diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/delete_button.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/delete_button.tsx
index c27b0bf278a59..ebb6a9bdde489 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/delete_button.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/delete_button.tsx
@@ -12,20 +12,18 @@ import React, { useState } from 'react';
 import { CoreStart } from 'kibana/public';
 import { toMountPoint } from '../../../../../../../../src/plugins/kibana_react/public';
 import { SearchSessionsMgmtAPI } from '../../lib/api';
-import { TableText } from '../';
-import { OnActionClick, OnActionComplete, OnActionDismiss } from './types';
+import { IClickActionDescriptor } from '../';
+import { OnActionDismiss } from './types';
+import { UISession } from '../../types';
 
 interface DeleteButtonProps {
-  id: string;
-  name: string;
   api: SearchSessionsMgmtAPI;
-  onActionComplete: OnActionComplete;
-  overlays: CoreStart['overlays'];
-  onActionClick: OnActionClick;
+  searchSession: UISession;
 }
 
 const DeleteConfirm = (props: DeleteButtonProps & { onActionDismiss: OnActionDismiss }) => {
-  const { id, name, api, onActionComplete, onActionDismiss } = props;
+  const { searchSession, api, onActionDismiss } = props;
+  const { name, id } = searchSession;
   const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false);
 
   const title = i18n.translate('xpack.data.mgmt.searchSessions.cancelModal.title', {
@@ -51,7 +49,6 @@ const DeleteConfirm = (props: DeleteButtonProps & { onActionDismiss: OnActionDis
       onConfirm={async () => {
         setIsLoading(true);
         await api.sendCancel(id);
-        onActionComplete();
         onActionDismiss();
       }}
       confirmButtonText={confirm}
@@ -65,24 +62,21 @@ const DeleteConfirm = (props: DeleteButtonProps & { onActionDismiss: OnActionDis
   );
 };
 
-export const DeleteButton = (props: DeleteButtonProps) => {
-  const { overlays, onActionClick } = props;
-
-  return (
-    <>
-      <TableText
-        onClick={() => {
-          onActionClick();
-          const ref = overlays.openModal(
-            toMountPoint(<DeleteConfirm onActionDismiss={() => ref?.close()} {...props} />)
-          );
-        }}
-      >
-        <FormattedMessage
-          id="xpack.data.mgmt.searchSessions.actionDelete"
-          defaultMessage="Delete"
-        />
-      </TableText>
-    </>
-  );
-};
+export const createDeleteActionDescriptor = (
+  api: SearchSessionsMgmtAPI,
+  uiSession: UISession,
+  core: CoreStart
+): IClickActionDescriptor => ({
+  iconType: 'crossInACircleFilled',
+  label: (
+    <FormattedMessage id="xpack.data.mgmt.searchSessions.actionDelete" defaultMessage="Delete" />
+  ),
+  onClick: async () => {
+    const ref = core.overlays.openModal(
+      toMountPoint(
+        <DeleteConfirm onActionDismiss={() => ref?.close()} searchSession={uiSession} api={api} />
+      )
+    );
+    await ref.onClose;
+  },
+});
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/extend_button.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/extend_button.tsx
index d5750e58d0179..47878972403e2 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/extend_button.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/extend_button.tsx
@@ -9,29 +9,25 @@ import { EuiConfirmModal } from '@elastic/eui';
 import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
 import { FormattedMessage } from '@kbn/i18n/react';
 import React, { useState } from 'react';
-import { Duration } from 'moment';
 import moment from 'moment';
 import { CoreStart } from 'kibana/public';
 import { toMountPoint } from '../../../../../../../../src/plugins/kibana_react/public';
 import { SearchSessionsMgmtAPI } from '../../lib/api';
-import { TableText } from '../';
-import { OnActionClick, OnActionComplete, OnActionDismiss } from './types';
+import { IClickActionDescriptor } from '../';
+import { OnActionDismiss } from './types';
+import { UISession } from '../../types';
+import extendSessionIcon from '../../icons/extend_session.svg';
 
 interface ExtendButtonProps {
-  id: string;
-  name: string;
-  expires: string | null;
-  extendBy: Duration;
+  searchSession: UISession;
   api: SearchSessionsMgmtAPI;
-  overlays: CoreStart['overlays'];
-  onActionClick: OnActionClick;
-  onActionComplete: OnActionComplete;
 }
 
