diff --git a/js/bootstrap-select.js b/js/bootstrap-select.js
index d7de539f3..762ee26e6 100644
--- a/js/bootstrap-select.js
+++ b/js/bootstrap-select.js
@@ -239,16 +239,6 @@
   if (!String.prototype.startsWith) {
     (function () {
       'use strict'; // needed to support `apply`/`call` with `undefined`/`null`
-      var defineProperty = (function () {
-        // IE 8 only supports `Object.defineProperty` on DOM elements
-        try {
-          var object = {};
-          var $defineProperty = Object.defineProperty;
-          var result = $defineProperty(object, object, object) && $defineProperty;
-        } catch (error) {
-        }
-        return result;
-      }());
       var toString = {}.toString;
       var startsWith = function (search) {
         if (this == null) {
@@ -280,8 +270,8 @@
         }
         return true;
       };
-      if (defineProperty) {
-        defineProperty(String.prototype, 'startsWith', {
+      if (Object.defineProperty) {
+        Object.defineProperty(String.prototype, 'startsWith', {
           'value': startsWith,
           'configurable': true,
           'writable': true
@@ -385,13 +375,6 @@
       }
 
       el.dispatchEvent(event);
-    } else if (el.fireEvent) { // for IE8
-      event = document.createEventObject();
-      event.eventType = eventName;
-      el.fireEvent('on' + eventName, event);
-    } else {
-      // fall back to jQuery.trigger
-      this.trigger(eventName);
     }
   };
   // </editor-fold>