diff --git a/src/Widgets/MultitaskingView/WindowClone.vala b/src/Widgets/MultitaskingView/WindowClone.vala
index d1607a30e..e10991e94 100644
--- a/src/Widgets/MultitaskingView/WindowClone.vala
+++ b/src/Widgets/MultitaskingView/WindowClone.vala
@@ -141,7 +141,6 @@ public class Gala.WindowClone : ActorTarget, RootTarget {
         };
         bind_property ("monitor-scale", close_button, "monitor-scale");
         close_button.triggered.connect (close_window);
-        close_button.notify["has-pointer"].connect (update_hover_widgets);
 
         add_child (active_shape);
         add_child (clone_container);
@@ -155,9 +154,6 @@ public class Gala.WindowClone : ActorTarget, RootTarget {
 
         window.notify["title"].connect (() => window_title.set_text (window.get_title () ?? ""));
         window_title.set_text (window.get_title () ?? "");
-
-        notify["has-pointer"].connect (update_hover_widgets);
-        notify["animating"].connect (update_hover_widgets);
     }
 
     ~WindowClone () {
@@ -270,27 +266,29 @@ public class Gala.WindowClone : ActorTarget, RootTarget {
         add_target (new PropertyTarget (MULTITASKING_VIEW, window_icon, "opacity", typeof (uint), 0u, 255u));
 
         add_target (new PropertyTarget (MULTITASKING_VIEW, window_title, "opacity", typeof (uint), 0u, 255u));
+
+        add_target (new PropertyTarget (MULTITASKING_VIEW, close_button, "opacity", typeof (uint), 0u, 255u));
     }
 
     public override void update_progress (Gala.GestureAction action, double progress) {
-        if (action != CUSTOM || !has_pointer || slot == null || !Meta.Prefs.get_gnome_animations ()) {
-            return;
-        }
-
-        var target_translation_y = (float) (-CLOSE_TRANSLATION * monitor_scale * progress);
-        var target_opacity = (uint) (255 * (1 - progress));
+        if (action == CUSTOM && slot != null && Meta.Prefs.get_gnome_animations ()) {
+            var target_translation_y = (float) (-CLOSE_TRANSLATION * monitor_scale * progress);
+            var target_opacity = (uint) (255 * (1 - progress));
 
-        clone_container.translation_y = target_translation_y;
-        clone_container.opacity = target_opacity;
+            clone_container.translation_y = target_translation_y;
+            clone_container.opacity = target_opacity;
 
-        window_icon.translation_y = target_translation_y;
-        window_icon.opacity = target_opacity;
+            window_icon.translation_y = target_translation_y;
+            window_icon.opacity = target_opacity;
 
-        window_title.translation_y = target_translation_y;
-        window_title.opacity = target_opacity;
+            window_title.translation_y = target_translation_y;
+            window_title.opacity = target_opacity;
 
-        close_button.translation_y = target_translation_y;
-        close_button.opacity = target_opacity;
+            close_button.translation_y = target_translation_y;
+            close_button.opacity = target_opacity;
+        } else if (action == MULTITASKING_VIEW) {
+            close_button.reactive = progress == 1;
+        }
     }
 
     public override void end_progress (GestureAction action) {
@@ -370,18 +368,6 @@ public class Gala.WindowClone : ActorTarget, RootTarget {
         return Clutter.EVENT_STOP;
     }
 
-    private void update_hover_widgets () {
-        var duration = Utils.get_animation_duration (FADE_ANIMATION_DURATION);
-
-        var show = (has_pointer || close_button.has_pointer) && !animating;
-
-        close_button.save_easing_state ();
-        close_button.set_easing_mode (Clutter.AnimationMode.LINEAR);
-        close_button.set_easing_duration (duration);
-        close_button.opacity = show ? 255 : 0;
-        close_button.restore_easing_state ();
-    }
-
     /**
      * Send the window the delete signal and listen for new windows to be added
      * to the window's workspace, in which case we check if the new window is a
@@ -620,7 +606,6 @@ public class Gala.WindowClone : ActorTarget, RootTarget {
 
         close_button.visible = true;
         window_title.visible = true;
-
         wm.get_display ().set_cursor (Meta.Cursor.DEFAULT);
 
         if (duration > 0) {