diff --git a/comment/comment.js b/comment/comment.js
index 806ee9c6425..13ab753fc10 100644
--- a/comment/comment.js
+++ b/comment/comment.js
@@ -100,9 +100,9 @@ M.core_comment = {
                             var newcomment = Y.Node.create(result.html);
                             container.appendChild(newcomment);
                             var ids = result.ids;
-                            var linkText = Y.one('#comment-link-text-' + cid);
-                            if (linkText) {
-                                linkText.set('innerHTML', M.util.get_string('commentscount', 'moodle', obj.count));
+                            var linkTextCount = Y.one('#comment-link-text-' + cid + ' .comment-link-count');
+                            if (linkTextCount) {
+                                linkTextCount.set('innerHTML', obj.count);
                             }
                             for(var i in ids) {
                                 var attributes = {
@@ -249,9 +249,9 @@ M.core_comment = {
                     scope: scope,
                     params: params,
                     callback: async function(id, ret, args) {
-                        var linkText = Y.one('#comment-link-text-' + scope.client_id);
-                        if (ret.count && linkText) {
-                            linkText.set('innerHTML', M.util.get_string('commentscount', 'moodle', ret.count));
+                        var linkTextCount = Y.one('#comment-link-text-' + scope.client_id + ' .comment-link-count');
+                        if (linkTextCount) {
+                            linkTextCount.set('innerHTML', ret.count);
                         }
                         var container = Y.one('#comment-list-'+scope.client_id);
                         var pagination = Y.one('#comment-pagination-'+scope.client_id);
@@ -284,10 +284,10 @@ M.core_comment = {
                     params = {'commentid': id};
                 function remove_dom(type, anim, cmt) {
                     cmt.remove();
-                    var linkText = Y.one('#comment-link-text-' + cid),
+                    var linkTextCount = Y.one('#comment-link-text-' + cid + ' .comment-link-count'),
                         comments = Y.all('#comment-list-' + cid + ' li');
-                    if (linkText && comments) {
-                        linkText.set('innerHTML', M.util.get_string('commentscount', 'moodle', comments.size()));
+                    if (linkTextCount) {
+                        linkTextCount.set('innerHTML', comments.size());
                     }
                 }
                 this.request({
diff --git a/comment/lib.php b/comment/lib.php
index e555f93927c..41c77e87147 100644
--- a/comment/lib.php
+++ b/comment/lib.php
@@ -263,7 +263,6 @@ class comment {
         $page->requires->strings_for_js(array(
                 'addcomment',
                 'comments',
-                'commentscount',
                 'commentsrequirelogin',
                 'deletecommentbyon'
             ),
@@ -454,7 +453,7 @@ class comment {
                 // comments open and closed
                 $countstring = '';
                 if ($this->displaytotalcount) {
-                    $countstring = '('.$this->count().')';
+                    $countstring = '(' . html_writer::span($this->count(), 'comment-link-count') . ')';
                 }
                 $collapsedimage= 't/collapsed';
                 if (right_to_left()) {