diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button_dropdown.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button_dropdown.html
index 353a37a1c..43e9591fb 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button_dropdown.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button_dropdown.html
@@ -7,5 +7,5 @@
 {% endblock %}
 
 {% block dropdown-list %}
-{% include 'snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button_options.html' with active_shelf=active_shelf shelves=user_shelves dropdown=True class="shelf-option is-fullwidth is-small is-radiusless is-white" %}
+{% include 'snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button_dropdown_options.html' with active_shelf=active_shelf shelves=user_shelves dropdown=True class="shelf-option is-fullwidth is-small is-radiusless is-white" %}
 {% endblock %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button_dropdown_options.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button_dropdown_options.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2162a596a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button_dropdown_options.html
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+{% load bookwyrm_tags %}
+{% load utilities %}
+{% load i18n %}
+
+{% with next_shelf_identifier=active_shelf.shelf.identifier|next_shelf %}
+
+{% for shelf in shelves %}
+{% comparison_bool shelf.identifier active_shelf.shelf.identifier as is_current %}
+    <li role="menuitem" class="dropdown-item p-0">
+        <div
+            class="{% if next_shelf_identifier == shelf.identifier %}is-hidden{% endif %}"
+            data-shelf-dropdown-identifier="{{ shelf.identifier }}"
+            data-shelf-next="{{ shelf.identifier|next_shelf }}"
+        >
+        {% if shelf.identifier == 'reading' %}
+
+            {% trans "Start reading" as button_text %}
+            {% url 'reading-status' 'start' book.id as fallback_url %}
+            {% include 'snippets/toggle/toggle_button.html' with class=class text=button_text controls_text="start_reading" controls_uid=button_uuid focus="modal_title_start_reading" disabled=is_current fallback_url=fallback_url %}
+
+        {% elif shelf.identifier == 'read' %}
+
+            {% trans "Read" as button_text %}
+            {% url 'reading-status' 'finish' book.id as fallback_url %}
+            {% include 'snippets/toggle/toggle_button.html' with class=class text=button_text controls_text="finish_reading" controls_uid=button_uuid focus="modal_title_finish_reading" disabled=is_current fallback_url=fallback_url %}
+
+        {% elif shelf.identifier == 'to-read' %}
+
+            {% trans "Want to read" as button_text %}
+            {% url 'reading-status' 'want' book.id as fallback_url %}
+            {% include 'snippets/toggle/toggle_button.html' with class=class text=button_text controls_text="want_to_read" controls_uid=button_uuid focus="modal_title_want_to_read" disabled=is_current fallback_url=fallback_url %}
+
+        {% elif shelf.editable %}
+
+            <form name="shelve" action="/shelve/" method="post">
+                {% csrf_token %}
+                <input type="hidden" name="book" value="{{ active_shelf.book.id }}">
+                <button class="button {{ class }}" name="shelf" type="submit" value="{{ shelf.identifier }}" {% if shelf in book.shelf_set.all %} disabled {% endif %}>
+                    <span>{{ shelf.name }}</span>
+                </button>
+            </form>
+
+        {% endif %}
+        </div>
+    </li>
+{% endfor %}
+
+
+{% if dropdown %}
+    {% if readthrough and active_shelf.shelf.identifier != 'read' %}
+    <li role="menuitem" class="dropdown-item p-0">
+        {% trans "Update progress" as button_text %}
+        {% include 'snippets/toggle/toggle_button.html' with class=class text=button_text controls_text="progress_update" controls_uid=button_uuid focus="modal_title_progress_update" %}
+    </li>
+    {% endif %}
+
+    {% if active_shelf.shelf %}
+    <li role="menuitem" class="dropdown-item p-0">
+        <form  name="shelve" action="/unshelve/" method="post">
+            {% csrf_token %}
+            <input type="hidden" name="book" value="{{ active_shelf.book.id }}">
+            <input type="hidden" name="shelf" value="{{ active_shelf.shelf.id }}">
+            <button class="button is-fullwidth is-small{% if dropdown %} is-radiusless{% endif %} is-danger is-light" type="submit">
+                {% blocktrans with name=active_shelf.shelf.name %}Remove from {{ name }}{% endblocktrans %}
+            </button>
+        </form>
+    </li>
+    {% endif %}
+{% endif %}
+
+{% endwith %}
+
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button_options.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button_options.html
index 9cdf150ec..393340922 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button_options.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button_options.html
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 
 {% with next_shelf_identifier=active_shelf.shelf.identifier|next_shelf %}
 
-{% if not dropdown %}
 <div
     class="{% if next_shelf_identifier != 'complete' %}is-hidden{% endif %}"
     data-shelf-identifier="complete"
@@ -13,78 +12,43 @@
         <span>{% trans "Read" %}</span>
     </button>
 </div>
-{% endif %}
 
 {% for shelf in shelves %}
-{% comparison_bool shelf.identifier active_shelf.shelf.identifier boolean=dropdown as is_current %}
+    <div
+        class="{% if next_shelf_identifier != shelf.identifier %}is-hidden{% endif %}"
+        data-shelf-identifier="{{ shelf.identifier }}"
+        data-shelf-next="{{ shelf.identifier|next_shelf }}"
+    >
+    {% if shelf.identifier == 'reading' %}
 
