diff --git a/packages/kbn-unified-field-list/src/components/field_item_button/field_item_button.scss b/packages/kbn-unified-field-list/src/components/field_item_button/field_item_button.scss
index 75c6cce839e11..70073c37ea31c 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-unified-field-list/src/components/field_item_button/field_item_button.scss
+++ b/packages/kbn-unified-field-list/src/components/field_item_button/field_item_button.scss
@@ -70,36 +70,3 @@
   background: lightOrDarkTheme(transparentize($euiColorMediumShade, .9), $euiColorEmptyShade);
   color: $euiColorDarkShade;
 }
-
-// A drag handle will appear only on item hover/focus
-.unifiedFieldListItemButton--withDragHandle {
-  &.kbnFieldButton {
-    padding: 0;
-    margin-bottom: $euiSizeXS / 2;
-  }
-
-  .kbnFieldButton__dragHandle {
-    margin-right: 0;
-    width: 0;
-    overflow: hidden;
-    transition: $euiAnimSpeedNormal ease-in-out;
-    transition-property: width, margin-right;
-  }
-
-  &.domDragDrop-isDraggable {
-    box-shadow: none;
-  }
-  &.domDragDrop-isDraggable:hover {
-    transform: none;
-  }
-
-  &:hover,
-  &[class*='-isActive'],
-  .domDragDrop__keyboardHandler:focus + &,
-  &:focus-within {
-    .kbnFieldButton__dragHandle {
-      margin-right: $euiSizeS;
-      width: $euiSize;
-    }
-  }
-}
diff --git a/packages/kbn-unified-field-list/src/containers/unified_field_list_item/field_list_item.tsx b/packages/kbn-unified-field-list/src/containers/unified_field_list_item/field_list_item.tsx
index 24f9cd14fe066..0e442a56e1e72 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-unified-field-list/src/containers/unified_field_list_item/field_list_item.tsx
+++ b/packages/kbn-unified-field-list/src/containers/unified_field_list_item/field_list_item.tsx
@@ -25,14 +25,11 @@ import {
   UnifiedFieldListItemStats,
   type UnifiedFieldListItemStatsProps,
 } from './field_list_item_stats';
-import { FieldListItemHandle } from './field_list_item_handle';
 import type {
   UnifiedFieldListSidebarContainerStateService,
   AddFieldFilterHandler,
 } from '../../types';
 
-const DRAG_HANDLE = <FieldListItemHandle />;
-
 interface GetCommonFieldItemButtonPropsParams {
   stateService: UnifiedFieldListSidebarContainerStateService;
   field: DataViewField;
@@ -343,7 +340,6 @@ function UnifiedFieldListItemComponent({
             isActive={infoIsOpen}
             flush={alwaysShowActionButton ? 'both' : undefined}
             shouldAlwaysShowAction={alwaysShowActionButton}
-            dragHandle={isDragDisabled ? undefined : DRAG_HANDLE}
             onClick={field.type !== '_source' ? togglePopover : undefined}
             {...getCommonFieldItemButtonProps({ stateService, field, isSelected, toggleDisplay })}
           />
diff --git a/packages/kbn-unified-field-list/src/containers/unified_field_list_item/field_list_item_handle.tsx b/packages/kbn-unified-field-list/src/containers/unified_field_list_item/field_list_item_handle.tsx
deleted file mode 100644
index e8eb5577b87e0..0000000000000
--- a/packages/kbn-unified-field-list/src/containers/unified_field_list_item/field_list_item_handle.tsx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,49 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
- * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
- * 2.0 and the Server Side Public License, v 1; you may not use this file except
- * in compliance with, at your election, the Elastic License 2.0 or the Server
- * Side Public License, v 1.
- */
-
-import React from 'react';
-import { EuiIcon } from '@elastic/eui';
-import { css } from '@emotion/react';
-
-/**
- * A temporary icon for the field list drag handle
- * @constructor
- */
-export const FieldListItemHandle: React.FC = () => {
-  // TODO: replace with a new Eui icon type once it's available and remove svg
-  return (
-    <div
-      css={css`
-        pointer-events: none;
-        padding-top: 3px;
-      `}
-    >
-      <EuiIcon type={DragHandleIcon} size="original" />
-    </div>
-  );
-};
-
-const DragHandleIcon = () => (
-  <svg
-    width="16"
-    height="16"
-    viewBox="0 0 16 16"
-    fill="none"
-    xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
-    pointerEvents="none"
-  >
-    <path d="M10 3H9V4H10V3Z" fill="currentColor" />
-    <path d="M9 6H10V7H9V6Z" fill="currentColor" />
-    <path d="M9 9H10V10H9V9Z" fill="currentColor" />
-    <path d="M9 12H10V13H9V12Z" fill="currentColor" />
-    <path d="M7 3H6V4H7V3Z" fill="currentColor" />
-    <path d="M7 6H6V7H7V6Z" fill="currentColor" />
-    <path d="M7 9H6V10H7V9Z" fill="currentColor" />
-    <path d="M7 12H6V13H7V12Z" fill="currentColor" />
-  </svg>
-);
diff --git a/packages/kbn-unified-field-list/src/containers/unified_field_list_sidebar/field_list_sidebar.scss b/packages/kbn-unified-field-list/src/containers/unified_field_list_sidebar/field_list_sidebar.scss
index ec7eedc397875..61636e569dc5a 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-unified-field-list/src/containers/unified_field_list_sidebar/field_list_sidebar.scss
+++ b/packages/kbn-unified-field-list/src/containers/unified_field_list_sidebar/field_list_sidebar.scss
@@ -43,3 +43,14 @@
 .unifiedFieldListSidebar__flyoutHeader {
   align-items: center;
 }
+
+.unifiedFieldListSidebar .unifiedFieldListItemButton {
+  &.kbnFieldButton {
+    padding: 0;
+    margin-bottom: $euiSizeXS / 2;
+  }
+
+  &.domDragDrop-isDraggable {
+    box-shadow: none;
+  }
+}