diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index 8b4755848..520df4880 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -1 +1 @@
-- remove zen mode
+- search should not require a note
diff --git a/src/public/app/layouts/desktop_layout.js b/src/public/app/layouts/desktop_layout.js
index c282b16df..ef22157f1 100644
--- a/src/public/app/layouts/desktop_layout.js
+++ b/src/public/app/layouts/desktop_layout.js
@@ -80,7 +80,6 @@ export default class DesktopLayout {
                 .css("width", "54px")
             )
             .child(new LeftPaneContainer()
-                .hideInZenMode()
                 .child(new QuickSearchWidget())
                 .child(appContext.mainTreeWidget)
                 .child(...this.customWidgets.get('left-pane'))
@@ -147,7 +146,6 @@ export default class DesktopLayout {
                         )
                     )
                     .child(new RightPaneContainer()
-                        .hideInZenMode()
                         .child(...this.customWidgets.get('right-pane'))
                     )
                 )
diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/basic_widget.js b/src/public/app/widgets/basic_widget.js
index 7a540e83e..bf3052cdf 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/basic_widget.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/basic_widget.js
@@ -45,11 +45,6 @@ class BasicWidget extends Component {
         return this;
     }
 
-    hideInZenMode() {
-        this.class('hide-in-zen-mode');
-        return this;
-    }
-
     cssBlock(block) {
         this.cssEl = block;
         return this;
diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/buttons/global_menu.js b/src/public/app/widgets/buttons/global_menu.js
index c07ee4ace..f35800f56 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/buttons/global_menu.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/buttons/global_menu.js
@@ -48,12 +48,6 @@ const TPL = `
             <kbd data-command="reloadFrontendApp"></kbd>
         </a>
 
-        <a class="dropdown-item" data-trigger-command="toggleZenMode">
-            <span class="bx bx-empty"></span>
-            Toggle Zen mode
-            <kbd data-command="toggleZenMode"></kbd>
-        </a>
-
         <a class="dropdown-item" data-trigger-command="toggleFullscreen">
             <span class="bx bx-empty"></span>
             Toggle fullscreen
diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/containers/root_container.js b/src/public/app/widgets/containers/root_container.js
index 04f2f1390..1922144d6 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/containers/root_container.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/containers/root_container.js
@@ -22,23 +22,6 @@ export default class RootContainer extends FlexContainer {
 
             this.$widget.toggleClass("protected", note.isProtected);
         }
-
-        this.setZenMode(this.isZenModeActive);
-    }
-
-    setZenMode(active) {
-        this.isZenModeActive = active;
-
-        if (this.isZenModeActive) {
-            $("#root-widget").addClass("zen-mode");
-        }
-        else {
-            $("#root-widget").removeClass("zen-mode");
-        }
-    }
-
-    toggleZenModeEvent() {
-        this.setZenMode(!this.isZenModeActive);
     }
 
     noteSwitchedEvent() {
diff --git a/src/public/stylesheets/style.css b/src/public/stylesheets/style.css
index 939638bb2..b4eebc137 100644
--- a/src/public/stylesheets/style.css
+++ b/src/public/stylesheets/style.css
@@ -54,18 +54,6 @@ button.close:hover {
     display: none;
 }
 
-.zen-mode #center-pane {
-    width: 100% !important;
-    /* limit max width to improve readability */
-    max-width: 1000px;
-    margin-left: auto;
-    margin-right: auto;
-}
-
-.zen-mode .hide-in-zen-mode, .zen-mode .gutter {
-    display: none !important;
-}
-
 .ui-autocomplete {
     max-height: 300px;
     overflow-y: auto;
diff --git a/src/services/keyboard_actions.js b/src/services/keyboard_actions.js
index 7ebeada6e..b4e4bfa85 100644
--- a/src/services/keyboard_actions.js
+++ b/src/services/keyboard_actions.js
@@ -396,11 +396,6 @@ const DEFAULT_KEYBOARD_ACTIONS = [
         defaultShortcuts: ["F11"],
         scope: "window"
     },
-    {
-        actionName: "toggleZenMode",
-        defaultShortcuts: ["Alt+M"],
-        scope: "window"
-    },
     {
         actionName: "zoomOut",
         defaultShortcuts: isElectron ? ["CommandOrControl+-"] : [],
diff --git a/src/views/dialogs/help.ejs b/src/views/dialogs/help.ejs
index 7cce6df02..f370f6ca5 100644
--- a/src/views/dialogs/help.ejs
+++ b/src/views/dialogs/help.ejs
@@ -135,7 +135,6 @@
 
                             <p class="card-text">
                                 <ul>
-                                    <li><kbd data-command="toggleZenMode">not set</kbd> - Zen mode - display only note editor, everything else is hidden</li>
                                     <li><kbd data-command="quickSearch">not set</kbd> - focus on quick search input</li>
                                     <li><kbd data-command="findInText">not set</kbd> - in page search</li>
                                 </ul>