diff --git a/data/theme/calendar-arrow-left.svg b/data/theme/calendar-arrow-left.svg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d5d97b3c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/theme/calendar-arrow-left.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
+<!-- Created with Inkscape (http://www.inkscape.org/) -->
+
+<svg
+   xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
+   xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#"
+   xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"
+   xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
+   xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
+   xmlns:sodipodi="http://sodipodi.sourceforge.net/DTD/sodipodi-0.dtd"
+   xmlns:inkscape="http://www.inkscape.org/namespaces/inkscape"
+   width="16"
+   height="16"
+   id="svg2"
+   version="1.1"
+   inkscape:version="0.48+devel r9942 custom"
+   sodipodi:docname="New document 4">
+  <defs
+     id="defs4" />
+  <sodipodi:namedview
+     id="base"
+     pagecolor="#ffffff"
+     bordercolor="#666666"
+     borderopacity="1.0"
+     inkscape:pageopacity="0.0"
+     inkscape:pageshadow="2"
+     inkscape:zoom="1"
+     inkscape:cx="8.984481"
+     inkscape:cy="5.6224906"
+     inkscape:document-units="px"
+     inkscape:current-layer="layer1"
+     showgrid="false"
+     borderlayer="true"
+     inkscape:showpageshadow="false"
+     inkscape:window-width="930"
+     inkscape:window-height="681"
+     inkscape:window-x="1892"
+     inkscape:window-y="272"
+     inkscape:window-maximized="0">
+    <inkscape:grid
+       type="xygrid"
+       id="grid17403"
+       empspacing="5"
+       visible="true"
+       enabled="true"
+       snapvisiblegridlinesonly="true" />
+  </sodipodi:namedview>
+  <metadata
+     id="metadata7">
+    <rdf:RDF>
+      <cc:Work
+         rdf:about="">
+        <dc:format>image/svg+xml</dc:format>
+        <dc:type
+           rdf:resource="http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/StillImage" />
+        <dc:title></dc:title>
+      </cc:Work>
+    </rdf:RDF>
+  </metadata>
+  <g
+     inkscape:label="Layer 1"
+     inkscape:groupmode="layer"
+     id="layer1"
+     transform="translate(0,-1036.3622)">
+    <path
+       sodipodi:type="star"
+       style="fill:#5f5f5f;fill-opacity:1;stroke:#5f5f5f;stroke-width:0.43015847;stroke-linecap:round;stroke-linejoin:miter;stroke-miterlimit:4;stroke-opacity:1;stroke-dasharray:none;display:inline"
+       id="path18028"
+       sodipodi:sides="3"
+       sodipodi:cx="84.5"
+       sodipodi:cy="337.5"
+       sodipodi:r1="5"
+       sodipodi:r2="2.5"
+       sodipodi:arg1="0.52359878"
+       sodipodi:arg2="1.5707963"
+       inkscape:flatsided="true"
+       inkscape:rounded="0"
+       inkscape:randomized="0"
+       d="M 88.830127,340 80.169873,340 84.5,332.5 z"
+       transform="matrix(0,1.3621708,0.99186247,0,-325.48222,929.32667)" />
+  </g>
+</svg>
diff --git a/data/theme/calendar-arrow-right.svg b/data/theme/calendar-arrow-right.svg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..545da7ec5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/theme/calendar-arrow-right.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
+<!-- Created with Inkscape (http://www.inkscape.org/) -->
+
+<svg
+   xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
+   xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#"
+   xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"
+   xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
+   xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
+   xmlns:sodipodi="http://sodipodi.sourceforge.net/DTD/sodipodi-0.dtd"
+   xmlns:inkscape="http://www.inkscape.org/namespaces/inkscape"
+   width="16"
+   height="16"
+   id="svg2"
+   version="1.1"
+   inkscape:version="0.48+devel r9942 custom"
+   sodipodi:docname="arrow-left.svg">
+  <defs
+     id="defs4" />
+  <sodipodi:namedview
+     id="base"
+     pagecolor="#ffffff"
+     bordercolor="#666666"
+     borderopacity="1.0"
+     inkscape:pageopacity="0.0"
+     inkscape:pageshadow="2"
+     inkscape:zoom="1"
+     inkscape:cx="7.7366092"
+     inkscape:cy="6.4536271"
+     inkscape:document-units="px"
+     inkscape:current-layer="layer1"
+     showgrid="false"
+     borderlayer="true"
+     inkscape:showpageshadow="false"
+     inkscape:window-width="930"
+     inkscape:window-height="681"
+     inkscape:window-x="1892"
+     inkscape:window-y="272"
+     inkscape:window-maximized="0">
+    <inkscape:grid
+       type="xygrid"
+       id="grid17403"
+       empspacing="5"
+       visible="true"
+       enabled="true"
+       snapvisiblegridlinesonly="true" />
+  </sodipodi:namedview>
+  <metadata
+     id="metadata7">
+    <rdf:RDF>
+      <cc:Work
+         rdf:about="">
+        <dc:format>image/svg+xml</dc:format>
+        <dc:type
+           rdf:resource="http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/StillImage" />
+        <dc:title></dc:title>
+      </cc:Work>
+    </rdf:RDF>
+  </metadata>
+  <g
+     inkscape:label="Layer 1"
+     inkscape:groupmode="layer"
+     id="layer1"
+     transform="translate(0,-1036.3622)">
+    <path
+       sodipodi:type="star"
+       style="fill:#5f5f5f;fill-opacity:1;stroke:#5f5f5f;stroke-width:0.43015847;stroke-linecap:round;stroke-linejoin:miter;stroke-miterlimit:4;stroke-opacity:1;stroke-dasharray:none;display:inline"
+       id="path18028"
+       sodipodi:sides="3"
+       sodipodi:cx="84.5"
+       sodipodi:cy="337.5"
+       sodipodi:r1="5"
+       sodipodi:r2="2.5"
+       sodipodi:arg1="0.52359878"
+       sodipodi:arg2="1.5707963"
+       inkscape:flatsided="true"
+       inkscape:rounded="0"
+       inkscape:randomized="0"
+       d="M 88.830127,340 80.169873,340 84.5,332.5 z"
+       transform="matrix(0,1.3621708,-0.99186247,0,342.48324,929.32667)" />
+  </g>
+</svg>
diff --git a/data/theme/gnome-shell.css b/data/theme/gnome-shell.css
index 8f81c3668..622305121 100644
--- a/data/theme/gnome-shell.css
+++ b/data/theme/gnome-shell.css
@@ -761,6 +761,34 @@ StTooltip StLabel {
     border-radius: 5px;
 }
 
