diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/dispatcher.js b/app/assets/javascripts/dispatcher.js
index 99d9ab3cacd..6aa0d10ea5d 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/dispatcher.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/dispatcher.js
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ import PerformanceBar from './performance_bar';
         case 'projects:tags:new':
           new ZenMode();
           new gl.GLForm($('.tag-form'), true);
-          new RefSelectDropdown($('.js-branch-select'), window.gl.availableRefs);
+          new RefSelectDropdown($('.js-branch-select'), JSON.parse(document.getElementById('availableRefs').innerHTML));
           break;
         case 'projects:snippets:new':
         case 'projects:snippets:edit':
diff --git a/app/views/projects/tags/new.html.haml b/app/views/projects/tags/new.html.haml
index ceb2547034a..521b4d927bc 100644
--- a/app/views/projects/tags/new.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/projects/tags/new.html.haml
@@ -40,8 +40,4 @@
   .form-actions
     = button_tag 'Create tag', class: 'btn btn-create', tabindex: 3
     = link_to 'Cancel', project_tags_path(@project), class: 'btn btn-cancel'
-
--# haml-lint:disable InlineJavaScript
-:javascript
-  window.gl = window.gl || { };
-  window.gl.availableRefs = #{@project.repository.ref_names.to_json};
+%script#availableRefs{ type: "application/json" }= @project.repository.ref_names.to_json.html_safe