diff --git a/web_src/js/features/repo-issue-sidebar-combolist.ts b/web_src/js/features/repo-issue-sidebar-combolist.ts
index f7a6f42051..1e950b80b6 100644
--- a/web_src/js/features/repo-issue-sidebar-combolist.ts
+++ b/web_src/js/features/repo-issue-sidebar-combolist.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import {fomanticQuery} from '../modules/fomantic/base.ts';
 import {GET, POST} from '../modules/fetch.ts';
 import {showErrorToast} from '../modules/toast.ts';
 import {addDelegatedEventListener, queryElemChildren, queryElems, toggleElem} from '../utils/dom.ts';
-import {parseDom} from "../utils.ts";
+import {parseDom} from '../utils.ts';
 
 export class IssueSidebarComboList {
   updateUrl: string;
@@ -79,8 +79,7 @@ export class IssueSidebarComboList {
     }
   }
 
-  async sendRequestToBackend(changedValues: Array<string>): Promise<Response> {
-    if (!changedValues.length) throw new Error('No changed values to update');
+  async sendRequestToBackend(changedValues: Array<string>): Promise<Response | null> {
     let lastResp: Response | null = null;
     if (this.updateAlgo === 'diff') {
       for (const value of this.initialValues) {
@@ -100,10 +99,10 @@ export class IssueSidebarComboList {
   }
 
   async updateToBackend(changedValues: Array<string>) {
-    if (!changedValues.length) return;
     this.elIssueSidebar.classList.add('is-loading');
     try {
       const resp = await this.sendRequestToBackend(changedValues);
+      if (!resp) return; // no request sent, no need to reload
       if (!resp.ok) {
         showErrorToast(`Failed to update to backend: ${resp.statusText}`);
         return;