diff --git a/packages/notebook-extension/src/index.ts b/packages/notebook-extension/src/index.ts
index 9a9e08e95c..0ba7340cfe 100644
--- a/packages/notebook-extension/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/notebook-extension/src/index.ts
@@ -563,22 +563,6 @@ const editNotebookMetadata: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
   },
 };
 
-/**
- * A plugin to set the default windowing mode to defer for the notebook
- * TODO: remove?
- */
-const windowing: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
-  id: '@jupyter-notebook/notebook-extension:windowing',
-  autoStart: true,
-  requires: [INotebookTracker],
-  activate: (app: JupyterFrontEnd, notebookTracker: INotebookTracker): void => {
-    notebookTracker.widgetAdded.connect((sender, widget) => {
-      widget.content['_viewModel'].windowingActive = false;
-      widget.content.notebookConfig.windowingMode = 'defer';
-    });
-  },
-};
-
 /**
  * Export the plugins as default.
  */
@@ -592,7 +576,6 @@ const plugins: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<any>[] = [
   scrollOutput,
   tabIcon,
   trusted,
-  windowing,
 ];
 
 export default plugins;
diff --git a/packages/notebook-extension/style/base.css b/packages/notebook-extension/style/base.css
index 66d7a9a588..db3657c902 100644
--- a/packages/notebook-extension/style/base.css
+++ b/packages/notebook-extension/style/base.css
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ body[data-notebook='notebooks'] .jp-WindowedPanel-outer {
 
 body[data-notebook='notebooks'] .jp-WindowedPanel-inner {
   margin-top: var(--jp-notebook-toolbar-margin-bottom);
+  /* Adjustments for the extra top and bottom notebook padding */
+  margin-bottom: calc(4 * var(--jp-notebook-padding));
 }
 
 body[data-notebook='notebooks'] .jp-Notebook-cell {
@@ -52,12 +54,6 @@ body[data-notebook='notebooks']
   min-height: 100px;
 }
 
-/* Workaround for disabling the full windowing mode */
-body[data-notebook='notebooks']
-  .jp-Toolbar-item[data-jp-item-name='scrollbar'] {
-  display: none;
-}
-
 /* Fix background colors */
 
 body[data-notebook='notebooks'] .jp-WindowedPanel-outer > * {
@@ -70,18 +66,6 @@ body[data-notebook='notebooks']
   background: var(--jp-layout-color0) !important;
 }
 
-/**
-  Extra padding to the first and and last cell of the notebook.
-  TODO: revisit when https://github.com/jupyterlab/jupyterlab/issues/13151 is fixed
-*/
-.jp-Notebook-cell[data-windowed-list-index='0'] {
-  padding-top: calc(2 * var(--jp-notebook-padding));
-}
-
-body[data-notebook='notebooks'] .jp-WindowedPanel-viewport > *:last-child {
-  padding-bottom: calc(2 * var(--jp-notebook-padding));
-}
-
 body[data-notebook='notebooks']
   .jp-Notebook
   .jp-Notebook-cell:not(:first-child)::before {
@@ -124,9 +108,9 @@ body[data-notebook='notebooks']
 
 /* Tweak the notebook footer (to add a new cell) */
 body[data-notebook='notebooks'] .jp-Notebook-footer {
+  background: unset;
   width: 100%;
   margin-left: unset;
-  background: unset;
 }
 
 /* Mobile View */
@@ -143,21 +127,18 @@ body[data-format='mobile'] .jp-ToolbarButton .jp-DebuggerBugButton {
   display: none;
 }
 
-/* Virtual Notebook fixes */
-
 body[data-notebook='notebooks'] .jp-WindowedPanel-viewport {
   background: var(--jp-layout-color0);
+  box-shadow: var(--jp-elevation-z4);
   padding: unset;
+
+  /* Extra padding at the top and bottom so the notebook looks nicer */
+  padding-top: calc(2 * var(--jp-notebook-padding));
+  padding-bottom: calc(2 * var(--jp-notebook-padding));
 }
 
 /* Notebook box shadow */
 
-body[data-notebook='notebooks']
-  .jp-WindowedPanel-outer
-  > *:first-child:not(:last-child) {
-  box-shadow: var(--jp-elevation-z4);
-}
-
 body[data-notebook='notebooks']
   .jp-Notebook
   > *:first-child:last-child::before {
diff --git a/ui-tests/test/general.spec.ts b/ui-tests/test/general.spec.ts
index f4225084a3..5efd76ad24 100644
--- a/ui-tests/test/general.spec.ts
+++ b/ui-tests/test/general.spec.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ test.describe('General', () => {
     // hover somewhere else to make the add cell disappear
     await page.hover('#jp-top-bar');
 
+    // click to make the blue border around the cell disappear
+    await page.click('.jp-WindowedPanel-outer');
+
     // special case for firefox headless issue
     // see https://github.com/jupyter/notebook/pull/6872#issuecomment-1549594166 for more details
     if (browserName === 'firefox') {
diff --git a/ui-tests/test/general.spec.ts-snapshots/notebook-chromium-linux.png b/ui-tests/test/general.spec.ts-snapshots/notebook-chromium-linux.png
index 494483f5ac..47280a321e 100644
Binary files a/ui-tests/test/general.spec.ts-snapshots/notebook-chromium-linux.png and b/ui-tests/test/general.spec.ts-snapshots/notebook-chromium-linux.png differ
diff --git a/ui-tests/test/general.spec.ts-snapshots/notebook-firefox-linux.png b/ui-tests/test/general.spec.ts-snapshots/notebook-firefox-linux.png
index e258b5cb39..0be6bd94d8 100644
Binary files a/ui-tests/test/general.spec.ts-snapshots/notebook-firefox-linux.png and b/ui-tests/test/general.spec.ts-snapshots/notebook-firefox-linux.png differ
diff --git a/ui-tests/test/mobile.spec.ts-snapshots/notebook-chromium-linux.png b/ui-tests/test/mobile.spec.ts-snapshots/notebook-chromium-linux.png
index 1e40aa4ea0..9a143454eb 100644
Binary files a/ui-tests/test/mobile.spec.ts-snapshots/notebook-chromium-linux.png and b/ui-tests/test/mobile.spec.ts-snapshots/notebook-chromium-linux.png differ
diff --git a/ui-tests/test/mobile.spec.ts-snapshots/notebook-firefox-linux.png b/ui-tests/test/mobile.spec.ts-snapshots/notebook-firefox-linux.png
index b5b71b35ea..4d72dfc1cb 100644
Binary files a/ui-tests/test/mobile.spec.ts-snapshots/notebook-firefox-linux.png and b/ui-tests/test/mobile.spec.ts-snapshots/notebook-firefox-linux.png differ