diff --git a/src/ui/public/filter_bar/filter_bar.html b/src/ui/public/filter_bar/filter_bar.html
index 29a60c192a049..d1e10b22e318b 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/filter_bar/filter_bar.html
+++ b/src/ui/public/filter_bar/filter_bar.html
@@ -26,39 +26,15 @@
   class="filter-bar"
   ng-show="filters.length || showAddFilterButton()"
 >
-  <div
-    class="filter"
-    ng-class="{ negate: filter.meta.negate, disabled: filter.meta.disabled }"
+  <filter-pill
     ng-repeat="filter in filters track by $index"
-    data-test-subj="filter filter-{{ filter.meta.disabled ? 'disabled' : 'enabled' }} {{ filter.meta.key ? 'filter-key-' + filter.meta.key : '' }} {{ filter.meta.value ? 'filter-value-' + filter.meta.value : '' }}"
-  >
-    <div class="filter-description">
-      <span ng-if="filter.$state.store == 'globalState'"><i class="fa fa-fw fa-thumb-tack pinned"></i></span>
-      <span ng-if="filter.meta.alias">{{ filter.meta.alias }}</span>
-      <span ng-if="!filter.meta.alias">{{ filter.meta.key }}:</span>
-      <span ng-if="!filter.meta.alias">"{{ filter.meta.value }}"</span>
-    </div>
-    <div class="filter-actions">
-      <a class="action filter-toggle" ng-click="toggleFilter(filter)" data-test-subj="disableFilter-{{ filter.meta.key }}">
-        <i ng-show="filter.meta.disabled" class="fa fa-fw fa-square-o disabled"></i>
-        <i ng-hide="filter.meta.disabled" class="fa fa-fw fa-check-square-o enabled"></i>
-      </a>
-      <a class="action filter-pin" ng-click="pinFilter(filter)" data-test-subj="pinFilter-{{ filter.meta.key }}">
-        <i ng-show="filter.$state.store == 'globalState'" class="fa fa-fw fa-thumb-tack pinned"></i>
-        <i ng-hide="filter.$state.store == 'globalState'" class="fa fa-fw fa-thumb-tack fa-rotate-270 unpinned"></i>
-      </a>
-      <a class="action filter-invert" ng-click="invertFilter(filter)" data-test-subj="invertFilter-{{ filter.meta.key }}">
-        <i ng-show="filter.meta.negate" class="fa fa-fw fa-search-plus negative"></i>
-        <i ng-hide="filter.meta.negate" class="fa fa-fw fa-search-minus positive"></i>
-      </a>
-      <a class="action filter-remove" ng-click="deleteFilter(filter)">
-        <i class="fa fa-fw fa-trash" data-test-subj="removeFilter-{{ filter.meta.key }}"></i>
-      </a>
-      <a class="action filter-edit" ng-click="editFilter(filter)">
-        <i class="fa fa-fw fa-edit"></i>
-      </a>
-    </div>
-  </div>
+    filter="filter"
+    on-toggle-filter="toggleFilter"
+    on-pin-filter="pinFilter"
+    on-invert-filter="invertFilter"
+    on-delete-filter="deleteFilter"
+    on-edit-filter="editFilter"
+  ></filter-pill>
 
   <div
     class="filter-link"
diff --git a/src/ui/public/filter_bar/filter_bar.js b/src/ui/public/filter_bar/filter_bar.js
index 0793768ad73c4..47ca9ea03c5bd 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/filter_bar/filter_bar.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/filter_bar/filter_bar.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import _ from 'lodash';
 import template from 'ui/filter_bar/filter_bar.html';
 import 'ui/directives/json_input';
 import '../filter_editor';
+import './filter_pill/filter_pill';
 import { filterAppliedAndUnwrap } from 'ui/filter_bar/lib/filter_applied_and_unwrap';
 import { FilterBarLibMapAndFlattenFiltersProvider } from 'ui/filter_bar/lib/map_and_flatten_filters';
 import { FilterBarLibMapFlattenAndWrapFiltersProvider } from 'ui/filter_bar/lib/map_flatten_and_wrap_filters';
diff --git a/src/ui/public/filter_bar/filter_bar.less b/src/ui/public/filter_bar/filter_bar.less
index 293ceb93a4233..8cedeae4ab3af 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/filter_bar/filter_bar.less
+++ b/src/ui/public/filter_bar/filter_bar.less
@@ -94,20 +94,7 @@ filter-bar {
     padding: 4px 8px;
     border-radius: 12px;
 
-
-    &:hover {
-      > .filter-actions {
-        display: block;
-      }
-
-      > .filter-description {
-        opacity: 0.15;
-        background: transparent;
-        overflow: hidden;
-      }
-    }
-
-    > .filter-actions {
+    .filter-actions {
       font-size: 1.1em;
       line-height: 1.4em;
       position: absolute;
@@ -115,14 +102,17 @@ filter-bar {
       top: 0;
       left: 0;
       width: 100%;
-      display: none;
+      opacity: 0;
       text-align: center;
       white-space: nowrap;
+      display: flex;
 
-      > * {
+      .action {
+        border: none;
         border-right: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.4);
-        padding-right: 0;
-        margin-right: 5px;
+        padding: 0;
+        background-color: transparent;
+        flex: 1 1 auto;
 
         &:last-child {
           border-right: 0;
@@ -136,6 +126,16 @@ filter-bar {
       }
     }
 
