diff --git a/routers/web/repo/projects.go b/routers/web/repo/projects.go
index 079cc9521d..483598d558 100644
--- a/routers/web/repo/projects.go
+++ b/routers/web/repo/projects.go
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ const (
 	tplProjectsView templates.TplName = "repo/projects/view"
 )
 
+type projectColumnInfo struct {
+	ID    int64  `json:"id"`
+	Title string `json:"title"`
+}
+
 // MustEnableRepoProjects check if repo projects are enabled in settings
 func MustEnableRepoProjects(ctx *context.Context) {
 	if unit.TypeProjects.UnitGlobalDisabled() {
@@ -461,12 +466,6 @@ func UpdateIssueProject(ctx *context.Context) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Return columns for the new project so the sidebar column picker
-	// can update without a page reload.
-	type columnInfo struct {
-		ID    int64  `json:"id"`
-		Title string `json:"title"`
-	}
 	result := map[string]any{"ok": true}
 	if projectID > 0 {
 		project, err := project_model.GetProjectByID(ctx, projectID)
@@ -479,25 +478,31 @@ func UpdateIssueProject(ctx *context.Context) {
 			ctx.ServerError("GetProjectColumns", err)
 			return
 		}
-		cols := make([]columnInfo, 0, len(columns))
+		cols := make([]projectColumnInfo, 0, len(columns))
 		for _, c := range columns {
-			cols = append(cols, columnInfo{ID: c.ID, Title: c.Title})
+			cols = append(cols, projectColumnInfo{ID: c.ID, Title: c.Title})
 		}
 		// The issue was assigned to the default column
 		var selectedColumnID int64
 		if len(issues) > 0 {
-			selectedColumnID, _ = issues[0].ProjectColumnID(ctx)
+			selectedColumnID, err = issues[0].ProjectColumnID(ctx)
+			if err != nil {
+				ctx.ServerError("ProjectColumnID", err)
+				return
+			}
 			if selectedColumnID == 0 {
 				defaultColumn, err := project.MustDefaultColumn(ctx)
-				if err == nil {
-					selectedColumnID = defaultColumn.ID
+				if err != nil {
+					ctx.ServerError("MustDefaultColumn", err)
+					return
 				}
+				selectedColumnID = defaultColumn.ID
 			}
 		}
 		result["columns"] = cols
 		result["selected_column_id"] = selectedColumnID
 	} else {
-		result["columns"] = []columnInfo{}
+		result["columns"] = []projectColumnInfo{}
 		result["selected_column_id"] = 0
 	}
 	ctx.JSON(http.StatusOK, result)
diff --git a/templates/repo/issue/sidebar/project_column.tmpl b/templates/repo/issue/sidebar/project_column.tmpl
index fc9f294c9a..ea08d47d6c 100644
--- a/templates/repo/issue/sidebar/project_column.tmpl
+++ b/templates/repo/issue/sidebar/project_column.tmpl
@@ -1,29 +1,35 @@
 {{$pageMeta := .}}
 {{$data := .ProjectsData}}
-<div id="sidebar-project-column"
-	data-issue-id="{{if $pageMeta.Issue}}{{$pageMeta.Issue.ID}}{{end}}"
-	data-update-url="{{if $pageMeta.Issue}}{{$pageMeta.RepoLink}}/issues/projects/column?issue_id={{$pageMeta.Issue.ID}}{{end}}">
-{{if and $pageMeta.Issue $pageMeta.Issue.Project $data.ProjectColumns (gt (len $data.ProjectColumns) 1)}}
-	{{if $pageMeta.CanModifyIssueOrPull}}
-	<div class="ui dropdown selection fluid column-selector-dropdown"
-		data-update-url="{{$pageMeta.RepoLink}}/issues/projects/column?issue_id={{$pageMeta.Issue.ID}}">
-		<input type="hidden" name="column_id" value="{{$data.SelectedColumnID}}">
-		<div class="default text">{{range $data.ProjectColumns}}{{if eq .ID $data.SelectedColumnID}}{{.Title}}{{end}}{{end}}</div>
-		{{svg "octicon-triangle-down" 14 "dropdown icon"}}
+{{if and $pageMeta.Issue $pageMeta.Issue.Project $data.ProjectColumns (gt (len $data.ProjectColumns) 1) $pageMeta.CanModifyIssueOrPull}}
+<div class="issue-sidebar-combo" id="sidebar-project-column"
+	data-selection-mode="single" data-update-algo="all"
+	data-update-url="{{$pageMeta.RepoLink}}/issues/projects/column?issue_id={{$pageMeta.Issue.ID}}">
+	<input class="combo-value" name="column_id" type="hidden" value="{{$data.SelectedColumnID}}">
+	<div class="ui dropdown full-width">
+		<a class="fixed-text muted">
+			<strong>{{svg "octicon-columns" 16}} Column</strong>
+		</a>
 		<div class="menu">
 			{{range $data.ProjectColumns}}
-				<div class="item {{if eq .ID $data.SelectedColumnID}}active selected{{end}}" data-value="{{.ID}}">{{.Title}}</div>
+				<div class="item {{if eq .ID $data.SelectedColumnID}}checked{{end}}" data-value="{{.ID}}">{{.Title}}</div>
 			{{end}}
 		</div>
 	</div>
-	{{else}}
-	{{range $data.ProjectColumns}}
-		{{if eq .ID $data.SelectedColumnID}}
-		<div class="tw-mt-1">
-			<span class="muted">{{svg "octicon-columns" 16 "tw-mr-1"}}{{.Title}}</span>
-		</div>
+	<div class="ui list muted-links">
+		<span class="item empty-list tw-hidden">No column</span>
+		{{range $data.ProjectColumns}}
+			{{if eq .ID $data.SelectedColumnID}}
+				<span class="item">{{svg "octicon-columns" 16 "tw-mr-1"}}{{.Title}}</span>
+			{{end}}
 		{{end}}
-	{{end}}
+	</div>
+</div>
+{{else if and $pageMeta.Issue $pageMeta.Issue.Project $data.ProjectColumns (gt (len $data.ProjectColumns) 1)}}
+{{range $data.ProjectColumns}}
+	{{if eq .ID $data.SelectedColumnID}}
+	<div class="tw-mt-1">
+		<span class="muted">{{svg "octicon-columns" 16 "tw-mr-1"}}{{.Title}}</span>
+	</div>
 	{{end}}
 {{end}}
-</div>
+{{end}}
diff --git a/web_src/js/features/repo-issue-sidebar-combolist.ts b/web_src/js/features/repo-issue-sidebar-combolist.ts
index 43e26ab862..40262135f5 100644
--- a/web_src/js/features/repo-issue-sidebar-combolist.ts
+++ b/web_src/js/features/repo-issue-sidebar-combolist.ts
@@ -137,6 +137,29 @@ export class IssueSidebarComboList {
     if (this.selectionMode === 'multiple') this.doUpdate();
   }
 