-    {% if dropdown %}<li role="menuitem" class="dropdown-item p-0">{% endif %}
+            {% trans "Start reading" as button_text %}
+            {% url 'reading-status' 'start' book.id as fallback_url %}
+            {% include 'snippets/toggle/toggle_button.html' with class=class text=button_text controls_text="start_reading" controls_uid=button_uuid focus="modal_title_start_reading" fallback_url=fallback_url %}
 
-        <div
-            class="{% if not dropdown and next_shelf_identifier != shelf.identifier %}is-hidden{% endif %}"
-            data-shelf-identifier="{{ shelf.identifier }}"
-            data-shelf-next="{{ shelf.identifier|next_shelf }}"
-        >
-        {% if shelf.identifier == 'reading' %}
-            {% if not dropdown or next_shelf_identifier != shelf.identifier %}
+    {% elif shelf.identifier == 'read' %}
 
-                {% trans "Start reading" as button_text %}
-                {% url 'reading-status' 'start' book.id as fallback_url %}
-                {% include 'snippets/toggle/toggle_button.html' with class=class text=button_text controls_text="start_reading" controls_uid=button_uuid focus="modal_title_start_reading" disabled=is_current fallback_url=fallback_url %}
+            {% trans "Finish reading" as button_text %}
+            {% url 'reading-status' 'finish' book.id as fallback_url %}
+            {% include 'snippets/toggle/toggle_button.html' with class=class text=button_text controls_text="finish_reading" controls_uid=button_uuid focus="modal_title_finish_reading" fallback_url=fallback_url %}
 
-            {% endif %}
-        {% elif shelf.identifier == 'read' %}
-            {% if not dropdown or next_shelf_identifier != shelf.identifier %}
+    {% elif shelf.identifier == 'to-read' %}
 
-                {% trans "Finish reading" as button_text %}
-                {% url 'reading-status' 'finish' book.id as fallback_url %}
-                {% include 'snippets/toggle/toggle_button.html' with class=class text=button_text controls_text="finish_reading" controls_uid=button_uuid focus="modal_title_finish_reading" disabled=is_current fallback_url=fallback_url %}
+            {% trans "Want to read" as button_text %}
+            {% url 'reading-status' 'want' book.id as fallback_url %}
+            {% include 'snippets/toggle/toggle_button.html' with class=class text=button_text controls_text="want_to_read" controls_uid=button_uuid focus="modal_title_want_to_read" fallback_url=fallback_url %}
 
-            {% endif %}
-        {% elif shelf.identifier == 'to-read' %}
-            {% if not dropdown or next_shelf_identifier != shelf.identifier %}
+    {% elif shelf.editable %}
 
-                {% trans "Want to read" as button_text %}
-                {% url 'reading-status' 'want' book.id as fallback_url %}
-                {% include 'snippets/toggle/toggle_button.html' with class=class text=button_text controls_text="want_to_read" controls_uid=button_uuid focus="modal_title_want_to_read" disabled=is_current fallback_url=fallback_url %}
-
-            {% endif %}
-        {% elif shelf.editable %}
-
-            <form name="shelve" action="/shelve/" method="post">
-                {% csrf_token %}
-                <input type="hidden" name="book" value="{{ active_shelf.book.id }}">
-                <button class="button {{ class }}" name="shelf" type="submit" value="{{ shelf.identifier }}" {% if shelf in book.shelf_set.all %} disabled {% endif %}>
-                    <span>{{ shelf.name }}</span>
-                </button>
-            </form>
-
-        {% endif %}
-        </div>
-    {% if dropdown %}</li>{% endif %}
-{% endfor %}
-
-
-{% if dropdown %}
-    {% if readthrough and active_shelf.shelf.identifier != 'read' %}
-    <li role="menuitem" class="dropdown-item p-0">
-        {% trans "Update progress" as button_text %}
-        {% include 'snippets/toggle/toggle_button.html' with class=class text=button_text controls_text="progress_update" controls_uid=button_uuid focus="modal_title_progress_update" %}
-    </li>
-    {% endif %}
-
-    {% if active_shelf.shelf %}
-    <li role="menuitem" class="dropdown-item p-0">
-        <form  name="shelve" action="/unshelve/" method="post">
+        <form name="shelve" action="/shelve/" method="post">
             {% csrf_token %}
             <input type="hidden" name="book" value="{{ active_shelf.book.id }}">
-            <input type="hidden" name="shelf" value="{{ active_shelf.shelf.id }}">
-            <button class="button is-fullwidth is-small{% if dropdown %} is-radiusless{% endif %} is-danger is-light" type="submit">
-                {% blocktrans with name=active_shelf.shelf.name %}Remove from {{ name }}{% endblocktrans %}
+            <button class="button {{ class }}" name="shelf" type="submit" value="{{ shelf.identifier }}" {% if shelf in book.shelf_set.all %} disabled {% endif %}>
+                <span>{{ shelf.name }}</span>
             </button>
         </form>
-    </li>
+
     {% endif %}
-{% endif %}
+    </div>
+{% endfor %}
 
 {% endwith %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templatetags/utilities.py b/bookwyrm/templatetags/utilities.py
index 173716d21..fe83278ac 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templatetags/utilities.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/templatetags/utilities.py
@@ -36,9 +36,9 @@ def get_title(book, too_short=5):
 
 
 @register.simple_tag(takes_context=False)
-def comparison_bool(str1, str2, boolean=True):
+def comparison_bool(str1, str2):
     """idk why I need to write a tag for this, it returns a bool"""
-    return boolean and str1 == str2
+    return str1 == str2
 
 
 @register.filter(is_safe=True)