diff --git a/lib/ads/ad_manager.js b/lib/ads/ad_manager.js
index 0f3ebf46ff..35e3a0cc0c 100644
--- a/lib/ads/ad_manager.js
+++ b/lib/ads/ad_manager.js
@@ -448,6 +448,7 @@ shaka.ads.AdManager = class extends shaka.util.FakeEventTarget {
       this.ssAdManager_.release();
       this.ssAdManager_ = null;
     }
+    super.release();
   }
 
 
diff --git a/lib/cast/cast_proxy.js b/lib/cast/cast_proxy.js
index c453cb80ea..d10984cd11 100644
--- a/lib/cast/cast_proxy.js
+++ b/lib/cast/cast_proxy.js
@@ -120,6 +120,9 @@ shaka.cast.CastProxy = class extends shaka.util.FakeEventTarget {
     this.videoProxy_ = null;
     this.playerProxy_ = null;
 
+    // FakeEventTarget implements IReleasable
+    super.release();
+
     return Promise.all(waitFor);
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/cast/cast_receiver.js b/lib/cast/cast_receiver.js
index e5dbfb0364..6d67d3a5a5 100644
--- a/lib/cast/cast_receiver.js
+++ b/lib/cast/cast_receiver.js
@@ -238,6 +238,9 @@ shaka.cast.CastReceiver = class extends shaka.util.FakeEventTarget {
     this.shakaBus_ = null;
     this.genericBus_ = null;
 
+    // FakeEventTarget implements IReleasable
+    super.release();
+
     await Promise.all(waitFor);
 
     const manager = cast.receiver.CastReceiverManager.getInstance();
diff --git a/lib/net/networking_engine.js b/lib/net/networking_engine.js
index a7df748cc5..626990ca7c 100644
--- a/lib/net/networking_engine.js
+++ b/lib/net/networking_engine.js
@@ -232,6 +232,10 @@ shaka.net.NetworkingEngine = class extends shaka.util.FakeEventTarget {
     this.destroyed_ = true;
     this.requestFilters_.clear();
     this.responseFilters_.clear();
+
+    // FakeEventTarget implements IReleasable
+    super.release();
+
     return this.operationManager_.destroy();
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/player.js b/lib/player.js
index 137e5cfb3c..c50ad975a1 100644
--- a/lib/player.js
+++ b/lib/player.js
@@ -787,6 +787,9 @@ shaka.Player = class extends shaka.util.FakeEventTarget {
       await this.networkingEngine_.destroy();
       this.networkingEngine_ = null;
     }
+
+    // FakeEventTarget implements IReleasable
+    super.release();
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/lib/util/fake_event_target.js b/lib/util/fake_event_target.js
index 7412edef44..fc57f1f89d 100644
--- a/lib/util/fake_event_target.js
+++ b/lib/util/fake_event_target.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ goog.provide('shaka.util.FakeEventTarget');
 goog.require('goog.asserts');
 goog.require('shaka.log');
 goog.require('shaka.util.FakeEvent');
+goog.require('shaka.util.IReleasable');
 goog.require('shaka.util.MultiMap');
 
 
@@ -18,13 +19,14 @@ goog.require('shaka.util.MultiMap');
  * to non-DOM classes.  Only FakeEvents should be dispatched.
  *
  * @implements {EventTarget}
+ * @implements {shaka.util.IReleasable}
  * @exportInterface
  */
 shaka.util.FakeEventTarget = class {
   /** */
   constructor() {
     /**
-     * @private {!shaka.util.MultiMap.<shaka.util.FakeEventTarget.ListenerType>}
+     * @private {shaka.util.MultiMap.<shaka.util.FakeEventTarget.ListenerType>}
      */
     this.listeners_ = new shaka.util.MultiMap();
 
@@ -46,6 +48,9 @@ shaka.util.FakeEventTarget = class {
    * @exportInterface
    */
   addEventListener(type, listener, options) {
+    if (!this.listeners_) {
+      return;
+    }
     this.listeners_.push(type, listener);
   }
 
@@ -73,6 +78,9 @@ shaka.util.FakeEventTarget = class {
    * @exportInterface
    */
   removeEventListener(type, listener, options) {
+    if (!this.listeners_) {
+      return;
+    }
     this.listeners_.remove(type, listener);
   }
 
@@ -90,6 +98,10 @@ shaka.util.FakeEventTarget = class {
     goog.asserts.assert(event instanceof shaka.util.FakeEvent,
         'FakeEventTarget can only dispatch FakeEvents!');
 