+  rerender(items: {value: string; text: string}[], selectedValue: string) {
+    const menu = this.elDropdown.querySelector('.menu')!;
+    menu.innerHTML = '';
+    for (const item of items) {
+      const el = document.createElement('div');
+      el.className = `item${item.value === selectedValue ? ' checked' : ''}`;
+      el.setAttribute('data-value', item.value);
+      el.textContent = item.text;
+      menu.append(el);
+    }
+    this.elComboValue.value = selectedValue;
+    this.initialValues = selectedValue ? [selectedValue] : [];
+    this.updateUiList(this.initialValues);
+    addDelegatedEventListener(this.elDropdown, 'click', '.item', (el, e) => this.onItemClick(el, e));
+    fomanticQuery(this.elDropdown).dropdown('destroy');
+    fomanticQuery(this.elDropdown).dropdown({
+      action: 'nothing',
+      fullTextSearch: 'exact',
+      hideDividers: 'empty',
+      onHide: () => this.onHide(),
+    });
+  }
+
   init() {
     (this.container as any)._comboList = this;
     // init the checked items from initial value
diff --git a/web_src/js/features/repo-issue-sidebar-project.ts b/web_src/js/features/repo-issue-sidebar-project.ts
index f9eed82e48..f68154a66e 100644
--- a/web_src/js/features/repo-issue-sidebar-project.ts
+++ b/web_src/js/features/repo-issue-sidebar-project.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-import {POST} from '../modules/fetch.ts';
 import type {IssueSidebarComboList} from './repo-issue-sidebar-combolist.ts';
-import {html, htmlRaw} from '../utils/html.ts';
-import {createElementFromHTML} from '../utils/dom.ts';
 
