diff --git a/api/js/egw_action/egw_action.js b/api/js/egw_action/egw_action.js
index fefd94268d..ec74d35272 100644
--- a/api/js/egw_action/egw_action.js
+++ b/api/js/egw_action/egw_action.js
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ import {
 	EGW_KEY_PAGE_DOWN,
 	EGW_AO_EXEC_THIS,
 	EGW_AO_EXEC_SELECTED,
-	EGW_KEY_A, EGW_KEY_SPACE
+	EGW_KEY_A, EGW_KEY_SPACE,
+	EGW_AO_FLAG_DEFAULT_FOCUS
 } from './egw_action_constants.js';
 import {egwFnct, egwActionStoreJSON, egwBitIsSet, egwQueueCallback, egwSetBit, egwObjectLength} from './egw_action_common.js';
 import './egw_action_popup.js';
@@ -2528,3 +2529,17 @@ export function egwActionObjectManager(_id, _manager)
 
 	return ao;
 }
+
+// make some functions available globally for old eTemplate apps like KnowledgeBase
+if (typeof window.egw_getActionManager === 'undefined')
+{
+	window.egw_globalObjectManager = egw_globalObjectManager;
+	window.egw_getActionManager = egw_getActionManager;
+	window.egw_getObjectManager = egw_getObjectManager;
+	window.egwActionObjectManager = egwActionObjectManager;
+	window.egwActionObjectInterface = egwActionObjectInterface;
+	window.EGW_AO_FLAG_DEFAULT_FOCUS = EGW_AO_FLAG_DEFAULT_FOCUS;
+	window.EGW_AO_STATE_SELECTED = EGW_AO_STATE_SELECTED;
+	window.EGW_AO_SHIFT_STATE_MULTI = EGW_AO_SHIFT_STATE_MULTI;
+	window.EGW_AO_STATE_FOCUSED = EGW_AO_STATE_FOCUSED;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/api/js/egw_action/egw_action_common.js b/api/js/egw_action/egw_action_common.js
index ea45b11b13..d1b8bb27af 100644
--- a/api/js/egw_action/egw_action_common.js
+++ b/api/js/egw_action/egw_action_common.js
@@ -517,4 +517,11 @@ export function sprintf() {
 		f = f.substring(m[0].length);
 	}
 	return o.join('');
+}
+// make some functions global for old eTemplate apps like KnowledgeBase
+if (typeof window.egwPreventSelect === 'undefined')
+{
+	window.egwPreventSelect = egwPreventSelect;
+	window.egwBitIsSet = egwBitIsSet;
+	window.egwUnfocus = egwUnfocus;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/api/js/egw_action/egw_action_popup.js b/api/js/egw_action/egw_action_popup.js
index 29950e5de7..d9e0d6bc79 100644
--- a/api/js/egw_action/egw_action_popup.js
+++ b/api/js/egw_action/egw_action_popup.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import {egwAction, egwActionImplementation, egwActionObject} from './egw_action.
 import {egwFnct} from './egw_action_common.js';
 import {egwMenu, _egw_active_menu} from "./egw_menu.js";
 import {EGW_KEY_ENTER, EGW_KEY_MENU} from "./egw_action_constants.js";
-import {tapAndSwipe} from "../tapandswipe";
+import {tapAndSwipe} from "../tapandswipe.js";
 
 if (typeof window._egwActionClasses == "undefined")
 	window._egwActionClasses = {};
diff --git a/api/js/tapandswipe.js b/api/js/tapandswipe.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..54ae972bf4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/js/tapandswipe.js
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+// dummy to get egw_actions work with old eTemplate, 23.1+ plus uses the complied TS file
+export function tapAndSwipe() {}
\ No newline at end of file