diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/updateContent.js b/app/assets/javascripts/updateContent.js
index b607e77df..85cfa61e5 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/updateContent.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/updateContent.js
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
   "use strict";
 
   var queues = {};
-  var dd = new global.diffDOM();
   var defaultInterval = 2000;
   var interval = 0;
 
@@ -11,10 +10,18 @@
       1000
   ));
 
-  var getRenderer = $component => response => dd.apply(
-    $component.get(0),
-    dd.diff($component.get(0), $(response[$component.data('key')]).get(0))
-  );
+  var getRenderer = $component => {
+    var key = $component.data('key'); // use closure to retain key when component is replaced
+    return response => {
+      $component = $(
+        global.domdiff(
+          $component.parent().get(0),
+          [$component.get(0)],
+          [$(response[key]).get(0)]
+        )[0]
+      );
+    };
+  };
 
   var getQueue = resource => (
     queues[resource] = queues[resource] || []
diff --git a/gulpfile.js b/gulpfile.js
index eb178018f..68964ea9d 100644
--- a/gulpfile.js
+++ b/gulpfile.js
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ const javascripts = () => {
       paths.npm + 'hogan.js/dist/hogan-3.0.2.js',
       paths.npm + 'jquery/dist/jquery.min.js',
       paths.npm + 'query-command-supported/dist/queryCommandSupported.min.js',
-      paths.npm + 'diff-dom/diffDOM.js',
+      paths.npm + 'domdiff/min.js',
       paths.npm + 'timeago/jquery.timeago.js',
       paths.npm + 'textarea-caret/index.js',
       paths.npm + 'cbor-js/cbor.js'
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 8a935626a..93b86a45d 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
     "@babel/preset-env": "7.4.2",
     "cbor-js": "0.1.0",
     "del": "5.1.0",
-    "diff-dom": "2.5.1",
+    "domdiff": "2.2.2",
     "govuk_frontend_toolkit": "8.1.0",
     "govuk-elements-sass": "3.1.2",
     "govuk-frontend": "2.13.0",
diff --git a/tests/javascripts/updateContent.test.js b/tests/javascripts/updateContent.test.js
index 2d5a36c66..48f77a60e 100644
--- a/tests/javascripts/updateContent.test.js
+++ b/tests/javascripts/updateContent.test.js
@@ -31,9 +31,11 @@ beforeAll(() => {
 
   $.ajax.mockImplementation(() => jqueryAJAXReturnObj);
 
-  // because we're running in node, diffDOM executes as a module
-  // in the normal browser environment it will attach to window so we replicate that here
-  window.diffDOM = require('../../node_modules/diff-dom/diffDOM.js');
+  // because we're running in node, we can't execute the normal domdiff code like a browser because
+  // its variables (actually only one: domdiff) stay local to it
+  // in the normal browser environment it will attach to window so we replicate that here by using
+  // the CommonJS module version and assigning it to window
+  window.domdiff = require('domdiff/cjs').default;
   require('../../app/assets/javascripts/updateContent.js');
 
 });