diff --git a/src/node/utils/tar.json b/src/node/utils/tar.json
index 8fcc45aa2..7f1fe0135 100644
--- a/src/node/utils/tar.json
+++ b/src/node/utils/tar.json
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
   , "pad_automatic_reconnect.js"
   , "ace.js"
   , "collab_client.js"
+  , "cssmanager.js"
   , "pad_userlist.js"
   , "pad_impexp.js"
   , "pad_savedrevs.js"
@@ -61,7 +62,6 @@
   , "Changeset.js"
   , "ChangesetUtils.js"
   , "skiplist.js"
-  , "cssmanager.js"
   , "colorutils.js"
   , "undomodule.js"
   , "$unorm/lib/unorm.js"
diff --git a/src/static/js/ace.js b/src/static/js/ace.js
index e007dfdd4..d258c2c1d 100644
--- a/src/static/js/ace.js
+++ b/src/static/js/ace.js
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 // requires: undefined
 
 const hooks = require('./pluginfw/hooks');
+const makeCSSManager = require('./cssmanager').makeCSSManager;
 const pluginUtils = require('./pluginfw/shared');
 
 const debugLog = (...args) => {};
@@ -307,7 +308,11 @@ const Ace2Editor = function () {
     await new Promise((resolve, reject) => innerWindow.plugins.ensure(
         (err) => err != null ? reject(err) : resolve()));
     debugLog('Ace2Editor.init() waiting for Ace2Inner.init()');
-    await innerWindow.Ace2Inner.init(info);
+    await innerWindow.Ace2Inner.init(info, {
+      inner: makeCSSManager(innerStyle.sheet),
+      outer: makeCSSManager(outerStyle.sheet),
+      parent: makeCSSManager(document.querySelector('style[title="dynamicsyntax"]').sheet),
+    });
     debugLog('Ace2Editor.init() Ace2Inner.init() returned');
     loaded = true;
     doActionsPendingInit();
diff --git a/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js b/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js
index d35e15905..d57773196 100644
--- a/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js
+++ b/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js
@@ -30,11 +30,10 @@ const htmlPrettyEscape = Ace2Common.htmlPrettyEscape;
 const noop = Ace2Common.noop;
 const hooks = require('./pluginfw/hooks');
 
-function Ace2Inner(editorInfo) {
+function Ace2Inner(editorInfo, cssManagers) {
   const makeChangesetTracker = require('./changesettracker').makeChangesetTracker;
   const colorutils = require('./colorutils').colorutils;
   const makeContentCollector = require('./contentcollector').makeContentCollector;
-  const makeCSSManager = require('./cssmanager').makeCSSManager;
   const domline = require('./domline').domline;
   const AttribPool = require('./AttributePool');
   const Changeset = require('./Changeset');
@@ -157,10 +156,6 @@ function Ace2Inner(editorInfo) {
 
   const scheduler = parent; // hack for opera required
 
-  let dynamicCSS = null;
-  let outerDynamicCSS = null;
-  let parentDynamicCSS = null;
-
   const performDocumentReplaceRange = (start, end, newText) => {
     if (start === undefined) start = rep.selStart;
     if (end === undefined) end = rep.selEnd;
@@ -181,12 +176,6 @@ function Ace2Inner(editorInfo) {
     performDocumentApplyChangeset(cs);
   };
 
-  const initDynamicCSS = () => {
-    dynamicCSS = makeCSSManager('dynamicsyntax');
-    outerDynamicCSS = makeCSSManager('dynamicsyntax', 'outer');
-    parentDynamicCSS = makeCSSManager('dynamicsyntax', 'parent');
-  };
-
   const changesetTracker = makeChangesetTracker(scheduler, rep.apool, {
     withCallbacks: (operationName, f) => {
       inCallStackIfNecessary(operationName, () => {
@@ -214,15 +203,12 @@ function Ace2Inner(editorInfo) {
   editorInfo.ace_getAuthorInfos = getAuthorInfos;
 
   const setAuthorStyle = (author, info) => {
-    if (!dynamicCSS) {
-      return;
-    }
     const authorSelector = getAuthorColorClassSelector(getAuthorClassName(author));
 
     const authorStyleSet = hooks.callAll('aceSetAuthorStyle', {
-      dynamicCSS,
-      parentDynamicCSS,
-      outerDynamicCSS,
+      dynamicCSS: cssManagers.inner,
+      outerDynamicCSS: cssManagers.outer,
+      parentDynamicCSS: cssManagers.parent,
       info,
       author,
       authorSelector,
@@ -234,16 +220,16 @@ function Ace2Inner(editorInfo) {
     }
 
     if (!info) {
-      dynamicCSS.removeSelectorStyle(authorSelector);
-      parentDynamicCSS.removeSelectorStyle(authorSelector);
+      cssManagers.inner.removeSelectorStyle(authorSelector);
+      cssManagers.parent.removeSelectorStyle(authorSelector);
     } else if (info.bgcolor) {
       let bgcolor = info.bgcolor;
       if ((typeof info.fade) === 'number') {
         bgcolor = fadeColor(bgcolor, info.fade);
       }
 