 const ExtendConfirm = ({ ...props }: ExtendButtonProps & { onActionDismiss: OnActionDismiss }) => {
-  const { id, name, expires, api, extendBy, onActionComplete, onActionDismiss } = props;
+  const { searchSession, api, onActionDismiss } = props;
+  const { id, name, expires } = searchSession;
   const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false);
-  const extendByDuration = moment.duration(extendBy);
+  const extendByDuration = moment.duration(api.getExtendByDuration());
 
   const newExpiration = moment(expires).add(extendByDuration);
 
@@ -61,7 +57,6 @@ const ExtendConfirm = ({ ...props }: ExtendButtonProps & { onActionDismiss: OnAc
         await api.sendExtend(id, `${newExpiration.toISOString()}`);
         setIsLoading(false);
         onActionDismiss();
-        onActionComplete();
       }}
       confirmButtonText={confirm}
       confirmButtonDisabled={isLoading}
@@ -74,24 +69,21 @@ const ExtendConfirm = ({ ...props }: ExtendButtonProps & { onActionDismiss: OnAc
   );
 };
 
-export const ExtendButton = (props: ExtendButtonProps) => {
-  const { overlays, onActionClick } = props;
-
-  return (
-    <>
-      <TableText
-        onClick={() => {
-          onActionClick();
-          const ref = overlays.openModal(
-            toMountPoint(<ExtendConfirm onActionDismiss={() => ref?.close()} {...props} />)
-          );
-        }}
-      >
-        <FormattedMessage
-          id="xpack.data.mgmt.searchSessions.actionExtend"
-          defaultMessage="Extend"
-        />
-      </TableText>
-    </>
-  );
-};
+export const createExtendActionDescriptor = (
+  api: SearchSessionsMgmtAPI,
+  uiSession: UISession,
+  core: CoreStart
+): IClickActionDescriptor => ({
+  iconType: extendSessionIcon,
+  label: (
+    <FormattedMessage id="xpack.data.mgmt.searchSessions.actionExtend" defaultMessage="Extend" />
+  ),
+  onClick: async () => {
+    const ref = core.overlays.openModal(
+      toMountPoint(
+        <ExtendConfirm onActionDismiss={() => ref?.close()} searchSession={uiSession} api={api} />
+      )
+    );
+    await ref.onClose;
+  },
+});
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/get_action.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/get_action.tsx
index f95ca1c653c92..c3860fe3e276b 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/get_action.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/get_action.tsx
@@ -5,93 +5,31 @@
  * 2.0.
  */
 
-import React from 'react';
 import { CoreStart } from 'kibana/public';
 import { IClickActionDescriptor } from '../';
-import extendSessionIcon from '../../icons/extend_session.svg';
 import { SearchSessionsMgmtAPI } from '../../lib/api';
 import { UISession } from '../../types';
-import { DeleteButton } from './delete_button';
-import { ExtendButton } from './extend_button';
-import { InspectButton } from './inspect_button';
-import { ACTION, OnActionClick, OnActionComplete } from './types';
-import { RenameButton } from './rename_button';
+import { createDeleteActionDescriptor } from './delete_button';
+import { createExtendActionDescriptor } from './extend_button';
+import { createInspectActionDescriptor } from './inspect_button';
+import { ACTION } from './types';
+import { createRenameActionDescriptor } from './rename_button';
 
