diff --git a/src/components/language-selector/language-selector.jsx b/src/components/language-selector/language-selector.jsx
index 2175db564..864c4848f 100644
--- a/src/components/language-selector/language-selector.jsx
+++ b/src/components/language-selector/language-selector.jsx
@@ -7,11 +7,10 @@ import styles from './language-selector.css';
 // supported languages to exclude from the menu, but allow as a URL option
 const ignore = [];
 
-const LanguageSelector = ({componentRef, currentLocale, label, onChange}) => (
+const LanguageSelector = ({currentLocale, label, onChange}) => (
     <select
         aria-label={label}
         className={styles.languageSelect}
-        ref={componentRef}
         value={currentLocale}
         onChange={onChange}
     >
@@ -31,7 +30,6 @@ const LanguageSelector = ({componentRef, currentLocale, label, onChange}) => (
 );
 
 LanguageSelector.propTypes = {
-    componentRef: PropTypes.func,
     currentLocale: PropTypes.string,
     label: PropTypes.string,
     onChange: PropTypes.func
diff --git a/src/containers/language-selector.jsx b/src/containers/language-selector.jsx
index fe24812bd..1672949a3 100644
--- a/src/containers/language-selector.jsx
+++ b/src/containers/language-selector.jsx
@@ -11,31 +11,10 @@ class LanguageSelector extends React.Component {
     constructor (props) {
         super(props);
         bindAll(this, [
-            'handleChange',
-            'handleMouseOut',
-            'ref'
+            'handleChange'
         ]);
         document.documentElement.lang = props.currentLocale;
     }
-    componentDidMount () {
-        this.addListeners();
-    }
-
-    componentWillUnmount () {
-        this.removeListeners();
-    }
-    addListeners () {
-        this.select.addEventListener('mouseout', this.handleMouseOut);
-    }
-    removeListeners () {
-        this.select.removeEventListener('mouseout', this.handleMouseOut);
-    }
-    handleMouseOut () {
-        this.select.blur();
-    }
-    ref (c) {
-        this.select = c;
-    }
     handleChange (e) {
         const newLocale = e.target.value;
         if (this.props.messagesByLocale[newLocale]) {
@@ -52,7 +31,6 @@ class LanguageSelector extends React.Component {
         } = this.props;
         return (
             <LanguageSelectorComponent
-                componentRef={this.ref}
                 onChange={this.handleChange}
                 {...props}
             >