+.calendar-change-month-back {
+    width: 20px;
+    height: 20px;
+    background-image: url("calendar-arrow-left.svg");
+}
+.calendar-change-month-back:hover {
+    background: #999999;
+    background-image: url("calendar-arrow-left.svg");
+}
+.calendar-change-month-back:active {
+    background: #aaaaaa;
+    background-image: url("calendar-arrow-left.svg");
+}
+
+.calendar-change-month-forward {
+    width: 20px;
+    height: 20px;
+    background-image: url("calendar-arrow-right.svg");
+}
+.calendar-change-month-forward:hover {
+    background: #999999;
+    background-image: url("calendar-arrow-right.svg");
+}
+.calendar-change-month-forward:active {
+    background: #aaaaaa;
+    background-image: url("calendar-arrow-right.svg");
+}
+
 .datemenu-date-label {
     font-size: 16px;
     font-weight: bold;
diff --git a/js/ui/calendar.js b/js/ui/calendar.js
index d1b646fae..e75c95214 100644
--- a/js/ui/calendar.js
+++ b/js/ui/calendar.js
@@ -214,19 +214,15 @@ Calendar.prototype = {
                        { row: 0, col: 0, col_span: offsetCols + 7 });
 
         this.actor.connect('style-changed', Lang.bind(this, this._onStyleChange));
-        let [backlabel, forwardlabel] = ['&lt;', '&gt;'];
-        if (St.Widget.get_default_direction () == St.TextDirection.RTL) {
-            [backlabel, forwardlabel] = [forwardlabel, backlabel];
-        }
 
-        let back = new St.Button({ label: backlabel, style_class: 'calendar-change-month'  });
+        let back = new St.Button({ style_class: 'calendar-change-month-back' });
         this._topBox.add(back);
         back.connect('clicked', Lang.bind(this, this._prevMonth));
 
         this._dateLabel = new St.Label({style_class: 'calendar-change-month'});
         this._topBox.add(this._dateLabel, { expand: true, x_fill: false, x_align: St.Align.MIDDLE });
 
-        let forward = new St.Button({ label: forwardlabel, style_class: 'calendar-change-month' });
+        let forward = new St.Button({ style_class: 'calendar-change-month-forward' });
         this._topBox.add(forward);
         forward.connect('clicked', Lang.bind(this, this._nextMonth));