diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/blank-slates.css b/app/assets/stylesheets/blank-slates.css
index aa221c452..5db13ef7f 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/blank-slates.css
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/blank-slates.css
@@ -1,46 +1,21 @@
+/* Styles for the blank slate. To manage when they are shown/hidden, do so in context */
+
 @layer components {
-  .blank-slate--drag {
-    box-shadow: none !important;
-    color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--card-color) 70%, var(--color-canvas));
-
-    p {
-      font-size: var(--text-small);
-      overflow: hidden;
-      text-align: center;
-      text-overflow: ellipsis;
-      white-space: nowrap;
-    }
-
-    .cards--maybe & {
-      background-color: var(--card-bg-color) !important;
-    }
-
-    .cards--grid & {
-      display: none;
-    }
-  }
-
-  .blank-slate--empty {
-    border: 2px dashed var(--color-ink-light);
-    border-radius: 1ch;
+  .blank-slate {
+    border-radius: 0.5ch;
+    border: 2px dashed var(--color-ink-lighter);
     color: var(--color-ink-dark);
-    margin-block-start: 2dvh;
-    padding: 1ch 2ch;
-    rotate: -3deg;
     font-weight: 500;
-
-    .cards:has(.card) & {
-      display: none;
-    }
+    margin-block-start: 2dvh;
+    padding: 1.5ch 2ch;
+    rotate: -3deg;
   }
 
-  .blank-slate--filters {
-    .cards--grid:has(.card) & {
-      display: none;
-    }
-  }
-
-  .cards__list:has(> :not(.blank-slate)) .card--hide-unless-empty {
-    display: none;
+  .blank-slate--drag {
+    background-color: color-mix(in srgb, transparent, var(--card-color) 5%);
+    border-color: color-mix(in srgb, transparent, var(--card-color) 10%);
+    color: color-mix(in srgb, transparent, var(--card-color) 75%);
+    margin-block-start: 0;
+    rotate: 0deg;
   }
 }
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/card-columns.css b/app/assets/stylesheets/card-columns.css
index f60e8da73..4edb06c64 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/card-columns.css
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/card-columns.css
@@ -255,6 +255,27 @@
         }
       }
     }
+
+    &:has(.card) {
+      .blank-slate {
+        display: none;
+      }
+    }
+
+    /* Use the default blank-slate on small viewports since drag-and-drop isn't available */
+    [data-controller~="drag-and-drop"] & {
+      @media (max-width: 639px) {
+        .blank-slate--drag {
+          display: none;
+        }
+      }
+
+      @media (min-width: 640px) {
+        .blank-slate--default {
+          display: none;
+        }
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   .cards__new-column {
@@ -315,6 +336,10 @@
       inline-size: fit-content;
       margin: 0 0 0 auto;
     }
+
+    .blank-slate--drag {
+      display: none;
+    }
   }
 
   /* Column Elements
@@ -731,7 +756,8 @@
   .cards--on-deck {
     --card-color: var(--color-ink-light) !important;
 
-    .card {
+    .card,
+    .blank-slate {
       --card-color: var(--color-card-complete) !important;
     }
 
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/notifications.css b/app/assets/stylesheets/notifications.css
index ada7324d2..91ff5750d 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/notifications.css
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/notifications.css
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
     }
 
     &:has(.card--notification) {
-      .notifications-list__empty-message {
+      .notifications-list__blank-slate {
         display: none;
       }
     }
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/search.css b/app/assets/stylesheets/search.css
index fcd4563ca..5691ac5e5 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/search.css
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/search.css
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ summary {
     text-align: start;
   }
 
-  .search__empty {
+  .search__blank-slate {
     margin-block: 3em;
     margin-inline: auto;
     inline-size: fit-content;
diff --git a/app/views/boards/columns/_empty_placeholder.html.erb b/app/views/boards/columns/_empty_placeholder.html.erb
index d9da8a896..21e709b84 100644
--- a/app/views/boards/columns/_empty_placeholder.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/boards/columns/_empty_placeholder.html.erb
@@ -1,4 +1,2 @@
-<div class="blank-slate blank-slate--drag card card--hide-unless-empty">
-  <p>Drag cards here</p>
-</div>
-<div class="blank-slate blank-slate--empty card--hide-unless-empty">No cards here</div>
+<div class="blank-slate blank-slate--default">No cards here</div>
+<div class="blank-slate blank-slate--drag overflow-ellipsis">Drag cards here</div>
diff --git a/app/views/boards/show/_filtered_cards.html.erb b/app/views/boards/show/_filtered_cards.html.erb
index 4e4d8f749..53b25f80f 100644
--- a/app/views/boards/show/_filtered_cards.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/boards/show/_filtered_cards.html.erb
@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@
     <%= with_automatic_pagination :filtered_cards_paginated_container, page do %>
       <%= render "cards/display/previews", cards: page.records, draggable: true %>
     <% end %>
-    <div class="blank-slate blank-slate--empty blank-slate--filters">No cards match this filter</div>
+    <div class="blank-slate">No cards match this filter</div>
   </div>
 </section>
diff --git a/app/views/cards/index.html.erb b/app/views/cards/index.html.erb
index a7e4769f5..20bbfac98 100644
--- a/app/views/cards/index.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/cards/index.html.erb
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
       <%= with_automatic_pagination :cards_paginated_container, @page do %>
         <%= render "cards/display/previews", cards: @page.records, draggable: true %>
       <% end %>
-      <div class="blank-slate blank-slate--empty blank-slate--filters">No cards match this filter</div>
+      <div class="blank-slate">No cards match this filter</div>
     </div>
   </section>
 <% end %>
diff --git a/app/views/my/menus/_jump.html.erb b/app/views/my/menus/_jump.html.erb
index 1f1ea70c9..f22bedf23 100644
--- a/app/views/my/menus/_jump.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/my/menus/_jump.html.erb
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
   <%= yield %>
 
