diff --git a/data/theme/gnome-shell-high-contrast.css b/data/theme/gnome-shell-high-contrast.css
index cd216ad11..476dfb2ea 100644
--- a/data/theme/gnome-shell-high-contrast.css
+++ b/data/theme/gnome-shell-high-contrast.css
@@ -874,20 +874,6 @@ StScrollBar {
 .message-list-section-list {
   spacing: 0.7em; }
 
-.message-list-section-title-box {
-  spacing: 0.4em; }
-
-.message-list-section-close > StIcon {
-  icon-size: 16px;
-  border-radius: 8px;
-  color: #000;
-  background-color: #666666; }
-
-/* FIXME: how do you do this in sass? */
-.message-list-section-close:hover > StIcon,
-.message-list-section-close:focus > StIcon {
-  background-color: #999999; }
-
 .message {
   background-color: #0d0d0d;
   border-radius: 3px; }
diff --git a/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass b/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass
index e7d72f3d2..8001b92b5 160000
--- a/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass
+++ b/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit e7d72f3d2dbc4ed6382a619b9c6abc1590a8144e
+Subproject commit 8001b92b5ef26cb8ea5674c72beed6a4a6439e89
diff --git a/data/theme/gnome-shell.css b/data/theme/gnome-shell.css
index 7c703022c..40be8539d 100644
--- a/data/theme/gnome-shell.css
+++ b/data/theme/gnome-shell.css
@@ -874,20 +874,6 @@ StScrollBar {
 .message-list-section-list {
   spacing: 0.7em; }
 
-.message-list-section-title-box {
-  spacing: 0.4em; }
-
-.message-list-section-close > StIcon {
-  icon-size: 16px;
-  border-radius: 8px;
-  color: #393f3f;
-  background-color: #59594f; }
-
-/* FIXME: how do you do this in sass? */
-.message-list-section-close:hover > StIcon,
-.message-list-section-close:focus > StIcon {
-  background-color: #8e8e80; }
-
 .message {
   background-color: #454c4c;
   border-radius: 3px; }
diff --git a/js/ui/messageList.js b/js/ui/messageList.js
index 9dde30941..8978fa293 100644
--- a/js/ui/messageList.js
+++ b/js/ui/messageList.js
@@ -524,29 +524,16 @@ const MessageListSection = new Lang.Class({
         this.actor = new St.BoxLayout({ style_class: 'message-list-section',
                                         clip_to_allocation: true,
                                         x_expand: true, vertical: true });
-        let titleBox = new St.BoxLayout({ style_class: 'message-list-section-title-box' });
-        this.actor.add_actor(titleBox);
-
         this._title = new St.Button({ style_class: 'message-list-section-title',
                                       label: title,
                                       can_focus: true,
                                       x_expand: true,
                                       x_align: St.Align.START });
-        titleBox.add_actor(this._title);
+        this.actor.add_actor(this._title);
 
         this._title.connect('clicked', Lang.bind(this, this._onTitleClicked));
         this._title.connect('key-focus-in', Lang.bind(this, this._onKeyFocusIn));
 
-        let closeIcon = new St.Icon({ icon_name: 'window-close-symbolic' });
-        this._closeButton = new St.Button({ style_class: 'message-list-section-close',
-                                            child: closeIcon,
-                                            accessible_name: _("Clear section"),
-                                            can_focus: true });
-        this._closeButton.set_x_align(Clutter.ActorAlign.END);
-        titleBox.add_actor(this._closeButton);
-
-        this._closeButton.connect('clicked', Lang.bind(this, this.clear));
-
         this._list = new St.BoxLayout({ style_class: 'message-list-section-list',
                                         vertical: true });
         this.actor.add_actor(this._list);
@@ -727,7 +714,6 @@ const MessageListSection = new Lang.Class({
         if (changed)
             this.emit('can-clear-changed');
 
-        this._closeButton.visible = this.canClear;
         this.actor.visible = this.allowed && this._shouldShow();
     }
 });