diff --git a/js/ui/calendar.js b/js/ui/calendar.js
index 68e560e97..b34f0ef9c 100644
--- a/js/ui/calendar.js
+++ b/js/ui/calendar.js
@@ -959,7 +959,7 @@ const NotificationSection = new Lang.Class({
     _createTimeLabel: function(datetime) {
         let label = Util.createTimeLabel(datetime);
         label.style_class = 'event-time',
-        label.x_align = Clutter.ActorAlign.END;
+        label.x_align = Clutter.ActorAlign.START;
         return label;
     },
 
diff --git a/js/ui/messageList.js b/js/ui/messageList.js
index 103878988..66d911dc5 100644
--- a/js/ui/messageList.js
+++ b/js/ui/messageList.js
@@ -331,18 +331,18 @@ const Message = new Lang.Class({
         let titleBox = new St.BoxLayout();
         contentBox.add_actor(titleBox);
 
-        this.titleLabel = new St.Label({ style_class: 'message-title',
-                                         x_expand: true,
-                                         x_align: Clutter.ActorAlign.START });
+        this.titleLabel = new St.Label({ style_class: 'message-title' });
         this.setTitle(title);
         titleBox.add_actor(this.titleLabel);
 
-        this._secondaryBin = new St.Bin({ style_class: 'message-secondary-bin' });
+        this._secondaryBin = new St.Bin({ style_class: 'message-secondary-bin',
+                                          x_expand: true, y_expand: true,
+                                          x_fill: true, y_fill: true });
         titleBox.add_actor(this._secondaryBin);
 
         let closeIcon = new St.Icon({ icon_name: 'window-close-symbolic',
                                       icon_size: 16 });
-        this._closeButton = new St.Button({ child: closeIcon, visible: false });
+        this._closeButton = new St.Button({ child: closeIcon, opacity: 0 });
         titleBox.add_actor(this._closeButton);
 
         this._bodyStack = new St.Widget({ x_expand: true });
@@ -493,9 +493,8 @@ const Message = new Lang.Class({
     },
 
     _sync: function() {
-        let hovered = this.actor.hover;
-        this._closeButton.visible = hovered && this.canClose();
-        this._secondaryBin.visible = !hovered;
+        let visible = this.actor.hover && this.canClose();
+        this._closeButton.opacity = visible ? 255 : 0;
     },
 
     _onClicked: function() {
diff --git a/js/ui/messageTray.js b/js/ui/messageTray.js
index fe1b4d8e7..32e3c4c76 100644
--- a/js/ui/messageTray.js
+++ b/js/ui/messageTray.js
@@ -541,7 +541,8 @@ const NotificationBanner = new Lang.Class({
 
     _addSecondaryIcon: function() {
         if (this.notification.secondaryGIcon) {
-            let icon = new St.Icon({ gicon: this.notification.secondaryGIcon });
+            let icon = new St.Icon({ gicon: this.notification.secondaryGIcon,
+                                     x_align: Clutter.ActorAlign.END });
             this.setSecondaryActor(icon);
         }
     },