-  <div class="nav__blank-slate blank-slate blank-slate--empty">
+  <div class="nav__blank-slate blank-slate">
     Nothing matches that filter
   </div>
 </div>
diff --git a/app/views/notifications/index/_unread_notifications.html.erb b/app/views/notifications/index/_unread_notifications.html.erb
index b8b9618d1..4890a4822 100644
--- a/app/views/notifications/index/_unread_notifications.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/notifications/index/_unread_notifications.html.erb
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
       <%= button_to "Mark all as read", bulk_reading_path, class: "btn txt-small", form: { data: { turbo: false } }, data: { action: "badge#clear" } %>
     </div>
   <% else %>
-    <div class="notifications-list__empty-message blank-slate blank-slate--empty align-self-center">
+    <div class="notifications-list__blank-slate blank-slate align-self-center">
       Nothing new for you
     </div>
   <% end %>
diff --git a/app/views/public/boards/columns/closeds/show.html.erb b/app/views/public/boards/columns/closeds/show.html.erb
index 21977743e..61ce3887d 100644
--- a/app/views/public/boards/columns/closeds/show.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/public/boards/columns/closeds/show.html.erb
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
           <%= render "cards/display/public_previews", cards: @page.records %>
         <% end %>
       <% else %>
-        <div class="blank-slate blank-slate--empty">No cards here</div>
+        <div class="blank-slate">No cards here</div>
       <% end %>
     </div>
   <% end %>
diff --git a/app/views/public/boards/columns/not_nows/show.html.erb b/app/views/public/boards/columns/not_nows/show.html.erb
index 786cb7afb..3dad8bcfe 100644
--- a/app/views/public/boards/columns/not_nows/show.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/public/boards/columns/not_nows/show.html.erb
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
           <%= render "cards/display/public_previews", cards: @page.records %>
         <% end %>
       <% else %>
-        <div class="blank-slate blank-slate--empty">No cards here</div>
+        <div class="blank-slate">No cards here</div>
       <% end %>
     </div>
   <% end %>
diff --git a/app/views/public/boards/columns/show.html.erb b/app/views/public/boards/columns/show.html.erb
index 6f0d2542f..a8a86451b 100644
--- a/app/views/public/boards/columns/show.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/public/boards/columns/show.html.erb
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
           <%= render "cards/display/public_previews", cards: @page.records %>
         <% end %>
       <% else %>
-        <div class="blank-slate blank-slate--empty">No cards here</div>
+        <div class="blank-slate">No cards here</div>
       <% end %>
     </div>
   <% end %>
diff --git a/app/views/public/boards/columns/streams/show.html.erb b/app/views/public/boards/columns/streams/show.html.erb
index 4df8c2b12..5566a7955 100644
--- a/app/views/public/boards/columns/streams/show.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/public/boards/columns/streams/show.html.erb
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
           <%= render "cards/display/public_previews", cards: @page.records %>
         <% end %>
       <% else %>
-        <div class="blank-slate blank-slate--empty">No cards here</div>
+        <div class="blank-slate">No cards here</div>
       <% end %>
     </div>
   <% end %>
diff --git a/app/views/searches/_results.html.erb b/app/views/searches/_results.html.erb
index 602878c65..0b622e95d 100644
--- a/app/views/searches/_results.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/searches/_results.html.erb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <section class="search">
   <div class="search__results">
     <% unless page.used? %>
-      <div class="search__empty blank-slate blank-slate--empty">
+      <div class="search__blank-slate blank-slate">
         No matches
       </div>
     <% end %>
diff --git a/test/controllers/searches_controller_test.rb b/test/controllers/searches_controller_test.rb
index 14bd91e64..70ec15da9 100644
--- a/test/controllers/searches_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/controllers/searches_controller_test.rb
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class SearchesControllerTest < ActionDispatch::IntegrationTest
     # Searching with non-existent card id
     get search_path(q: "999999", script_name: "/#{@account.external_account_id}")
     assert_select "form[data-controller='auto-submit']", count: 0
-    assert_select ".search__empty", text: "No matches"
+    assert_select ".search__blank-slate", text: "No matches"
   end
 
   test "search highlights matched terms with proper HTML marks" do