diff --git a/data/theme/gnome-shell.css b/data/theme/gnome-shell.css
index f2b5f3326..189b417d0 100644
--- a/data/theme/gnome-shell.css
+++ b/data/theme/gnome-shell.css
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ StScrollBar StButton#vhandle:hover
     background-color: #4c4c4c;
 }
 
-.popup-menu-item:insensitive {
+StButton.popup-menu-item:insensitive {
     color: #9f9f9f;
 }
 
@@ -1630,7 +1630,7 @@ StScrollBar StButton#vhandle:hover
     padding: 4px 32px 5px;
 }
 
-.modal-dialog-button:disabled {
+.modal-dialog-button:insensitive {
     color: rgb(60, 60, 60);
 }
 
diff --git a/js/ui/messageTray.js b/js/ui/messageTray.js
index d1c726de8..d7b764742 100644
--- a/js/ui/messageTray.js
+++ b/js/ui/messageTray.js
@@ -799,10 +799,6 @@ const Notification = new Lang.Class({
             return;
 
         button.reactive = sensitive;
-        if (sensitive)
-            button.remove_style_pseudo_class('insensitive');
-        else
-            button.add_style_pseudo_class('insensitive');
     },
 
     setUrgency: function(urgency) {
diff --git a/js/ui/popupMenu.js b/js/ui/popupMenu.js
index 7570d6ebc..0517837d6 100644
--- a/js/ui/popupMenu.js
+++ b/js/ui/popupMenu.js
@@ -135,10 +135,6 @@ const PopupBaseMenuItem = new Lang.Class({
         this.sensitive = sensitive;
         this.actor.reactive = sensitive;
 
-        if (sensitive)
-            this.actor.remove_style_pseudo_class('insensitive');
-        else
-            this.actor.add_style_pseudo_class('insensitive');
         this.emit('sensitive-changed', sensitive);
     },
 
@@ -1900,10 +1896,6 @@ const RemoteMenu = new Lang.Class({
         }
 
         item.actor.reactive = action.enabled;
-        if (action.enabled)
-            item.actor.remove_style_pseudo_class('insensitive');
-        else
-            item.actor.add_style_pseudo_class('insensitive');
 
         destroyId = item.connect('destroy', Lang.bind(this, function() {
             item.disconnect(destroyId);
@@ -2036,11 +2028,6 @@ const RemoteMenu = new Lang.Class({
             for (let i = 0; i < action.items.length; i++) {
                 let item = action.items[i];
                 item.actor.reactive = action.enabled;
-
-                if (action.enabled)
-                    item.actor.remove_style_pseudo_class('insensitive');
-                else
-                    item.actor.add_style_pseudo_class('insensitive');
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/st/st-button.c b/src/st/st-button.c
index e3c46f9fb..a4edbe75a 100644
--- a/src/st/st-button.c
+++ b/src/st/st-button.c
@@ -446,15 +446,6 @@ st_button_class_init (StButtonClass *klass)
                   G_TYPE_INT);
 }
 
-static void
-notify_reactive_cb (StWidget *button)
-{
-  if (clutter_actor_get_reactive (CLUTTER_ACTOR (button)))
-    st_widget_remove_style_pseudo_class (button, "disabled");
-  else
-    st_widget_add_style_pseudo_class (button, "disabled");
-}
-
 static void
 st_button_init (StButton *button)
 {
@@ -464,9 +455,6 @@ st_button_init (StButton *button)
 
   clutter_actor_set_reactive (CLUTTER_ACTOR (button), TRUE);
   st_widget_set_track_hover (ST_WIDGET (button), TRUE);
-
-  g_signal_connect(button, "notify::reactive",
-                   G_CALLBACK (notify_reactive_cb), NULL);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/st/st-widget.c b/src/st/st-widget.c
index 6d6539378..767808239 100644
--- a/src/st/st-widget.c
+++ b/src/st/st-widget.c
@@ -1404,6 +1404,17 @@ st_widget_name_notify (StWidget   *widget,
   st_widget_style_changed (widget);
 }
 
+static void
+st_widget_reactive_notify (StWidget   *widget,
+                           GParamSpec *pspec,
+                           gpointer    data)
+{
+  if (clutter_actor_get_reactive (CLUTTER_ACTOR (widget)))
+    st_widget_remove_style_pseudo_class (widget, "insensitive");
+  else
+    st_widget_add_style_pseudo_class (widget, "insensitive");
+}
+
 static void
 st_widget_first_child_notify (StWidget   *widget,
                               GParamSpec *pspec,
@@ -1466,6 +1477,7 @@ st_widget_init (StWidget *actor)
 
   /* connect style changed */
   g_signal_connect (actor, "notify::name", G_CALLBACK (st_widget_name_notify), NULL);
+  g_signal_connect (actor, "notify::reactive", G_CALLBACK (st_widget_reactive_notify), NULL);
 
   g_signal_connect (actor, "notify::first-child", G_CALLBACK (st_widget_first_child_notify), NULL);
   g_signal_connect (actor, "notify::last-child", G_CALLBACK (st_widget_last_child_notify), NULL);