diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/integration/citationDialog.js b/chrome/content/zotero/integration/citationDialog.js
index 06d97ad417..26a2ca5215 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/integration/citationDialog.js
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/integration/citationDialog.js
@@ -212,8 +212,6 @@ class Layout {
 			if (group.length === 0 && key == "cited") {
 				let placeholder = Helpers.createCitedItemPlaceholder();
 				items = [placeholder];
-				let spinner = Helpers.createNode("image", { id: "cited-items-spinner", status: "animate" }, "zotero-spinner-16");
-				section.querySelector(".header .header-btn-group").prepend(spinner);
 			}
 			itemContainer.replaceChildren(...items);
 			sections.push(section);
diff --git a/scss/components/_citationDialog.scss b/scss/components/_citationDialog.scss
index 91270158a1..0dfbe4e7ce 100644
--- a/scss/components/_citationDialog.scss
+++ b/scss/components/_citationDialog.scss
@@ -115,11 +115,6 @@
 		}
 	}
 
-	#cited-items-spinner {
-		width: 20px;
-		height: 20px;
-	}
-
 	// alternative to var(--accent-blue10) without opacity
 	// which causes issues with stacked item cards in library mode
 	--selected-item-background: #EBF0FC;
@@ -233,6 +228,11 @@
 							&.selected {
 								background-color: var(--selected-item-background) !important;
 							}
+							// no visible border around the placeholder
+							&.cited-placeholder {
+								border: 1px solid transparent;
+								padding: 0;
+							}
 						}
 					}