diff --git a/common/static/coffee/src/discussion/utils.coffee b/common/static/coffee/src/discussion/utils.coffee
index b40c6d71f4..8f3b5e2ced 100644
--- a/common/static/coffee/src/discussion/utils.coffee
+++ b/common/static/coffee/src/discussion/utils.coffee
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ class @DiscussionUtil
       alertDiv = $("<div class='modal' role='alertdialog' id='discussion-alert' aria-describedby='discussion-alert-message'/>").css("display", "none")
       alertDiv.html(
         "<div class='inner-wrapper discussion-alert-wrapper'>" +
-        "  <button class='close-modal dismiss' aria-hidden='true'>&#10005;</button>" +
+        "  <button class='close-modal dismiss' aria-hidden='true'><i class='icon-remove'></i></button>" +
         "  <header><h2/><hr/></header>" +
         "  <p id='discussion-alert-message'/>" +
         "  <hr/>" +
diff --git a/lms/templates/dashboard.html b/lms/templates/dashboard.html
index c1b5e71179..32d4bd1873 100644
--- a/lms/templates/dashboard.html
+++ b/lms/templates/dashboard.html
@@ -285,7 +285,8 @@
 
 <section id="email-settings-modal" class="modal" aria-hidden="true">
   <div class="inner-wrapper" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="email-settings-title">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005;
+    <button class="close-modal">
+      <i class="icon-remove"></i>
       <span class="sr">
         ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
         ${_('Close')}
@@ -317,7 +318,8 @@
 
 <section id="password_reset_complete" class="modal" aria-hidden="true">
   <div class="inner-wrapper" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="password-reset-email">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005;
+    <button class="close-modal">
+      <i class="icon-remove"></i>
       <span class="sr">
         ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
         ${_('Close')}
@@ -346,7 +348,8 @@
 
 <section id="change_email" class="modal" aria-hidden="true">
   <div class="inner-wrapper" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="change_email_title">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005;
+    <button class="close-modal">
+      <i class="icon-remove"></i>
       <span class="sr">
         ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
         ${_('Close')}
@@ -389,7 +392,8 @@
 
 <section id="apply_name_change" class="modal" aria-hidden="true">
   <div class="inner-wrapper" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="change-name-title">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005;
+    <button class="close-modal">
+      <i class="icon-remove"></i>
       <span class="sr">
         ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
         ${_('Close')}
@@ -431,7 +435,8 @@
 
 <section id="unenroll-modal" class="modal unenroll-modal" aria-hidden="true">
   <div class="inner-wrapper" role="alertdialog" aria-labelledy="unenrollment-modal-title">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005;
+    <button class="close-modal">
+      <i class="icon-remove"></i>
       <span class="sr">
         ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
         ${_('Close')}
diff --git a/lms/templates/forgot_password_modal.html b/lms/templates/forgot_password_modal.html
index ddb1e03dca..1f48d8fe2d 100644
--- a/lms/templates/forgot_password_modal.html
+++ b/lms/templates/forgot_password_modal.html
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
 <%! from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse %>
 <section id="forgot-password-modal" class="modal" role="dialog" tabindex="-1" aria-label="${_('Password Reset')}">
   <div class="inner-wrapper">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005;
+    <button class="close-modal">
+      <i class="icon-remove"></i> 
       <span class="sr">
         ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
         ${_('Close')}
diff --git a/lms/templates/help_modal.html b/lms/templates/help_modal.html
index 56d8240b59..835797656f 100644
--- a/lms/templates/help_modal.html
+++ b/lms/templates/help_modal.html
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
   <div class="inner-wrapper" id="help_wrapper">
     ## TODO: find a way to refactor this
     <button class="close-modal "tabindex="0">
-      &#10005;
+      <i class="icon-remove"></i>
       <span class="sr">
         ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
         ${_('Close')}
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ discussion_link = get_discussion_link(course) if course else None
 
   <div class="inner-wrapper" id="feedback_form_wrapper">
     <button class="close-modal">
-      &#10005;
+      <i class="icon-remove"></i>
       <span class="sr">
         ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
         ${_('Close')}
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ discussion_link = get_discussion_link(course) if course else None
 
   <div class="inner-wrapper" id="feedback_success_wrapper" tabindex="0">
     <button class="close-modal" tabindex="0">
-      &#10005;
+      <i class="icon-remove"></i>
       <span class="sr">
         ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
         ${_('Close')}
diff --git a/lms/templates/login_modal.html b/lms/templates/login_modal.html
index 9220d035d6..6b2fd80c1f 100644
--- a/lms/templates/login_modal.html
+++ b/lms/templates/login_modal.html
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
 
