diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d1968950eda..bc1044a07be 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 - Added `title` to headers of `EuiTable` in case of truncation ([#3094](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/3094))
 - Added i18n to `EuiTableHeaderCell` ([#3094](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/3094))
 - Added `number` and `string` to `size` type of `EuiImage` for setting custom sizes ([#3012](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/3012))
+- Improved `EuiButtonEmpty` focus state when the `color` type is `text` ([#3135](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/3135))
 
 **Bug Fixes**
 
diff --git a/src/components/button/button_empty/_button_empty.scss b/src/components/button/button_empty/_button_empty.scss
index 70fce6cd5ee..60097e1e2e3 100644
--- a/src/components/button/button_empty/_button_empty.scss
+++ b/src/components/button/button_empty/_button_empty.scss
@@ -88,11 +88,7 @@ $euiButtonEmptyTypes: (
     }
 
     &:focus {
-      @if ($name == 'text') {
-        background-color: $euiColorLightestShade;
-      } @else {
-        background-color: transparentize($color, .9);
-      }
+      background-color: transparentize($color, .9);
     }
 
     &:hover {