diff --git a/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/ui/viewmodel/WindowViewModel.java b/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/ui/viewmodel/WindowViewModel.java
index 87a0a3fe0..e17993b6c 100644
--- a/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/ui/viewmodel/WindowViewModel.java
+++ b/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/ui/viewmodel/WindowViewModel.java
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ public class WindowViewModel extends AndroidViewModel {
     private MutableLiveData<ObservableBoolean> isMicrophoneEnabled;
     private MutableLiveData<ObservableBoolean> isBookmarked;
     private MutableLiveData<ObservableBoolean> isFocused;
-    private MutableLiveData<ObservableBoolean> isSpecialUrl;
     private MutableLiveData<ObservableBoolean> isUrlEmpty;
     private MutableLiveData<ObservableBoolean> isPopUpAvailable;
     private MutableLiveData<ObservableBoolean> canGoForward;
@@ -130,7 +129,6 @@ public WindowViewModel(Application application) {
         isMicrophoneEnabled = new MutableLiveData<>(new ObservableBoolean(true));
         isBookmarked = new MutableLiveData<>(new ObservableBoolean(false));
         isFocused = new MutableLiveData<>(new ObservableBoolean(false));
-        isSpecialUrl = new MutableLiveData<>(new ObservableBoolean(false));
         isUrlEmpty = new MutableLiveData<>(new ObservableBoolean(false));
         isPopUpAvailable = new MutableLiveData<>(new ObservableBoolean(false));
         canGoForward = new MutableLiveData<>(new ObservableBoolean(false));
@@ -306,7 +304,6 @@ public void refresh() {
         isMicrophoneEnabled.postValue(isMicrophoneEnabled.getValue());
         isBookmarked.postValue(isBookmarked.getValue());
         isFocused.postValue(isFocused.getValue());
-        isSpecialUrl.postValue(isSpecialUrl.getValue());
         isUrlEmpty.postValue(isUrlEmpty.getValue());
         isPopUpAvailable.postValue(isPopUpAvailable.getValue());
         canGoForward.postValue(canGoForward.getValue());
@@ -393,8 +390,6 @@ public void setUrl(@Nullable Spannable url) {
             }
         }
 
-        setIsSpecialUrl(aURL.isEmpty());
-
         this.url.setValue(url);
     }
 
@@ -560,15 +555,6 @@ public void setIsFocused(boolean isFocused) {
         this.isFocused.postValue(new ObservableBoolean(isFocused));
     }
 
-    @NonNull
-    public MutableLiveData<ObservableBoolean> getIsSpecialUrl() {
-        return isSpecialUrl;
-    }
-
-    public void setIsSpecialUrl(boolean isSpecialUrl) {
-        this.isSpecialUrl.postValue(new ObservableBoolean(isSpecialUrl));
-    }
-
     @NonNull
     public MutableLiveData<ObservableBoolean> getIsUrlEmpty() {
         return isUrlEmpty;
diff --git a/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/ui/views/NavigationURLBar.java b/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/ui/views/NavigationURLBar.java
index e35189e6e..c7aadc0f7 100644
--- a/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/ui/views/NavigationURLBar.java
+++ b/app/src/common/shared/org/mozilla/vrbrowser/ui/views/NavigationURLBar.java
@@ -136,9 +136,8 @@ private void initialize(Context aContext) {
         });
 
         mBinding.urlEditText.setOnFocusChangeListener((view, focused) -> {
-            boolean isUrlEmpty = mBinding.urlEditText.getText().length() == 0;
             mViewModel.setIsFocused(focused);
-            mViewModel.setIsUrlEmpty(isUrlEmpty);
+            mViewModel.setIsUrlEmpty(mBinding.urlEditText.getText().toString().isEmpty());
             if (!focused) {
                 hideSelectionMenu();
             } else {
@@ -430,9 +429,7 @@ public void beforeTextChanged(CharSequence charSequence, int i, int i1, int i2)
 