 <section id="login-modal" class="modal login-modal">
   <div class="inner-wrapper">
-      <button class="close-modal">&#10005;
+      <button class="close-modal">
+        <i class="icon-remove"></i>
         <span class="sr">
           ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
           ${_('Close')}
diff --git a/lms/templates/modal/_modal-settings-language.html b/lms/templates/modal/_modal-settings-language.html
index 00def90240..b7fd01f38e 100644
--- a/lms/templates/modal/_modal-settings-language.html
+++ b/lms/templates/modal/_modal-settings-language.html
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@
 
 <section id="change_language" class="modal modal-settings-language" aria-hidden="true">
   <div class="inner-wrapper" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="change_language_title">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005;
+    <button class="close-modal">
+      <i class="icon-remove"></i>
       <span class="sr">
         ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
         ${_('Close')}
diff --git a/lms/templates/modal/accessible_confirm.html b/lms/templates/modal/accessible_confirm.html
index c73e66a16d..7de70a17ee 100644
--- a/lms/templates/modal/accessible_confirm.html
+++ b/lms/templates/modal/accessible_confirm.html
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 <%! from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _ %>
 <div id="accessibile-confirm-modal" class="modal" aria-hidden="true">
   <div class="inner-wrapper" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="accessibile-confirm-title">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005;
+    <button class="close-modal">
+      <i class="icon-remove"></i>
       <span class="sr">
         ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
         ${_('Close Modal')}
diff --git a/lms/templates/signup_modal.html b/lms/templates/signup_modal.html
index 24beff0f8c..e5eb102eba 100644
--- a/lms/templates/signup_modal.html
+++ b/lms/templates/signup_modal.html
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@
 
 <section id="signup-modal" class="modal signup-modal">
   <div class="inner-wrapper">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005;
+    <button class="close-modal">
+      <i class="icon-remove"></i>
       <span class="sr">
         ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
         ${_('Close')}
diff --git a/lms/templates/wiki/edit.html b/lms/templates/wiki/edit.html
index 749620d3eb..7cc21d6bbb 100644
--- a/lms/templates/wiki/edit.html
+++ b/lms/templates/wiki/edit.html
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
   </div>
   <section id="previewModal" class="modal" aria-hidden="true">
     <div class="inner-wrapper" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="preview-title">
-      <button class="close-modal">&#10005; <span class="sr">{% trans 'Close' %}</span></button>
+      <button class="close-modal"><i class="icon-remove"></i> <span class="sr">{% trans 'Close' %}</span></button>
 
       <header>
         <h2 id="preview-title">{% trans "Wiki Preview" %}<span class="sr">, {% trans "window open" %}</span></h2>
diff --git a/lms/templates/wiki/history.html b/lms/templates/wiki/history.html
index d0165af4fc..72f74fb15b 100644
--- a/lms/templates/wiki/history.html
+++ b/lms/templates/wiki/history.html
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@
   <input type="hidden" name="r" value="" />
   <section id="previewRevisionModal" class="modal" aria-hidden="true">
     <div class="inner-wrapper" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="preview-title">
-      <button class="close-modal">&#10005; <span class="sr">{% trans 'Close' %}</span></button>
+      <button class="close-modal"><i class="icon-remove"></i> <span class="sr">{% trans 'Close' %}</span></button>
 
       <header>
         <h2 id="preview-title">{% trans "Wiki Revision Preview" %}<span class="sr">, {% trans "window open" %}</span></h2>
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@
 
   <section id="mergeModal" class="modal" aria-hidden="true">
     <div class="inner-wrapper" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="merge-title">
-      <button class="close-modal">&#10005; <span class="sr">{% trans 'Close' %}</span></button>
+      <button class="close-modal"><i class="icon-remove"></i> <span class="sr">{% trans 'Close' %}</span></button>
 
       <header>
         <h2 id="merge-title">{% trans "Merge Revision" %}<span class="sr">, {% trans "window open" %}</span></h2>
diff --git a/lms/templates/wiki/includes/cheatsheet.html b/lms/templates/wiki/includes/cheatsheet.html
index 39ef742e9e..1e4916b936 100644
--- a/lms/templates/wiki/includes/cheatsheet.html
+++ b/lms/templates/wiki/includes/cheatsheet.html
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {% load i18n %}
 <section id="cheatsheetModal" class="modal" aria-hidden="true">
   <div class="inner-wrapper" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="cheatsheet-title">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005; <span class="sr">{% trans 'Close' %}</span></button>
+    <button class="close-modal"><i class="icon-remove"></i> <span class="sr">{% trans 'Close' %}</span></button>
 
     <header>
       <h2 id="cheatsheet-title">{% trans "Wiki Cheatsheet" %}<span class="sr">, {% trans "window open" %}</span></h2>