diff --git a/public/app/core/components/search/search.html b/public/app/core/components/search/search.html
index 2a06b7727ed..8342f180431 100644
--- a/public/app/core/components/search/search.html
+++ b/public/app/core/components/search/search.html
@@ -80,7 +80,9 @@
 							</span>
 						</span>
 						<span class="search-item__actions">
-							<i class="fa" ng-class="{'fa-star': item.isStarred, 'fa-star-o': !item.isStarred}"></i>
+              <span class="search-item__actions__item" ng-click="ctrl.toggleStar()">
+                <i class="fa" ng-class="{'fa-star': item.isStarred, 'fa-star-o': !item.isStarred}"></i>
+              </span>
 						</span>
 					</a>
 				</div>
diff --git a/public/app/core/services/context_srv.ts b/public/app/core/services/context_srv.ts
index db443db45c1..94f5832a417 100644
--- a/public/app/core/services/context_srv.ts
+++ b/public/app/core/services/context_srv.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-///<reference path="../../headers/common.d.ts" />
-
 import config from 'app/core/config';
 import _ from 'lodash';
 import coreModule from 'app/core/core_module';
diff --git a/public/app/core/services/search_srv.ts b/public/app/core/services/search_srv.ts
index 71ca931b423..2151e2063a9 100644
--- a/public/app/core/services/search_srv.ts
+++ b/public/app/core/services/search_srv.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import _ from 'lodash';
 import coreModule from 'app/core/core_module';
 import impressionSrv from 'app/core/services/impression_srv';
 import store from 'app/core/store';
+import { contextSrv } from 'app/core/services/context_srv';
 
 export class SearchSrv {
   recentIsOpen: boolean;
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ export class SearchSrv {
           title: 'Recent Boards',
           icon: 'fa fa-clock-o',
           score: -1,
+          removable: true,
           expanded: this.recentIsOpen,
           toggle: this.toggleRecent.bind(this),
           items: result,
@@ -60,6 +62,10 @@ export class SearchSrv {
   }
 
   private getStarred(sections) {
+    if (!contextSrv.isSignedIn) {
+      return Promise.resolve();
+    }
+
     return this.backendSrv.search({starred: true, limit: 5}).then(result => {
       if (result.length > 0) {
         sections['starred'] = {
diff --git a/public/app/core/specs/search_srv.jest.ts b/public/app/core/specs/search_srv.jest.ts
index b6425557eb3..ef8e6392bd1 100644
--- a/public/app/core/specs/search_srv.jest.ts
+++ b/public/app/core/specs/search_srv.jest.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { SearchSrv } from 'app/core/services/search_srv';
 import { BackendSrvMock } from 'test/mocks/backend_srv';
 import impressionSrv from 'app/core/services/impression_srv';
+import { contextSrv } from 'app/core/services/context_srv';
 
 jest.mock('app/core/store', () => {
   return {
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ describe('SearchSrv', () => {
     backendSrvMock = new BackendSrvMock();
     searchSrv = new SearchSrv(backendSrvMock, Promise);
 
+    contextSrv.isSignedIn = true;
     impressionSrv.getDashboardOpened = jest.fn().mockReturnValue([]);
   });
 
diff --git a/public/sass/components/_search.scss b/public/sass/components/_search.scss
index aa62c807b04..d7b8e00ded8 100644
--- a/public/sass/components/_search.scss
+++ b/public/sass/components/_search.scss
@@ -141,14 +141,6 @@
   &.selected {
     background: $list-item-hover-bg;
   }
-
-  // .fa-star, .fa-star-o {
-  //   padding-left: 13px;
-  // }
-  //
-  // .fa-star {
-  //   color: $orange;
-  // }
 }
 
 .search-item__body {
@@ -182,7 +174,17 @@
 }
 
 .search-item__actions {
-  visibility: hidden;
+  flex: 0 0 auto;
+}
+
+.search-item__actions__item {
+  display: none;
+}
+
+.search-item:hover {
+  .search-item__actions__item {
+    opacity: 0.8;
+  }
 }
 
 .search-button-row {