         @Override
         public void onTextChanged(CharSequence charSequence, int i, int i1, int i2) {
-            String aURL = mBinding.urlEditText.getText().toString();
-            boolean empty = aURL.length() == 0 || aURL.startsWith("about://");
-            mViewModel.setIsUrlEmpty(empty);
+            mViewModel.setIsUrlEmpty(mBinding.urlEditText.getText().toString().isEmpty());
         }
 
         @Override
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/navigation_url.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/navigation_url.xml
index c18fe57f8..ebca9141b 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/navigation_url.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/navigation_url.xml
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@
                 <org.mozilla.vrbrowser.ui.views.UIButton
                     android:id="@+id/microphoneButton"
                     style="@style/urlBarIconTheme"
-                    android:layout_width="@{(viewmodel.isLibraryVisible || viewmodel.isSpecialUrl) ? @dimen/url_bar_last_item_width : @dimen/url_bar_item_width}"
-                    android:background="@{(viewmodel.isLibraryVisible || viewmodel.isSpecialUrl) ? (viewmodel.isPrivateSession ? @drawable/url_button_end_private : @drawable/url_button_end) : (viewmodel.isPrivateSession ? @drawable/url_button_private : @drawable/url_button)}"
+                    android:layout_width="@{(viewmodel.isLibraryVisible || viewmodel.isUrlEmpty) ? @dimen/url_bar_last_item_width : @dimen/url_bar_item_width}"
+                    android:background="@{(viewmodel.isLibraryVisible || viewmodel.isUrlEmpty) ? (viewmodel.isPrivateSession ? @drawable/url_button_end_private : @drawable/url_button_end) : (viewmodel.isPrivateSession ? @drawable/url_button_private : @drawable/url_button)}"
                     android:src="@drawable/ic_icon_microphone"
                     android:tint="@color/fog"
                     android:tooltipText="@string/voice_search_tooltip"
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
                     android:src="@{viewmodel.isBookmarked ? @drawable/ic_icon_bookmarked_active : @drawable/ic_icon_bookmarked}"
                     android:tint="@color/fog"
                     android:tooltipText="@string/bookmark_tooltip"
-                    app:visibleGone="@{!(viewmodel.isLibraryVisible || viewmodel.isSpecialUrl) &amp;&amp; !viewmodel.isFocused}"
+                    app:visibleGone="@{!(viewmodel.isLibraryVisible || viewmodel.isUrlEmpty) &amp;&amp; !viewmodel.isFocused}"
                     tools:src="@drawable/ic_icon_bookmarked" />
 
                 <org.mozilla.vrbrowser.ui.views.UIButton
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
                     android:src="@drawable/ic_icon_clear"
                     android:tint="@color/fog"
                     android:tooltipText="@string/clear_tooltip"
-                    app:visibleGone="@{!viewmodel.isMicrophoneEnabled &amp;&amp; viewmodel.isFocused &amp;&amp; (urlEditText.text.length > 0)}" />
+                    app:visibleGone="@{viewmodel.isFocused &amp;&amp; !viewmodel.isUrlEmpty}" />
             </LinearLayout>
 
             <RelativeLayout
@@ -106,7 +106,8 @@
                     android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                     android:orientation="horizontal"
                     android:layout_toEndOf="@id/startButtonsLayout"
-                    android:layout_centerVertical="true">
+                    android:layout_centerVertical="true"
+                    app:visibleGone="@{!viewmodel.isFocused}">
                     <ImageView
                         android:id="@+id/loadingView"
                         android:layout_width="24dp"
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@
                         android:layout_height="24dp"
                         android:contentDescription="SSL icon"
                         android:src="@drawable/ic_icon_security_state_insecure"
-                        app:visibleGone="@{viewmodel.isInsecureVisible &amp;&amp; (urlEditText.length() != 0)}" />
+                        app:visibleGone="@{viewmodel.isInsecureVisible}" />
                 </LinearLayout>
 
             </RelativeLayout>