diff --git a/static/js/popovers.js b/static/js/popovers.js
index e7747ace3a..a3d1358641 100644
--- a/static/js/popovers.js
+++ b/static/js/popovers.js
@@ -257,7 +257,6 @@ exports.hide_message_info_popover = function () {
 
 exports.hide_reactions_popover = function () {
     if (reaction_popped()) {
-        $('.popover').remove();
         current_message_reactions_popover_elem.popover("destroy");
         current_message_reactions_popover_elem = undefined;
     }
@@ -373,10 +372,15 @@ exports.register_click_handlers = function () {
     });
 
 
-    $("body").on("click", ".reaction_button", function (e) {
+    $("body").on("click", ".actions_popover .reaction_button", function (e) {
         var msgid = $(e.currentTarget).data('msgid');
         e.stopPropagation();
-        popovers.toggle_reactions_popover(this, msgid);
+        // HACK: Because we need the popover to be based off an
+        // element that definitely exists in the page even if the
+        // message wasn't sent by us and thus the .reaction_hover
+        // element is not present, we use the message's .message_star
+        // element as the base for the popover.
+        popovers.toggle_reactions_popover($(".selected_message .message_star")[0], msgid);
     });
 
     $("#main_div").on("click", ".sender_info_hover", function (e) {
diff --git a/static/js/reactions.js b/static/js/reactions.js
index 343f7b889f..635c0caf8b 100644
--- a/static/js/reactions.js
+++ b/static/js/reactions.js
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ function reaction_popover_reaction_on_click() {
         operation = 'remove';
     }
     send_reaction_ajax(message_id, emoji_name, operation);
-    popovers.hide_all();
+    popovers.hide_reactions_popover();
 }
 
 function filter_emojis() {
diff --git a/static/js/ui.js b/static/js/ui.js
index ca90d33d17..4735340d2b 100644
--- a/static/js/ui.js
+++ b/static/js/ui.js
@@ -120,13 +120,20 @@ function message_hover(message_row) {
     message = current_msg_list.get(rows.id(message_row));
     message_unhover();
     message_row.addClass('message_hovered');
+    current_message_hover = message_row;
+
+    if (!message.sent_by_me) {
+        // The actions and reactions icon hover logic is handled entirely by CSS
+        return;
+    }
+
+    // But the message edit hover icon is determined by whether the message is still editablex
     if ((message_edit.get_editability(message) === message_edit.editability_types.FULL) &&
         !message.status_message) {
         message_row.find(".edit_content").html('<i class="icon-vector-pencil edit_content_button"></i>');
     } else {
-        message_row.find(".edit_content").html('<i class="icon-vector-smile reaction_button" data-msgid="' + id + '"></i>');
+        message_row.find(".edit_content").html('<i class="icon-vector-file-text-alt edit_content_button" data-msgid="' + id + '"></i>');
     }
-    current_message_hover = message_row;
 }
 
 /* Arguments used in the report_* functions are,
diff --git a/static/styles/zulip.css b/static/styles/zulip.css
index 2968a76edd..c6f5cd2508 100644
--- a/static/styles/zulip.css
+++ b/static/styles/zulip.css
@@ -1164,6 +1164,30 @@ a.message_label_clickable:hover {
     opacity: 1.0;
 }
 
+.reactions_hover {
+    display: inline-block;
+    position: relative;
+    left: 22px;
+    width: 0px;
+    height: 0px;
+    color: #bbb;
+    opacity: 0;
+}
+
+.reactions_hover i {
+    position: absolute;
+    display: block;
+    top: -0.9em;
+    left: 0.4em;
+    border-radius: 1px;
+    padding: 1px 2px;
+}
+
+.message_hovered .reactions_hover {
+    cursor: pointer;
+    opacity: 1.0;
+}
+
 /* Brighten text because of the dark background */
 .dark_background a,
 .dark_background a:hover,
diff --git a/static/templates/single_message.handlebars b/static/templates/single_message.handlebars
index 4f50382fe1..fceb617b92 100644
--- a/static/templates/single_message.handlebars
+++ b/static/templates/single_message.handlebars
@@ -38,7 +38,13 @@
               <span class="message_star {{#if msg/starred}}icon-vector-star{{else}}icon-vector-star-empty empty-star{{/if}}"
                     title="{{#tr this}}{{#if msg/starred}}Unstar{{else}}Star{{/if}} this message{{/tr}}"></span>
             </div>
+            {{#if msg/sent_by_me}}
             <span class="edit_content"></span>
+            {{else}}
+            <div class="reactions_hover">
+            <i class="icon-vector-smile reaction_button" data-msgid="{{msg/id}}"></i>
+            </div>
+            {{/if}}
             <div class="info actions_hover">
               <i class="icon-vector-chevron-down"></i>
             </div>