diff --git a/src/main/java/com/jenkinsci/plugins/badge/action/BadgeAction.java b/src/main/java/com/jenkinsci/plugins/badge/action/BadgeAction.java
index 852ed3e..813379a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/jenkinsci/plugins/badge/action/BadgeAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/jenkinsci/plugins/badge/action/BadgeAction.java
@@ -200,7 +200,9 @@ public String getBorderColor() {
      */
     public String getIconClass() {
         List<String> classes = new LinkedList<>();
-        classes.add("icon-sm"); // control icon image size
+        if (!isTextOnly()) {
+            classes.add("icon-sm"); // control image size only when using an icon
+        }
 
         if (this.color != null) {
             if (this.color.startsWith("jenkins-!-")) {
diff --git a/src/main/resources/com/jenkinsci/plugins/badge/action/BadgeAction/badge.jelly b/src/main/resources/com/jenkinsci/plugins/badge/action/BadgeAction/badge.jelly
index 872d6ee..6bfd700 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/com/jenkinsci/plugins/badge/action/BadgeAction/badge.jelly
+++ b/src/main/resources/com/jenkinsci/plugins/badge/action/BadgeAction/badge.jelly
@@ -29,42 +29,45 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
   <j:if test="${it.iconPath != null}">
     <j:set var="badgeStyle" value=""/>
     <j:if test="${it.iconColorStyle != null}">
-      <j:set var="badgeStyle" value="${badgeStyle};color: ${it.iconColorStyle};"/>
-    </j:if>
-
-    <j:if test="${it.link == null}">
-      <l:icon src="${it.iconPath}" class="${it.iconClass}" style="${badgeStyle}" htmlTooltip="${it.text}" />
+      <j:set var="badgeStyle" value="color: ${it.iconColorStyle};"/>
     </j:if>
 
-    <j:if test="${it.link != null}">
-      <a href="${it.link}"><l:icon src="${it.iconPath}" class="${it.iconClass}" style="${badgeStyle}" htmlTooltip="${it.text}" /></a>
-    </j:if>
+    <j:choose>
+      <j:when test="${it.link == null}">
+        <l:icon src="${it.iconPath}" class="${it.iconClass}" style="${badgeStyle}" htmlTooltip="${it.text}" />
+      </j:when>
+      <j:otherwise>
+        <a href="${it.link}"><l:icon src="${it.iconPath}" class="${it.iconClass}" style="${badgeStyle}" htmlTooltip="${it.text}" /></a>
+      </j:otherwise>
+    </j:choose>
   </j:if>
 
   <j:if test="${it.iconPath == null}">
-    <st:adjunct includes="com.jenkinsci.plugins.badge.assets"/>
-    <j:set var="badgeStyle" value=""/>
+    <j:set var="badgeStyle" value="border: solid"/>
     <j:set var="badgeClass" value="badge-shortText"/>
     <j:if test="${it.border != null}">
-      <j:set var="badgeStyle" value="${badgeStyle};border: ${it.border} solid ${it.borderColor}"/>
-    </j:if>
-    <j:if test="${it.background != null}">
-      <j:set var="badgeStyle" value="${badgeStyle};background: ${it.background}"/>
-    </j:if>
-    <j:if test="${it.background == null}">
-      <j:set var="badgeClass" value="${badgeClass} badge-shortText--default-background"/>
+      <j:set var="badgeStyle" value="border: ${it.border} solid ${it.borderColor}"/>
     </j:if>
+    <j:choose>
+      <j:when test="${it.background == null}">
+        <j:set var="badgeClass" value="${badgeClass} badge-shortText--default-background"/>
+      </j:when>
+      <j:otherwise>
+        <j:set var="badgeStyle" value="${badgeStyle};background: ${it.background}"/>
+      </j:otherwise>
+    </j:choose>
     <j:if test="${it.iconColorStyle != null}">
       <j:set var="badgeStyle" value="${badgeStyle};color: ${it.iconColorStyle};"/>
     </j:if>
 
-    <j:if test="${it.link == null}">
-      <div style="${badgeStyle}" class="${it.iconClass} ${badgeClass}">${it.text}</div>
-    </j:if>
-
-    <j:if test="${it.link != null}">
-      <a href="${it.link}"><span style="${badgeStyle}" class="${it.iconClass} ${badgeClass}">${it.text}</span></a>
-    </j:if>
+    <j:choose>
+      <j:when test="${it.link == null}">
+        <span style="${badgeStyle}" class="${it.iconClass} ${badgeClass}">${it.text}</span>
+      </j:when>
+      <j:otherwise>
+        <a href="${it.link}"><span style="${badgeStyle}" class="${it.iconClass} ${badgeClass}">${it.text}</span></a>
+      </j:otherwise>
+    </j:choose>
   </j:if>
 
 </j:jelly>
diff --git a/src/main/resources/com/jenkinsci/plugins/badge/assets.css b/src/main/resources/com/jenkinsci/plugins/badge/assets.css
deleted file mode 100644
index b90163d..0000000
--- a/src/main/resources/com/jenkinsci/plugins/badge/assets.css
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,30 +0,0 @@
-.badge-shortText {
-    display: inline-block;
-    border-radius: 6px;
-    font-size: 0.75rem;
-    font-weight: 500;
-    padding: 0 0.4rem;
-    margin: 0 0.25rem 0 0;
-    text-decoration: none;
-    text-align: center;
-    white-space: nowrap;
-    vertical-align: middle;
-    position: relative;
-}
-
-.badge-shortText--default-background::before {
-    inset: -0px -0px;
-    border-radius: 6px;
-    background: currentColor;
-    opacity: .2;
-    content: "";
-    position: absolute;
-}
-
-.badge-shortText--default-background::after {
-  inset: -5px -0px;
-  box-shadow: 0 0 0 10px currentColor;
-  opacity: 0;
-  content: "";
-  position: absolute;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/jenkinsci/plugins/badge/action/BadgeActionTest.java b/src/test/java/com/jenkinsci/plugins/badge/action/BadgeActionTest.java
index 3b55c4f..18e8c26 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/jenkinsci/plugins/badge/action/BadgeActionTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/jenkinsci/plugins/badge/action/BadgeActionTest.java
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ void getIconClass(@SuppressWarnings("unused") JenkinsRule r) {
         assertEquals("icon-sm jenkins-!-color-blue", action.getIconClass());
         action = BadgeAction.createBadge("symbol-star plugin-ionicons-api", "jenkins-!-color-red", "", null);
         assertEquals("icon-sm jenkins-!-color-red", action.getIconClass());
+        action = BadgeAction.createShortText("Short text");
+        assertEquals("", action.getIconClass()); // Short text must not set icon-sm class
         // teal is not in the palette
         action = BadgeAction.createBadge("symbol-star plugin-ionicons-api", "teal", "", null);
         assertEquals("icon-sm", action.getIconClass());