+    .filter-actions-activated {
+      opacity: 1;
+    }
+
+    .filter-description-deactivated {
+      opacity: 0.15;
+      background: transparent;
+      overflow: hidden;
+    }
+
     &.negate {
       background-color: @filter-bar-bar-filter-negate-bg;
     }
diff --git a/src/ui/public/filter_bar/filter_pill/filter_pill.html b/src/ui/public/filter_bar/filter_pill/filter_pill.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..516ab26152fed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/public/filter_bar/filter_pill/filter_pill.html
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+<div
+  class="filter"
+  ng-class="{ negate: pill.filter.meta.negate, disabled: pill.filter.meta.disabled }"
+  data-test-subj="filter filter-{{ pill.filter.meta.disabled ? 'disabled' : 'enabled' }} {{ pill.filter.meta.key ? 'filter-key-' + pill.filter.meta.key : '' }} {{ pill.filter.meta.value ? 'filter-value-' + pill.filter.meta.value : '' }}"
+  ng-mouseover="pill.activateActions()"
+  ng-mouseleave="pill.deactivateActions()"
+>
+
+  <div class="filter-description" ng-class="{'filter-description-deactivated': pill.areActionsActivated}">
+    <span ng-if="pill.filter.$state.store == 'globalState'"><i class="fa fa-fw fa-thumb-tack pinned"></i></span>
+    <span ng-if="pill.filter.meta.alias">{{ pill.filter.meta.alias }}</span>
+    <span ng-if="!pill.filter.meta.alias">{{ pill.filter.meta.key }}:</span>
+    <span ng-if="!pill.filter.meta.alias">"{{ pill.filter.meta.value }}"</span>
+  </div>
+
+  <div class="filter-actions" ng-class="{'filter-actions-activated': pill.areActionsActivated}">
+    <button
+      class="action filter-toggle"
+      ng-click="pill.onToggleFilter(pill.filter)"
+      data-test-subj="disableFilter-{{ pill.filter.meta.key }}"
+      ng-focus="pill.activateActions()"
+      ng-blur="pill.deactivateActions()"
+      aria-label="{{pill.filter.meta.disabled ? 'Enable filter' : 'Disable filter'}}"
+    >
+      <i ng-show="pill.filter.meta.disabled" class="fa fa-fw fa-square-o disabled"></i>
+      <i ng-hide="pill.filter.meta.disabled" class="fa fa-fw fa-check-square-o enabled"></i>
+    </button>
+
+    <button
+      class="action filter-pin"
+      ng-click="pill.onPinFilter(pill.filter)"
+      data-test-subj="pinFilter-{{ pill.filter.meta.key }}"
+      ng-focus="pill.activateActions()"
+      ng-blur="pill.deactivateActions()"
+      aria-label="{{pill.filter.$state.store == 'globalState' ? 'Unpin filter' : 'Pin filter'}}"
+    >
+      <i ng-show="pill.filter.$state.store == 'globalState'" class="fa fa-fw fa-thumb-tack pinned"></i>
+      <i ng-hide="pill.filter.$state.store == 'globalState'" class="fa fa-fw fa-thumb-tack fa-rotate-270 unpinned"></i>
+    </button>
+
+    <button
+      class="action filter-invert"
+      ng-click="pill.onInvertFilter(pill.filter)"
+      data-test-subj="invertFilter-{{ pill.filter.meta.key }}"
+      ng-focus="pill.activateActions()"
+      ng-blur="pill.deactivateActions()"
+      aria-label="Invert filter"
+    >
+      <i ng-show="pill.filter.meta.negate" class="fa fa-fw fa-search-plus negative"></i>
+      <i ng-hide="pill.filter.meta.negate" class="fa fa-fw fa-search-minus positive"></i>
+    </button>
+
+    <button
+      class="action filter-remove"
+      ng-click="pill.onDeleteFilter(pill.filter)"
+      ng-focus="pill.activateActions()"
+      ng-blur="pill.deactivateActions()"
+      aria-label="Remove filter"
+    >
+      <i class="fa fa-fw fa-trash" data-test-subj="removeFilter-{{ pill.filter.meta.key }}"></i>
+    </button>
+
+    <button
+      class="action filter-edit"
+      ng-click="pill.onEditFilter(pill.filter)"
+      ng-focus="pill.activateActions()"
+      ng-blur="pill.deactivateActions()"
+      aria-label="Edit filter"
+    >
+      <i class="fa fa-fw fa-edit"></i>
+    </button>
+
+  </div>
+</div>
diff --git a/src/ui/public/filter_bar/filter_pill/filter_pill.js b/src/ui/public/filter_bar/filter_pill/filter_pill.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..d152003a508a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/public/filter_bar/filter_pill/filter_pill.js
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import template from './filter_pill.html';
+import { uiModules } from 'ui/modules';
+
+const module = uiModules.get('kibana');
+
+module.directive('filterPill', function () {
+  return {
+    template,
+    restrict: 'E',
+    scope: {
+      filter: '=',
+      onToggleFilter: '=',
+      onPinFilter: '=',
+      onInvertFilter: '=',
+      onDeleteFilter: '=',
+      onEditFilter: '=',
+    },
+    bindToController: true,
+    controllerAs: 'pill',
+    controller: function filterPillController() {
+
+      this.activateActions = () => {
+        this.areActionsActivated = true;
+      };
+
+      this.deactivateActions = () => {
+        this.areActionsActivated = false;
+      };
+
+    }
+  };
+});
+
diff --git a/test/functional/page_objects/dashboard_page.js b/test/functional/page_objects/dashboard_page.js
index dc0b537a2a03a..5185bb34814cc 100644
--- a/test/functional/page_objects/dashboard_page.js
+++ b/test/functional/page_objects/dashboard_page.js
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ export function DashboardPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
     }
 
     async getFilters(timeout = defaultFindTimeout) {
-      return await find.allByCssSelector('.filter-bar > .filter', timeout);
+      return await find.allByCssSelector('.filter-bar .filter', timeout);
     }
 
     async getFilterDescriptions(timeout = defaultFindTimeout) {