-      const authorStyle = dynamicCSS.selectorStyle(authorSelector);
-      const parentAuthorStyle = parentDynamicCSS.selectorStyle(authorSelector);
+      const authorStyle = cssManagers.inner.selectorStyle(authorSelector);
+      const parentAuthorStyle = cssManagers.parent.selectorStyle(authorSelector);
 
       // author color
       authorStyle.backgroundColor = bgcolor;
@@ -3906,8 +3892,6 @@ function Ace2Inner(editorInfo) {
       root.classList.toggle('authorColors', true);
       root.classList.toggle('doesWrap', doesWrap);
 
-      initDynamicCSS();
-
       enforceEditability();
 
       // set up dom and rep
@@ -3929,7 +3913,7 @@ function Ace2Inner(editorInfo) {
   };
 }
 
-exports.init = async (editorInfo) => {
-  const editor = new Ace2Inner(editorInfo);
+exports.init = async (editorInfo, cssManagers) => {
+  const editor = new Ace2Inner(editorInfo, cssManagers);
   await editor.init();
 };
diff --git a/src/static/js/broadcast.js b/src/static/js/broadcast.js
index 26370f6b5..909b6a085 100644
--- a/src/static/js/broadcast.js
+++ b/src/static/js/broadcast.js
@@ -468,14 +468,14 @@ const loadBroadcastJS = (socket, sendSocketMsg, fireWhenAllScriptsAreLoaded, Bro
 
   BroadcastSlider.onSlider(goToRevisionIfEnabled);
 
-  const dynamicCSS = makeCSSManager('dynamicsyntax');
+  const dynamicCSS = makeCSSManager(document.querySelector('style[title="dynamicsyntax"]').sheet);
   const authorData = {};
 
   const receiveAuthorData = (newAuthorData) => {
     for (const [author, data] of Object.entries(newAuthorData)) {
       const bgcolor = typeof data.colorId === 'number'
         ? clientVars.colorPalette[data.colorId] : data.colorId;
-      if (bgcolor && dynamicCSS) {
+      if (bgcolor) {
         const selector = dynamicCSS.selectorStyle(`.${linestylefilter.getAuthorClassName(author)}`);
         selector.backgroundColor = bgcolor;
         selector.color = (colorutils.luminosity(colorutils.css2triple(bgcolor)) < 0.5)
diff --git a/src/static/js/cssmanager.js b/src/static/js/cssmanager.js
index b7af85d4d..5bf2adb30 100644
--- a/src/static/js/cssmanager.js
+++ b/src/static/js/cssmanager.js
@@ -22,34 +22,7 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-const makeCSSManager = (emptyStylesheetTitle, doc) => {
-  if (doc === true) {
-    doc = 'parent';
-  } else if (!doc) {
-    doc = 'inner';
-  }
-
-  const getSheetByTitle = (title) => {
-    let win;
-    if (doc === 'parent') {
-      win = window.parent.parent;
-    } else if (doc === 'inner') {
-      win = window;
-    } else if (doc === 'outer') {
-      win = window.parent;
-    } else {
-      throw new Error('Unknown dynamic style container');
-    }
-    for (const s of win.document.styleSheets) {
-      if (s.title === title) return s;
-    }
-    const err = new Error(`no sheet with title ${title} in doc ${doc}`)
-    console.error(err);
-    throw err;
-  };
-
-  const browserSheet = getSheetByTitle(emptyStylesheetTitle);
-
+exports.makeCSSManager = (browserSheet) => {
   const browserRules = () => (browserSheet.cssRules || browserSheet.rules);
 
   const browserDeleteRule = (i) => {
@@ -97,5 +70,3 @@ const makeCSSManager = (emptyStylesheetTitle, doc) => {
     info: () => `${selectorList.length}:${browserRules().length}`,
   };
 };
-
-exports.makeCSSManager = makeCSSManager;