 export const getAction = (
   api: SearchSessionsMgmtAPI,
   actionType: string,
   uiSession: UISession,
-  core: CoreStart,
-  onActionClick: OnActionClick,
-  onActionComplete: OnActionComplete
+  core: CoreStart
 ): IClickActionDescriptor | null => {
-  const { id, name, expires } = uiSession;
-  const { overlays, uiSettings } = core;
   switch (actionType) {
     case ACTION.INSPECT:
-      return {
-        iconType: 'document',
-        textColor: 'default',
-        label: (
-          <InspectButton
-            overlays={overlays}
-            searchSession={uiSession}
-            uiSettings={uiSettings}
-            onActionClick={onActionClick}
-          />
-        ),
-      };
-
+      return createInspectActionDescriptor(api, uiSession, core);
     case ACTION.DELETE:
-      return {
-        iconType: 'crossInACircleFilled',
-        textColor: 'default',
-        label: (
-          <DeleteButton
-            api={api}
-            id={id}
-            name={name}
-            overlays={overlays}
-            onActionComplete={onActionComplete}
-            onActionClick={onActionClick}
-          />
-        ),
-      };
-
+      return createDeleteActionDescriptor(api, uiSession, core);
     case ACTION.EXTEND:
-      return {
-        iconType: extendSessionIcon,
-        textColor: 'default',
-        label: (
-          <ExtendButton
-            api={api}
-            id={id}
-            name={name}
-            expires={expires}
-            overlays={overlays}
-            extendBy={api.getExtendByDuration()}
-            onActionComplete={onActionComplete}
-            onActionClick={onActionClick}
-          />
-        ),
-      };
-
+      return createExtendActionDescriptor(api, uiSession, core);
     case ACTION.RENAME:
-      return {
-        iconType: 'pencil',
-        textColor: 'default',
-        label: (
-          <RenameButton
-            api={api}
-            id={id}
-            name={name}
-            overlays={overlays}
-            onActionComplete={onActionComplete}
-            onActionClick={onActionClick}
-          />
-        ),
-      };
-
+      return createRenameActionDescriptor(api, uiSession, core);
     default:
       // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
       console.error(`Unknown action: ${actionType}`);
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/inspect_button.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/inspect_button.tsx
index 54c0c10ee6cc5..05382f3eb36ca 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/inspect_button.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/inspect_button.tsx
@@ -10,20 +10,18 @@ import { FormattedMessage } from '@kbn/i18n/react';
 import React, { Fragment } from 'react';
 import { CoreStart } from 'kibana/public';
 import { UISession } from '../../types';
-import { TableText } from '..';
+import { IClickActionDescriptor } from '..';
 import {
   CodeEditor,
   createKibanaReactContext,
   toMountPoint,
 } from '../../../../../../../../src/plugins/kibana_react/public';
 import './inspect_button.scss';
-import { OnActionClick } from './types';
+import { SearchSessionsMgmtAPI } from '../../lib/api';
 
 interface InspectFlyoutProps {
   searchSession: UISession;
-  overlays: CoreStart['overlays'];
   uiSettings: CoreStart['uiSettings'];
-  onActionClick: OnActionClick;
 }
 
 const InspectFlyout = ({ uiSettings, searchSession }: InspectFlyoutProps) => {
@@ -84,24 +82,23 @@ const InspectFlyout = ({ uiSettings, searchSession }: InspectFlyoutProps) => {
     </KibanaReactContextProvider>
   );
 };
-export const InspectButton = (props: InspectFlyoutProps) => {
-  const { overlays, onActionClick } = props;
 
-  return (
-    <Fragment>
-      <TableText
-        onClick={() => {
-          onActionClick();
-          const flyout = <InspectFlyout {...props} />;
-          overlays.openFlyout(toMountPoint(flyout));
-        }}
-      >
-        <FormattedMessage
-          id="xpack.data.mgmt.searchSessions.flyoutTitle"
-          aria-label="Inspect"
-          defaultMessage="Inspect"
-        />
-      </TableText>
-    </Fragment>
-  );
-};
+export const createInspectActionDescriptor = (
+  api: SearchSessionsMgmtAPI,
+  uiSession: UISession,
+  core: CoreStart
+): IClickActionDescriptor => ({
+  iconType: 'document',
+  label: (
+    <FormattedMessage
+      id="xpack.data.mgmt.searchSessions.flyoutTitle"
+      aria-label="Inspect"
+      defaultMessage="Inspect"
+    />
+  ),
+  onClick: async () => {
+    const flyout = <InspectFlyout uiSettings={core.uiSettings} searchSession={uiSession} />;
+    const overlay = core.overlays.openFlyout(toMountPoint(flyout));
+    await overlay.onClose;
+  },
+});
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/popover_actions.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/popover_actions.tsx
index 8b1037250eeeb..dbacb6d094391 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/popover_actions.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/popover_actions.tsx
@@ -9,11 +9,7 @@ import {
   EuiButtonIcon,
   EuiContextMenu,
   EuiContextMenuPanelDescriptor,
-  EuiFlexGroup,
-  EuiFlexItem,
-  EuiIcon,
   EuiPopover,
-  EuiTextProps,
   EuiToolTip,
 } from '@elastic/eui';
 import {
@@ -22,20 +18,12 @@ import {
 } from '@elastic/eui/src/components/context_menu/context_menu';
 import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
 import { CoreStart } from 'kibana/public';
-import React, { ReactElement, useState } from 'react';
-import { TableText } from '../';
+import React, { useState } from 'react';
 import { SearchSessionsMgmtAPI } from '../../lib/api';
 import { UISession } from '../../types';
 import { getAction } from './get_action';
 import { ACTION, OnActionComplete } from './types';
 