+    if (!this.listeners_) {
+      return true;
+    }
+
     let listeners = this.listeners_.get(event.type) || [];
     const universalListeners =
       this.listeners_.get(shaka.util.FakeEventTarget.ALL_EVENTS_);
@@ -129,6 +141,14 @@ shaka.util.FakeEventTarget = class {
 
     return event.defaultPrevented;
   }
+
+  /**
+   * @override
+   * @exportInterface
+   */
+  release() {
+    this.listeners_ = null;
+  }
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/ui/controls.js b/ui/controls.js
index 1b27040cfb..6fe8d393ed 100644
--- a/ui/controls.js
+++ b/ui/controls.js
@@ -254,6 +254,9 @@ shaka.ui.Controls = class extends shaka.util.FakeEventTarget {
 
     this.localization_ = null;
     this.pressedKeys_.clear();
+
+    // FakeEventTarget implements IReleasable
+    super.release();
   }
 
 
diff --git a/ui/localization.js b/ui/localization.js
index fad4c1af11..e161e6921d 100644
--- a/ui/localization.js
+++ b/ui/localization.js
@@ -23,17 +23,18 @@ goog.require('shaka.util.LanguageUtils');
  * If a string is not available, it will return the localized
  * form in the closest related locale.
  *
- * @implements {EventTarget}
  * @final
  * @export
  */
-shaka.ui.Localization = class {
+shaka.ui.Localization = class extends shaka.util.FakeEventTarget {
   /**
    * @param {string} fallbackLocale
    *    The fallback locale that should be used. It will be assumed that this
    *    locale should have entries for just about every request.
    */
   constructor(fallbackLocale) {
+    super();
+
     /** @private {string} */
     this.fallbackLocale_ = shaka.util.LanguageUtils.normalize(fallbackLocale);
 
@@ -62,41 +63,16 @@ shaka.ui.Localization = class {
      * @private {!Map.<string, !Map.<string, string>>}
      */
     this.localizations_ = new Map();
-
-    /**
-     * The event target that we will wrap so that we can fire events
-     * without having to manage the listeners directly.
-     *
-     * @private {!EventTarget}
-     */
-    this.events_ = new shaka.util.FakeEventTarget();
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * @override
-   * @export
-   */
-  addEventListener(type, listener, options) {
-    this.events_.addEventListener(type, listener, options);
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * @override
-   * @export
-   */
-  removeEventListener(type, listener, options) {
-    // Apparently Closure says we can be passed a null |option|, but we can't
-    // pass a null option, so if we get have a null-like |option|, force it to
-    // be undefined.
-    this.events_.removeEventListener(type, listener, options || undefined);
   }
 
   /**
    * @override
    * @export
    */
-  dispatchEvent(event) {
-    return this.events_.dispatchEvent(event);
+  release() {
+    // Placeholder so that readers know this implements IReleasable (via
+    // FakeEventTarget)
+    super.release();
   }
 
   /**
@@ -130,7 +106,7 @@ shaka.ui.Localization = class {
         (locale) => !this.localizations_.has(locale));
 
     if (missing.length) {
-      this.events_.dispatchEvent(new shaka.util.FakeEvent(
+      this.dispatchEvent(new shaka.util.FakeEvent(
           Class.UNKNOWN_LOCALES,
           (new Map()).set('locales', missing)));
     }
@@ -141,7 +117,7 @@ shaka.ui.Localization = class {
 
     const data = (new Map()).set(
         'locales', found.length ? found : [this.fallbackLocale_]);
-    this.events_.dispatchEvent(new shaka.util.FakeEvent(
+    this.dispatchEvent(new shaka.util.FakeEvent(
         Class.LOCALE_CHANGED,
         data));
   }
@@ -193,7 +169,7 @@ shaka.ui.Localization = class {
     // data from.
     this.updateCurrentMap_();
 
-    this.events_.dispatchEvent(new FakeEvent(Class.LOCALE_UPDATED));
+    this.dispatchEvent(new FakeEvent(Class.LOCALE_UPDATED));
 
     return this;
   }
@@ -249,7 +225,7 @@ shaka.ui.Localization = class {
         // Make a copy to avoid leaking references.
         .set('locales', Array.from(this.currentLocales_))
         .set('missing', id);
-    this.events_.dispatchEvent(new FakeEvent(Class.UNKNOWN_LOCALIZATION, data));
+    this.dispatchEvent(new FakeEvent(Class.UNKNOWN_LOCALIZATION, data));
 
     return '';
   }
@@ -377,7 +353,7 @@ shaka.ui.Localization = class {
           // an array.
           .set('missing', Array.from(missing));
 
-      this.events_.dispatchEvent(new shaka.util.FakeEvent(
+      this.dispatchEvent(new shaka.util.FakeEvent(
           shaka.ui.Localization.MISSING_LOCALIZATIONS,
           data));
     }