diff --git a/src/wp-admin/css/dashboard.css b/src/wp-admin/css/dashboard.css
index 9bc5f46470..2784b804d0 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/css/dashboard.css
+++ b/src/wp-admin/css/dashboard.css
@@ -728,7 +728,7 @@ body #dashboard-widgets .postbox form .submit {
 
 #dashboard_activity .no-activity {
 	overflow: hidden;
-	padding: 0 0 12px;
+	padding: 12px 0;
 	text-align: center;
 }
 
@@ -737,24 +737,6 @@ body #dashboard-widgets .postbox form .submit {
 	font-size: 16px;
 }
 
-#dashboard_activity .no-activity .smiley {
-	margin-top: 0;
-}
-
-#dashboard_activity .no-activity .smiley:before {
-	content: "\f328";
-	font: normal 120px/1 dashicons;
-	speak: none;
-	display: block;
-	margin: 0 5px 0 0;
-	padding: 0;
-	text-indent: 0;
-	text-align: center;
-	position: relative;
-	-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;
-	text-decoration: none !important;
-}
-
 #dashboard_activity .subsubsub {
 	float: none;
 	border-top: 1px solid #eee;
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php
index 11fb18268c..c7edaf6c08 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php
@@ -890,7 +890,6 @@ function wp_dashboard_site_activity() {
 
 	if ( ! $future_posts && ! $recent_posts && ! $recent_comments ) {
 		echo '<div class="no-activity">';
-		echo '<p class="smiley" aria-hidden="true"></p>';
 		echo '<p>' . __( 'No activity yet!' ) . '</p>';
 		echo '</div>';
 	}