diff --git a/packages/base/src/widget.ts b/packages/base/src/widget.ts
index 46c6b0d9c7..bcd7d64f7a 100644
--- a/packages/base/src/widget.ts
+++ b/packages/base/src/widget.ts
@@ -1101,18 +1101,14 @@ export class DOMWidgetView extends WidgetView {
   }
 
   updateTooltip(): void {
-    const title = this.tooltip;
-    if (!title) {
-      this.el.removeAttribute('title');
-    } else if (!this.model.get('description')) {
+    const title = this.model.get('tooltip') ?? this.model.get('description');
+    if (title) {
       this.el.setAttribute('title', title);
+    } else {
+      this.el.removeAttribute('title');
     }
   }
 
-  get tooltip() {
-    return this.model.get('tooltip') ?? this.model.get('description');
-  }
-
   /**
    * Update the DOM classes applied to an element, default to this.el.
    */
diff --git a/packages/controls/src/widget_bool.ts b/packages/controls/src/widget_bool.ts
index bb7e0ee72a..8f2a67b521 100644
--- a/packages/controls/src/widget_bool.ts
+++ b/packages/controls/src/widget_bool.ts
@@ -179,14 +179,6 @@ export class CheckboxView extends DescriptionView {
     }
   }
 
-  updateTooltip(): void {
-    super.updateTooltip();
-    if (!this.checkbox) return; // we might be constructing the parent
-    const title = this.tooltip;
-    this.checkbox.setAttribute('title', title);
-    this.descriptionSpan.setAttribute('title', title);
-  }
-
   events(): { [e: string]: string } {
     return {
       'click input[type="checkbox"]': '_handle_click',
diff --git a/packages/controls/src/widget_description.ts b/packages/controls/src/widget_description.ts
index 67aec82c32..fba21c7422 100644
--- a/packages/controls/src/widget_description.ts
+++ b/packages/controls/src/widget_description.ts
@@ -97,12 +97,6 @@ export class DescriptionView extends DOMWidgetView {
     }
   }
 
-  updateTooltip(): void {
-    super.updateTooltip();
-    if (!this.label) return;
-    this.label.title = this.tooltip;
-  }
-
   label: HTMLLabelElement;
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/controls/src/widget_selection.ts b/packages/controls/src/widget_selection.ts
index 8269b61fbf..050723c9c3 100644
--- a/packages/controls/src/widget_selection.ts
+++ b/packages/controls/src/widget_selection.ts
@@ -67,12 +67,6 @@ export class SelectionView extends DescriptionView {
     }
   }
 
-  updateTooltip(): void {
-    super.updateTooltip();
-    if (!this.listbox) return; // we might be constructing the parent
-    this.listbox.setAttribute('title', this.tooltip);
-  }
-
   listbox: HTMLSelectElement;
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/controls/src/widget_string.ts b/packages/controls/src/widget_string.ts
index 3c708398d8..bf00a3f34b 100644
--- a/packages/controls/src/widget_string.ts
+++ b/packages/controls/src/widget_string.ts
@@ -378,12 +378,6 @@ export class TextareaView extends StringView {
     }
   }
 
-  updateTooltip(): void {
-    super.updateTooltip();
-    if (!this.textbox) return; // we might be constructing the parent
-    this.textbox.setAttribute('title', this.tooltip);
-  }
-
   events(): { [e: string]: string } {
     return {
       'keydown input': 'handleKeyDown',
@@ -500,12 +494,6 @@ export class TextView extends StringView {
     }
   }
 
-  updateTooltip(): void {
-    super.updateTooltip();
-    if (!this.textbox) return; // we might be constructing the parent
-    this.textbox.setAttribute('title', this.tooltip);
-  }
-
   update(options?: any): void {
     /**
      * Update the contents of this view