-// interfaces
-interface PopoverActionProps {
-  textColor?: EuiTextProps['color'];
-  iconType: string;
-  children: string | ReactElement;
-}
-
 interface PopoverActionItemsProps {
   session: UISession;
   api: SearchSessionsMgmtAPI;
@@ -43,18 +31,6 @@ interface PopoverActionItemsProps {
   core: CoreStart;
 }
 
-// helper
-const PopoverAction = ({ textColor, iconType, children, ...props }: PopoverActionProps) => (
-  <EuiFlexGroup gutterSize="s" alignItems="center" component="span" {...props}>
-    <EuiFlexItem grow={false} component="span">
-      <EuiIcon color={textColor} type={iconType} />
-    </EuiFlexItem>
-    <EuiFlexItem grow={true} component="span">
-      <TableText color={textColor}>{children}</TableText>
-    </EuiFlexItem>
-  </EuiFlexGroup>
-);
-
 export const PopoverActionsMenu = ({
   api,
   onActionComplete,
@@ -71,10 +47,6 @@ export const PopoverActionsMenu = ({
     setPopover(false);
   };
 
-  const onActionClick = () => {
-    closePopover();
-  };
-
   const renderPopoverButton = () => (
     <EuiToolTip
       content={i18n.translate('xpack.data.mgmt.searchSessions.actions.tooltip.moreActions', {
@@ -95,9 +67,9 @@ export const PopoverActionsMenu = ({
   const actions = session.actions || [];
   // Generic set of actions - up to the API to return what is available
   const items = actions.reduce((itemSet, actionType) => {
-    const actionDef = getAction(api, actionType, session, core, onActionClick, onActionComplete);
+    const actionDef = getAction(api, actionType, session, core);
     if (actionDef) {
-      const { label, textColor, iconType } = actionDef;
+      const { label, iconType, onClick } = actionDef;
 
       // add a line above the delete action (when there are multiple)
       // NOTE: Delete action MUST be the final action[] item
@@ -109,16 +81,15 @@ export const PopoverActionsMenu = ({
         ...itemSet,
         {
           key: `action-${actionType}`,
-          name: (
-            <PopoverAction
-              textColor={textColor}
-              iconType={iconType}
-              data-test-subj={`sessionManagementPopoverAction-${actionType}`}
-            >
-              {label}
-            </PopoverAction>
-          ),
-        },
+          name: label,
+          icon: iconType,
+          'data-test-subj': `sessionManagementPopoverAction-${actionType}`,
+          onClick: async () => {
+            closePopover();
+            await onClick();
+            onActionComplete();
+          },
+        } as EuiContextMenuPanelItemDescriptorEntry,
       ];
     }
     return itemSet;
@@ -126,20 +97,16 @@ export const PopoverActionsMenu = ({
 
   const panels: EuiContextMenuPanelDescriptor[] = [{ id: 0, items }];
 
