diff --git a/modules/modes/select_note.js b/modules/modes/select_note.js
index b23a0b7c1..e2c008fbc 100644
--- a/modules/modes/select_note.js
+++ b/modules/modes/select_note.js
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ export function modeSelectNote(context, selectedNoteID) {
             .call(keybinding);
 
         context.ui().sidebar
-            .show(noteEditor.note(note, newFeature));
+            .show(noteEditor.note(note));
 
         context.map()
             .on('drawn.select', selectNote);
diff --git a/modules/ui/note_comments.js b/modules/ui/note_comments.js
index 325213cb3..7d35b9935 100644
--- a/modules/ui/note_comments.js
+++ b/modules/ui/note_comments.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ export function uiNoteComments() {
 
 
     function noteComments(selection) {
-        if (_note.newFeature) { return; }
+        if (_note.isNew()) { return; }
 
         var comments = selection.selectAll('.comments-container')
             .data([0]);
diff --git a/modules/ui/note_editor.js b/modules/ui/note_editor.js
index e70df71be..865b298e4 100644
--- a/modules/ui/note_editor.js
+++ b/modules/ui/note_editor.js
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ export function uiNoteEditor(context) {
             .append('h4')
             .attr('class', '.note-save-header')
             .text(function() {
-                return _note.newFeature ? t('note.newDescription') : t('note.newComment');
+                return _note.isNew() ? t('note.newDescription') : t('note.newComment');
             });
 
         noteSaveEnter
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ export function uiNoteEditor(context) {
             .append('div')
             .attr('class', 'buttons');
 
-        if (_note.newFeature) {
+        if (_note.isNew()) {
             buttonEnter
                 .append('button')
                 .attr('class', 'button add-note-button action')
@@ -215,10 +215,9 @@ export function uiNoteEditor(context) {
     }
 
 
-    noteEditor.note = function(_, __) {
+    noteEditor.note = function(_) {
         if (!arguments.length) return _note;
         _note = _;
-        _note.update({ newFeature: __ });
         return noteEditor;
     };
 
diff --git a/modules/ui/note_header.js b/modules/ui/note_header.js
index 63a6a143e..c63b61756 100644
--- a/modules/ui/note_header.js
+++ b/modules/ui/note_header.js
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export function uiNoteHeader() {
                     .append('div')
                     .attr('class', 'note-icon-annotation')
                     .call(svgIcon('#iD-icon-more', 'note-annotation'));
-            } else if (_note.newFeature) {
+            } else if (_note.isNew()) {
                 iconEnter
                     .append('div')
                     .attr('class', 'note-icon-annotation')
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ export function uiNoteHeader() {
             .append('div')
             .attr('class', 'note-header-label')
             .text(function(d) {
-                if (_note.newFeature) { return t('note.new'); }
+                if (_note.isNew()) { return t('note.new'); }
                 return t('note.note') + ' ' + d.id + ' ' +
                     (d.status === 'closed' ? t('note.closed') : '');
             });