUrl} = preinit);
   liveReload = initLiveReload();
-  preinit.tpl.then(el => $('#ss-scheme').append(...$('[id=ss-scheme]', el).children));
+  preinit.tpl.then(el => $('#ss-scheme').append(...$('#ss-scheme', el).children));
 
   const [
     {dup, style, error, sourceCode},
diff --git a/js/dom.js b/js/dom.js
index a650a387..9d7671b5 100644
--- a/js/dom.js
+++ b/js/dom.js
@@ -64,11 +64,11 @@ window.messageBoxProxy = new Proxy({}, {
   },
 });
 
-function $(selector, base = document) {
+function $(selector, base) {
   // we have ids with . like #manage.onlyEnabled which looks like #id.class
   // so since getElementById is superfast we'll try it anyway
-  const byId = selector.startsWith('#') && document.getElementById(selector.slice(1));
-  return byId || base.querySelector(selector);
+  const byId = !base && selector.startsWith('#') && document.getElementById(selector.slice(1));
+  return byId || (base || document).querySelector(selector);
 }
 
 function $$(selector, base = document) {