diff --git a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-change-view/gr-change-view.js b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-change-view/gr-change-view.js
index 05a3ae5..0b29298 100644
--- a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-change-view/gr-change-view.js
+++ b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-change-view/gr-change-view.js
@@ -2129,7 +2129,8 @@
 
   _handleFileActionTap(e) {
     e.preventDefault();
-    const controls = this.$.fileListHeader.$.editControls;
+    const controls = this.$.fileListHeader
+        .shadowRoot.querySelector('#editControls');
     const path = e.detail.path;
     switch (e.detail.action) {
       case GrEditConstants.Actions.DELETE.id:
diff --git a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-change-view/gr-change-view_test.js b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-change-view/gr-change-view_test.js
index 6667ddb..d0b91e2 100644
--- a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-change-view/gr-change-view_test.js
+++ b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-change-view/gr-change-view_test.js
@@ -2000,7 +2000,10 @@
     };
     const fileList = element.$.fileList;
     const Actions = GrEditConstants.Actions;
-    const controls = element.$.fileListHeader.$.editControls;
+    element.$.fileListHeader.editMode = true;
+    flushAsynchronousOperations();
+    const controls = element.$.fileListHeader
+        .shadowRoot.querySelector('#editControls');
     sandbox.stub(controls, 'openDeleteDialog');
     sandbox.stub(controls, 'openRenameDialog');
     sandbox.stub(controls, 'openRestoreDialog');
diff --git a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-file-list-header/gr-file-list-header_html.js b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-file-list-header/gr-file-list-header_html.js
index 10b8606..bb04114 100644
--- a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-file-list-header/gr-file-list-header_html.js
+++ b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-file-list-header/gr-file-list-header_html.js
@@ -188,14 +188,16 @@
       </div>
     </div>
     <div class$="rightControls [[_computeExpandedClass(filesExpanded)]]">
-      <span class="showOnEdit flexContainer">
-        <gr-edit-controls
-          id="editControls"
-          patch-num="[[patchNum]]"
-          change="[[change]]"
-        ></gr-edit-controls>
-        <span class="separator"></span>
-      </span>
+      <template is="dom-if" if="[[editMode]]">
+        <span class="showOnEdit flexContainer">
+          <gr-edit-controls
+            id="editControls"
+            patch-num="[[patchNum]]"
+            change="[[change]]"
+          ></gr-edit-controls>
+          <span class="separator"></span>
+        </span>
+      </template>
       <span class$="[[_computeUploadHelpContainerClass(change, account)]]">
         <gr-button link="" class="upload" on-click="_handleUploadTap"
           >Update Change</gr-button
diff --git a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-file-list-header/gr-file-list-header_test.html b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-file-list-header/gr-file-list-header_test.html
index 19362d5..2a5a302 100644
--- a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-file-list-header/gr-file-list-header_test.html
+++ b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-file-list-header/gr-file-list-header_test.html
@@ -299,13 +299,22 @@
     });
 
     test('edit-controls visibility', () => {
+      element.editMode = false;
+      flushAsynchronousOperations();
+      // on the first render, when editMode is false, editControls are not
+      // in the DOM to reduce size of DOM and make first render faster.
+      assert.isNull(element.shadowRoot
+          .querySelector('#editControls'));
+
       element.editMode = true;
       flushAsynchronousOperations();
-      assert.isTrue(isVisible(element.$.editControls.parentElement));
+      assert.isTrue(isVisible(element.shadowRoot
+          .querySelector('#editControls').parentElement));
 
       element.editMode = false;
       flushAsynchronousOperations();
-      assert.isFalse(isVisible(element.$.editControls.parentElement));
+      assert.isFalse(isVisible(element.shadowRoot
+          .querySelector('#editControls').parentElement));
     });
 
     test('_computeUploadHelpContainerClass', () => {