-  return (
-    <>
-      {actions.length ? (
-        <EuiPopover
-          id={`popover-${session.id}`}
-          button={renderPopoverButton()}
-          isOpen={isPopoverOpen}
-          closePopover={closePopover}
-          anchorPosition="downLeft"
-          panelPaddingSize={'s'}
-        >
-          <EuiContextMenu initialPanelId={0} panels={panels} />
-        </EuiPopover>
-      ) : null}
-    </>
-  );
+  return actions.length ? (
+    <EuiPopover
+      id={`popover-${session.id}`}
+      button={renderPopoverButton()}
+      isOpen={isPopoverOpen}
+      closePopover={closePopover}
+      anchorPosition="downLeft"
+      panelPaddingSize={'s'}
+    >
+      <EuiContextMenu initialPanelId={0} panels={panels} />
+    </EuiPopover>
+  ) : null;
 };
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/rename_button.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/rename_button.tsx
index 6fa0d0d443d71..99639e86c123d 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/rename_button.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/rename_button.tsx
@@ -22,24 +22,22 @@ import { FormattedMessage } from '@kbn/i18n/react';
 import React, { useState } from 'react';
 import { CoreStart } from 'kibana/public';
 import { SearchSessionsMgmtAPI } from '../../lib/api';
-import { TableText } from '../';
+import { IClickActionDescriptor } from '../';
 import { toMountPoint } from '../../../../../../../../src/plugins/kibana_react/public';
-import { OnActionClick, OnActionComplete, OnActionDismiss } from './types';
+import { OnActionDismiss } from './types';
+import { UISession } from '../../types';
 
 interface RenameButtonProps {
-  id: string;
-  name: string;
+  searchSession: UISession;
   api: SearchSessionsMgmtAPI;
-  overlays: CoreStart['overlays'];
-  onActionComplete: OnActionComplete;
-  onActionClick: OnActionClick;
 }
 
 const RenameDialog = ({
   onActionDismiss,
   ...props
 }: RenameButtonProps & { onActionDismiss: OnActionDismiss }) => {
-  const { id, name: originalName, api, onActionComplete } = props;
+  const { api, searchSession } = props;
+  const { id, name: originalName } = searchSession;
   const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false);
   const [newName, setNewName] = useState(originalName);
 
@@ -92,7 +90,6 @@ const RenameDialog = ({
             await api.sendRename(id, newName);
             setIsLoading(false);
             onActionDismiss();
-            onActionComplete();
           }}
           fill
           isLoading={isLoading}
@@ -104,24 +101,21 @@ const RenameDialog = ({
   );
 };
 
-export const RenameButton = (props: RenameButtonProps) => {
-  const { overlays, onActionClick } = props;
-
-  const onClick = () => {
-    onActionClick();
-    const ref = overlays.openModal(
-      toMountPoint(<RenameDialog onActionDismiss={() => ref?.close()} {...props} />)
+export const createRenameActionDescriptor = (
+  api: SearchSessionsMgmtAPI,
+  uiSession: UISession,
+  core: CoreStart
+): IClickActionDescriptor => ({
+  iconType: 'pencil',
+  label: (
+    <FormattedMessage id="xpack.data.mgmt.searchSessions.actionRename" defaultMessage="Edit name" />
+  ),
+  onClick: async () => {
+    const ref = core.overlays.openModal(
+      toMountPoint(
+        <RenameDialog onActionDismiss={() => ref?.close()} api={api} searchSession={uiSession} />
+      )
     );
-  };
-
-  return (
-    <>
-      <TableText onClick={onClick}>
-        <FormattedMessage
-          id="xpack.data.mgmt.searchSessions.actionRename"
-          defaultMessage="Edit name"
-        />
-      </TableText>
-    </>
-  );
-};
+    await ref.onClose;
+  },
+});
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/types.ts b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/types.ts
index ec0c281d0a4fe..c808f8469cccf 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/types.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/actions/types.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
  */
 
 export type OnActionComplete = () => void;
-export type OnActionClick = () => void;
 export type OnActionDismiss = () => void;
 
 export enum ACTION {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/index.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/index.tsx
index ce92ec5944408..f57ad73c3c760 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/index.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/index.tsx
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ export const TableText = ({ children, ...props }: EuiTextProps) => {
 };
 
 export interface IClickActionDescriptor {
-  label: string | React.ReactElement;
+  label: React.ReactNode;
   iconType: 'trash' | 'cancel' | typeof extendSessionIcon;
-  textColor: EuiTextProps['color'];
+  onClick: () => Promise<void> | void;
 }
 
 export interface IHrefActionDescriptor {