 type ColumnInfo = {
   id: number;
@@ -9,17 +6,18 @@ type ColumnInfo = {
 };
 
 export function initProjectColumnPicker() {
-  const columnSection = document.querySelector<HTMLElement>('#sidebar-project-column');
-  if (!columnSection) return;
-
-  initColumnDropdown(columnSection);
-
   const projectCombo = document.querySelector<HTMLElement>('.issue-sidebar-combo[data-update-url*="/issues/projects?"]');
   if (!projectCombo) return;
 
   const comboList = (projectCombo as any)._comboList as IssueSidebarComboList | undefined;
   if (!comboList) return;
 
+  const columnComboEl = document.querySelector<HTMLElement>('#sidebar-project-column');
+  if (!columnComboEl) return;
+
+  const columnComboList = (columnComboEl as any)._comboList as IssueSidebarComboList | undefined;
+  if (!columnComboList) return;
+
   comboList.onAfterUpdate = async (response: Response, _changedValues: string[]): Promise<boolean> => {
     const data = await response.json();
     const columns: ColumnInfo[] = data.columns || [];
@@ -27,66 +25,15 @@ export function initProjectColumnPicker() {
 
     comboList.updateUiList(comboList.collectCheckedValues());
 
-    const updateUrl = columnSection.getAttribute('data-update-url') || '';
-    renderColumnPicker(columnSection, columns, selectedColumnID, updateUrl);
+    if (columns.length > 1) {
+      columnComboList.rerender(
+        columns.map((c) => ({value: String(c.id), text: c.title})),
+        String(selectedColumnID),
+      );
+      columnComboEl.classList.remove('tw-hidden');
+    } else {
+      columnComboEl.classList.add('tw-hidden');
+    }
     return true;
   };
 }
-
-function initColumnDropdown(section: HTMLElement) {
-  const dropdown = section.querySelector<HTMLElement>('.column-selector-dropdown');
-  if (!dropdown) return;
-  setupFomanticDropdown(dropdown);
-}
-
-function setupFomanticDropdown(el: HTMLElement) {
-  const updateUrl = el.getAttribute('data-update-url');
-  if (!updateUrl) return;
-
-  $(el).dropdown({
-    onChange(value: string) {
-      POST(updateUrl, {data: new URLSearchParams({id: value})});
-    },
-  });
-}
-
-function renderColumnPicker(
-  section: HTMLElement,
-  columns: ColumnInfo[],
-  selectedColumnID: number,
-  baseUpdateUrl: string,
-) {
-  section.innerHTML = '';
-
-  if (columns.length < 2) return;
-
-  const selectedCol = columns.find((c) => c.id === selectedColumnID);
-  const selectedTitle = selectedCol ? selectedCol.title : columns[0].title;
-
-  const svgTriangle = document.querySelector('.svg.octicon-triangle-down')?.cloneNode(true) as SVGElement | null;
-  const triangleHtml = svgTriangle ? (() => {
-    svgTriangle.setAttribute('width', '14');
-    svgTriangle.setAttribute('height', '14');
-    svgTriangle.classList.add('dropdown', 'icon');
-    return svgTriangle.outerHTML;
-  })() : '';
-
-  let menuItemsHtml = '';
-  for (const col of columns) {
-    const selectedClass = col.id === selectedColumnID ? ' active selected' : '';
-    menuItemsHtml += html`<div class="item${htmlRaw(selectedClass)}" data-value="${col.id}">${col.title}</div>`;
-  }
-
-  const dropdown = createElementFromHTML(html`
-    <div class="ui dropdown selection fluid column-selector-dropdown"
-      data-update-url="${baseUpdateUrl}">
-      <input type="hidden" name="column_id" value="${selectedColumnID}">
-      <div class="default text">${selectedTitle}</div>
-      ${htmlRaw(triangleHtml)}
-      <div class="menu">${htmlRaw(menuItemsHtml)}</div>
-    </div>
-  `);
-
-  section.append(dropdown);
-  setupFomanticDropdown(dropdown);
-}