diff --git a/extensions/theme-defaults/themes/light_defaults.json b/extensions/theme-defaults/themes/light_defaults.json
index f8b6f6f0c8f..3fad0bc14f6 100644
--- a/extensions/theme-defaults/themes/light_defaults.json
+++ b/extensions/theme-defaults/themes/light_defaults.json
@@ -22,8 +22,7 @@
 		"sideBarSectionHeader.border": "#61616130",
 		"notebook.focusedCellBackground": "#c8ddf150",
 		"notebook.cellBorderColor": "#dae3e9",
-		"notebook.outputContainerBackgroundColor": "#c8ddf150",
-		"notebook.focusedCellShadow": "#00315040"
+		"notebook.outputContainerBackgroundColor": "#c8ddf150"
 	},
 	"semanticHighlighting": true
 }
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/media/notebook.css b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/media/notebook.css
index 70b8701a46c..4d3d640acc7 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/media/notebook.css
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/media/notebook.css
@@ -417,23 +417,6 @@
 	outline: none !important;
 }
 
-.monaco-workbench .notebookOverlay .monaco-list .monaco-list-row .cell-shadow-container {
-	height: 10px;
-	left: 0px;
-	right: 0px;
-	overflow: hidden;
-	position: absolute;
-}
-
-.monaco-workbench .notebookOverlay .monaco-list .monaco-list-row .cell-shadow-container-top {
-	top: -10px;
-}
-
-.monaco-workbench .notebookOverlay .monaco-list .monaco-list-row .cell-shadow-top {
-	margin-top: 10px;
-	width: 100%;
-}
-
 .monaco-workbench .notebookOverlay .monaco-list .monaco-list-row .cell-focus-indicator {
 	display: block;
 	content: ' ';
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditorWidget.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditorWidget.ts
index cf48100c8d0..2d5e8e9e17b 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditorWidget.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditorWidget.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import { IContextKey, IContextKeyService } from 'vs/platform/contextkey/common/c
 import { IResourceEditorInput } from 'vs/platform/editor/common/editor';
 import { IInstantiationService } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/instantiation';
 import { IStorageService, StorageScope } from 'vs/platform/storage/common/storage';
-import { contrastBorder, editorBackground, focusBorder, foreground, registerColor, textBlockQuoteBackground, textBlockQuoteBorder, textLinkActiveForeground, textLinkForeground, textPreformatForeground, errorForeground, transparent, widgetShadow, listFocusBackground, listInactiveSelectionBackground, scrollbarSliderBackground, scrollbarSliderHoverBackground, scrollbarSliderActiveBackground } from 'vs/platform/theme/common/colorRegistry';
+import { contrastBorder, editorBackground, focusBorder, foreground, registerColor, textBlockQuoteBackground, textBlockQuoteBorder, textLinkActiveForeground, textLinkForeground, textPreformatForeground, errorForeground, transparent, listFocusBackground, listInactiveSelectionBackground, scrollbarSliderBackground, scrollbarSliderHoverBackground, scrollbarSliderActiveBackground } from 'vs/platform/theme/common/colorRegistry';
 import { registerThemingParticipant } from 'vs/platform/theme/common/themeService';
 import { EditorMemento } from 'vs/workbench/browser/parts/editor/baseEditor';
 import { EditorOptions, IEditorMemento } from 'vs/workbench/common/editor';
@@ -1373,12 +1373,6 @@ export const focusedCellBorder = registerColor('notebook.focusedCellBorder', {
 	hc: focusBorder
 }, nls.localize('notebook.focusedCellBorder', "The color of the cell's top and bottom border when the cell is focused."));
 
-export const focusedCellShadow = registerColor('notebook.focusedCellShadow', {
-	dark: transparent(widgetShadow, 0.6),
-	light: transparent(widgetShadow, 0.4),
-	hc: Color.transparent
-}, nls.localize('notebook.focusedCellShadow', "The color of the cell shadow when cells are focused."));
-
 export const cellStatusBarItemHover = registerColor('notebook.cellStatusBarItemHoverBackground', {
 	light: new Color(new RGBA(0, 0, 0, 0.08)),
 	dark: new Color(new RGBA(255, 255, 255, 0.15)),
@@ -1542,15 +1536,6 @@ registerThemingParticipant((theme, collector) => {
 		collector.addRule(`.monaco-workbench .notebookOverlay .cell-statusbar-container .cell-language-picker:hover { background-color: ${cellStatusBarHoverBg}; }`);
 	}
 
-	const cellShadowColor = theme.getColor(focusedCellShadow);
-	if (cellShadowColor) {
-		// Code cells
-		collector.addRule(`.monaco-workbench .notebookOverlay .monaco-list .monaco-list-row.focused .cell-shadow { box-shadow: 0px 0px 4px 2px ${cellShadowColor} }`);
-
-		// Markdown cells
-		collector.addRule(`.monaco-workbench .notebookOverlay .monaco-list .markdown-cell-row.focused { box-shadow: 0px 0px 4px 2px ${cellShadowColor} }`);
-	}
-
 	const cellInsertionIndicatorColor = theme.getColor(cellInsertionIndicator);
 	if (cellInsertionIndicatorColor) {
 		collector.addRule(`.notebookOverlay > .cell-list-container > .cell-list-insertion-indicator { background-color: ${cellInsertionIndicatorColor}; }`);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/renderers/cellRenderer.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/renderers/cellRenderer.ts
index efd2d3e7b8e..b6445a201de 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/renderers/cellRenderer.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/renderers/cellRenderer.ts
@@ -871,10 +871,7 @@ export class CodeCellRenderer extends AbstractCellRenderer implements IListRende
 		const disposables = new DisposableStore();
 		const contextKeyService = disposables.add(this.contextKeyServiceProvider(container));
 
-		const focusIndicatorTop = DOM.append(container, $('.cell-focus-indicator.cell-focus-indicator-top'));
-		DOM.append(
-			DOM.append(focusIndicatorTop, $('.cell-shadow-container.cell-shadow-container-top')),
-			$('.cell-shadow.cell-shadow-top'));
+		DOM.append(container, $('.cell-focus-indicator.cell-focus-indicator-top'));
 		const toolbar = disposables.add(this.createToolbar(container));
 		const focusIndicator = DOM.append(container, DOM.$('.cell-focus-indicator.cell-focus-indicator-side.cell-focus-indicator-left'));
 		focusIndicator.setAttribute('draggable', 'true');
@@ -923,9 +920,6 @@ export class CodeCellRenderer extends AbstractCellRenderer implements IListRende
 		DOM.append(bottomCellContainer, $('.separator'));
 
 		const focusIndicatorBottom = DOM.append(container, $('.cell-focus-indicator.cell-focus-indicator-bottom'));
-		DOM.append(
-			DOM.append(focusIndicatorBottom, $('.cell-shadow-container.cell-shadow-container-bottom')),
-			$('.cell-shadow.cell-shadow-bottom'));
 
 		const templateData: CodeCellRenderTemplate = {
 			contextKeyService,