diff --git a/js/ui/components/VideoModal.js b/js/ui/components/VideoModal.js
index e0dafdbe..8bf412dd 100644
--- a/js/ui/components/VideoModal.js
+++ b/js/ui/components/VideoModal.js
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ import {
   formatShortNpub as defaultFormatShortNpub,
 } from "../../utils/formatters.js";
 import { sanitizeProfileMediaUrl } from "../../utils/profileMedia.js";
-import { normalizeHashtag } from "../../utils/hashtagNormalization.js";
 import { getBreakpointLg } from "../../designSystem/metrics.js";
 import { LinkPreviewService } from "../../services/linkPreviewService.js";
 import {
@@ -3224,19 +3223,29 @@ export class VideoModal {
       }
 
       const raw = typeof entry === "string" ? entry : String(entry ?? "");
-      const trimmed = normalizeHashtag(raw);
+      const trimmed = raw.trim();
 
       if (!trimmed) {
         continue;
       }
 
-      const key = trimmed.toLocaleLowerCase();
+      let key = trimmed.toLowerCase();
+      if (key.startsWith("#")) {
+        key = key.slice(1);
+      }
+
+      if (!key) {
+        continue;
+      }
+
       if (seen.has(key)) {
         continue;
       }
 
       seen.add(key);
-      normalized.push(trimmed);
+
+      const display = trimmed.startsWith("#") ? trimmed : `#${trimmed}`;
+      normalized.push(display);
     }
 
     return normalized.sort((a, b) =>
diff --git a/js/ui/components/tagPillList.js b/js/ui/components/tagPillList.js
index ea89704e..509774d9 100644
--- a/js/ui/components/tagPillList.js
+++ b/js/ui/components/tagPillList.js
@@ -63,11 +63,12 @@ function createTagButton({ doc, tag, onTagActivate, getTagState }) {
   button.type = "button";
   button.classList.add("pill", "video-tag-pill", "focus-ring");
   button.dataset.tag = tag;
-  button.title = `#${tag}`;
+  const displayTag = tag.startsWith("#") ? tag : `#${tag}`;
+  button.title = displayTag;
 
   const label = doc.createElement("span");
   label.className = "video-tag-pill__label";
-  label.textContent = `#${tag}`;
+  label.textContent = displayTag;
 
   const icon = doc.createElement("span");
   icon.className = "video-tag-pill__icon";
diff --git a/tests/video-modal-accessibility.test.mjs b/tests/video-modal-accessibility.test.mjs
index 98d809cc..560779f9 100644
--- a/tests/video-modal-accessibility.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/video-modal-accessibility.test.mjs
@@ -33,9 +33,8 @@ export async function setupModal({ lazyLoad = false } = {}) {
   // jsdom defines HTMLMediaElement but .pause/.load throw "Not implemented".
   // Replace with safe no-ops for tests that just depend on calls happening.
   if (window.HTMLMediaElement && window.HTMLMediaElement.prototype) {
-    const proto = window.HTMLMediaElement.prototype;
-    proto.pause = () => {};
-    proto.load = () => {};
+    window.HTMLMediaElement.prototype.pause = function () {};
+    window.HTMLMediaElement.prototype.load = function () {};
   }
 
   globalThis.HTMLElement = window.HTMLElement;
@@ -47,15 +46,6 @@ export async function setupModal({ lazyLoad = false } = {}) {
   globalThis.Node = window.Node;
   globalThis.EventTarget = window.EventTarget;
 
-  if (typeof window.HTMLMediaElement !== "undefined") {
-    window.HTMLMediaElement.prototype.pause = function () {};
-    window.HTMLMediaElement.prototype.load = function () {};
-  }
-  if (typeof window.HTMLVideoElement !== "undefined") {
-    window.HTMLVideoElement.prototype.pause = function () {};
-    window.HTMLVideoElement.prototype.load = function () {};
-  }
-
   try {
     Object.defineProperty(globalThis, "navigator", {
       value: window.navigator,
@@ -458,13 +448,9 @@ async function setupPlaybackHarness() {
   globalThis.Node = window.Node;
   globalThis.EventTarget = window.EventTarget;
 
-  if (typeof window.HTMLMediaElement !== "undefined") {
-    if (!window.HTMLMediaElement.prototype.pause) {
-      window.HTMLMediaElement.prototype.pause = function () {};
-    }
-    if (!window.HTMLMediaElement.prototype.load) {
-      window.HTMLMediaElement.prototype.load = function () {};
-    }
+  if (window.HTMLMediaElement && window.HTMLMediaElement.prototype) {
+    window.HTMLMediaElement.prototype.pause = function () {};
+    window.HTMLMediaElement.prototype.load = function () {};
   }
 
   try {